Playing with the Flinchlock today
 

Did some shooting today with the Traditions Hawken Woodsman .50cal flinter. Nice and cold at 30 some odd degrees, no wind. Just a nice overall day to go do some shooting. My hands about froze stiff with the wet lube, but it was worth it. I did all kinds of **** trying to see what slows down my flinter. I figured that it does not like a full pan of 4fg goex nor does it like light seating pressure. If I seat the ball heavy with my upper body weight leaned into the ramrod, pick the vent and apply 2 small heaps of 2fg side by side and settle it, it goes off like you are snapping your fingers.

Even while testing different stuff, it still grouped nice and tight, I actually only had one that could be considered a flier and the other 3 shots were touching. If I could do that off hand, It would be even better :mrgreen:

I used 70gr 2fg Old Eynsford black powder, .020" patches, Buckskinners blend patch lube, .490 round balls and 4fg Goex pan powder, French Amber Flint.

Just some pics of my gear and the funny ones! They call them Flinchlocks for a good reason when you are playing around, learning more about your rifle!







Left side group with the flyer was me messing around with pan charge amount, etc. Still a damn great group for jacking around and having my eyes closed due to the delay lol. Right hand group is normal shooting.

Those are some cool pics! I assume you took them off a video? Now we know why they are called "flinch" locks. LOL
Good shooting! :)

Very nice rifle. I have one, but mine likes a little stronger powder charge. Nice pictures too.

You shot groups like that with your eyes closed???? Impressive...

:groupwave:

MD...

WAAAAaaaaay too much powder in the pan!! That big fireball is a greater part of the reason you flinch. I've found what works best in my locks is a thin band of powder across the bottom of the pan. You want a flash, not an explosion. Something you could try at the beginning of each shooting session is to prime the pan but don't load a charge and practice shooting just as if the rifle was loaded. Try to keep your eye open while you practice, this can help you get used to the flash. AND... you should always wear safety glasses, especially with a flintlock. It would be bad enough having to quit hunting for a trip to the ER to have a flint shard dug out of your eye and risk partial or total loss of your vision!!

BPS

That's what I was thinking when I saw the picture. It's about twice as much as I use in any of my finters.

thats how you learn your rifle boys, experiment with different pan charges and see what it likes best. You THINK yours doesnt make that much flame until you take a video and then a screen shot as the explosion starts to happen.

Firing her off as I would during hunting season. Nice and fast!

It sounded nice and fast on the video. On my woodsman it likes about 3 grams (one push of the pan charger) on the far outside of the pan. And then it sounds like yours. I have always told people that the woodsman flintlock is fast.

yep they are. Im pulling out the traditions mountain rifle tomorrow if its not snowing.

I had a flinter back in the mid 70's, I think it was one of Clay Smith's earlier builds but I don't remember if it was that particular one, that was the same as MD's. Had to really load the pan for that sucker. Ended up redrilling and opening up the vent a tick and that cured it. After that, 2gr set back a tick from the vent would set that puppy off like clockwork.

And MD, you dang knucklehead, if not for your own sake and eyesight, when you know you are going to be posting pics and such, wear some dang safety glasses!!! That way the newbies don't pick up retarded habits such as shooting flintlocks (or any other firearms for that matter) without proper safety gear! This aint the 1700-1800's bubba. There are things folks should always follow for their own safety that they didn't have or even contemplate back then!

Of the hundreds of books I've read, both modern day muzzleloading and those that lived the day, I've yet to find anything about anyone losing an eye due to the flint chipping off during a shot or even from powder residue.

Safety glasses are a no go for my eyes due to the POI shift.

Jon...

You wouldn't want to be the first now would you??

BPS

I once had a flint chip put a nick in the lens of my bifocals. I've also had flint chips hit the side of my face. It ain't worth the risk buddy. It may not blind you, but it will send you to the emergency room.

Jon, it ain't worth risking your eyesight. In 1976 i witnessed a man lose an eye from the fragment of a @11 cap. He had been shooting muzzleloaders for 60+ years.

Factory guns will always be flichlocks, not made correctly, get a decent custom built flinter and you won't notice the difference between it and a cap gun...

Not true at all NC. Both my flinters fire like snapping your fingers, instant. The flinch pics were me messing around with to little powder or way to much pan powder. Check out the video, the woodsman fires instantly.