Fill in the blank: what happened next?

[piwo]

So, on Thursday December 22 I found myself up in my tree stand with a 57 3/4" flintlock longrifle (for the first time: previously always on the ground). @ 8:57AM I spy legs moving through the pines opposite the wooded runoff ravine to my right. Behind that runoff ditch is that transition band of pasture that precedes the actual hardwoods: small Pines and Thorny Locust trees and briar bushes that every Midwestern hunter is probably familiar with. Now I shot two deer with my modern rifle in that exact spot in November (cheated big time this year) by swinging the rifle over and shooting left handed.

With a scoped '06 this is not issue. However, when the same scenario played out with the Flintier and at even a more extreme angle to the right, I didn't hesitate. I swung the rifle to the left shoulder (no room to move on tiny seat) carefully took aim, remembered that the pan was on the same side as my face and to not "creep up" on the stock, waited and waited and waited for the doe to move out from behind the bushes, and BOOOOM.

Who can guess what happened next???

[gnoahhh]

Caught your whiskers on fire?

[Crawdaddy]

No more nose hairs and the smell of burning hair and flesh? Seeing stars for a few minutes? Possibly found yourself sitting on the ground?

[piwo]

No more nose hairs and the smell of burning hair and flesh? Seeing stars for a few minutes? Possibly found yourself sitting on the ground?

Definately warm.... your response covered near the full spectrum of possibilities: one of these did occur. Given the highly technical nature and experience of this audiance I was looking for a scholarly play by play of injury. That I had NEVER fired the flinter left handed didn't help as what happened had me shaking my head in bewilderment. But I should of thought of it............

PS: I was wearing a safety harness so I remained on the seat!

Any takers??

[stubshaft]

After sitting stunned in your stand for about fifteen minutes you CAREFULLY made your way to the ground and went on to track your doe.

[piwo]

After sitting stunned in your stand for about fifteen minutes you CAREFULLY made your way to the ground and went on to track your doe.

Alas, that was not to be. She escaped unscathed...

HINT: The "waited, waited and waited" was the catalyst of what transpired.............

[pergoman]

Were you shooting a conical/maxi type unpatched projectile?
Was the deer at a downhill angle from you?

[7of7]

Just milliseconds prior to the BOOOOOM, The flint struck the frizzen, opening it and exposing the powder to the sparks of the flint. The powder ignited resulting in a fireball that ignited the powder charge in the barrel. The fireball also singed the eyebrows, and any other facial hair of the shooter, who thought to himself, I knew that would happen...as the odor of burned hair assaulted his sinuses..
He then sat there for a couple of minutes, and figured it could have been worse..

How is that?

[Crawdaddy]

Eloquent....

[stubshaft]

More simply put "dang it (or more emphatic euphemism) never going to do that again. Note to self do NOT shoot flincklock left handed EVER again".

[Hickory]

I shoot a right handed flinter left handed,
but have never lost any hair shooting it.

My guess is you got blow back in your eyes and made a miss step and ended up on the ground.

[docone31]

The only flinter I ever fired, I aimed at a deer, pulled the trigger. The flinter went whoosh........Bang! Meantime, the deer went home, I never saw blood, or hair, or deer. Just before I looked, I heard this shz, shz, shz, shz, real close to me head, then shz, shz, quieter and quieter.
I had pulled the trigger, had a large hangfire, missed the deer completely, hit a tree. The ball came back at me! Missed me by a distance, making a sound the entire time.
Something like that?

[piwo]

Were you shooting a conical/maxi type unpatched projectile?
Was the deer at a downhill angle from you?

Patched round ball, I was @ 18 foot up a tree so yes, a down angle shot, with fatigued arms.......

Got a few things to attend to right now but will get back on shortly and share my woeful, absent minded tale............

[piwo]

So, I sat there as previously stated, waited, waited and waited for said deer to move out from behind a bush. When she did, my arms were REALLY fatigued. Numerous shoulder operations on both shoulders (4 left, 2 right) have left me with shoulder joints that don't hold up well being extended for long periods. I needed support, so I simply slid my right hand down the stock and settled it on the bottom of trigger guard. This allowed my right elbow to brace against my chest and provide a firm rest. The perfect solution! Doe walked out, relatively firm rest achieved, and BOOOM.

OK... now for the rest of the story!

What I didn't realize at the instant the trigger broke (and did so INSTANTLY upon the flint striking steel) was that by sliding my hand underneath the trigger guard it left my right thumb about 3/4" from the side of the pan. The ensuing pan explosion blew the off the material of the cotton glove I was wearing and charred the pad of my thumb about the size of a nickel. Yes, flesh roasted Crawdaddy, and yes 7of7, after smelling the roasted thumb and instantly sucking on it to put out the fire (figurative, but boy it tasted ROTTEN) I did in fact grow almost pale with the thought that the darn thumb could have been removed or permanently maimed, so I was indeed thankful and fully realized that it could have been much worse.

You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but this old dog done learnt a lesson that stubshaft so succinctly stated:"dang it, never going to do that again"!

[wgr]

might not be able to teach and old dog new tricks. but at times he sure wished he had listioned

[reivertom]

Just think of our pioneer forefathers....at least a screaming warrior wasn't bearing down on you with a war club as you were sucking your thumb!

[DIRT Farmer]

After reading your post, I still plan on ordering a double flint shotgun when I get to Friendship in June.

[piwo]

Just think of our pioneer forefathers....at least a screaming warrior wasn't bearing down on you with a war club as you were sucking your thumb!

Funny, we all think pretty much alike. I told my wife I'm thankful I live in these times and do this for fun and hobby: otherwise we'd starve and be scalped!

After reading your post, I still plan on ordering a double flint shotgun when I get to Friendship in June.

I'd love to have a double Flint Shotgun. Shooting it left handed for the first time in a hunting situation was my undoing. Had I maintained good shooting form and had my right hand in the natural spot on the fore stock I would have been fine. The focus of getting the shot while doing something "different" for the first time accounted for a careless mistake. I know better now!

Who are you ordering your "double" from?

[John Taylor]

I'll never forget the sensation while shooting in a match, with a flinter to my left. My left ear felt like it was on fire and there were some sizzling sounds inside my ear. New club rule, all flinters had to make sure no one was standing beside them when they were shooting. I think I shot someone ells target that time.

[bigted]

so i have succesfully spewed coffee onto my precious computer here while reading this one...i also can attest to what burnt ear wax smells like but i really dont want to admit it was my own doing that so burned my ear wax outta my filthy ear. this could be another "guess what happened" but ill confess that i was burning welding rod over my head while laying on my back in a puddle of water and getting shocked the whole time so the burning wax had to wait to be fully appreciated for the pleasant smell it has as it wafted thru my subconcious mind as i lay there flopping like a flounder while trying to repeat...concentrate...concentrate....concerntrate but after 4 rods i had to give up on the pretty weld i was trying to show off to a eager new recruite on just how to be a usefull member of the millwrite company of hero's we had going at the time.

would rather have been at a range getting my ear wax roasted from a shooter next door but such is life i guess.