Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Any PA guys going out for flintlock season

Left to right:
-Custom Wilson 62 trade gun smoothbore by Danny Caywood, decorated with bead inlays as per the circa 1750 O'Connor gun presented to an Abanaki Indian Chief a few hundred years ago

-'MaryAnn', a 54-cal early Lancaster, 44" swamped C-weight barrel, built from a Chambers kit

-'Ginger', a 50-cal, forget the school, 42" swamped C-weight barrel, made from a rough-sawn blank and parts

...FYI, 'Lovie' is being built this year - well now going into 2017, a custom left-hand JP Beck school 50-cal longrifle, 44" swamped B-weight barrel, built from an ultra premium AAA+ tiger-striped blank from Dave Keck of Knob Mountain Muzzleloading, large LH Siler lock from Jim Chambers and parts from Track of the Wolf

I really like the early Lancaster. I like the wide buttplate for the 54, and the swamped barrel. I would like to have one built with set trigger and a little shorter barrel. I really want to make it to Dixon's some day.

I would call Tip Curtis in TN, small town north of Nashville and have one made in the white - you finish the wood and metal as you see fit. Should run you $1K +/- or so.

I hear you on dble-set triggers, but we prefer single triggers and if well tuned and pinned high, you'll get a light pull that is perfect for hunting. During last year's PA hunt I actually had a doe spook at the sound of the dble-set trigger being 'set' ... when then using a 50-cal Austin & Halleck 50-cal Hawken style rifle.

Believe it or not, but the lock time is actually increased when using set triggers, due to the extra lever involved ... not that lock time w/ a flinter is a huge concern given the strike of the flint to ignite to pan, to then light the charge, plus the loooooonnnng barrel time, given the velocity ...

I would call Tip Curtis in TN, small town north of Nashville and have one made in the white - you finish the wood and metal as you see fit. Should run you $1K +/- or so.

I hear you on dble-set triggers, but we prefer single triggers and if well tuned and pinned high, you'll get a light pull that is perfect for hunting. During last year's PA hunt I actually had a doe spook at the sound of the dble-set trigger being 'set' ... when then using a 50-cal Austin & Halleck 50-cal Hawken style rifle.

Believe it or not, but the lock time is actually increased when using set triggers, due to the extra lever involved ... not that lock time w/ a flinter is a huge concern given the strike of the flint to ignite to pan, to then light the charge, plus the loooooonnnng barrel time, given the velocity ...

Those are some beautiful rifles!

I also have a single trigger on my rifle and greatly prefer it to a double set trigger.

I've posted pics of mine before elsewhere in this section. It's based on the John Schreit rifle of Reading PA from the 1760's, and it was made for me by Allen Martin in the Mifflinburg area. He's also a fan of a single trigger, and I was more than ok going that route. And I'm glad I did.

Not only do you not have the click from the trigger being set (you can skip that if needed, just have a heavier pull on the trigger), but you can pull and hold the trigger while cocking the gun and the sear won't make any sound because it doesn't have to click into place. Once fully back, you ease off the trigger and the gun is cocked silently.

I happen to live about 15 minutes from Dixon's. It's a blessing and a curse!

Oh wow, he's one of the best builders out there! All of his work is oustanding! Good for you sir, good for you!

Beautiful!

It's probably been 20 years since I hunted the PA flintlock season. I only killed a couple there but enjoyed the hell out of it. Maybe I'll get back for that season in the near future........good luck guys.

ya i'll be shooting the firestorm on saturday to make sure its still good to go. we only have one and 3 hunters so one will go with the m/l, one with the crossbow and one (probably me) will be squirrelin'/driving.

Local PA man/artist.

http://www.allenmartinrifles.net/gallery-of-guns/rupp-rifles-bethlehem/

From flint season last winter...

Thats a nice flintlock, for $101.90 and a couple tanks of gas you can shoot a buck or doe in an exclusive flintlock season. Always starts the day after Christmas.

Two days down......anybody score?

Notta! Went out today after it quit raining around 9, first time out. Me and a buddy did some still hunting and little nudges as we call them. Saw one tail about 150 yards out. My buddy on the other hand (new to flintlocks) saw 3 bedded. He got a good rest and ended up with 3 flashes in the pan before the deer decided it had enough of the fireworks and moved on. I inspected his touch hole and couldnt get my pick through it. He has it remedied now and we might head out Saturday for a bit.

Side note: My buddy, just getting started, has a flinter twisted 1:48, whats that good for? A short conical? I know that exclusive conical shooters prefer 1:28 or 1:32 and round ball shooters like 1:60. He also bought pyrodex as that is all the local store had. I told him real blackpowder is best for a flinter, but will pyrodex even work?

1/48 is kinda designed to shoot conicals or patched ball. The rule of thumb is patches need deeper rifling, and conicals and sabots shallower rifling. Patched ball twists are 1/60, 1/70, and "slugs" twice as fast. I think most 1/48 twist are better with patched ball.
Pyrodex will not work well in a flint. Some guys use 10 grains first, then top off with pyrodex. For a casual shooter, just use 3F in the barrel and the same 3F in the flash pan.

Thanks Terry, seems the PA conicals which were ~200-230 grains IIRC would work well in a 1:48 twist.

I agree on the 3F all the way around, and might go that route myself when the 2F is gone. He's got a can of 4F, just cant locate any GOEX 2F, stuff is getting harder to find.

The PA Conicals were intended for slow-twist round ball barrels to use conicals. They have shot well in the 1:66 Lyman Great Plains Rifles I've seen them shot through. I used one, my father used another. Both shot them pretty well.

I never shot a deer with one, but my dad shot several and they kill well.

1:48 is the "compromise twist". I have a TC Renegade with that twist and it shot everything "ok". Nothing was bragging rights accurate, but it shot plenty well enough to kill deer. I took a doe at 90 yards offhand with it.

I've only gotten out once so far. Was sick as a dog on 12/26, was functional yesterday but had obligations in the morning. Got out in the evening, but the wind was a bit of a problem. Nothing showed.

Was going to head out this morning, but had a hunch my day off from work was going to turn into a day at work. I was right, and I'm in my office babysitting contractors who are doing some work for us.

Hoping to get out this evening.

Have him try the 275 grain T/C Maxi-Hunters. Don't expect gilt edged accuracy, but 90 grains or so (+/- 10 grains) behind that should give ample "minute of deer" accuracy to 100.

Oh, and pure BP in a flinter.