Anyone carry a flintlock hunting?
 

Anyone carry a flintlock deer hunting? When I first got into black powder about 8(?) years ago, I almost bought a flinter because I wanted a traditional muzzleloader. I finally went with a Pedersoli Frontier caplock because I was concerned about the fussiness of a flinter for hunting. I am now considering buying a flintlock after falling in love with black powder.

But my question still remains: is it too fussy for deer hunting in Minnesota where the weather can do anything? Our ML season is the end of November and this year we had rain turn to sleet, turn to snow. The rain was a bit unusual, but sleet or snow is very common.

We are not allowed to use scopes of any kind during ML season, so I would still have to take the original sights off and replace them with fiber optic sights; my eyes just aren't what they used to be. That's one thing that looks silly on my caplock and would look even more so on a flinter. That's the other part of my dilema.

Absolutely!!
 

I have and liked it so much I will every chance i get. When I was a kid I used to tag along behind my Grandad in PA during the special flintlock only season. I learned alot about Flintlocks watching him. Buy one, Ask questions here, and learn to tune and position every thing just right. (It sounds harder than it is)! I asked a question here years ago about how to set a flinter up and the response was so good I printed it out. These guys know this stuff inside and out. as to a misfire or hangfire they can and will happen but they make covers for the locks in bad weather. I will give one piece of advice and thats to dump the priming charge every half hour and put in new. I can HONESTLY say I have never had a misfire in the woods...Ever! even when shooting the charge at the end of the day. You get what you pay for though, buy a quality gun. I say this also and not to discourage you, if your like me it's too late to buy one this year it has taken me a long time to shoot one accurately. That flash in the pan had me flinching like crazy for a while. Have fun.....Doug

I bought my first in the 70s, a custom made .45 with a Siler flintlock...I hunted exclusively with that gun for 15 years or so...I then built a .54 and until this year have hunted with that although I do use other guns as well now...

Nothing wrong with a flintlock, you just have to know how to take care of them and keep the lock and pan dry...When it rains, I simply carry it with the butt under my coat and lock under my right arm...

On the sights, I feel your pain...I haven't used mine this year because of cateract surgery this summer...Before this I had widened the rear sight and used a 6'oclock hold and was pretty good...I'm going to work on the sights this summer and see if I can get something else to work...

Good luck, enjoy... :)

Thanks for the responses so far, I am encouraged! Yep, changing out the original sights just about killed me :s2:. I'm almost embarrassed to bring it to the range when others are around.

I agree 110% with buying a good quality rifle, price is (almost) no object. I like my Pedersoli, is that considered a quality rifle? It's OK to say it's junk if you think it is. What brands are considered quality rifles? And you don't have to twist my arm to get me to do a lot of shooting; I probably went thru 300 patched roundballs this past summer! Or at least that's a lot to me.

I hunt with mine as well. .50 GPR flintlock by Lyman. I didn't have time to wring out the .54.

I put a peep sight on the 50 and ordered one for the 54 as well.

HA

Some ice storms/hurricane damage have made my hunting areas too thick for a long gun (gets snagged on everything), so I have not hunted with a flinter since 2005.

But as others have said, it is not as difficult as many pundits and gun media know-it-alls make out.

It does require you to spend more time just getting to know your gun and especially the lock and drill of carry, checking prime, tending the flash hole, flint care, any number of things that are unique.

But you can have success.

Bruce, you don't need to buy another gun. Your Pedersoli Frontier caplock is easily converted to a flinter by replacing the drum and nipple with a touch hole liner and replacing the percussion lock with a flint lock. Both lock and liner are available from Track of The Wolf.

The lock plate fit perfectly on my Frontier, but required removal of a tiny bit of wood in the lock mortise to clear slightly larger screws on the flint lock. You will be able to switch the gun back and forth between caplock and flintlock at will.

LOCK: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Catego...m=LOCK-LR-06-F

TOUCH HOLE LINER*: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Catego...rtNum=THL-DP-S

* I recommend the touch hole liner from RMC. Use the link below, click on "Black Powder Shooting Accessories" in the menu on the left side of the page, then on "Nipples, 209 Adapters, Touch Hole Liners", then scroll down to the touch hole liners section to Item ML187.

Now, if you must have another gun (always a good idea anyway) I recommend a .54 Lyman Great Plains. I really like mine, and it feels better at the shoulder to me than the Frontier.

Semisane, I sure hope my wife doesn't find out about the option for converting my caplock back and forth, I "need" another rifle :s2: But seriously, what a great option. Track of the Wolf is only a couple miles out of the way from the range I shoot at; maybe I'll stop in with my Pedersoli and see how the conversion works. As an aside, I don't know how safe it is for me in that store; the last time I was in there, I could have spent $100,000 without batting an eye!! They have some absolutely beautiful BP firearms on display.

Hunting with a Flintlock northern Wisconsin has the same hazards as where you are. There are tricks you can use to make the rifle fire like a spring day. I would recommend a Lyman Great Plains Rifle in 54 caliber. The rifle has a very good lock, it is well balanced, a little heavy to carry all day, but great for blind hunting. The twist is 1—60 so it is a great round ball shooter. The caliber will bring down deer easy. The rifle also accepts a peep sight making it very accurate. With some tips, they are very trustworthy, no matter what the weather. Another great rifle is the Lyman trade rifle. Again, 54 caliber, same great lock super accurate. This is the one I like to use.

This has turned into a great discussion. Thanks for all the advice, tips, etc.

I notice that most are using .54 caliber rather than .50 caliber. Any reason for that? I only ask because I now have a .50 and it would be nice to not have to worry about picking up the wrong size balls if I were to get in a hurry. But in the end, whatever is best is what I will buy.