Which type of traditional ML rifle do you like the most, and which shoots best?

[koger]

I was wiping some of my ML's down today, and it really got me to thinking. Why do I keep several that I don't shoot much. I must confess to having a long ongoing love for longrifles, they are just plain good looking, especially with nice wood on them. I remember as a young lad, watching Daniel Boone, and Davy Crockett, an I fell hard for them then. I shot a Southern Mountain Rifle with a 42" GM .45 caliber that a buddy built for me, and I built him a custom centerfire rifle in exchange. I shot that rifle for years, and more than double paid for it in meat I won the first year with it. About 6 years later, I shot one my buddy was having fits with, and it turned out it was too short for him. It had a 32" 1" GM barrel, and was built like a semi schutezen rifle, with no ramrod, and steel hooked buttplate. I traded him out of it, and soon found, I shot it much better than the longrifle I liked so much. I went on to go to shooting it in nearly every match, for the next 8 years, and my scores increased. Now most of the guns I shoot, have between a 30-36" long, 1" across the flats barrel, and most are of half stock design. I still have 4 Longrifles, and don't shoot them very much at all, but I hate to part with them. I could use the funds for my newest hobby which is catfishing and striper fishing here on Lake Cumberland, but just hate to sell them. I just wanted to see which type of rifle you all prefer and which you shoot the best.

[stubshaft]

My favorites are the Virginia or Early pattern flintlock rifles followed by the Southern Mountain small bores. Rocklocks rule!

[fiberoptik]

Dixie Poorboy .32 cal. Full stock in Cherry [emoji523].


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[sharps4590]

Boy...I'd hate to have to choose. I probably shoot my Gun Works Hawken best but, I use my Southern Mountain flinter in 36 cal. more than all others combined.

[Good Cheer]

A plain TC Hawken flinter with a 32" long .62 caliber rifled barrel.
A TC New Englander fast twist .458 bore.
A .50 Tennessee mountain rifle.
A Kentucky style .46 bore flinter.
This month a petite half stock with rifling made to shoot Ideal #386178 and round ball.

I'll never make up my mind (and if I was to it would change).

[rfd]

type = flintlock rifle or smoothbore.

they all will shoot as best as their components and build quality will allow, with most being far better than their shooter.

as to the gun itself, that will depend a lot on whether onshore or offshore built.

for an offshore built trad muzzy, i prefer any that come from investarms (rebranded as lyman, cabelas, DGW, etc). all will have patent breeches, whether flinter or cap gun. this ante-chamber breech is quite different from a classic muzzy flat faced breech as commonly found on original guns as well as almost all onshore replicas. i vastly prefer a flat faced breech plug.

there are many Many good onshore trad muzzy builders and i built my current gun from a jim kibler kit - highly recommended.

[GARD72977]

I favor my early Virginia single trigger for offhand shooting. It's a 42" swamped 54 cal. I did buy a T/C Renegade 50 and later bought a 58 cal Gm BBL. I like the Flint lock best but I don't want to be without a caplock.

The guns I miss the most are a 45cal Hopkins underhammer and a 53 cal Uberti Hawkens. I thought I needed the money back the. Now I just wish I had those rifles back.

[Woodnbow]

Rigby style English sporting rifle is my first choice.
T/C High Plains Sporter is second.
T/C New Englander third.
Renegade is fourth.

[Woodnbow]

.....


I thought I needed the money back the. Now I just wish I had those rifles back.

Truer words are seldom spoken...

[scattershot]

I have had several BP rifles over the years, including a few customs, both flint and cap. The one I keep coming back to is my T/C Hawken with a 32” Green Mountain .54 replacement barrel.

[waksupi]

I've owned or built pretty much every type over the past 40 years. Preferences change. The last three I have built for myself are all poor boys. Simple in design, no gingerbread, yet elegant in the lines. I do love shooting my smoothbore.
I still have at least another half dozen around here I need to sell. The only cap lock I own is an original pistol that I have never fired.

[ogre]

What I shoot the most and enjoy the most is an original 1861 rifle musket. I have a .62 caliber underhammer rifle that I have never shot. It just gathers dust. When the ship comes in I'll buy a Jim Kibler Southern Mountain Rifle Kit in .40 caliber.

