today i finally got out to shoot my t/c 50cal hawken flintlock!! i went with my dads friend who been muzzleloading since he was a kid...he gave me both powders that i needed...he said he has a ton of it and hasnt muzzleloaded in about 8 years or so..now he mainly bow hunts...he taught me everything from loading safely to cleaning...i was shooting hornady round balls with prelubed .10 patches...my first shot was perfect verticaly at 50 yards behind 90grs of 2fg goex but 2 or 3 inches to the left...i fired 2 more both were touching almost in 1 hole but about 6-8 inches low and about 5 to the left...we couldnt figure out why my first shot was so off..maybe the bore butter did that i left in there...who knows? we adjusted the sights and kept shooting until it got on the money...i only shot 15 rounds all together...i didnt shot any real groups because we were moving the sights after 2 or 3 but the first 2 were touching so i think its a good shooting gun...there is a steel plate at about 150 yards and i shot at it 3 times..first shot just low then i aimed for the top then just left then the 3rd was just low...then i let him have a crack...he nailed it the first shot! it was hard for me because i really never shot iron sights except pistols and the sight covered the plate at that range..i had one misfire when my flint was all fouled and it didnt throw a good spark..he said i did good and didnt flinch at all when that happend and was surprised...he was also surprised i had everything but the powder and was set..from the way my dad made it sound i didnt know anything and didnt have much...i owe that to you guys...thanx alot...i had a blast..i love that gun now...i didnt have much of a problem flinching when the flash went off...im used to shooting pistols and keeping a good sight picture and that helped alot i think...i was amazed at the clouds of smoke..its definently a neat sport...i cant wait to bag a deer with it!! im going to shoot a few more times and sight it in with powerbelts and play with the powder charges a bit and see if i can get some good groups...it was alot of fun! we also didnt have to clean at all inbetween shots..we cleaned it at the end of the day and i came home and cleaned it....thanx alot guys!