What is the effective touch hole blast distance???

[ballandcap]

Was at the range today shooting and ran into a guy I used to work with. He was shooting a semi auto pistol and started to admire my flinters and realized we knew each other. He seemed interested and asking me what kind of grouping I am getting at the 100 yards I was shooting at, how do they shoot etc...

Next thing you know he was wanting to shoot it. Got him set up on the bench and my spotting scope was to the right. I set up on the scope waiting for him to shoot (in front of the touch hole and 3-4 feet to the side). Waited for what seemed like an eternity and just as I turned to my left to see what was going on ....... BOOOM, man that blast nailed me right in the face! He must have shifted forward quite a bit while I was trying to spot that shot. That hot powder in your face sure burns! Was kinda bloody and spotty from the imbeded powder sandblasting me! Glad I used 4F and finer than 3, or 2F! It was my fault completely, shoulda known better, and a complete rookie mistake :redface: :redface: Honestly I am glad it happened because it will NEVER happen again, and I will make sure I always have a clear distance to my right and can warn others in they stray.

This could have blinded me if wasn't wearing glasses and thank goodness eyes and ears are required. I feel like an idiot admitting this but I know I'm not the only one and sometimes you have to learn the hard way. I thought I was out of the line of fire and I can't believe the power of that blast at that distance. Ever since that happened I've been thinking about the story I read on here an year or so ago. A guy was shooting right handed, put his left hand on a brick wall to the right to brace himself and BOOM, his hand was burnt and when he pulled his hand away there was an outline of his hand in black powder on the wall

I went and retrieved the target and I had all in the black of a 100 yard M.L.R.A. target(44X - 5 shots and he'd hit the 7 ring). Good news is he was very impressed how something like this could shoot so well being so primitive and open sights. That's always cool and rewarding to show people!

So I ask the question, what is the effective range of the touch hole blast?
Anybody else as dumb as me??? Just enlarged that Touch hole too, guess it gave it that extra oomph....

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

I shoot left handed and am always warning others that, " I flash left "

 

[rabjr]

I always take and clamp a 3' x 3' shield just to the right of my gun so I don't bother anyone on my right when I shoot flinters. It just takes a minute to put up and once up, you won't ever bother anyone...

 

[ballandcap]

At the range the tables are around 8'+ apart and have a shade between each table, black powder club tables are probably 10'+ apart and rarely somebody at the next table so I don't think it's ever really been an issue to me yet but a good idea.

 

[Dphar]

I always take and clamp a 3' x 3' shield just to the right of my gun so I don't bother anyone on my right when I shoot flinters. It just takes a minute to put up and once up, you won't ever bother anyone...

Shooting box works good too especially if it has a hinged top/lid that will stop vertical.

Dan

 

[stone knife]

I would have not given this a thought, I'm glad you posted it here.

 

[Many Klatch]

In Primitive shooting contests we load from the pouch and then step up to the line and shoot. Courtesy demands that you not step up closely behind another shooter and fire and burn their neck. The fire from my Bess's 5/64" touch hole will burn out to about 6 or 8 feet.

When we do a timed shoot where everyone is shooting as fast as is safe the rules change some. I protect my neck with a cravat and I usually wear a big brimmed hat to catch the fire from a neighbors gun.

At covered ranges, it is courteous to staple a piece of cardboard to a vertical post and then shoot next to the cardboard. The cardboard will wind up coated with black dirt by the end of the day.

My Bess now has a brass flash guard to deflect the touch hole blast down instead of out.

Always warn unwary shooters to your right or left that you are shooting a flintlock and it bites.

Many Klatch

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I have been hit by powder flash when standing on a shooting line at Ft. Frederick State Park at 5 feet. I have noticed that the more worn the flash hole, the more crud you get thrown at you. :shocked2:

LD

 

[BrownBear]

I have noticed that the more worn the flash hole, the more crud you get thrown at you.

I think that's the bottom line. A hunting pard has a number of originals he still shoots, and most have larger flash holes than standard today. They're honest-to-gosh flame throwers with visible flame running 3-4' out the side and particles far beyond. We stand him way off by himself when he shoots!

 

[Trench]

You're only this dumb once when it comes to flashing yourself with your own vent. I let my hand wander in front of my vent during a club shoot. I've never done it since. I think you'll agree that it hurts enough that you'll remember not to put any part of your body in front of it at any distance. :grin:

 

[wattlebuster]

Thats somthing I dont have to worry about cause I an probably the only guy in marion co ala that shoots flintlock guns an I live out in the sticks an never have anybody to shoot with anyway. I do get to shoot with my brother on holidays but he knows about touch hole blast an even my grandsons have learned it from me :thumbsup:

 

[ohiosam]

One time I had a guy next to me shooting an AR and a case went down my my collar. YEOW! :shocked2: Those new fangled guns bite too!

 

[mr.flintlock]

Three or four years ago I was at the range shooting one of my 58 caliber flinters. There were quite a few shooters that day. I wanted to see what it would do at 75 yards. There was a target that was not being used on the far right side of the 75 yard line. Rather than stop everyone from shooting I decided to use that target. I placed my left hand palm against the wall and laid my rifle across my left forearm about 8-10 inched from the back of my hand. After I fired tne back of my hand was burned black and looked like it had been shot with a load of # 6 shot. I now have a permanent tatoo on back of my hand. My touch hole was 5/64.

 

[ballandcap]

What kind of shield? I don't have a shooting box yet but a good idea. I'm picturing maybe just a piece of plywood with a small 90* base and clamping it down with some C clamps?

I started shooting b.p. On my own then progressed to flintlocks and am the only one of my friends or hunting buddies that has any. I've only been to the public range 2 times now (in the last 2 weeks) and to 2 b.p. Shoots at the club range. All the rest of the time has been by myself in the hills and never had to worry or experience this. Muchless worry about the guy at the table 10' to my right, but now I wonder if I have been smoking anybody out?

The public range has big shade screen shield in between tables but that's a great ideas about a shield and will try to have one from here out!

 

[rabjr]

Not sure what its called...My uncle runs a hardware store and I told him what I wanted and he showed up with a thin, cheap piece of I guess you would call it a plywood as it shows 3 layers and is only about 3/16" thick. I wanted something light weight and easy to deal with and this works quite well for me making sure no one else is bothered by me shooting a flintlock. :thumbsup:

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I once had a flinter that was made without a liner, just a hole drilled into the breech. I don't recall the size but it was too big. It sprayed a lady standing 9 to 10 ft away trying to take a picture of me shooting. With my normal custom flinter with the very small hole, there is some spay but not near as much or as far.

 

[RC]

:hmm: I's see'd full growed men put their big ole paw up 'tween their ornery ole face an the touch hole of a flinter as fer as 15 foot away...and turn their head away :shocked2: ..........once bitten.. twice shy... :thumbsup:
flinters know no limits... :wink:

 

[54mountain]

I was shootin' at a match a couple of years ago, when a lady walked up about 10 feet to the right of me to take a picture.

I told her that she might want to step back a little as I was shootin' a flinter, she told me "I'm ok" then her husband told her "Honey you'd better take a step back" and she said I'm ok.
I looked at her husband and he motioned for me to go ahead, You should have have seen her jump. Her hubby told me "maybe she'll listen next time. :idunno:

 

[Smoke_Ring]

One time I was letting a youngster try my smoothbore trade gun. I was on the right side and when he was ready I primed and watched carefully as he pulled the flint to full cock. Making sure he had it into his shoulder and his fingers out of the way (if your left hand is back too far the frizzen will surprise you). When he pulled the trigger I realized that I was in the wrong place. I too am glad that the range requires eyes and ears to be worn. When instructing now, I still stand on the right side to see everything going on but step to the rear a little when ready to fire.