Deer902

What about a Traditions PA Pellet .50 Cal? Is this a well made gun?

cayugad

I almost bought a PA Pellet flintlock once. There was a mix up and the store would not sell me the one I wanted so I backed out of the deal. I have talked to a couple people that have them. They were why I had my interest sparked in them. They claim they are good shooters.

I do have a couple Tradition brand sidelocks and they do work well. I have both flintlocks and cap locks, and they really do shoot well.

dmurphy317

I have the Lyman GP Rifle in 54 calwith the 1 in 60 barrel and it shoots round ball well. I bought a 50 cal 1 in 32 GP Hunter barrel for it so I could switch between the barrels as needed. The Hunter barrel is the same length as the Riflebarrel, 32 inches, and they are easy to swap, just remove the ramrod and 2 wedge pins and lift one out and put the other in. The Great Plains is not a light weight rifle but it's not overlyheavy either. It's definately worth taking a look at.

HEAD0001

I think mine is the Deer Stalker. I am not 100% sure. I do know it will shoot round ball's and heavy conicals in a 2 to 3 inch group at 100 yards. I really enjoy hunting with the rifle. The only thing I do not like is the single trigger. I wish it had a double or a set trigger. The trigger is a little heavy and has some creep. Tom.

mcawful

Just an example, a bunch of differentweights and brands out there.....







Great conicals here......
http://bullshop.gunloads.com/

and here....
http://www.muzzleloading-bullets.com/

just to name a couple.

gleason.chapman

The double set triggers, especially with a FL allow you to shoot more accurately, since your front trigger becomes a hair trigger after you pull the rear trigger. I doubt it makes a difference in a side lock, but it sure does on the FL, for me anyway. Chap

frontier gander

i have a single trigger on my traditions flintlock, But it also has an adjustable tumbler so you can adjust the pressure. Its a lot smoother and more sensitive than my lymans double set. And i agree, a smooth crisp trigger on a flintlock is better. Anything with a smooth trigger will be better in accuracy than a rifle that has a hard choppy trigger.

thumper50

The best group I ever shot w/a mz, was my old hawkins tc .50, open sights offa bench, 90 gr clean shot ffg, 295 lead power belt, 5/8 group 92 yds. double set trigger. I killed a bunch or deer w/that rifle.

RobertSubnet

Deer902 shooting a flintlock is a lot of fun, just be prepared for a lot of looks and questions when at the range. Flintlocks have a bit of a learning curve to them as well. So be patient with yourself and the gun as you learn.

This may or may not influence your purchase decision: flintlocks only shoot real black powder, not the substitutes (Triple 7, Pyrodex, etc.). And for best performance you will need two different granulations of black powder. One type for the pan and a different type for the barrel.

Exceptions can be made. There is a way to shoot substitute powders and you can use the same granulation in the pan and the barrel (2F or 3F only. Not 4F!!) but this is really not ideal. Especially in a hunting situation.

In many places real black powder, IE: Goex, is not available. Here in Phoenix, it is classified as an explosive. So there are special ways (meaning expensive) that a merchant must store it. So unfortunately no one here carries it. Check around your local places and see if anyone carries the real stuff. Here in the States, the most popular brand is called Goex. Other brands are Swiss and Schuetzen.

You can order the realblack powderonline, but the shipping is very expensive (HAZMAT fees).

Best of luck with your purchase decision. Looking forward to welcoming another to the club.

bronko22000

I'm lefty and I have several sidelocks both flinters and percussion. Not a one is a lefty. It can be a bit distracting to have the flashpan of the flinter go off a couple of inches from your nose but you can get used to it if you make it a conscious effort. My favorites are my T/C Hawkens with the GM LRH barrels in 50 cal - one flint and one perc. But the 54 cal T/C Renegade is pretty cool too.