what rifle do i want?

[mike garner]

i am new here, this is my first post. i am new to muzzleloading, kind of. i built a cva hawken 50 cal back in the 80s and i have shot other muzzleloaders. i grew up hunting all of my life in the woods and swamps of sc. i have been handloading about 46 years, i cast bullets for the vintage rifles and pistols i shoot and hunt with and i am a decent gunsmith, and a good stock refinisher so just a little of my background. i want a 54-62 cal. flintlock with a barrel on the short side. i want good wood, curley maple or simuliar wood. i want a kit or parts where i can buy the parts to put it together as i get the extra funds. or i would not be opposed to buying a gun that is already built for the right price. i like the looks of the german jager but was told it was to hard to build? i also like a full stock rifle, maybe a hawken? i just don't want to get a gun i want be happy with. i want one i can hunt with or just have fun. i would need it to have traditional sights, can anyone point me in the right direction?

thanks mike

 

[torn moc]

Ha ...That's a tall order....only You know what you want...figger what style you want a lot of reading (research) is in order.....take your time..at this...its a very important step in the learning curve.

 

[gunmaker43]

Lots a companys have "KITS" out there for those large bore rifles,Track of the wolf, Chambers, Pecatonica as well as many others. Just off the top of my head--Sorta what your talking about could be an Edward Marshall type rifle, 38" swamped bbl. large bore, like a big Jaeger gun, slightly longer and .54 to .72 cal. Just start looking at all the ones you can find before you decide--one will speak to you, they always do. good luck. ..Tom

 

[nmdd]

If you like Jaegers you might check out Pecatonica River Long Rifles they have a parts assembly type kit...
http://www.longrifles-pr.com/jaeger.shtml

:wink:

 

[jdkerstetter]

Nobody, but nobody makes a finer longrifle "kits" than Chambers does. They cost a little more, but you really do get what you pay for.

Take a cruise through their pages and check 'em out, especially their Edward Marshall: http://www.flintlocks.com/rifles.htm

In second place I give the nod to Dunlap Woodcrafts. Pay particular attention to their Jaeger, Transition Haines and Edward Marshall: http://www.dunlap-woodcrafts.com/ComponentSets/TransitionIsaacHainesRifle.php

Whatever you do, don't skimp on parts, even if you have to save a little longer. And opt for a swamped barrel, you will be happier in the outcome.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[AZbpBurner]

Take a look at the .54 flint Investarms over at the Classified Ads: http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/pp-classifieds/showproduct.php/product/9620/cat/9

You can tear it down strip the finish, slim down the stock, drawfile & brown the barrel, and maybe even add some inlays to make it your own.

 

[tenngun]

get to a club and handle some,look at lots of photos.The preform about the same regaurdless of style so it just has to fit what you want.Its adictive as your working on one your thinking about the next.Ml never get jelous

 

[BrownBear]

I don't know the ins and outs of "correctness" but I've always admired the TVM Jaeger. If you're concerned about difficulty of build, get it in-the-white and do the finishing yourself.

 

[jdkerstetter]

No offence to you or TVM, but I have handled each of these "kits" and for about the same money you get much more from Chambers or Dunlap.

By the time you finish paying TVM for the upgrades that the other two include you can actually be into the TVM for more and it still doesn't make as nice a rifle.

For example, TVM charges extra for a swamped barrel and tacks on another additional charge to inlet it. This is included by the other two.

Choose wisely. Enjoy, J.D.

 

[mike garner]

thanks for all the responce, and thanks to spikebuck for the pm he built a very nice rifle and did a great job. if there any other ideas and advice please respond, your experience and advice is appreciated.

 

[jamesthomas]

The question will really be what rifles (as in more than one) do you want or will need? A lot of us just started with one rifle for deer, then it was a rabbit or squirrel rifle .32,.36. or .40 caliber, Then it was a smoothbore, .20 or .28 gauge usually for ducks, geese, AND squirrels. So just start saving for more rifles. :thumbsup:

 

[gunmaker43]

Another good short rifle is the English M1776, used in AWI in response to our riflemen. .62 cal rifled, 30" bbl. flintlock, somewhat like a Durs Egg lock. 1000 were ordered by them. I don't have a pic of one, but you can google it, some good pic's are out there. Keep lookin' ....Tom

 

[rafterob]

I think a Jaeger will fit your desires. There is a fairly broad range of styles. Sounds like with your experience the build would not be a problem. I personnaly recommend Pecatonica. There is a wide range of options on having part or most of the work done for you. Chambers is #1 in my opinion but I'm not sure he offers a Jaeger style.

 

[jdkerstetter]

I think Chambers has plans to offer one. Heard that somewhere. A call to them would clear it up. Enjoy, J.D.

 

[Baxter]

A little more than a year ago I decided that I wanted a flintlock rife. I had become acquainted with a little-known builder via a forum I frequent. He had posted some photos of a rifle he had built - not an advertisement, just a "here's what I am doing" sort of thing. I contacted him and started a discussion about "Will you build me a rifle?". I sold a "bunch" of my milsurp rifles to get the funds he needed and we talked for weeks about my rifle build, what I liked, what I did not like, caliber, wood, patch-box, what was "correct/not correct". The rifle was everything I wanted it to be when shipped to me but the really great thing is that he and I are close and trusted friends; we often talk by phone and email more frequently. We've shared some joys and some sorrows so his work is more than just a rifle for me. No advice being given here, just my experience. baxter

 

[William O.]

You might consider contacting Mike Lange to discuss your choices. Spending a little extra money on a rifle that is made specifically to fit you is well worth it. Check out his new line of Western trade rifles too, and see if that is a style that you like. http://mikelange.homestead.com/index.html

 

[lhw123]

Once you get that first one and shoot it....you will start thinking about the next one you want. :grin:

 

[stinkyfeet]

Take a look at the .54 flint Investarms over at the Classified Ads: http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/pp-classifieds/showproduct.php/product/9620/cat/9

You can tear it down strip the finish, slim down the stock, drawfile & brown the barrel, and maybe even add some inlays to make it your own.

Yeah buy the gun in the forum :applause:

 

[nkbj]

dixie cat,
Unless I read you wrong, you want a big bore and a shorter than average barrel. My solution to wanting that was to get a flinter TC Renegade (the present day analog to a Jaeger) rebored* to .58 with a 48" twist. That's amazing power in a compact package using a platform of proven reliability for what is still today a working man's budget.

*Bobby Hoyt did mine.

 

[AZbpBurner]

Take a look at the .54 flint Investarms over at the Classified Ads: http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/pp-classifieds/showproduct.php/product/9620/cat/9

You can tear it down strip the finish, slim down the stock, drawfile & brown the barrel, and maybe even add some inlays to make it your own.

Yeah buy the gun in the forum :applause:

If it were lefthanded, I'd buy it myself :thumbsup: