Any Traditional Muzzleloader Shooters?

[littlebill31]

Figured I would ask. I've been shooting traditional flintlock and percussion for over 20 years. Got my first flintlock when I was 12 and have been shooting since. I've been away from it for about 4 years though, just too busy and lack of ranges here. But I found a shoot this Saturday, which it's supposed to rain of course, for blackpowder only.
Just wanted to see if any other members shot or wanted to share stories, maybe some trading.
Thanks

 

[nj1639]

Oh hell yeah Bro!
I do re-enactment too.
My pinnacle piece is a bastard Fusil based on info from the Tunica horde discussed in the Hamilton book "Colonial Trade Guns". Its a .58 cal 44" swamped octagon to round smooth bore with an L&R Queen Anne lock, early trigger, fusil thimbles and butt plate, 1st model Bess trigger guard and sling with a serpent sideplate built on a fusil stock.........no front sight. Good indn gun

 

[littlebill31]

Very cool!!!
I have a 2 T/C Hawkens. Both 50 cal, one percussion and one flint. They are my plain shooting guns. I use to hunt with them a lot. I've had the flint since '92 and the cap for about 10 years. Great guns.
My baby is a kit I built myself. It's a Circa 1770 Lancaster by John Bivins. 42" .45 cal swamped barrel, brass trim, a beautiful maple stock and Jim Chambers Siler lock. It's got a plain little sight on the front. Shoots like a mutha too. Plain wooden patch box. I wanted to keep it "Poor boy" looking. I'm not to big into the real fancy brass boxes.
I bought it from a guy who did a little to it and screwed up some of the staples, but you can't tell.
I love it. The pic is a photo from Track of the Wolf, they sell the kit there. I'll get some better ones this weekend.

 

[TeeCat]

I'm not much at all on weapons, but I do very much appreciate the aesthetics of early firearms that are primarily of wood, with metal componentry and decorative work. The (presently latent/on hiatus) woodworker in me awakens when I see a stunning piece of wood sculpting like that.

TC

 

[littlebill31]

Check out some of these sites.

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Index.aspx
Tons of cool stuff to look at on here.

http://www.muzzleloadermag.com/
My favorite magazine. Check out the "links" section.

http://www.nmlra.org/
Great stuff on here too.

 

[TeeCat]

Thanks, Bill... eye candy, even for a guy like me who has no specific interest in firearms. I did antique clockcase/period furniture restoration and some reproduction for almost ten years, part-time, so I have an appreciation for the symbiotic relationship between the woodsmith and the metalsmith.

Beautiful pieces!

TC

 

[littlebill31]

I know some guys who build these flintlocks and never shoot them. They just love building them. They also make beautiful leather possibles bags, shot pouches and powderhorns. Some only do engraving on the patch boxes or barrels and only carve the wood, nothing else. It amazes me how they do it. I tried several times to carve just a basic pattern on wood and it came out like crap, so I will not attempt it on one of my rifles.
Probably why some of these guns go for $7K plus.
And honestly, you can keep your high powered match rifles or custom pistols. Shooting my flintlocks is the most fun to me.

 

[TeeCat]

I'd never have to fire one. I could just look at it and touch it, and be perfectly happy.

 

[nj1639]

I've also a .50 cal. perc Lyman Trade rifle that I picked up for 50 bucks at a pawn shop.....hair trigger, a Hopkins and Allen .50 cal. underhammer- which is the serious meat getter, T.C. .50 cal. Hawkin flint and a couple of revolvers.
I was at a flea market and stumbled upon a civil war sword beltplate, original, for 10 bucks. Somebody didn't know what they had. I have an original that was handed down through the family so I really didn't NEED this one. I parlayed the new acquisition to a civil war re-enactor for 2 repro 1858 Remmy .44 cals...probably 300 bucks worth of firearm there for 10 bucks...score!
But yeah, the pinnacle is the bastard fusil, it goes with the early 1800's Ohio Valley native persona and is a hoot to shoot in the smoothbore frolics, ain't winning any prizes...

 

[littlebill31]

I would like to get a Fusil Fin sometime. I read an article in "Muzzleblast" magazine years and years ago about one. The picture is still in my head. I guess it was the romance of the story as well. Really neat guns. I like the smoothbores too, just have never owned one.
I know a guy who shoots a fowler during dove season. It's wild to watch.

 

[nj1639]

There's some Kentucky boys across the river that shoot .40 cal., flat shooting crackers they are! I would imagine your .45 to be in that category- though for whitetail the .40 is a little anemic unless ya go for a head shot......

 

[nj1639]

The Fusil Fin or Chiefs Grade are the top of the line for those French guns. I like the drop of the stock as compared to the English straight stock as the fusils' seem to shoulder to aim much faster for some reason, good for shooting shot on the wing.

 

[Kingwj]

Here is my black powder arsenal. Thompson Center Hawken, Ruger Old Army and flintlock with Douglas barrel and Doc Hadaway lock. Bought the pieces and my father built the rifle. Brewser is checking for badgers.

 

[xjwmx]

I've fired them, but never owned one, but I'd like to at some point. I did look around trackofthewolf for awhile and would have ordered if a barrel I wanted was in stock. The kit was all in stock except the barrel. Then the barrel was in stock, but I'd lost some enthusiasm and so it goes.

In KY you're supposed to be at least .50 cal to hunt. Something to keep in mind if you buy - check your state's requirement.

I have a great fascination with flint, the rock. I can make fire with flint and steel as easily as you could use a lighter. I have a striker made on a wood forge by the blacksmith reinactor at Boonesborough.

 

[littlebill31]

The Muzzleloader magazine site has a links page. There are a bunch of primitive shops that sell really neat iron strikers and such. Turkey Foot trading company has some cool ones. I have one of their shot pouches.

 

[nj1639]

I have a great fascination with flint, the rock. I can make fire with flint and steel as easily as you could use a lighter. I have a striker made on a wood forge by the blacksmith reinactor at Boonesborough.

An interesting aside with flint.......On ocassion I've made arrowheads, lock flints and blades from flint and part of the process calls for roughing the edge for another chipping. It calls for a harder stone to rough the edge of the flint you're working on, an igneous rock works well. While roughing the flint edge, the flint will light up along the edge being roughed. Strange....

 

[littlebill31]

Well I shot today. Poured the whole time so I used my percussion. 5 targets, 5 rounds each, 75 yards. I took third out of 15 shooters. Not bad for a cold, rainy day.
Time to clean this thing, ugh. It's all fun 'til you get it home to clean.

 

[ReycleBill]

I've got an Italian made replica of the New Army single action revolver with a 12" barrel in .44 caliper. It is without a doubt my favorite gun for target shooting. It's not the most accurate weapon I own and loading it takes forever but overall I've had more fun with that gun than any other weapon in my collection. It even came with adjustable target sights.

Measure the powder, insert the wad, press in the slug, repeat 5 more times then install 6 primers... Did I remember to butter the barrel?

Love the ball of flame and black clouds of smoke.

 

[Maverick79]

Hell ya! i've been shooting flints since 93-94. I've got a .54 lyman gpr in flint. i've aslo got a .36 51 navy,a .44 remington 58 new model army,and a .44 colt army (replicas). I'm absolutely in lust with Jim Chambers Ed Marshal rifle.

 

[hamamatsu]

How do you clean the black powder pistol littlebill ? Someone told me you have to take the gun apart and clean it with soap and water. Doesn't seem like the thing to do with a prize black powder pistol. I have a Remington .44 cal. with brass frame that I won in a contest over 30 years ago. It's never been fired. I clean my other guns with Hoppe's cleaning kit.