I want to get into blackpowder hunting this coming season, so I want to get started soon so I have the summer to get good and work out the best loads.

I will be hunting in VA and PA. PA has a requirement for all muzzleloaders to be flintlock only. (VA allows anything.) Most 'starter' muzzleloaders are either in-line or sidelock cap fired.

I am looking for recommendations on a good starting flintlock rifle, accurate enough for 50 yard shots, a good value for the money (I have a budget). If you could tell me about what they cost and a good place to order from, that would be great.

It's only Feb. and I already can't wait for the next season to open. Hopeless....

Chubber

Cabelas has a nice one for $225. And CVA has one for even less. I have the CVA and its ok.

Traditions also makes several flintlock models, with the Deerhunter being the most basic (which can be had for less than $150).

here are a couple of links for prices & availablity:

http://www.dnrsports.net/merchant2/m...aderTraditions

http://www.huntersfriend.com/guns.htm

http://www.traditionsmuzzle.com/hawken.html

Lyman also makes some excellent flint models, but they may cost more than you would want to spend right out of the gate.

"Every moving thing that liveth, I give unto you as meat" (Gen 9:3)

Trust God..........but keep your powder dry!

Look for a good used T/C flint Hawken.

I got my Lyman flintlock for about 250 in a kit form- but its alot of work putting it together, hopefully I'll have it finished by spring.

Lyman Great Plains Rifle.
Approx. $300 finished,$240 kit,
or
Lyman Trade Rifle.
Approx. $200 finished.
You can get them for these prices from Midsouth Shooters Supply or D&R sports. I suggest D&R. I've had a Lyman GPR on order from Midsouth since Dec.17th 2001. I keep getting the runaround at Midsouth. My last order from D&R was received in three days!

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> You can get them for these prices from Midsouth Shooters Supply or D&R sports. I suggest D&R. I've had a Lyman GPR on order from Midsouth since Dec.17th 2001. I keep getting the runaround at Midsouth. My last order from D&R was received in three days!<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote>

Ouch! This probably won't make you feel any better but I ordered my GPR Flintlock kit from midsouth on the last week of December and got it a week later. I also ordered a cleaning rod, some reloading dies and tools, and a couple of other items- they all arrived at the same time.

Chubber,
&quot;Good&quot; and &quot;economical&quot; are really mutually exclusive terms when applied to flintlocks. Lyman makes the best over-the-counter flintlock, with Thompson Center a close second (although T/C's frizzens suck). Traditions and CVA are economical.

I agree that the Lyman Great Plains is a good deal for the money, and would recommend the Great Plains Hunter if you are going to use anything beside round balls. If you opt for balls, I recommend the .54 cal., as it has enough power shooting balls for game larger than whitetail deer.

Well ive got some good news for ya. I too am on a budget and am saving up for a pickup truck so I dont have a lot of extra cash layin around. Well I too Live in PA and needed a Flintlock. Most cheap muzzleloaders are those inlines but I was at My local gun shop and they had a clearance on all flintlocks(Flintlock season had closed about 2 days before). I saw a Traditions Deerhunter flintolck 50 cal for about 109$. I thought to myself,&quot;Man I bet thats a peice of crap!&quot; Well Turns out I was talking to a friend of mine at church and hes got one and has used it for several years and has killed several deer with it. So Thought about it and decided to pick it up. The price of 109$ was a sale price, the normal price was 169$. Well I brught it home and did some trigger work on it(which by the way is very easy to do cause it got an adjustable trigger) and its real shooter Im tellin ya and what. Its great to cary in the woods cause ya dont have this friggin long barrel sickin up over your shoulder when its on the sling and your not catchin all kinds of branges on it. Well this is a very long message but I thought Id tell ya that the Traditions Deerhunter is a well made gun and I would reccomend it to you<img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>.