[Reverend Al]

Any of the H&A style under-hammer rifles in any calibre, but I would LOVE to find a .36 calibre "Buggy Rifle". A friend had one when we were just kids (about 50 years ago) and it was a wonderful little rifle to shoot. I've never seen another like it since then ...

[northmn]

258580258581
For small game I like the little 25 cal flintlock poor boy I built. Takes a #3 buckshot. Then there's the 20 gauge smooth rifle I have which is generally used a shotgun. Don't have a picture but one of the best shooting rifles I have is rifle patterned after an English game rifle with a 30" barrel in 58, which is a bit small for one of them, but it balances very well.

DEP

[koger]

I appreciate all the varied responses and replies. Waksupi, a flinter smoothbore is on my to do list shortly. Everyone of my buddies who have one, has a ball out of theirs. I guess I have always been to hung up on accuracy, to shoot smoothbores. Now I have seen some very good shooting smoothbores, such as those made by Tip Curtiss, that shoot almost as good as a rifled barrel out to 50 yds, due to the shooter knowing how to load/shoot these guns. Fiberotptik, I also have a Dixie Tenn Squirrel rifle in .32, it is a tack driver. I have a short underhammer, .50, looks to be made out of a solid machined piece of steel, 24" barrel with weaver scope bases on it. Single adjustable trigger, that breaks under 2#, crisp. I put a 2x7 Nikon scope on it, and it was dead on the first shot at 25 and 50 yds with a target load, shot 3 shots into a ragged hole at 50 yds. I have a peep sight I am soon putting on it. It has a screw thru the breechplug tang, that sits back in the recess of the action, and makes putting on a new barrel, simple, or make many different barrels to switch out with it.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Tough question; I like them all. Guess if I have to choose it would be the Kentucky 50cals.

https://i.imgur.com/SY6JH8G.jpg

[indian joe]

I built a nice little 45 flinter for a mate of mine (no fancy stuff just used cheap parts) we were about the same build and I built it to suit me - 40inch 13/16th barrel - when he passed I inherited it - it shoots nice and I do ok with it. I like em with a bit of length but not excessive weight. Dont like roman nosed stocks - more than that I strongly dislike em (would not own one for any longer than it took to get it sold)
Dont like shortys - dont do well with them - I believe the "fast handling" thing is mostly a myth. I have no love of patent breeches, a nipple drum setup properly works just fine and is easily converted to flint (and back to caps if you feel inclined)
Have the parts on hand to build a nice half stock one day - 36 inch barrel, 54 cal, 15/16th barrel, original plan said caplock but theres a good chance it will end up a flinter.

[waksupi]

I appreciate all the varied responses and replies. Waksupi, a flinter smoothbore is on my to do list shortly. Everyone of my buddies who have one, has a ball out of theirs. I guess I have always been to hung up on accuracy, to shoot smoothbores. Now I have seen some very good shooting smoothbores, such as those made by Tip Curtiss, that shoot almost as good as a rifled barrel out to 50 yds, due to the shooter knowing how to load/shoot these guns. Fiberotptik, I also have a Dixie Tenn Squirrel rifle in .32, it is a tack driver. I have a short underhammer, .50, looks to be made out of a solid machined piece of steel, 24" barrel with weaver scope bases on it. Single adjustable trigger, that breaks under 2#, crisp. I put a 2x7 Nikon scope on it, and it was dead on the first shot at 25 and 50 yds with a target load, shot 3 shots into a ragged hole at 50 yds. I have a peep sight I am soon putting on it. It has a screw thru the breechplug tang, that sits back in the recess of the action, and makes putting on a new barrel, simple, or make many different barrels to switch out with it.

The more you shoot a smooth bore, the more accurate they get! Or rather, YOU do!

If I could only have one, it would have to be the smooth bore.

[Earlwb]

I think that my old Dixie Gun Works flintlock rifle is my best one, for shooting and accuracy. It is a .45 caliber rifle. I bought it something like 40 some odd years ago.

