270sniper

While at the Harrisberg Sports show "RMC" (Rightnour mfg. company) had a stand there. They had some really nice flintlocks for under $500. They had all the options like fiber optic sights, metal rod with with fold down T-Handle, plus the breach plugcould be unscrewed forbarrel cleaning. I think they also use Green Mountain barrels.

DFHunt19

I would love to own Flintlock... My friends and I were at Harrisburg last Feb 4th and 5th. Boy ... that place is soooooo HUGE!!! I was drooling around the RMC booth. I saw their flinklock and you are right they have nice sets of flintlock... Wish I have alot of $$$ and spend on those guns! [:@]... I end up brought beech brush which was $2.29. I am too cheap!

Dale

roundball

Don't overlook the used market...you can find some clean mint condition TC Hawkens for $250-$325, and with TC's very real, lifetime warranty, regardless if original owner or not, a used TC is the best, lowest risk, used muzzleloader you can buy.

A TC Hawken is a high quality, attractive,reliable, accurate rifle, made by anAmerican company in New Hampshire, with a warranty second to none...various calibers...1:48" twists for conicals & round balls, and 1:66" twists for round balls only...hard to beat.

DFHunt19

Roundball,

When I am settling down and have enough $$$ then I will shop around and buy Flintlock... Thanks for advice! I will reply here when I am ready to buy one.

Thanks again...

Blown Smoke

Lyman Trade Rifle .50 Cal Flintlock Report.


I have just now had clear enough weather to get out and try this rifle out.
Although it's still kinda windy out, I got tired of waiting on mother nature
to behave. This was the first time I held a flintlock in my hands much
less shot one. When the rifle got here the first thing I did was to clean
it real good right out of the box. I swabbed the bore with gun solvent and
let it set overnight as recommended by the manufacture. The next day I
gave the barrel a good hot water scrubbing then dried it and swabbed it
with bore butter while it was still hot. The rifling at the muzzle on this rifle
seems awful sharp. It scratches the ramrod up pretty good when using it.
Is this normal for these rifles?

When I went to assemble the gun, the wedge pin was too thick and
caused the wedge pin slot on the barrel rib to bind against the ramrod.
So I used a dremel tool with a fine sanding wheel to remove a little from each side of the wedge pin till it had a good fit. The barrel is still tight in the stock, and the ramrod moves in and out freely now. The flint edge wasn't matching squarely across the frizzen, so I had to readjust the flint. Everything looked to be ready for the range now.

I had read on this forum and a few others where a few guys were having
trouble flinching from the pan flash. So before loading a main charge, I shot a few pan charges threw it just to familiarize myself with it. The pan flash didn't really bother me (actually I thought it was kinda neat) but the "clack" from the cock hitting the frizzen was a distraction for me till about the third shot.

My son (17yrs old) went out to the range with me and we got setup to do some shoot'n. I loaded up with 60grs of Goex 3F an .010 patch lubed with bore butter and a .490" RB. I primed the pan, cocked, took aim, and squeezed the trigger and Ka_Boom! A hole punched through the target and dirt from my backstop flew 20ft in the air. My son's statement standing behind me was "Holy Cow" He couldn't wait to shoot it, and he actually shot it better than I did overall.

We had several misfires at first due to I wasn't getting enough powder in the pan. I finally figured out to prime the pan level full and it cured the misfire problem. We had one other misfire when the flint had wore down some.

We shot 60, 65, and ended the day with 70grn powder loads. I couldn't tell much difference in the grouping between these loads. I think a thicker patch may help though. Maybe some of you guys can advise me on this. I've got some 320grn R.E.A.L. bullets I want to try in it next time out.

All 'n all though, we had a blast shooting it and if I can get the grouping to tighten up a bit, I'll take this "ole boy" to the woods this fall.

