Your first muzzleloader

[Earlwb]

I didn't see a thread about our first muzzleloader. So if I am wrong, my apologies.

What was your first muzzleloading gun?

Anyway, I had a bit of a nostalgic memory pop up about my first muzzleloading gun. Many years ago, circa 1967 or so, when I was a teenager, a local gun store had a muzzleloading long gun on the top rack. I asked the store owner about it and he stated that it was a trade gun, made in Brazil to be sold or traded to the natives in the Amazon. It is a percussion cap gun, smooth bore and .40 caliber. The price was amazingly low too, if I remember it was like $24.95 or thereabouts. So I wound up buying it, along with a pound of black powder.

I made a couple of powder measures from a old brass cartridges, for about a 30 grain and a 40 grain load. I used a plastic container to hold some powder when I went out to shoot it. I would measure out a charge of powder to use with the powder measure of course. I used it as a .410 shotgun mostly. I used #8 shot or #4 shot. But it had a cylinder bore choke, so the range was short. I did get a few birds during dove season though. Plus a few rabbits too. I did try using round balls but they were not very good at the time with poor accuracy. I didn't know some of the tricks people used way back then, it wasn't like I could look it up on the internet either. If I remember correctly, I went through more than 1/2 a pound of powder shooting it.

I still have it too. But I haven't shot it in many years now. I am thinking about rectifying that here soon though. I was just checking it out recently and oiling it up a little et cetera. It still looks good to go too.

[Omnivore]

That's a nice looking piece, Earlwb.

My first was much more recent. Around fifteen years ago, when my son was about five or six, I decided that muzzleloader season was a better bet for eastern Washington deer. I'd seen some nice percussion rifles occasionally in the local stores (probably Lyman Plains rifles), but right before deer season I could find only one, and I bought it. A Lyman Deerstalker fifty cal, 24" barrel with 48" twist. Been hunting with it ever since, and between my son and I we've taken a fair number of Eastern WA and North Idaho white tail deer.

I later added a pineapple patch box and a Lyman tang peep sight, made new barrel key escutcheons to fit flush with the wood and tighten the fit, and reworked the trigger so it feels just like I want. That required replacing the tumbler once, after having messed up the first one. It's bargain-priced rifle and it's still a work in progress, but it serves it's propose very well. I'm confident with it out 100 yards, and that's plenty of range for the steep, wooded river gorge area where I hunt. I use patched round ball over 110 grains Goex 2F, and that load whacks a good sized deer quite nicely. Also use it most times to ring in the new year from my porch, after loading it with the 110 grains and a large wad of tissue paper tamped down tight. That big jet of fire is quite a sight at night.

[Lonegun1894]

Mine was a CVA St. Louis Hawken .50 caplock, bought because I wanted to see if the long shots we read about in history books were possible with me behind the trigger. Lots of fun and lots of hunting with it later, I have a "few" more MLs now than I ever planned on. Seem to be developing a Lyman GPR addiction though because they fit me better than any other ML I have handled.

[gandydancer]

mine was a 45 caliber Thompson hawken the first year they came out. wish i still had it.

[RU shooter]

mine was a 45 caliber Thompson hawken the first year they came out. wish i still had it.
Funny you mention that my pops bought his 45 cal TC hawken flintlock that first year run .He started letting me shoot it when I was old enough to hold it up on my own . That LOP is still too long for me even now (darned short arms! LOL ) but it taught me how to handle a flintlock properly and combined we took a good many deer with it , he still has it but hunts more with the inline now that PA has and early season and he can use a scope with his aging eyes . The most accurate flinter I've ever shot .


Tim

[Silfield]

Mine was an early Parker Hale .451 Volunteer

167561

Teaching my son how to shoot it so that I can pass it on to him when the time is right.

[BPJONES]

Mine was a mid 70's Invest Arms (imported for Safari Arms) Hawken style 50 caliber which I still have.

[Texantothecore]

Traditions .50 Hawken rifle. Very nice and accurate.

[condorjohn]

Late 70's, TC Renegade .54. Long gone...

[dondiego]

Hopkins and Allen Underhammer (because I am left handed) .44 cal. bought for me in 1967 by my father when I was 15 years old. Still have it and shot it the other day!

[aspangler]

Late 70's Renegade .50. Still have it and still shoot it. Killed my first deer with the front stuffer with it at about 100 yards. Great shooting rifle.

[54bore]

TC New Englander .54 cal, my dad gave it to me

[Whiterabbit]

One of Joe Weist's custom flintlocks, tuned and unfired, in 58 caliber. I still shoot it every month at the club shoots.

