Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders custom made muzzleloaders

I am wondering how many have a custom made muzzleloader. A gunsmith said he could make me one and it would be more powerful than a store bough one. Is there any advantages to a custom made?

I do not think any of my 1/2 dozen or so custom muzzleloaders and any more "powerful" than a production line gun, but they seem to be prettier and perhaps better put together.

I suppose it's all in what you are having built!

Take a look a couple threads back. https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...g-rifle-to-be-auctioned-off#Post12392650

I don't think you can buy one off the shelf that'll compare!!

Well played, ol boy!!!!

I agree with kaywoodie. Fit, finish and appearance are always better. That and it depends on what you want. I'm sort of a stickler for historical accuracy and you simply aren't going to get that in a production muzzleloader.

Yes a modern smokeless one would be.

Some time back there was mention of the rifles made by TVM. I was pleasantly surprised by what you can get in the same price range as the nicer (i.e. Pedersoli) imports. I suppose they should be considered semi-custom, but I just consider them nice.

The owner of our LGS makes gorgeous rifles, but only for his family now, as past customers often balked at paying for what they got.

Museum quality. Awesome builds. http://cabincreek.net/

I make them to earn about 85-90% of my living.

No, a ball firing custom 50 cal is no more powerful then a commercial ball-firing 50 cal rifle. A bullet firing rifle of custom quality is no more powerful then a store bought one of the same caliber.
That's like saying my custom made 270 Winchester is more powerful then a factory 270 Winchester.

What a custom gun has over a commercial one are these features:
Your choice of caliber.
Your choice of rifling.
Your choice caliber
Your choice of a bullet or a ball rifle.
You choice of a rifle or a smooth bore.
Your choice of barrel length.
Your choice left or right hand
Your choice, cap lock or flintlock
Your choice of wood
Your choice of wood grade
Your choice furniture
Your choice of engraving
Your choice of ornamentation,
Your choice of carving
Your choice length of pull
Your choice drop at heel
Your choice drop at toe
Your drop at comb
Your cast off or cast on
Your pitch.

But physics are immutable. We can use them and work within them and discover new things about them, but only God can change them. You don't get your wishes if you want something mathematically impossible. Don't let someone tell you you can.

Sorry

Custom made Kentucky long rifle .54 cal flintlock by Judson Brennan of Alaska


Ivory, buffalo horn and silver wire inlays


custom made German Jager .62 cal flintlock by Judson Brennan of Alaska

Kentucky rifle





German Jager

Never been able to understand why folks would buy an inline. Old school cap locks allowed, rocks preferred, or it doesn't dwell in my home.



Offhand @ 50 yards



And yeah, I really like the balance with a 42" barrel. It weighs 7# 4oz. Turpin build from about 10 years ago.

Great pics Longhunter.

DD; does that one have a swamped bbl? caliber and diameter ATF?

Not swamped. .45 caliber with something in the 60:1 twist range. No speekee "ATF" in the context you used. What's that mean?

I think he means Across the Flats.

10-4, will check that tomorrow.

.825"

Thanks DD; I spent a lot of time lugging the heavier ml's and was curious re routes to something more lively.

Yes, have a couple.

Zihn 8-bore percussion roundball rifle, it will easily take 350 grains of FFG if you want to stand behind it, very accurate and shoots exactly to the sights.

Adcock 58 cal percussion roundball rifle, it's built for a 140 gr charge of FFG, a stone cold DRT killer of deer and pigs leaving at 1988 fps.

Don't know much about 'more powderful' but effectivness, tradition, and cool factor are off the charts with these two rifles.

I understand this! One reason I like Jäger rifles. With bad right shoulder its damn hard for me to tote and aim my Virginia style rifle anymore with out assistance of forked walking stick. . Straight 7/8" AF bbl. 42" long. A swamped barrel makes a world of difference on a long rifle!

Jägers are shorter and much easier for me now. Two of mine have swamped barrels. Even tho occasionally I'm still toting my walking stick .

I think smart weight distribution when I think custom. At least in my opinion, I usually notice custom rifles are very light for their size. Like Kaywoodie I have a really nice 54 caliber Jaeger flintlock with a swamped barrel, and it balances, holds, and carries very well. I also have a stellar T/C Renegade with a L+R lock, and Davis set triggers, but it does not have a graceful balance. I had the T/C all my life so I really am attached, but it is not as elegant as a custom. My best friend has a custom Kentucky with a 42 inch swamped 50 caliber barrel, and he hands it to everyone, and the first thing they all say is it is light. In my area (Pennsylvania) Flintlocks are required in the late deer season, and are very traditional. Custom rifles are pretty common around here.

My Jager has a swamped barrel and the big .62 cal takes a lot of the steel out of it. Here's a look at the crowned muzzle of the rifle.



The Jager is my favorite ML rifle, it carries easily, it balances nicely and the big ball puts em down quickly.

The Long Rifle and the Jager together

Very Nice! and there Left handed!

Die jägdschwestern

I would have to shoot the bottom one. Those sparklers make me flinch. I do all right using caps. miles

Nice, what caliber are they?

Miles, my flinters are too fast to let me flinch. it's all in your head, Just squeezzzzzze

Top to bottom

.40, .62, .54

Annchen, Liebchen, und Gretchen!

mebbe a dumb ?; starboard side of the but on the Jags:....is that a patchbox? they have a spring loaded trapdoor at rear?

Dovetail sliding patchbox. Slides toward the rear. Held in place by a flat spring type latch.

Gorgeous Kaywoodie!

Miles, there be nothing on this earth that will instill better offhand shooting skills than a flintlock. It's fair enough to say some flinters have a leisurely lock time, but many are pretty quick. They will all penalize shooters who fail to hold steady, be it CF or ML, it's the flinters that illustrate the point with enough force to make clear it's the shooter, not the gun.

Beautiful rifles Longhunter and KW.

Those are some fine carrying rifles.

Thank you Terry! I enjoy them! Sure wished that Mortimer worked for you! But i understand the pain part! I can hardly tote my longrifle anymore.

Sometime I'll share a deer hunting story when I could tote that rifle. Kinda funny!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/156296479N08/albums/72157683498988264

A link for those that like Jaegers.

Die Jägdschwestern had a new sibling arrive today. Watch for pics when I can get around to them. .

I just found out that link above doesn't work
Let's try this one.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskZhqL3C

Steve,

I thought it was just my phone that wouldnt open the other link. Soni just didnt say anything. But,,,,,

After looking over those Jägers, well,,,,, I think I need a cigarette!

Meet Gertrude! (aka Traudel)

Gert looks great KW!

cal/weight/bbl length?

31" barrel, .54 cal. About 9 or so pounds. .

First custom muzzleloader and first flintlock. Arrived today.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12536486/flintlock

Wow, a beauty!! Never seen a buttplate like that.

The maker patterned it after a gun marked 1768. The buttplate was cast from a buttplate on the original. This one is a .58 caliber and weighs 6.5 pounds.

Congrats! Nice Jäger. Saw it over on the CLA website too! You will enjoy it!!!

Keep us posted on how it shoots!!