went out groundhog hunting today....and i just bought another pound of BP the other day so i figured id see what i could do with the flinter....we checked out the holes in the high grass inbetween a bunch of roundbales seeing if we could find one in there....halfway through my buddy says dont move theres one standing there....pulled up cracked back the hammer...set the hair trigger and centered the sights on his chest....THAPOW! the hawken got another woodchuck....only about 15yds standing freehand with a flinter....not very impressive but pretty neat.....missed another one at about 100...all i could see was his head poking out of the grass....got down and used my shooting sticks....but i missed that one....hard shot being his head was as big as my front site.......i LOVE carrying the flinter and all the gear....and love making smoke.....cant wait for fall!! thats my second kill with the flinter....the other was agroundhog also if you remember....again the roundball didnt do too much.....but somehow it barely hit it.....it was standing broadside wuartering towards me.....i hit right in the leg closet to me and it came right out its chest......dont know if when i busted the leg bone it sent the ball in a diffrent direction or when i hit it it started to spin around from the force or what.....but it killed it dead.....man...it left a GIANT hole in the haybale behind it though.....i had my arm in it up to my elbow almost....couldnt find the ball......i want to recover a ball in the worst way.....im going to start collecting papers and make a box filled with papers to recover some diffrent bullets....round balls....powerbelts and maxihunters will be tested if i get around to it.....cant wait for fall!!!!

When all you have is a tiny head sticking up at 100 yards with open sights it is never an easy target. Add to the the fact your shooting a flinter and you have an even bigger disadvantage. The important part is you tried and had the experience..... Good shooting on the other one. Amazing what a .50 caliber roundball will do to a little critter...

Good gracious no...that's not the case at all...get some good fast powder like Goex, get some sharp black english flints, and a flintlock is like shooting a .30-30...if mine weren't I wouldn't waste my time with them

the far one was a hope and prayer shot....but i could see it....and you know.....why not TRY....about the flinter being a disadvantage.....i guess to some it is.......but i got a good lock....and it goes bang pretty dang quick......and i wont use anything but good black english flints and 4fg goex to prime and 2f in the bore.......i did alot of tinkering to get my gun to fire like it does......put in a new touchhole thats got a nice cone and is alot better then the old hole in the bore i had before......and i fitted a lyman frizzen to my lock.....supposedly stronger and better then the rest......took some filing but i did it......i never shot a muzzleloader PERIOD before last late summer...about a year ago exzactly......i never notice the flash going off....and dont have the problems others do with flinters....and never had major lag or misfires that would cause people to flinch.....i learned alot even before i started shooting it......and am still learning.......youd be suprised at how accurate they are....well cayugad...i guess not you....you shoot caplock with patch n ball..you know how accurate they can be......i was impressed when i started flinting....after everything i heard about how you couldnt hit a barn.....they go off when they want too...ect ect....but its all wrong if you have a good lock and know what your doing.....

mauser06, sounds about how I worked through the transition to flintlocks too...when you get it all figured out, they're a joy to shoot...the problem now is what to do with a lifetime accumulation of centerfires that I no longer use at all!

ahaha roundball.....i think ill end up being the same way....soon ill have more flinters then centerfires.....i want one to shoot squirrels with....maybe next year...that would be NEAT....but i got other priorities like paying off the truck before i buy anyhting major.......but im 17......i got alllll my life.......flinting is just so addicting....something about carrying that rifle...the bag of stuff you NEED just to reload and keep your gun ABLE to fire......the sound of it.....the smoke clouds.....the smell of the burnt powder....ahhh man i love it....depending on where i deer hunt this year in "rifle season"(anything goes season) and the weather i just may carry the flinter.....i know it will be packed with my gear for the trip north to hunt.....and october and the late season ill have it......but thats not enough time.....last year when the late season was over i was sad....it was the funnest time to hunt.....cant wait for october! till then i got alot of range time and maybe shoot a few more chucks if i can help it!!