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Thread: Muzzleloader For Beginners
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September 23rd, 2021, 07:04 PM #21
Re: Muzzleloader For Beginners
A lot comes down to what you want the rifle for *..do you want to be Hawkeye in Last of the Mohicans with a Pennsylvania Long Rifle or do you want to be deer deadly from 50-100yrds with a flintlock that is reliable , practical, accurate and easy to clean and shoot *..BTW I prefer French over English flints but either will do in a pinch *.I lean more in Gunplummers camp here for a *flintlock for beginners*
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September 23rd, 2021, 09:25 PM #22Grand Member
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Re: Muzzleloader For Beginners
Get a percussion cap rifle. And old school Hawken will work just fine and you don't need an inliner.
Flintloaders are not for beginners. In fact flintloaders are why a lot of people think muzzleloaders suck. No matter what flint you use ignition is never 100% and there is a defiant hang time where you have to hold the rifle still or you will miss. Yes people will tell you after many hours of missfires and many more hours experimenting with flints and priming there flintlocks are ALMOST 100% (how many missed deer did this include?).
Unless it is raining hard percussion caps are for all practical purposes 100% ignition with no noticeable hang time. If you get bit by the muzzleloading bug later then go ahead and get a flintlock. But not as your first muzzleloader.
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September 24th, 2021, 06:02 AM #23Super Member
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Re: Muzzleloader For Beginners
a cap gun will preclude you from hunting in the late "primitive" season which is flintlock only. A well tuned flintlock is as reliable as a percussion.flintlock.JPG
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September 24th, 2021, 07:28 AM #24
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September 24th, 2021, 01:58 PM #25
Re: Muzzleloader For Beginners
Fortuna audaces iuvat
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September 24th, 2021, 08:07 PM #26Grand Member
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Re: Muzzleloader For Beginners
I am not bashing Flintlocks in general.......I am just bashing flintlocks for beginners where they can get a percussion cap rifle and be happy with a much smaller learning / frustration curve. You can go scoped inline but I would recommend getting an old school Hawken and hunting with it. You get some satisfaction after shooting thru a deer lengthwise and leaving a 50 cal+ hole with a heavy cast lead Maxiball.
When you get used to it then start to experiment with flintlocks. Yes that means buying another.
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October 22nd, 2021, 10:47 PM #27Grand Member
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Re: Muzzleloader For Beginners
Flintlocks can easily be for the beginner. A few grains of 4f in the pan and it will go off very quick with a decent spark. Sharp flint and quick ignition. I dont experience any hang time with mine.
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November 17th, 2021, 08:21 PM #28Member
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Re: Muzzleloader For Beginners
Starting out...
If the opportunity presented itself I'd get a flintlock Traditions Deerhunter for cheap from someone who didn't like it.
I have one flinter and one percussion. Both were acquired 2nd hand and have wood stocks (one was actually painted black at the factory). They have 24" long 48" twist barrels, fifty caliber and rifling of eh, medium depth; plenty for round ball but not too deep for lead bullets to expand into the rifling and seal off to prevent gas cutting.
The flinter is almost amazing in how reliable it is. Liked it so much I got a longer smooth bore barrel for it.
They handle like grandad's bolt action .22 that I grew up sniping critters with.
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November 17th, 2021, 08:54 PM #29Grand Member
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Re: Muzzleloader For Beginners
That will be easy to find because the Traditions rifles are trash. The frizzen steel is complete garbage which leads to ignition failures and an overall frustration with "flintlocks". This is bad because they are all not trash. Buy a GOOD QUALITY flintlock and use the appropriate flint and your rifle will fire every time unless you don't keep your powder dry.
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November 17th, 2021, 08:58 PM #30
Re: Muzzleloader For Beginners
I'll have to call you on that one, I started with a flintlock as somewhat of a novice and will never own a percussion or inline, my Flint's always go boom ! only once in a foggy drizzle did a drip of rain come off the brim of my cap into the pan/frizzen as I was setting my trigger and lining up a doe at about 50 yards....click, nothing
other than that moment that have always worked, yes there is a bit more prep and proper procedure for reliability vs caps. I always pin prick the touch hole and brush the pan every shot ( never blow it out with moist breath) and I always use the small disposable alcohol swabs to wipe the flint/frizzen/pan of residue and moisture. I find the slight dwell time in ignition a non issue with practice
I started with an inexpensive Cabelas 54 Hawken kit I finished and assembled myself. added a Harpers Ferry pistol in .54 as a backup, had one of the all weather synthetic T/C's 50 Flint's, It worked as good as my others but just didn't give me the feel of the wood and brass Hawken ...have it to my Nephew who has become quite successful with it
I hope to do a Pennsylvania long rifle in 36 caliber for a shits-n-giggles gun to whack some ground hogs in the cornfields behind the house someday, getting bored with the 22 magnum
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