[ACC]

I was wiping some of my ML's down today, and it really got me to thinking. Why do I keep several that I don't shoot much. I must confess to having a long ongoing love for longrifles, they are just plain good looking, especially with nice wood on them. I remember as a young lad, watching Daniel Boone, and Davy Crockett, an I fell hard for them then. I shot a Southern Mountain Rifle with a 42" GM .45 caliber that a buddy built for me, and I built him a custom centerfire rifle in exchange. I shot that rifle for years, and more than double paid for it in meat I won the first year with it. About 6 years later, I shot one my buddy was having fits with, and it turned out it was too short for him. It had a 32" 1" GM barrel, and was built like a semi schutezen rifle, with no ramrod, and steel hooked buttplate. I traded him out of it, and soon found, I shot it much better than the longrifle I liked so much. I went on to go to shooting it in nearly every match, for the next 8 years, and my scores increased. Now most of the guns I shoot, have between a 30-36" long, 1" across the flats barrel, and most are of half stock design. I still have 4 Longrifles, and don't shoot them very much at all, but I hate to part with them. I could use the funds for my newest hobby which is catfishing and striper fishing here on Lake Cumberland, but just hate to sell them. I just wanted to see which type of rifle you all prefer and which you shoot the best.

I have three all Thompson Center a .32 caliber Seneca, .36 caliber Seneca, and a 50 caliber Hawkin. Love them all but can't shoot them like I used to.

ACC

[GARD72977]

I usually agree with everything Waksupi says but............

I bought a smothbore from NorthStar West. The gun was built by Waksupi. I really like the looks of the gun. I just never enjoyed the smoothbore. I would get some exposure to one before I laid out the cash.

[waksupi]

I usually agree with everything Waksupi says but............

I bought a smothbore from NorthStar West. The gun was built by Waksupi. I really like the looks of the gun. I just never enjoyed the smoothbore. I would get some exposure to one before I laid out the cash.

I just put my self in the mindset I was going to learn to shoot them well. I put away my rifles for a year, and shot every competition with the smooth bores. By the end of the season, it was second nature. Some fall in love with them, some don't.

[Fly]

Which one I enjoy most? That is kind of like asking which grand child I love the most. I can say this though. Out of my collection & it is not a Muzzle loader,
I really like my 54 cal powder loading Sharps.

Fly

[Nobade]

I just put my self in the mindset I was going to learn to shoot them well. I put away my rifles for a year, and shot every competition with the smooth bores. By the end of the season, it was second nature. Some fall in love with them, some don't.I once heard the secret to accuracy with a smooth bore is the tacks. A fellow told me that whenever he won a match with his, he would add another brass tack. And sure enough, every tack he added improved the accuracy. Once it was mostly covered in tacks, it was deadly accurate and seldom missed. So that must be the secret to smoothbore shooting.

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[Dan Cash]

Last year, I hankered for a return to muzzle loader shooting and was hot to buy or build. My eye fell upon a fine underhammer but a club where I would shoot some competition told me that underhamlmers were verboten at their matches; not traditional. Next I negotiated for a mule ear lock rifle by a maker in New Mexico but that deal fell through when I was told, you guessed it, verboten, not traditional. There examples of both guns in a local museum of early fur trappers of the upper midwest. Oh well, if I get the urge again, I will simply get a hunting rifle of the type I desire and not worry about the matches.

[mazo kid]

Some time back I might have answered the favorite rifle would be the one I was holding at that time. Now it would be my left hand Beck-style 58 with a Rice barrel and Chambers lock. I commissioned a friend to build it for me and he did a superb job. Except for the barrel and lock, he made everything else, stock, trigger and trigger guard, side plate, buttplate, sights, ramrod tip, wedges, escutcheons. I wanted an iron- mounted rifle, even though an "expert" told me that Beck never made a gun with iron furniture. The rifle is tastefully decorated with coin silver Masonic emblems, a bit of wire inlay, and some engraving. I need more time behind the buttplate, but I can tell you the rifle will shoot far better than I can hold it.

