new FL hunting rifle

[excess650]

I've been workin' on this little bugger, and may take it out to sight it in today.
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6240/img0834gg.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1790/img0835ue.jpg

.62 cal 7# 14oz

[grullaguy]

It's a thing of beauty. Did you build it from a kit or from scratch?

[excess650]

Its scratch built from parts of which most are available from Track Of The Wolf. The brass side plate was cut from flat stock to better fit the panel and lock. The stock started out as a piece of locally grown, plain/straight English walnut.

[451 Pete]

You did it right. I have a left hand Yeager I had built from TVM a while back in a .54. I had them make it similar to yours with a short barrel. It is a great handling and accurate rifle. You did a great job and have something to be very proud of. I am sure you will enjoy it.

Pete

[tacklebury]

Excellent job. ;) Love the stock. ;)

[waksupi]

Really nice! You will like shooting that rifle.

[Pigslayer]

You're gonna have fun with that. I have two flinters that I built from scratch & both are good shooters. Patched Roundball is a thing of beauty!

[excess650]

I shot it late morning. With 100gr Goex ffg under a .605" RB patched with .015" pillow ticking and TOW mink oil lube it seemed to want to group well. This combination loads easily enough to use the wooden ramrod (7/16"), but I always use a one piece rod at the range. I was getting an occasional flyer, and found that some of my patches are cut, so need to smooth the rifling a bit. It was about 2-1/2" high at 55 yards and shot point of aim at 100 yards.

.020" patches were also cut when using .605" RBs. I tried .025" cotton duck, and while it wasn't cut or blown when loading or shooting, it was impossible to load without a mallet on the short starter and the range rod.

Everyone who watched commented on how quick ignition was. It has a Chamber's Germanic lock and White Lightning touch hole liner with .055" touch hole. I watched as another guy shot it and will confirm that it is as quick as any flinter I've seen.

[750k2]

That's nice - almost makes me want to get a short riflegun.
Almost;-)

[P.K.]

Very nice!

[excess650]

That's nice - almost makes me want to get a short riflegun.
Almost;-)

I've lived in Pa all of my life and have had the opportunity to handle quite a few original rifles. My preference is to the early rifles although very few were dated or signed prior to the Revolutionary War. The Jaeger is the rifle from which our longrifles developed. The German and Swiss makers brought their craft with them, but adapted to the wood, weaker powder, and lack of lead in the new world.

I have several other FLs. The longest is a 42" 50cal Tennessee Mountain Rifle, but its muzzle heavy in comparison to most anything with a swamped barrel. My 38" 45cal early Lancaster style weighs in at 8#, and my 32" 58cal English Sporting Rifle weighs in just under 7-1/2#.

The longer sight radius is a plus for shooting with iron sights,and particularly with aging eyes. I don't like dragging a longrifle through brushy, wooded areas, and don't appreciate the extra length when it comes to loading in that I'm not 7' tall.

The early rifles were more apt to be in calibers larger than 50, and also more apt to have buttplates more than 2" wide and nearly flat to help with recoil. I have several more that I want to complete, but the longest is 38". Its octagon to round, tapered and flared, and should be rather lightweight.

[750k2]

I'm partial to the long stuff - next for me would probably be a long smoothie.
Along the lines of #58 in Schumways if you are familiar with his books.
I'm more of a woods walker than hunter anymore.
At least you guys have a real season - They lumped all front stuffers together here.
But your Jaeger sure has it's appeal and it has me thinking.
I do wish I was a little taller though.
[smilie=s:

[Pigslayer]

Everyone who watched commented on how quick ignition was. It has a Chamber's Germanic lock and White Lightning touch hole liner with .055" touch hole. I watched as another guy shot it and will confirm that it is as quick as any flinter I've seen.[/QUOTE]

You can't go wrong with a Chambers lock. I have a Chambers Small Siler on the bench waiting to be fitted to the stock now. I have an Issac Haines in cherry with a Chambers Lge. Siler in it. I used a L & R in a Southern Mountain and it is a fsater lock but was severely dissapointed in the quality in that I had to rework & fine tune the lock for it to work right. That shouldn't happen when one pays $130.00 for a lock.