It has severely spoiled me with respect to muzzleloader performance expectations.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=159953&d=1454619853

[OverMax]

A whole different experience than having only one to start with.
Picked up a T/C brochure from my favorite store front stocking gun dealer of the time. So I having a job as a Park Districts Gun Range Manager years ago so to came the privilege of purchasing anything gun related at dealers cost. Gun Range itself had a FFL License & a State Sales Tax Stamp. Both of which turned out to come in handy for this Young'in Country Boy fresh off the farm.

Checked out T/Cs line up and liked what I read/seen. Bought quite a few traditional models. Well,~ most of them anyway's.
Hawken 50 cal flint- Hawken 54 percussion- Big Bore 58- White Mtn 54 and a Renegade 54 percussion. All ordered on the same day in one fell swoop from Fox Ridge Outfitters. Only one rifle have I bought since to fill out my Brace of Thompson's> {T/C Hawken 45 Cal w/ factory Rd Ball Only barrel}.< My favorite too tote in/thru my hunt'in woods these days.

[pietro]

.

In 1967, I bought a (then) new .444 Marlin Model 336 w/24" bbl - which I promptly shortened to 16".

I used the leftover 8" of .444 barrel (.429" groove dia) to make a muzzle-loading single-shot pistol, also using a 2-1/2" thick slab of Black Walnut I bought ($1) from a woodmaking shop.

Side story: the woodmaker referenced above obtained an old office desk, that appeared to have a walnut laminated surface ( which usually was used to cover cheap wood) - so he told a new apprentice to cut the desk up into 10"x12" blocks.

After awhile, he detected a burnt walnut odor, and ran to where the apprentice was cutting up the desk.

It turned out the someone used a walnut laminate to cover a desk made of solid Black Walnut ! ! Alas, the apprentice was just about done when the owner stopped him from cutting further.

I was able to buy 10 blocks of the walnut @ $1.

Anyway, back to the pistol - I threaded a large bolt with a hex head into the rear 3/4" of the barrel stub to act as a breechplug, then welded a 3" strip of iron to the edge of the breechplug (nee bolt head) to fashion a rear tang for attach a walnut grip I carved out for a small percussion lock - also drilling/tapping a hole into the bore at the juncture of the bore & the inside end of the bolt/breechplug for a bolster that held a percussion cap nipple.

The result wasn't pretty, but it worked/fired well enough using some lead round balls a friend cast (he was always casting fishing sinkers), that I later fashioned a front/rear sight set for it.

A year or so later, I swapped it for a T.C .56 SB rifle (+ a little cash), so I could hunt my state's (then) new smoothbore-only muzzleloading rifle deer season.


.

[cliff55]

Dixie Gun works brass derringer.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

T-C .50 Hawken 1973-1974 Mashburn Arms, Oklahoma City, OK, traded Mossberg 800 .243 Heavy barrel, still have it.

[Mk42gunner]

1977 or so, CVA Kentucky pistol kit, .45 cal. Right around $34 at Otasco, the guy that ran the store made me bring my mom in to make sure it was okay with her (I was about 13).

I haven't shot it since before I went in the Navy in 84.

A plethora of rifles, flint and percussion, .32 to .577; and also a bunch of Colt style cap and ball revolvers from .31 up to a Walker. I like the Navies the best, '51 and '61.

Robert

[drifterdon]

My first was a TC 50 cal Hawken.
I currently just have a Lyman Deer Stalker with both the 50 cal and 54 cal barrels.

[mooman76]

My first(1978) was a 44 navy revolver. I didn't keep it long though. I was young and broke most the time. Later(1987) I bought a CVA Kentucky rifle. I got it to take advantage of a Primitive hunting season. After finding out how much fun they were to shoot, I started shooting it allot more and even participated in a shooting club. A few years later I converted it to Flint and also have bought at least a DZ more. My latest is a 36 cal Ardessa Scout I believe by the information I got.

[Fly]

GREAT THEAD! Being a poor working young man I did not have much money. I wanted a T/C very bad.
But I ended up buying a CVA Mountain rifle & still have it. I shot that rifle in many roundys & did very
well. I look back & dam glad I did get it. It has the Douglas barrel in 50 cal.
http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i384/Fly61/DSCN0572.jpg (http://s1091.photobucket.com/user/Fly61/media/DSCN0572.jpg.html)
Fly

[M-Tecs]

1972 a Euroarms 45 Hawken.