This is the last target we shot just before dark. The lower left 3 holes were my son's shots. And the other 4 holes were mine. The upper patches are of the ball side and the lower are of the charge side.

cayugad

your burnt patches do not look bad since you mentioned you had a sharp rifling in the bore. I mean they are not all shredded. As for the accuracy, for the first time you ever used a flintlock I would say you did real good. I have a Lyman Trade Rifle and it is a lot of fun to shoot. In fact I think I will shoot it tomorrow...

Keep it up, it only gets better. Mine is a .54 caliber and my load is 90 grains of 2f and a .530 patched ball. The accuracy is excellent. I use 4f in the pan and from the pan priming flash, one push is enough on the outside of the pan to get an almost instant ignition...

Keep us posted.. It sounds like you and your son are having a great time.

Blown Smoke

Thanks for the encouragement cayugad,

We really didenjoy shooting it. The only drawback I see with it is,
you can't run out to wal-mart and pick up flints for it.

I noticed the 4F powder kinda stuck to the inner walls of the priming
flask when I filled it. And I feel like it was sticking in the spout also
because I would have to take my index finger and tap the spout
against the pan to get the powder out. I don't know if static would
cause thisor not. I guess between this and the wind blowing we were
lucky to get it toshoot at all.

What size patching material are you using with your .530 RB?
Have you shot the R.E.A.L.'s in your 54, and did you find it
necessary to use a wad with them?

Hope the shoulder is better, and have a good day outshooting the 54.

cayugad

The shoulder is much better thanks..

As for that 4f sticking, I have never ran across that yet. I have a small brass priming flask I keep filled and then refill out of the pound can when needed.

Patching material is .015-.018 100% cotton pillow tick. I buy the materal at Wal Mart, wash it, line dry it and tear strips off as needed. I use moosemilk for a lube and that combination works real good.

Yes, I have shot R.E.A.L. conicals and it did real good with them with or without a wad. I only loaded 80 grains of 2f and shot no further then 50 yards. Sometimes, R.E.A.L.s will loose their accuracy when you get too far back. I will discover that in the spring. Another real surprise was when I shot some Powerbelts out of the Trade Rifle. I pushed them with 90 grains and the accuracy was exceptional.

Minnies were as usual, a real disappointment. I really would like to find one of my rifles that shot them as well as I demand. With their size, there is little that they could not stop. I just can not get hunting accuracy with them. One or two will shoot perfect and then next one will be 10 inches out of the bull. So how can you depend on a minnie when you do not know if this is the flyer or not.

The way my rifle shoots roundball though, I would take that hunting tomorrow without flinching. It is really accurate with the roundball and the reason I went with the .54 was to get the extra power for hunting that a round ball delivers in that caliber.

As Roundball about the powder problem. If anyone would have experienced it, he would. He is my go to person when I have a roundball question. Also I get my Thomas Fuller Black English flints at October Country. If you buy them in bulk they are much cheaper. Since I have not learned to knapp worth a hoot, beleive me, I go through the flints.

Keep us posted with your rifle. They sure are a well made rifle...

Pittsburghunter

Look around and you can find good deals. I found my Renegade in very good shape for only $150 and I love the rifle.

Holy cow if I knew how much fun rocklocks were I would have bought one years ago.

sproulman

first time and shooting 50 yds, real good.i would shoot no further than 25 yds and make your target real small,like size of a small bore .22 caltarget in black.start at 60 grs of 2f up to 75 grs for target.if i can see the small target on a big white cardboard i will cover it with sight.if not, i hold right under it so i can see it clearly and shoot.dont worry about sighting in gun,you want to get best groups.i use bore butterwhich makes it easy to shove the roundball down barrel .i swab down barrel after 5 shots with alcohol patch then more bore butter.getting that roundball in center of patch, i feel is necessary. but , i never got real good groups with a roundball out of my hawkins .50 cal t/.c but ,maybe with more practice i can. wind and shooting 50 yards is tough and you did real good.stay with 25 yards and then move out to 50 when you get good groups and you feel you are steady enough and can see good. remember, bigger thebullseye the wider the group of shots. smaller the bullseye the tighter the groups. this is what i have seen in over 36 years shooting a muzzleloader.