Yahoo again... UPDATE
 

I went to the club again last night. I tried the thing about dumping a push of the primer powder down the barrel before the main charge. I could not see any appreciable difference versus 777 alone. I was all over the place the first couple of shots. It was me. I settled down and took my time on the last three shots. I did fairly well. A group of three (in a row this time:)) was a little less than 2 inches at 50 yards. Two of them were in the same hole, or as close as one would expect. You could just distinguish that it was two separate shots. Next trip I'm gonna attempt 100 yards on a few. I find that I have a problem in that I'm not used to the front sight blotting out the bullseye. I have been shooting a target grade scope on my .270 for years, very fine crosshairs. Open sights are an adjustment for me. I had a misfire, it didn't even burn the priming. I wiped the flint and frizzen with alcohol, cocked, and it fired. At home cleaning up, I fired the flint and the sparks were weak, so I took a screwdriver and tapped the edge of the flint all across the edge. I tried it and what a difference, showering sparks. Is that what they call "knapping". I was winging it so I don't know if I was doing it right but it worked. Anyways, I had a "BLAST".:D

RE: Yahoo again... UPDATE
 

Knapping, Just what is knapping and what are the best tools for it? Sounds like sharpening the flint. My Trapper flint is an English flint that Traditions puts out. the Traditions lady says a little old man in England makes all their flints without anyone to back him up when he passes. I just shot it the way it came in a little baggie. Actually the gunsmith at Traditions set the flint in the frizzen for me. He flattened a lead ball and sandwiched the flint into the frizzen. Nice of him since I had no idea what to do.

RE: Yahoo again... UPDATE
 

I guess knapping is chipping a fresh edge on the flint. I don't know if I did it right or how long it will last, but it worked for now. I think I'll try english flints soon. The ones I bought were the "premium" agate flints from TC. They work great at first but seem to diminish quickly. Tomster says English is the way to go. Maybe they have a longer useful life, I dunno.

RE: Yahoo again... UPDATE
 

Hey Greg,

Hows it going?

You will get miss fires occausionally from those agats. I've seen it happen at the range last year. Some guy next to me was having that same trouble. I wasn't. Told him where to go and get the same ones I have. I even gave him one that I wasn't using anymore. I won't say that you will never have a miss fire, but the chances go way down.

I find that the English flints will last a while. I use the same one up until hunting season, after Christmas. But before than, I will switch to a new flint. Shoot the season with that one and continue next year, unless it gives me a problem. It's pretty easy to remove the old flint and put on another, just wrap the end in the holder with a piece of leather. During the next few months, when I visit a hunting sore, I will pick up a new set, put them in my stuff box and switch over before the season starts.

Good luck...

Tom

RE: Yahoo again... UPDATE
 

Livbucks .. I agree with you. Flintlocks are really a lot of fun to shoot. I was shooting my T/C Hawkins .50 yesterday. With the new lock and frizzen that Thompson Center replaced for free (great customer service) this has really a good ignition. The older style was good but not as dependable as this. I have been shooting the T/C agate that they installed. I am on my third range shooting now. I purchased 30 black english flints and leather bands to hold them in the jaws of the hammer so I am set I guess. When this agate wears out I will replace it. I tried knapping but did not do a good job. My hats off to you. I will try with a screwdriver instead of a knapping hammer next time.

I was shooting at only 25 yards yesterday. I want to get myself over the flinch from the flash pan. I think I have finally gotten over it. I use follow through determination to do it.

I was shooting 65 grains of Goex FFFg and patched round ball. I was also shooting Buffalo Bullet 245 grain ball-ets. Both of them shot excellent. I was really impressed with the expansion from a ball-et. I got bored shooting paper targets so I was shooting small green tomatoes out of the garden. The ball-et went through a tomato and a 1" piece of Oak board then deflected and bounced off the back stop sand filled tire. My dog of course brought it back to me.....It is over 3/4 inch from the original .502 diameter. Might make a good hunting load.

RE: Yahoo again... UPDATE
 

Cayugad,

I just tapped the edge to kind of chip it a little so its fresh. To actually MAKE a flint I'm sure it's much harder to do. The flash doesn't really bother me, I can't see it that much to tell you the truth. It is the "click" and then the slight delay before the boom that gets to me. I hear the click and anticipate the recoil. I shoot 80 gr. 777 and a Powerbelt 295 gr. hollow point. Recoil is not bad at all. Just kind of a hard push, not a sharp blow, but I still know it's coming and I tense a little.

RE: Yahoo again... UPDATE
 

i can barely get agates to spark period.....i even bought pretty pricey german agates....they just arent that sharp.....and i dont think you can knapp them....you can "sharpen" them with a diamond file i do believe....but i think the way they are machine cut and everything they cant be knapped like an english flint.....i use nothing but english flint....if i have a misfire its because of me....not my flint...not cleaning up after a few shots or oil on the flint or frizzen ect......but if everythings clean and oil free my flints spark great......i dont even try to knapp mine.....i just cant figure it out....i can get it to work somewhat better after it dulls...but it doesnt last long.....i keep all the worn ones for when i do get around to learning to knapp......till then i have 2 supplies of black english flints i get to hand pick out of 1000s.....im taking my lock with me when i go soon and getting ones that fit perfectly.....i carry a bunch while hunting...im prepared for the worst....ive had flints pretty much explode on impact....had them crack.....chip really bad ect.......one was waht i thought to be a PERFECT black english flint.....got it all in there aligned perfectly....when to fire it at the end of the day and it blew up....gun went off like a champ.....but the flint was in pieces after that.....dont know what happens every once in a while....guess the grain and eveything could been wrong........or it could been my old frizzen...i had a regular tc frizzen on my hawken last year and flints didnt last long at all.....and sparks werent good....there were many grooves in my frizzen....so i fit a lyman frizzen to the lock.....and it works great......and i havent changed my flint in about 50 shots or so.........