[bubba.50]

in 1974 my brother & I ordered a Renegade & Lyman Great Plains, both in 54cal & both in kit form from Bowhunter's Discount Warehouse. the Renegade was $118.00 shippin' included & the Great Plains was a whoppin' 5 bucks more. the Renegade's long gone. the Geat Plains is still in the family.

[sharps4590]

Back in the early 70's my first was an FIE Kentucky rifle, the one with the two piece stock and that brass ramrod entry piece where the two pieces of the stock came together. It was a 45 and surprisingly shot very well. 2nd was an 1851 Navy. Both have been gone since the 70's. I wanted something better and more historically accurate. Tried a TC Seneca and Renegade and they were good rifles but still not accurate enough historically to suit me. Then went to a Lyman GPR and shot it for a number of years. As I got older and income increased have pretty much gone to custom muzzleloaders that are very historically accurate....and very accurate on the range and in the hunting fields and most are flintlocks.

[Standing Bear]

1973 fresh from college and working full time. Went to a friends Gparents farm w he and his brother. Shot a 45 cap lock of unknown lineage. Bought a TC Hawken 45 flinter. Could seldom get it to fire so traded it off for same in .50 percussion.

[rfd]

1971, CVA Kentucky rifle kit that i put together and even plum finished the barrel, turned out right purty, fired reliably and reasonably accurately, was stolen the next year and promptly had a custom flinter built for me by a local olde tyme gunsmith, never looked back and trad muzzleloaders are still my number one firearms.

Fast forward 3 dayze ago, when i put a finish on a "Muskrat & Holland" .45 po' boy flinter ...

http://i.imgur.com/jEchxsJ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/nAg926n.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/KZsz2Rc.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fUmDEnF.jpg

[rfd]

For those muzzleloader pilgrims getting stoked on the chatter and firearms viewed in this thread, and wanting to get in on the fun of a trad tube stuffer, this article may be of decided interest to ya ...

http://traditionalmuzzleloadingassociation.org/tradml/imgs/logo1.jpg



(http://traditionalmuzzleloadingassociation.org/tradml/index.html)

[triggerhappy243]

My first muzzle loader was a T/C 54 cal. renegade. got it back in 1982. I shot in one rondeview, back in 84 and did rather well for a very, very green green horn. I still have the rifle today.

[dagger dog]

The mini series Centennial was showing at the time (1978) and I just had to have a rifle like Pasquinele's, found a CVA Kentucky 45 caliber percussion kit at a local discount house.

[dave524]

Mine was an original CVA Mountain Rifle, about 1976 with the Douglas barrel and the 4 screw patchbox, shot my first deer with it that fall. Added a 50 cal TC Hawken with a Lyman 48 peep on the rear and the hooded 17 front sight, about a year later, maybe 18 deer to its credit.
Also have from the early 80's a little .36 TC Seneca, small game getter with a spent 38 special case of FFF and a ball. Got me into casting with double ball molds, TC Maxis for the 50 and 36 also a 250 gr LEE REAL in 50.

[Buckshot Bill]

First was a t/c Cherokee .45, wouldn't shoot, so I sold it and bought another, that one wouldn't shoot either, sold it and was given a .50 renegade for my birthday, it shot O.K (I recently had it rebored). I then picked up an early renegade .54 that had some problems so I traded around and ended up with one built a little later from a kit and it is a tack driver. I had some bad experiences right off the bat with blackpowder, I gave up for a while believing it was not meant for me to get into BP guns. Now it seems like every one I buy shoots good no matter how rusty it is or what brand it is.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

I got my first 50 cal Hawken for my 12th birthday back in 1977 made by T/C arms i still have it mom and dad also got me a Patriot pistol around the same time 167666

[shdwlkr]

In late 60's had a black powder pistol for a few days as it was not known whether it would be considered a pistol by the state I lived in and it was so it had to go back. In early 70's got a tc renegade in .54 caliber a percussion mdl. Would like to find a nice tc hawken in 45 caliber flint one day

[hc18flyer]

In the mid 80' a GREAT FRIEND and experienced craftsmanship helped me rust brown and oil finish a Lyman GP caplock. Cut dovetails and used correct semi buckhorn and fine front sight. Many, many rondyvoos and whitetails with that rifle. A couple years later we both built smoothies, his english, mine a fusil. Need to get it back out for deer season this year! LOADS OF FUN WITH SMOKEPOLES!! Flyer

[clearcut]

CVA .50 late 80's any one that shoots it is impressed with the accuracy.
CC

[Lead Fred]

A pair of CVA Colt M1861 Navy Revolvers

[725]

1975 my Uncle made me a .45 cal home made. Couldn't shoot the buckhorn sights for beans so I had a smith install T/C like front & rear sights. Now it shoots just fine. Still shoot it.

