Traditions Shenandoah Rifle

[Blackfingers]

Anybody know about this rifle and can maybe recommend it in flintlock mode? :idunno:

 

[nit wit]

I shot one years ago, it was ok. The locks are cheap. Pedersolis are better. Check gunshows, sometimes you can find a sleeper for what you'd pay for a lesser rifle.
Nit Wit

 

[rf50cal]

I had one in flint for five years in the 90's. I honestly can't remember anything good about it. The quality could not begin to compare to TC Hawken that I also shot at that time.

 

[nkbj]

I have a 3rd hand Shenandoah flinter that started out as .36 and is now .46. I like it a lot but think it's gonna get scraped down and refinished.

PS,
This Shenandoah was a real adventure as the person selling it didn't tell me the barrel had been ringed and that he had messed up the lock. I fixed the lock and wanting to keep the rifle, had it rebored to .46. If buying one 2nd hand, feeling out the bore with a tight patch is now my SOP.

PPS,
When Hoyt rebored the .36 he also improved the ignition performance and cleaning characteristics with a little rework on the breech plug. The man is a national treasure.

Wrestled with whether to go .40 or larger on the Shenandoah but settled on .46 for greater utility. Ended up with the weight and feel of the rifle being just peachy.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I worked on two Shenandoahs for friends, one flint and one percussion. Both had the barrels replaced with Green Mountains, one .40 caliber and one .50 caliber. The percussion lock owner was OK with the original lock but the flint owner got an RPL. Both still own the guns and are now happy with them, so, it's a good gun if you replace the lock and barrel and don't mind that the stock is not very attractive nor representive of any style of original rifle. :haha:

 

[ebiggs1]

All Traditions and CVAs are ktis or more correctly "projects". So getting one can be fun, or not, depending on your personality. :hmm:

 

[Carl Aldridge]

I bought one three years ago, a .36 caliber. I had a lousy time trying to get it to fire because the patent breech was too narrow and the powder ( 3F) was always bridging. I had to rig a dremel bit on my ramrod and slowly... I mean slowly... open up the patent breech because if the dremel bit came off the ramrod I would have to use the barrel as a tomato stake. Once I enlarged it to roughly .20 caliber and opened the touchhole to 5/16" it was fairly reliable.

 

[stude 283]

5/64" maybe?Must be miss type.

 

[Carl Aldridge]

Stude you are correct, I was rolling 1/16" and 5/64" in my mind and look what came out!

 

[ric]

Blackfingers, I got one secondhand in 36cal. Replaced the front and rear sights to personal preference. It is a good but not a great gun. I would like more drop in a stock than this but the gun is accurate , the lock sparks , and using 30gr. 3f with 000 buckshot is cheap enough to shoot. Don't pay full price though. Ric

 

[FJTBONE]

I have one in .50 cal. and it is among the most accurate of my muzzleloaders. I have had no problems with it that I did not cause. I will be using it this weekend on a combo pig and deer hunt. TBone.

 

[leslie]

Not a very good rifle unless you get it VERY cheap.As others have said look around there are some very good buys out there.

 

[nkbj]

I think the quality may have been improving over time. Can't prove that, just something suspected from comments and observations.
I note that the frizzen on my Traditions Deerhunter sparks like it was brought from a stand on New Years eve. The Shenandoah less so but it still goes bang when I squeeze her. Then again maybe Shen needs a new flint.

 

[TxRambler]

We are on our second one (the first was stolen in a break-in). These are good guns for the money. Both in 50 cal. Reasonably accurate and fairly robust. Good camping guns, great "starter" guns. Gave mine to my daughter at 14 years, when it was stolen she wanted another just like it. Great for learning how to brown a barrel or stock customizing.