Since PA's late season is flintlock only, can someone make a couple recommendations on what brand of Flint MLis decent for under $450?

-E-

http://www.dnrsports.com/acatalog/Lyman_Muzzleloaders.html
With short notice I would get the lyman TRADE flinter model in 54 cal.
can of goex 3F
hornady 230 RB
tom fuller black english flints
wonder wads and prelubled patches
80 grains to start and you will be in the woods for the PA flinter season

With your budget.. lonewolf made an excellent recommendation. I personally no longer do any business with D&R Sports for reasons I will not discuss,but that is my personal opinion. Just be careful dealing with them. I had good luck with them for a long time, but the last transaction turned sour and it is THE LAST TRANSACTION.

The Trade Rifle is a good choice in .54 caliber. It will shoot a .530 or .535 roundball with excellent accuracy. My Trade Rifle shoots 90 grains of Goex 2f and a patched roundball with excellent accuracy. Also it has a 1-48 twist and shoots powerbelts, maxiball, and REAL conicals very well. With the hooked breech design, it is easy to break down and clean. Lyman has an excellent stock to hardware fit/finish (at least in my rifles). The stocks come in need of a little more attention for the owner to decide how dark they want them. So you can seal them with wax or make them darker with a little boiled linseed oil or tongue oil. The Agate that comes with them is excellent also, but you will need to get some of the Thomas Fuller Black English Flints sooner or later.

Another great choice is you do not mind a little more weight and length is a Lyman Great Plains Rifle. You can get them in a 1-60 twist for roundball shooting or a 1-32 twist for conical, sabots, powerbelt type of shooting. Midsouth Shooters Supply has some excellent prices on them right now. In fact I should buy one instead of going to their sight every day. But I have enough flintlocks (if that is possible). With this rifle you can change out barrels to the different twists and have the best of both worlds. Also I believe Green Mountan Barrel Co makes a barrel for them.

Close to $450 and there are a few choices.
[ul][*]T/C has their Hawken and Firestorm. I have both with the Firestorm in 209and the Hawken is a nicer ML. The Firestorm is sort of an odd duck. Nice shooting though.[*]LymanDeerstalker or Trade or GreatPlains(I would rather have a Lyman Great Plains 1:60)[*]Traditions has ML's available.[*]Pedersoli Frontier (Cabela's Blue Ridgeis also a DP Frontier)I have the Frontier and it's nice, but will be a bit more than $450.[/ul]
http://www.tcarms.com
http://www.tjgeneralstore.com/lyman.htm
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/index/index-display.jsp?id=cat601141&cmCat=netcon&cm_v en=netcon&cm_cat=N/A&cm_pla=N/A&cm_ite=netcon
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?cPath=22_92_186_190&osCsid=c8eb89e 5d6ac4caeeaceecc8b8b5a318

Great source for customs (obviously more the $450), kitsand production ML's along with supplies. The folks at TOTW are superb!:
http://www.trackofthewolf.com

Tahquamenon

Everything that's been suggested would be a fine selection. The only thing I have to add is you may wnat to consider something shorter in length like a TC Hawkins. I have a kentucky w/a 33in barrel and sometimes it seems like I beat it on about every tree in the woods trying to get turned for a shot. Most of them come w/a 1/48 twist so you could shoot RB or conicals w/it if you so choose. Plus you could get a GM barrel for it in 1/28 (I think cayugad and sabotloader have one) and they speak very highly of them.

Just something to think about.

The others mentioned good roundball/conical shooters. I would recommend the RMC Accusporter flintlock (google RMC Sports and check the online catalog). These guns are a little above your budget but would be worth the extra expense in the long run.

Laminated stocks, L&R lock with waterproof pan and roller frizzen; fiber optic sights, choice of 1/48 or 1/28 twist Green Mountain barrels in 24" or 28" lengths, removeable breech plugs. To me they are by far the best flintlock out there. Saboted 300 grain bullets with mmp short black sabots are very accurate from these rifles. It can't hurt to take a look.

I bought a Thompson Center Hawken FL on Gunbroker.com 2 years ago this January and paid $300 for it. It was like new, from a gun shop near Pittsburg. No FFL requred for FL. I like the TC since they have a lifetime guarantee, also they are good shootersand spark really really well. The TC have doubletriggers and you need that in my opinion with a FL, helps in accuracy.
Chap Gleason

Lyman Great Plains rifle is a great piece of work. I bought a kit for $300 Shipped.

I agree, I like the looks of them and the TC Renegade, and I know they are great shooters for only about 2/3 of the price of the TC. In my mind they are the better rifle once you put price in the equation. Chap

Midsouth has about the best pricing around on the Lyman rifles:

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.co...u=000156031106