what Flintlock to get

[JimKok]

Hello all
Am new in this room because I own two percussion rifles but I would also like to own a flintlock but I don't now what to get I really don't want to spend a lot of money thu I do like the CVA Frontier or the traditions PA Pellet
Thanks
Jim

 

[ncmtmike]

Jimk,I would suggest you look beyond the CVA or the pellet rifles,they have no power(weak parts).
IMHO, if a production flintlock is what you want either a Lyman or Pedersoli is a much better choice. Hope this helps :wink:

 

[pa woods roamer]

very good advice!! save Yourself some frustration.....

 

[kopfjaeger]

JimK,

Listen to mtmike, for a production gun can't go wrong with a Lyman.

 

[Birddog6]

Go with a slingshot & rocks....... :idunno: It is the only thing that you can shoot that is cheapo. :grin: Even good pellets cost a fortune now. :shocked2:

Honestly, If you want cheap, buying a ML is not the way to go. Muzzleloading is not a poor mans hobby, IMHO. If you really want to shoot allot, it is expensive. Powder is expensive, balls or lead is expensive, a good rifle is not cheap any more. And soon as you get in you will find all these other things you need & want, etc.

Seriously, you want really cheap, go with a slingshot. :wink:

Keith Lisle

 

[Rifleman1776]

Don't discourage him. No hobby/avocation is cheap these days. Try taking up photography from scratch. :shocked2:

 

[Mickc01]

Ditto!!! :thumbsup:

 

[hanshi]

Muzzleloading Is orders of magnitude less expensive to shoot than comparable cartridge arms. If you cast your own ball the cost gets downright reasonable.

 

[Birddog6]

Don't discourage him. No hobby/avocation is cheap these days. Try taking up photography from scratch. :shocked2:

I can name a dozen guys right now with ML rifles sitting in their gun safe because they bought them & had no idea the cost of Powder, Balls, Caps, misc to maintain one, etc. would cost so much. They bought them & thought they would be Cheap to shoot.

I think he should check out the price of what it cost to shoot & maintain it, before he spend his $.

Keith Lisle

 

[Snakebite]

Since Jim already has two percussion guns, he probably knows about shooting blackpowder.

Ya'll are making is sound like it's a rich mans game which I don't think it is. Yea, rifles can be expensive, but once you have your rifle, they aren't any more expensive than shooting cartridge guns. Check out what smokeless powder and bullets cost. I can buy 100 .535cal balls for less than 100 .223 or .30cal bullets. Around here smokless powder is running over $20 a pound. Last time I bought blackpowder, it was about $16 or $17 a pound. Check out Midway USA and Blackpowder Inc to compare prices.

You can make a lot of the other stuff like a shooting bag, patch knife, etc.

I make pretty good money but sure not rich. I've acquired a lot stuff over time just as most of you probably have. How about giving Jim the benefit of the doubt that he's been in the game a little with his two percussion guns.

Chris

 

[bpd303]

Don't discourage him. No hobby/avocation is cheap these days. Try taking up photography from scratch. :shocked2:

My wife is getting serious about photography and I love it. Whenever she gets a new piece of equipment, I get to buy a new rifle/pistol. :bow:

 

[azmntman]

I'm new here too...

I buy a gun the wife buys a sewing machine! THAT makes ML expensive!

I have a CVA .50 flint and have had no issues with it, shoots a clay pigeon at 80-90 yards every shot and goes off reliably. Had a .45 pedersoli and it went off reliably but not as accurate.

I use 10 grs 3f and then 50 grs of triple seven, helps cleaning etc and goes off well. Anybody see a problem with that load?

My son got a nice deer this ear with BP too, his first, hoping he's hooked, after all once ya go black ya never go back....or so I've heard. I been hooked for 38 years now.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Muzzleloading Is orders of magnitude less expensive to shoot than comparable cartridge arms. If you cast your own ball the cost gets downright reasonable.

Absolutely correct. My upland bird gun cost as much as my BP rifle..., but each shell costs 3X what it costs to shoot my rifle, and it takes many chukkar and pheasant to put as much meat into the freezer as 1 deer. Not to mention the cost of the bird hunt vs. what it costs me to take a single deer. :shocked2: Even when I pay the local guy to process the meat compared to my doing the processing.

You can find a good used Lyman or TC flintlock, but you have to hunt around a bit to get one at a low price that's still good enough to shoot. Check pawn shops in addition to gunshops as The Holidays are coming and some folks might dispose of a flinter to get some extra $$ for the Santa Fund, and be sure to check the bore.

LD

 

[Hierophant]

Muzzleloading Is orders of magnitude less expensive to shoot than comparable cartridge arms. If you cast your own ball the cost gets downright reasonable.

Darn right. I even reload for most of my cartridge rifles and BP shooting is still cheaper than that.

You can break the bank with any hobby, but ML shooting seems to me relatively inexpensive compared to other shooting sports.

 

[hanshi]

The real expense comes when you get a nice ML and realize you need another in order to be ready for all game. But then you need another, then another and so on. Expensive but wonderful.

I cast my own ball, shoot mostly flintlocks and the flintlock I shoot most is my .36 SMR. Shooting at 88 yards with a friend a couple weeks back, I had little trouble hitting (without a rest) drink bottles and cans. The load? Get this; 20 grains 3F (JBP) and my home cast .350" ball.

 

[azmntman]

Hows that load on paper? I have found less powder means tighter groups as well and have had NO problem dropping elk, bull and cow up to 100 yds with 80-90 grans max and a conical and shoot deer with 65 grains and a round ball outta my flint (or occasionally) my cap lock.50.

I did once shoot a "modern" a guy had with 150 grains and might have well as shot a .458 win...NO reason for that much powder....still cringing and rubbing shoulder.

 

[Kapow]

What about archery? You are usually shooting $15 - $20 arrows. I think blackpowder shooting is relatively cheap depending on how often and intensely you do it. The thing that makes it cheap is the rate of fire. Twenty round is a serious day out. With an auto centrefire it is one magazine. I also think less is more. You don't need a dozen rifles. There's nothing wrong with that but two or three rifles will cover everything you need and you can make a lot of your own gear.

Compare it to other hobbies such as golf, scuba, cycling, etc and the start up is about the same if not cheaper. How many golfers can hang their clubs on the wall and admire them?

 

[bpd303]

"You don't need a dozen rifles"

I wish someone had told me that a long time ago. At last count I have at least 18 long guns and 8 pistols in the muzzle loading class, not to mention the unmentionable cartridge rifles and pistols. :hmm:

 

[Alden]

OMG -- he really wrote that! What a terrible perspective he has. To never know the fear/excitement/success of sneaking another into the house or the guilty pleasure of the little white lie "oh, no, I've always had this one -- you've seen it before."

Ignore anyone who uses the word "need" in a conversation about your ownership of any gun(s) at any time in any place -- they cannot be trusted.

 

[azmntman]

I been caught too many times Alden, Now I just stop by Odegaards sewing center and get the latest flier bout the day before my new one arrives....which is Monday. Just bought a 20 ga dbl barrels. That makes 2 scatter guns, sold my pedersoli 10 ga dbl as it shot rt barrel rt and left barrel left and both low, I'm into accuracy and if they don't shoot dad on the get passed on.

I have like 30 total. And yer very correct on rate of fire, I'll shoot 20 shots and the kid will go through half a brick of .22