Testing the custom flintlock in the heat
 

It got hot here today. 82 degrees hot. And there was a strong wind. But when you have a mind to shoot, you just have to shoot. All the chores done, so I pulled out the .54 caliber custom made Early Lancaster .54 caliber flintlock. This rifle has a 42 inch Swamped Colerain barrel and a Seiler lock on it. Its lock time is amazing, as is the trigger.

I set a target out at 50 yards. (as far as I like to walk when its hot) My load was 90 grains of 2f Schuetzen Black Powder, a home cast .535 roundball, pillow tick patch, moose milk lube, and 4f as the prime. With a new Thomas Fuller Black English Flint in the lock, ignition was almost instantaneous. You'd of thought you were shooting a modern center fire. *I was swabbing between shots with Dollar Store Windex and two dry patches afterward.

First three shots were just a half inch over the bulls eye and could have been covered with a large quarter or a small fifty cent piece. Number 4 then had to jump two inches to the right and low for some reason. It could have been the cast job on the bullet, maybe the barrel was not cleaned as well as it should have. Who really knows. It probably was me anticipating the shot as I was getting pretty full of myself. Number 5 was just under the main group, in the bulls eye. The next four hits made the main hole connect to #5 and make a large hole in the center of the target.

Then for kicks I put up two paint cans at 88 yards. Back off the shoot block I aimed dead center on them. The first can flipped impressively into the air. But when I checked it, the hit was actually low, just up from the bottom edge of the can. The second can was hit dead center in the can, which made me happy.

I have discovered that with old age, and eye surgery, I really have lost the ability to shoot long distance with open sights on my flintlocks. I personally think the cans were lucky. But I was able to hit them again when I tried.

Over all it was just nice to get out and shoot my rifle. What a great rifle Tennessee Valley Arms built for me. And I am going out on a limb here. Those that think cleaning a real black powder rifle is hard. I just don't see it. Granted it don't take five minutes, but I have a few extra minutes to enjoy the rifle and all it takes to protect it.

Great report . I am glad you were able to get out andshoot but we need a picture of that rifle . Sounds georgeous. I slmost had a custom sidelick made with a gain twist barrel . Is yours a 1:96 or what twist

Good shooting Cayugad.

We're pretty much in the same boat with respect to iron sights. And I expect that custom build of yours has those tiny things traditional to the early long rifles, with a slim blade up front and narrow low notch in the rear.

yes it does have those tiny sights and thin front sight. Actually the front sight has a slight fuzz look on it, but I use a 6 o'clock hold and it seems to work.

It's a real beaut! Just a smidge long for my taste though. Just never could get into shooting those howitzer length rifles :arms: My Great Granddads favorite was a little shorter than that one (about 4 inches) and that was about as far as I could manage to tolerate. It was just a .32 Kentucky "squirrelie" rifle that barked a ton of squirrels and dropped quite a few deer as well.

I considered the length and almost went with a 36 inch barrel instead. But this one, being swamped cut down on the weight and it balances perfect when you hold it just ahead of the trigger guard on the fat part of the wood. Also with my shoulders, I seldom shoot off hand. And I did not buy this with the intention of dragging it through the woods. I just always wanted to own a rifle like this and one day a wild hair ... well you know.

LOL, Lordy do I know all about those "wild hairs". The wife keeps the scissors handy :s4:

Dave,

Are you sure this wasn't more of a test of you in the heat, not the rifle? :D

BPS

you might be on to something. This morning it was in the 40's and the high today was in the high 60's now that is my kind of weather. Tonight again in the 40's and tomorrow only in the low 70's. I really don't know how the people in the southern and western states can take the extreme heat and sometimes humidity added to it. It just about takes all my strength to walk around when its like that.

I shot my Lyman Great Plains Hunter today. That flintlock on that Lymans is FAST! And not that I am pushing a Lymans, but it is hard to beat their accuracy. Just a nice shooting rifle. No bugs even today. The cold morning must have chased them away.

+1 regarding the cleaning. I consider it part of the whole experience.