Just got home from FL last night. I was having withdrawls from not shooting anything. So today to get ready for our primitive season after Christmas, I took the flinter out with the barrel I had bored out and sleeved to .50 cal with 1:28 twist. Everything worked fine today. Not a single misfire or hangfire except for one time. That was due to a new piece of lead I was using to hold the flint. After about 10 shots I needed to tighten the c0ck screw about 3/4 turn.
Shooting at 50 yds the 300 gr Hornady XTPs with Harvester green CR sabots and 90 gr of FFFg the first three shots formed a little cluster about 2" high and 2" left. A bit of sight adjustment got me 2" high at 12 O'clock. Perfect. A couple shots at 100 yds - 'just in case' to see where it was hitting - which turned out to be about 3" below POA. So I figure a high shoulder aim at that range will pretty much knock the snot out of any whitetail.

Good luck in the after Christmas hunt Bronko. You've been up and down that highway to Florida enough to wear a groove. How are those babies doing?

When I put a new flint in with lead wrap (which is all I've used for the last few years) I expect to tighten it a tad after each shot for first three shots or so. After that it's good to go.

Hope all goes well for you Bronco....Im just a short 20 minute drive to PA, I have never hunter the Primitive Season in PA, I have Hunted the Rifle Season a time or two.
It seems as if the Flash in the Pan deal is just too much work, is it? but most of all do you actually see Deer after the Rifle Season. I know that during the Rifle Season just seeing a Deer then your doing good.
(BP)

BP, My friend and I used to routinely get deer during this season. But the past few years it has been very tough. The PGC really did a number on reducing the herd population just as they wanted. The deer are here but they are pretty much nocturnal after being chased since late Sept (archery) up thru about mid December.
We got on my friends computer and were looking at trail cam pics he had gotten earlier in the year. And after closer examination, that 8 pt that I got during archery season was on his camera. I recognized him by the 'bump' on his right main beam. But the buck that he was running with on the trail cam makes him look like a small 8. So it looks like I will be doing some pushes in the area for this brute for my buddy. And when I say brute I mean it. He is only an 8 pt but comparing him to my buck he must be about 20" wide with 12" G2s and about 10" G3s. I sure hope my buddy gets a crack at him.
As for the flinters, we have no trouble with them. Even in the humid conditions here in the NE winters. We normally change our pan powder out a couple times a day. And if it starts to snow, we cover the lock with a silicone impreganted cloth held in place with a rubber band. No complicated effort to remove it in a hurry.

Good luck with your hunt. I went out and shot today in the cold and snow. I wanted to see how Blackhorn 209 behaved. Well it behaved perfect and shot to the same spot as always. So I guess cold temps and snow flakes falling makes no difference.

Good luck on your hunt Bronko