koger
10-10-2015, 10:21 PM
I am getting serious about shooting a flintlock ML rifle. I have one that is in great shape, getting some decent offhand groups at 40yds. Since I am a accuracy fanatic, is there any good books/dvds on tuning and shooting a flintlock. Also is there a source similar on making your own flints?
I have tuned flint locks, before, changing some spring strength etc. My rifle is firing fine, to the inexperienced shooter, sounds like one quick big boom. I am used to shooting a finely tuned caplock offhand, for over 15 years in competition. I can actually hear the flint scraping, powder hiss, and gun fire, all separately. This may be due to just having tunnel vision as it were, focusing on making a good smooth trigger pull, and follow thru in holding. The rifle is a TC Penn. Hunter stock and lock, with a 15/16 TC .50 flint Hawken barrel. The barrel is one of the first ones, made by Douglass, in mint condition and was used only for hunting. I have glass bedded it as it was a little loose in 2 places. The Hawken rifles are much heavier, so the rifle seemed very light to me. I took a 3/8 piece of cold rolled steel, turned the end down added a brass end, silver soldered on for the cleaning jag, painted the steel, to use as a ramrod/weight. This made the weight seem perfect!!
Last shooting session, I managed to keep a 3 shot group, offhand, in about 3"group at 45yds, on a cardboard deer target I made, in the shoulder. I don't put bull's-eyes on them, never saw a deer with one. Then I picked out a log with a black knot, about 40 yds and took a last shot at it, offhand, and cut the right edge of it. This was my second time shooting it, and before I made the heavy ramrod to balance it better. Now this is fair shooting, I guess, but I am used to keeping the bullets touching with a offhand rifle at 50yds, or TC Hawken or Renegade that I have tuned up. I know, it is a process, like everything else we learn I guess. Feel free to chime in.
I have tuned flint locks, before, changing some spring strength etc. My rifle is firing fine, to the inexperienced shooter, sounds like one quick big boom. I am used to shooting a finely tuned caplock offhand, for over 15 years in competition. I can actually hear the flint scraping, powder hiss, and gun fire, all separately. This may be due to just having tunnel vision as it were, focusing on making a good smooth trigger pull, and follow thru in holding. The rifle is a TC Penn. Hunter stock and lock, with a 15/16 TC .50 flint Hawken barrel. The barrel is one of the first ones, made by Douglass, in mint condition and was used only for hunting. I have glass bedded it as it was a little loose in 2 places. The Hawken rifles are much heavier, so the rifle seemed very light to me. I took a 3/8 piece of cold rolled steel, turned the end down added a brass end, silver soldered on for the cleaning jag, painted the steel, to use as a ramrod/weight. This made the weight seem perfect!!
Last shooting session, I managed to keep a 3 shot group, offhand, in about 3"group at 45yds, on a cardboard deer target I made, in the shoulder. I don't put bull's-eyes on them, never saw a deer with one. Then I picked out a log with a black knot, about 40 yds and took a last shot at it, offhand, and cut the right edge of it. This was my second time shooting it, and before I made the heavy ramrod to balance it better. Now this is fair shooting, I guess, but I am used to keeping the bullets touching with a offhand rifle at 50yds, or TC Hawken or Renegade that I have tuned up. I know, it is a process, like everything else we learn I guess. Feel free to chime in.