Soooooo close
 

Got out this afternoon with the Lyman flintlock. About 5" of new snow. Still hunting through the woods I had gone about 300 yds. I was easing up a small rise from an old railroad bed which has a stream on the other side. I was far enough up the incline that I could see the other side. There at an estimated 70 yds were 3 deer lying in their beds. Two looking right at me the other facing away. The two on either side had some brush obscuring their vitals but the center one was right in a good shooting lane. I cocked the hammer on the Lyman .54 and shouldered it at the same time grabbing a 2" sapling for support - resting the forearm on my thumb. I pulled the set trigger and settled the sights just behnd the big old doe's shoulder. Waited until the sight picture was dead solid and squeezed the front trigger. That's when I heard the sound a flintlock user hates to hear. The dreaded Pfffft -the sound of only the pan charge going off. They watched as I reprimed the pan and as soon as I closed the frizzen the got to their feet and trotted off. Not really sure what they just experienced!
I don't know what happened. I took every precaution I can think of. My flash hole was clean and open (Even put a paper clip in the flash hole prior to charging the barel.) The only thing I can think is that there may have been a tiny bit of oil in the breech that fouled the main charge enough. It went off fine at the end of the day so I brought it home and gave it a good cleaning with hot water. I now have it setting on a cloth, muzzle down.
Will give it another go on Saturday.

Makes me sorry not to be out with a flinter still! Sure you know what your doin. Took awhile for me to learn.
I would be lecturing rifle, klackwhoosh!
Thanks for sharing. Good job of still hunting! You had them.

I don't know if it matters but I never plug the touch hole when dropping the main charge down the barrel...I put the main charge down and give it a couple raps on the side with my hand to settle the powder into the touch hole...I want the main charge as close to the pan prime as I can...

Good luck bronko! Try and enjoy your time out, maybe you'll get one Saturday.

There are so many things that can make a pan go off and not the main charge. But that's exciting. Sounds like a good stalk. And at least you don't have to drag that deer back and butcher it. Always a good side to everything. Bad side is you did not have to drag the deer back and butcher it.

Mono - I think I know what I'm doing. I've been doing it since the early 70s.
Your're right Cayugad. I would have had to walk back to my truck, drive about 2 miles down the road and over the bridge. Then walk all the way to the blood trail/deer then drag it out. I may still be out there instead of sitting here on the sofa with the laptop and watching LSU-Clemson.
I was feeling bummed due to recent events and didn't even feel like going out. But seeing those deer and getting so close got my blood pumping and rekindled the fire.

Bronko, for some reason you seemed to have angered third major god of muzzleloading. The best way to appease her is to load your flintlock with a blank load and fire it upside down (yes, it does work).



NOTE FOR NEWER FORUM MEMBERS: Subsequent to the original publication of a list of ten gods many years ago, forum members identified numerous other minor gods. All of them are pesky critters.

CAUTION - Do not utter the name of any of the malicious gods aloud while on the range or in the field with a gun.

I never had a misfire with my flinter if I do the following
I run a alcohol patch down the Bore
I remove the vent liner and clean again alcohol on a Q tip the liner and the vent in the barrel threads
I always use a new flint Black english
I dry patch the ball no lube
alcohol wipe the flint
I use a .070 vent liner and a Lyman frizzen on my t/c locks
I will make it a habit never to use a flint that strikes the frizzen again in the field for a first time out ,the strike flint goes in my box for range use only
I did like the story always great hunting in the snow

Bronko,maybe it was just meant to be exciting. Those are good semisane.
My favorite ooops,(no brown bear hunt for me !)was at a shoot with a caplock.
Had split ball on axe head before and broke both clay pigeons,this time cap fired but no boom.
Tried again to no avail.(3 hammer drops and out per rules)pulled nipple and trickled a little fine powder in. Through my ear plugs i could hear powder hitting the dry leaves.:bash:

Monoped, I think that's caused by the little know god Fagottaload. :D

Lonewolf you're risking having rust in your bore if you wipe with alcohol and no lube on the patch. I don't know where you hunt. But in the humidity I hunt your barrel would have rust in a day or less. And I've kept my load in my barrel for an entire season and had it go off without a hitch. I believe it was just that big old doe's lucky day.
And looking back, I do believe I did forget to 'bump' the stock to get the powder into the breech against the flash liner. Probably what happened.

Just to be sure Bronko, i had no question of your knowing what you are doing. Your not asking is why i wasn,t suggesting.
Getting older and like venison but really like being able to say checkmate to a deer.
I can live with not getting bloody every time! Happy hunting.

bronko22000:I hunt the same area eastern n.y.s.and Pa. around wayne county PA.
I never go more then a I day hunt and with my flinter I will always shoot it out at the end of the day.I try if I am posted always (if I can) tap the primer charge away from the vent liner.
good hunting ,I use to love the late flinter after Christmas hunt but I have not hunted PA. in the last 5 years.
I here they did finally get smart and stop Doe hunting until the last 3 days in the second week .I can remember seeing as much as 30 deer when PA. had the 2 weeks of hunting BUCK ONLY and the 3rd week 3 day of Doe hunting.
I here from guys that finally the herds are getting better,have a happy

No matter the outcome your Blood was Pumping and you were excited, that's a good day in my book:)
(BP)

My feelings exactly.

Hey Bronko,

I'm with you brother....missed one Saturday morning here at home. It was snowing so hard at 7:30 am that I could not keep my sights clear, and when opportunity knocked, I flipped my lock cover off and waited for the shot which was about 50 yards. Well... the deer hung up a little longer than I wanted for it to be a clear shot and in that short amount of time, I had to brush the snow out of my sights and try to get the sight picture back, not to mention what snow had fallen on my now exposed lock.
Needless to say, I "cocked and clicked" twice before the gun went of and then the ignition time was slower than it should be...I flat out missed!!! Tracked from where the deer stood on it's fresh tracks for over 200 yds. and never found any indication that I even touched it. I had the opportunity to get back out this afternoon and scored at 4:50 pm! This fine 1-1/2 year old doe presented itself at 35 yds. and the rest is history. This deer is going to a very good friend of mine's Mom whose Dad passed away in his sleep during our second week of firearms season and she lives on a fixed income, so I know she will make good use of it.

I think me hunting with a flintlock would be about as effective as me going to the woods and trying to scare a deer to death by yelling at it. :)

That's what makes it sooooo sweet when it does happen... :)

Have you ever fired a flinter??? I still remember my first time and it was over 35 years ago...I hit what I was aiming at and was grinning from ear to ear!!!