What caliber and style for you?

[SciAggie]

In Colorado, climbing up and down hunting elk, I’d take my .62 Yeager. It’s short, light, points well, and packs a punch.

I’m also a fan of this .72 caliber English sporting rifle for the same reasons.

 

[stubshaft]

An early Virginia (this was the very first style flintlock that I bought) in .58 OR a Kibler Colonial.

 

[SOLANCO]

Partial to .36 in a long rifle. It is a finicky PITA in some ways but I like to shoot it. Probably shoot my .58 long rifle more often for the comparative ease. These for plinking or range.

Hunting I almost always take my percussion double.

 

[longcruise]

58, med length swamped barrel, no more than 7.5#.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Well I’m leaning towards the .54 with a swamped barrel in a J. Dickert early Lancaster pattern with a Chambers Golden Age fast lock. Or maybe his deluxe siler.

Your .45 Late Lancaster sounds like a great rifle. Thanks for your input Hanshi. Much appreciated.

Well if your ordering it get the new machined deluxe siler.

 

[Cruzatte]

Mark me down as in favor of the Lancaster pattern, any of the Golden Age makers; Dickert, Albright, Gumpf, Fordney...they're all good. Fifty caliber is a good, all purpose caliber.

 

[cjgregory]

Mark me down as in favor of the Lancaster pattern, any of the Golden Age makers; Dickert, Albright, Gumpf, Fordney...they're all good. Fifty caliber is a good, all purpose caliber.

Yep. Already getting parts lined up.

 

[ochsner_tim]

Yep. Already getting parts lined up.

The Lancaster are fine looking and are my favorites also, but don’t overlook the John Armstrong emmittsville school.

 

[cjgregory]

The Lancaster are fine looking and are my favorites also, but don’t overlook the John Armstrong emmittsville school.

Will search some of them today. Thanks.

 

[R Ellis]

I just traded for a 40 cal full stock with 40 inch barrel that is a real honest tack driver . And may become my favorite in time put it has some competition from a 32 cal and a 50 cal . I wanted to try a 40 after hearing and reading others say how accurate they were .Seem they were on to something . So try a 40 I believe you will like it .

 

[ZUG]

I tend to lean towards a Lancaster or York style of rifle as my first pick and in .54 caliber since you already have a .50 caliber rifle. My second choice would be from the Reading School style of builders also in .54 caliber. Whatever you pick use a high-quality swamped barrel and a high-quality lock.
Rather than have a custom rifle built by a custom rifle smith I would get a Kibler Woodsrunner or his Colonial American Longrifle and build it yourself or have your buddy build it.

 

[hanshi]

I've ended up with 4 rifles in .45 caliber. One is retired (nearly 60 yoa) and one has never hunted; both are percussion. My #1 late Lancaster .45 is 7 lbs even with a 36" straight barrel. A delight to carry with an ultra reliable large Siler flint lock.

The #2 is 7 lbs & 11 oz with a swamped "B" weight .38" tube and large Siler flint lock. I also have this "sorta" early Lancaster youth style .50 with a Golden Age Chambers flint. The Rice barrel is a swamped "B" wgt. 38" long beauty. The rifle only weighs 7 lbs & 2 oz; what a delight to shoot.

I can't think of a better all around/everything rifle than a .54 flintlock longrifle in whatever style one prefers. True, it will use more lead than necessary for squirrels. But for about everything else it can't be beat. And this praise is coming direct from a .45 aficionado too. Where more than one rifle is involved the .54 can become something of a specialized large game affair. The smaller siblings would then take care of squirrel or maybe deer. And deer are perfect for the .45 to chase.