I was looking over the collection of rifles today and trying to determine which one needed a little more range time to make it ready to hunt. I was pleased with the little 21 inch carbine from Green Mountain Barrel Co but thought it could do better. So I picked that rifle to try some new things.

Rifle: T/C Hawkins stock flintlock
Barrel: 21 inch .50 caliber Green Mountain Barrel with 1-28 twist
Powder: Goex 3f for main charge and 4f for primer
Projectiles: 300 grain .452 Shockwaves in a a MMP HPH 24 sabot
with 80 grains of powder. And a 240 grain .430 diameter Hornady XTP in a green Harvester Crushed Rib sabot with 70 grains of powder.
Flint: French Amber Flint
Distance: all shots at 50 yards
Weather: breezy at times, 53 degrees Sunny

When I checked the last range photos for this rifle, I was not totally pleased with the results. Granted I was shooting at that time 85 grains of powder. So I got to thinking.. perhaps with this short barrel, a smaller charge would work better.

I took the rifle out and decided on 80 grains of Goex 3f for the 300 grain Shockwaves to start the ball rolling. I was swabbing between shots with Windex Generic from the dollar store.



This is going to be my stalking rifle and maybe a tree rifle. But mostly a carry around rifle on the property where shots are 50 yards and under. The rifle has fiber optic sights, which I admit are not a favorite of mine.



I started with the Shockwaves and fired A-D. While the group was not all that bad, I knew the sights needed adjustment if I were going to hunt with this rifle. So I made an adjustment. Since I was down to two of the Shockwaves left I decided to save them and use some of the 240 grain Hornady XTP's .430 diameter .44 caliber in a green harvester crushed rib sabot. I also lowered the powder charge even more ... to 70 grains to see if that made a difference at all.

My first two shot should be lower then the group of the shockwaves ... which it was. That would be # 1&2. So I adjusted the sight to the right and shot 3&4. Why they hit higher.. who knows. Its a muzzleloader.

I then decided to try the Shockwaves with 70 grains of powder and shot E&F and again.. a little more to the right, but not as low as I thought it would be.

So I made one more sight adjustment, moving the sight even more to the right and then started shooting. I know it was a little too much, but then it is not all that bad for 50 yards. And the wind was gusting left to right a little. So I figured to leave it and then try it on a day it was not so windy.

So the rest of the group was pretty good IMO for open sights and 50 yards. I know 70 grains of powder does not seem like a lot, but I personally think at close range that it will work just fine. I have no idea of the velocity of the load, but it should still be able to open that XTP up I am guessing.

The Harvester Crushed Rib sabots and the XTP's load like a dream. No short starter needed to get it going.. just push them in and use the ramrod. Also this French Amber Flint is new. And the ignition was amazing. Although towards the end the vent hole was getting a little plugged and I had a few fizzles in the pan with no boom. So I'd pick the vent and then trail the primer powder away from the vent and then it would go off just fine.

This short rifle will be nice to carry and seeing the kind of shots I will face with it should be some bad deer medicine.

Thanks for posting the report. Looks like you're ready to go.

It will fun to hunt with that Flinter. I may need one soon.

You should knock one down at 50 yards with no problem. Good luck when you go out. The two I shot were not much more than 50 yards but I scoped them.

nice rifle..... great shooting

That's a nice gun and some good shooting.

My 21 inch Green Mountain 1:28 inch twist percussion barrel shoots really well too. I have it on a Renegade. I hope I get a chance to use it this season. I'm shooting 300 grain XTP's with 80 grains of fff Goex out of it. With open sights I have it hitting pretty good out to 75 yards. That's about my safety zone limit with open sights. The Green Mountain Carbine for a Renegade is about the least expensive barrel Green Mountain makes and I highly recommend it.

That is the next bullet I want to try. Are you shooting the .430 or the .452?

nice report! You should be fine with 70 grains. My hunting buddy's daughter has used the 240 XTP with 70 grains of either T7 or JSG to take several deer at close range.

Dave;

The 300 grain XTP .452 in a MMP short black shoot under 2" @ 100 yards from my 28" GM 1/28 flint barrel. I use 100 grains of Goex 3f. The .452 250 grainers shoot pretty sweet too but the 300 is a little more accurate. I have only shot one deer with the 300 grainer and it was quarter facing; shot thru the front of the left chest/shoulder and out under the offside leg; the deer dropped staight down at the shot and never moved after that. Distance was 65 yards.

I have wondered just how much powder that 21 inch barrel could effectively burn before diminished returns start. In my Knights that have 22 inch barrels, I seldom go above 85 grains of powder.