[one-eyed fat man]

All my muzzleloaders are mostly British military pattern guns. A mix of flint and percussion, smooth bore and rifled, original and reproduction. A friend who is a world class shot lent me a couple of books. Those Limeys had a pretty good handle on what works almost 200 years ago. An Enfield P-58 Naval rifle is amazingly accurate. But my doomsday, TEOWAWKI, would be a Northwest Trade musket, or the next best thing, a Brown Bess. They can outlaw primers but they can't outlaw rocks. Two hundred pounds of Kentucky cave dirt will still yield a pound of saltpetre. While limited by range, a smoothbore musket has the flexibility to kill anything that walks crawls or flies pretty efficiently.

Hand-book for Hythe: Comprising a Familiar Explanation of the Law of Projectiles, and an Introd. to the System of Musketry (https://books.google.com/books?id=NlgBAAAAQAAJ&source=gbs_slider_cls_metadata_7_mylibrary)

Rifle ammunition, notes on the manufactures connected therewith, as conducted in the Royal arsenal, Woolwich (https://books.google.com/books/about/Rifle_ammunition_notes_on_the_manufactur.html?id=x VIBAAAAQAAJ)

[Hanshi]

Anything "longrifle" works for me and it has to be flint. My best offhand rifle was a, now absent, .50 Va. flintlock with 42" barrel. Muzzle heavy and 9 pounds it it held rock steady on target as long as I didn't aim for too long. But there are three flintlocks that fit me perfectly and are a joy to carry and shoot. 1. Lancaster .45 X 13/16" X 36". 2. SMR .36 x 3/4' x 38". 3. A York inspired .50 X "B" wgt X 38" rb Rice barrel. But the .36" .45 has killed at least as many deer as all the others combined. All three are light and friendly. I have to mention, however, my .62 smoothbore flintlock. Straight oct to rnd 38" barrel with rear sight. I was surprised with the accuracy from the start using prb and it kills deer just fine.
.36 SMR.
https://i.ibb.co/M6Lj2rc/PICT0577-zps0a824827.jpg
.45 Lancaster.
https://i.ibb.co/LxfGYSN/PICT0384-1.jpg
.50.
https://i.ibb.co/D9scT52/7405ae69-0012-4efa-886d-2651c9c08aae-zpswsnzqleq-1.jpg
.62 smoothbore.
https://i.ibb.co/M1rfBZ8/PICT0575.jpg

[northmn]

As to smoothbores, match shooting sometimes sets up standards or rules that are questionable. One local collector of Trade guns claimed that some sort of rudimentary rear sight was added afterward on at least half or the guns he has seen, No sights but a lot of domed tang screws are seen that are indexed such that the screw slot just happens to align with the front sight. I finally got disgusted and built a "smooth rifle" which I showed in a picture with a grouse. While not quite a true smooth rifle as the barrel is a fowler type, the stock is patterned after a Beck rifle and it uses a Siler lock as found on rifles. Sights one the barrels like as on any rifle. It is 20 gauge and I use a .600 ball. With care in loading and ball selection I got a 3 shot 2 1/2" group at 75 yards with it. The sights make quite a difference. AS part of the loading procedure I put a dimple in the mold and always put the parting line toward the sight. Made sure each ball was loaded the same. I also found that too thick of patching was counter productive. May have damaged the ball? AS smooth bores do not take a spin, I think that one has to be very selective. Mostly I used shot in the thing however. With the lighter barrel it is a lot easier to carry.

DEP

[Beagle333]

I have about a dozen of em, and I handle some more than others, but the one I shoot the most is definitely the .56 smoothbore Renegade.

[waksupi]

All my muzzleloaders are mostly British military pattern guns. A mix of flint and percussion, smooth bore and rifled, original and reproduction. A friend who is a world class shot lent me a couple of books. Those Limeys had a pretty good handle on what works almost 200 years ago. An Enfield P-58 Naval rifle is amazingly accurate. But my doomsday, TEOWAWKI, would be a Northwest Trade musket, or the next best thing, a Brown Bess. They can outlaw primers but they can't outlaw rocks. Two hundred pounds of Kentucky cave dirt will still yield a pound of saltpetre. While limited by range, a smoothbore musket has the flexibility to kill anything that walks crawls or flies pretty efficiently.

Hand-book for Hythe: Comprising a Familiar Explanation of the Law of Projectiles, and an Introd. to the System of Musketry (https://books.google.com/books?id=NlgBAAAAQAAJ&source=gbs_slider_cls_metadata_7_mylibrary)

Rifle ammunition, notes on the manufactures connected therewith, as conducted in the Royal arsenal, Woolwich (https://books.google.com/books/about/Rifle_ammunition_notes_on_the_manufactur.html?id=x VIBAAAAQAAJ)

We used to do hunt or starve river trips of from 3-5 days duration. The first year was a mix of firearms, mostly rifles. The next year and thereafter, just about everyone had smooth bores. We found out you eat a lot better with a scatter gun.

[northmn]

All my muzzleloaders are mostly British military pattern guns. A mix of flint and percussion, smooth bore and rifled, original and reproduction. A friend who is a world class shot lent me a couple of books. Those Limeys had a pretty good handle on what works almost 200 years ago. An Enfield P-58 Naval rifle is amazingly accurate. But my doomsday, TEOWAWKI, would be a Northwest Trade musket, or the next best thing, a Brown Bess. They can outlaw primers but they can't outlaw rocks. Two hundred pounds of Kentucky cave dirt will still yield a pound of saltpetre. While limited by range, a smoothbore musket has the flexibility to kill anything that walks crawls or flies pretty efficiently.

Hand-book for Hythe: Comprising a Familiar Explanation of the Law of Projectiles, and an Introd. to the System of Musketry (https://books.google.com/books?id=NlgBAAAAQAAJ&source=gbs_slider_cls_metadata_7_mylibrary)

Rifle ammunition, notes on the manufactures connected therewith, as conducted in the Royal arsenal, Woolwich (https://books.google.com/books/about/Rifle_ammunition_notes_on_the_manufactur.html?id=x VIBAAAAQAAJ)

Consider who used the NWT and you get into the fact that it was literally a survival gun. I have heard the claim that those found in the Rainy River on the Canadian border and part of the fur trade travel route were loaded with shot. Don't discount the use of swan or goose shot as it was called back then for its effectiveness up close on game the size of deer even. At one time #4 buck was called swan shot and Goose shot was about BB.

DEP

[Wolfe]

I like the Thompson Center .50 cal Rifle that I built form a kit that I bought in the NAVY BX. Have shot thousands of rounds thru it both round ball and conical and they all go where Im shooting. It has enough power to take down everything up to a Moose and can shoot powder puff loads with paper patched smaller buckshot of lead for small game, even have taken birds with it loading up some #2 shot. Its versatile. Used too keep the Brass Hardware nice and shiny but laziness and old age have given it a nice patina. Its Heavy but with a sling I can carry it all day, some days. That's all I need. Well that and my Thermos.

[OverMax]

No need to upload my pixs. Only own T/Cs. Everybody knows what they look like.
The most accurate of my brace is a T/c Hawken percussion mid caliber? 54 that was custom built to order many years back. It's 54 factory barrel is so labeled a: Round Ball Only shooter. To get that better than average accuracy out to a distance beyond my eye sight requires a full house charging of 2-FF and a tight .535 ball. Unlike so many rifles I've witnessed. This rifle is truly a one shot one kill. The last trophy White Tail I took with the 54 weighed 234 field dressed. Quite the site walking up to that dandy animal laying in a abandon hay field shot once and showing a remarkable pass thru the ribs considering the 117 yard distance and large girth of the animal. Don't shoot it much anymore. To old. To tired. And I bruise to easily now. I prefer to tote its littl Brother these days. A T/c Hawken 45 cal. shooting patch ball. Still dropping Bucks in the Fall but no longer those one in a lifetime one's. Tasty Spike'ers take up the space in my freezer now..

[koger]

Wow guys, I appreciate all your sharing on this post.

[william l evans]

For me it is a Iassic Hanes Pen long rifle with a Rice 42 inch 50 cal swamped barrel and a Chambers flintlock.
It was built by Jim Turpin of Overland Park, Ks. It is very accurate if I do my part and is light to carry.

[Nobade]

For me it is a Iassic Hanes Pen long rifle with a Rice 42 inch 50 cal swamped barrel and a Chambers flintlock.
It was built by Jim Turpin of Overland Park, Ks. It is very accurate if I do my part and is light to carry.Proper!