[John Taylor]

My first muzzle loader was a hand made pistol. Did not know about percussion caps but I did know that the white part of a kitchen match could be set off with a hammer blow. Used kitchen matches for powder also. It went bang and sometimes I could hit the target. First store bought was a Jukar kit.

[dromia]

My first muzzle loader was an old 8 bore percussion smooth bore passed onto me by Alistair Lavack, can't remember the makers name but it had a Damascus barrel.

I was only a young loon then and the gun was long but I loved it and took many a dinner with it 'till the nipple blew out, fortunately just missed my head and took my bunnet off.

The gun was "retired" by my father after that.

Used to measure the powder and shot out with a spoon and contain them in twists of newspaper, powder twists in one pocket, shot in the other, caps in the inside jacket pocket.

Powder was Curtis's and Harvey's, caps were Eley and the shot was made locally, tear dropped shape.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I guess if the truth were to be known I got interested in them from watching the movie "Jeremiah Johnson". Just had to have a .50 Cal. Hawken, and after lots of looking and agonizing I bought a CVA St. Louis Hawken made in Spain. It is just an absolute tack driver with a patched round ball and Pyrodex--a BP measure set at 70 gr. So when another dealer (I was one at the time) offered me a T/C Hawken he had taken in a trade I couldn't resist it. Shoots almost as well as the CVA. Both are cap locks. Guess that's the end of my story. I'm very happy with both and don't anticipate getting any more......but I do keep thinking about a .32 Cal. squirrel rifle.......

[fiberoptik]

Mine was a CVA squirrel cap .32. Found at a pawn shop. Then I wanted a deer rifle. At Meiers they had a CVA .50 inline marked down on clearance. Was missing front sight so I pointed this out to clerk. Took off some more! Called the company, they sent me the sight & screw free. Got my 1st deer w/it. Picked up a thumbhole stock. Deer went under branch I was on. Shot her left handed with a right hand thumbhole stock right below me! Found the ball near the liver, nice & flat. Now have 2 .32's & 3 .50's; 1st 3 -side-locks, 2 linelines. Prefer the side-locks actually, but smoke B smoke! Now if I could just find were to shoot in Jacksonville, Fl. I'd be a happy camper!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[heelerau]

My first muzzle loader was an original 3rd Model Pat 1853 rifled musket that was found in the station[ranch] store room, and later cleaned up and presented by the station hands {cowboys] to my mother. She used to place it in my bed with me when ever I was ill. I got to shoot it when I was 12 yrs old, I am now 55 and still have it. It shoots surprisingly well considering the bore is somewhat pitted. I did pull the breach plug and lapped it about 35 yrs ago,which did the trick. I still use it occasionally. http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af241/heelerau/P1100031_1.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/heelerau/media/P1100031_1.jpg.html)

[Ithaca Gunner]

It was a Colt Navy reproduction I bought from an ad in a gun magazine way back when they were under $40.00 shipped, it was a steel frame Navy at that.

[Hanshi]

My very first was an H&A Heritage underhammer in .45 that I ordered back in the mid 1960s. After I got out of the army I followed up with an H&A Minuteman .45 flint. They were both great rifles and I still have the underhammer though it's retired.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/tt74/hanshi_photo/PICT0387-1.jpg (http://s599.photobucket.com/user/hanshi_photo/media/PICT0387-1.jpg.html)

[mazo kid]

My first was a made-from-scratch 45 caliber percussion. There was a class at the Vocational school and that is where I built it. Didn't know the first thing about the rifles or much about shooting black powder in 1972, but the guys in the class with me belonged to a local M/L club and I joined up. I made mine left hand percussion as flinters scared me with the thoughts of misfires, etc. I don't know if there were any left hand locks at that time, but I couldn't afford one if they were available. I ordered a pair of shotgun locks from Dixie for about $28.00(!), used the left hand one on my rifle and later made a pistol using the right hand lock. Still have them both although I do have several more nice traditional rifles, pistols, and revolvers.

[snoopy]

That is beautiful

[Ken in Iowa]

I guess I'm an old timer....

The first ML that I shot was a 1850s or so vintage 32 caliber cap lock squirrel rifle. I was probably 5 or so at the time. I inherited it. Still have it. Need to shoot it with the new son-in-law as my daughter gets it next.

One thing that has struck me over the years is that the larger calibers have become so popular.