Some basic questions

[The Baron]

Hi All,

Sorry I've been a stranger here. A growing family and an increased workload/lack of holidays has been hurting me. I had no flintlock turkey pictures to share this spring either. I tried, but it just wasn't my year. :shake:

Anyhooo... to my questions. I am excited to say I have a lightly used .50 flintlock Hawken on the way. It was built from the TOTW fullstock Hawken kit. This is my first flintlock rifle and I am wondering how to determine if I should buy .490" or .495" round balls? I prefer to shoot the pre-cut and pre-lubed round patches (I know, I know :yakyak: ) so what combinations do y'all think might be best?

Also, is there a way to determine what flints this lock (L&R) will take without waiting for the gun to get here? I'd like to be able to shoot when it arrives.

 

[cgg]

If it is the L&R lock that is still used in the TOTW kit, I bet it takes the #6 (3/4") Tom Fuller flint that TOW sells. Check the TOW site. I have a stockpile of TOW/Tom Fuller #7 flints for my Davis lock and like them very much.

If it is a GM barrel I bet you could load .495 balls and .015 Ox-Yoke patches, but I have never had a .50 GM; that's just a semi-educated guess. I did have a GM .54 once and it liked .535/.020 OY and 80 grns of 3F.

Have fun with the new rifle.

 

[hanshi]

Just me but I think I would get both sizes & see what shoots best with my patches/lube and powder charges. I can't see either size ball going to waste as either will shoot well enough for practice. The most accurate size ball will be the one to buy/cast from now on. Good luck on your new acquisition.

 

[Billnpatti]

I think I'd go with the .490 ball and an .018 pillow ticking patch. If you use the .495 ball, you may have to use too thin of a patch and you could get cutting or burn through on your patches. You are better off using a smaller ball and a thicker patch than you are the other way around.

I don't know what size flint to recommend. I'll leave that up to my more astute colleagues on this forum.

 

[Golfswithwolves]

Yes, get a few of each size ball. It is said that real tight-fitting ball/patch combinations can be the most accurate, but these are a pain to load. I think the traditional everyday loads must have mostly been the easier ones to slide down the barrel. I would suggest using at least a .15" thick patch so as to allow a healthy ammount of powder without burn-through, and also a ball of maybe .10" smaller diameter than the bore as a start. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Halftail]

Hey baron,
It's been posted here already but I'll post a reply so I can watch my Post count Grow... :hmm:
If I were you I'd get both sizes of ball and a few differant patches to try.You never know what it'll like for a load.If you need some .490's and some .018,020 patches to try PM me your mailing addy and I'll send some to ya to try.

 

[MikeChapin]

I have a flint Hawken with the L&R Large English lock and have had the best luck with the 3/4" square flints from either Tom Fuller or Rich Pierce.

I have a Tennessee with a GM .50 barrel. I use a .490 RB with a .024 light canvas patch. I could go with a .495 with an .018 patch easily enough if I needed to.

 

[The Baron]

Thanks guys. It makes sense to try both .490" and .495" and see what's best. As was said, I'm sure they will all be used for practice eventually. I'll probably buy a few of both 3/4" square and 3/4" x 7/8" flints and see what works best, with the same logic.

 

[bobznew]

Okay, I know this is the Flinter forum, but I think the question is still relevant...

When speaking about different ball/patch combination(s), does the equation change any when one is using a flinter versus a capgun? What I mean is, does a flinter have a greater affinity for a larger patch/smaller ball combination than does a capgun? Or visa versa (more affinity for a SMALLER patch/LARGER ball combination than does a caplock)? Or does any sort of difference in affinities exist?

 

[Lostrifle]

AFAIK, unless you're using conicals(or them %$*#@#! modern bullets!) the only difference is in how you make it go "boom".

 

[jbtusa]

Use 3/4" flints from Rich Pierce. ...Cheaper and they are every bit as good as the English black flints.

 

[Zoar]

Indeed, the barrel does not know if you ignited it with a pile of 4F in a pan or a cap sitting on a tube.

Enjoy the ride! The bumps are there to make it more interesting.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

No. But the flintlock will put hair on your chest and cause beautiful, scantily clad women to follow you whereever you go. :wink:

 

[jmac]

Its true!! I once shot a .45 cap lock and no one noticed me... now I shoot a big .62 flintlock and the girls...oh the girls!! :rotf: :rotf:

J-Mac

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

And they say size doesn't matter! :haha:

 

[vern faulkner]

So that's why the gals here at the "shady rest" Keep smiling at me(wish they'd put their teeth back in though). :shake: Vern

 

[Zoar]

Yeah not only what they all said--- but---muzzleloaders like big bad blunderbuss's do not come in "capgun". They only come as massive flint locks. My Blunderbuss gets the girls a-gigglin everytime I pull it out.

Honestly though everytime I shoot my blunderbuss EVERYONE gets excited. I don't know a "capgun" that can accomplish that.

 

[StewartLeach]

Ancient One, you know what the ladies say at the rest home?

"A hard man is good to find".

 

[vern faulkner]

:shocked2: :shocked2: I showed my old woman your post(thought it might help some tonight for today is our 41 wedding anniversary)she just laughed and said something about in my dreams or something :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

The trouble with being an old man is that your woman is likely as old as you are and a whole lot smarter! The only way I win an argument is to take her out to dinner. She's too well mannered to talk with her mouth full and I get to eat in peace. Actualy it's closer to a tie and it costs me money, but at my age I'll take it. :rotf: