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Oh No, not another Texan !

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rowdyjoe

rowdyjoe

40 Cal.
MLF Supporter
Joined
May 18, 2017
Messages
192
Reaction score
2
Location
North Central Texas
Howdy to the camp. I'm brand new to muzzle loaders but, I have some experience with BPCR from my (long ago) days in SASS. I recently bought a BP revolver and am excited about getting started in this part of the hobby. Although I haven't fired the revolver yet, I'm already scouring the web for deals on a cap lock rifle. :)
I'm also looking forward to learning from the wisdom, advice, ideas, trials and tribulations you folks have posted here. My first look at this site convinced me that I'm in the right place to learn.

Garry
 
Heidi Y'all from Bastrop County...no, a lot of'em here won't know! :wink: :haha: Agree with teh Mississippi Rifle suggestion unless you're more into limb chickens or bunnies. 54s are a might tuff on small critters! :rotf:
 
I've been looking on-line at the "guns for sale" sites and have the idea that a .50 or .54 would suit me pretty well ...maybe. :)
Been looking at the variety of Hawkens and TC Renegades. Also have my eye on the new Traditions Mountain model. It's still waaaay to early for me to buy anything but,it doesn't hurt to window wish. :)

Bastrop/Camp Swift is an old stomping ground of mine back during most of the 70's. I spent 9 yrs at Bergstrom AFB when it was active. I was a weapons instructor there and when our firing range would go down for periodic re-build, we would "borrow" Camp Swift to conduct our training. Got to know the place pretty well through those years but, I'm sure it's changed drastically since then.

Garry
 
Gary,

Much advice you will receive will depend on what you plan to do with your rifle. For hunting deer size animals, either the .50 or .54 will serve you very well. For factory made rifles, any of those that you mentioned will be good serviceable rifles with which you can hunt. If you think that you might get into any form or reenacting with a factory made rifle, you may want to consider looking at a Lyman rifle. They are the factory rifle that most closely resembles the original Hawken rifles. After that, you will have to consider buying a custom made rifle or building one of the better kits such as a Jim Chambers kit. If you start thinking about building a kit, keep in mind that the better ones such as Jim Chambers kits are not just simple "throw it together and be done with it" projects. They require a minimum of hand tools, some woodworking and metal working skills and lots of patience. Having a great "how to" book such as Peter Alexander's "The Gunsmith of Grenville County" and others will be a tremendous help. I have built a couple of the Jim Chambers kits and they took me a few months to build each one. If you have skills with simple hand tools such as rasps, sand paper, scrapers, files, hand saws, drills, etc. coupled with plenty of patience, you can have a darned nice rifle that you can be proud of for about $1,000
http://www.flintlocks.com/rifles.htm

TVM also makes fine quality kits
http://www.tennesseevalleymuzzleloading.com/
 
Last edited by a moderator:
WELCOME ABOARD Texican. - Lots of us here.

IF you want to do "early TX" (1800 to/through The TX Revolution period AND even the first days of TWBTS, I'd look for a Brown Bess or US Musket of 1816.
(Until TX joined the USA, the most common long gun was a Bess, inasmuch as they were CHEAP & suitable with single round ball or shot for any number of frontier tasks.)

just my OPINION, satx
 
Great info. Thank you.
At my age, I don't know if I have the patience (or the time left :) ) to build a kit gun but, I really appreciate the information. My son is talking "kit rifle" so, I'll pass this info along to him.

Don't know if I'll use it for hunting but, I will definitely shoot it ....a lot. I'm looking for something that will be fun to shoot and help me be competitive in local shoots out to at least 100yds. I do like accuracy but,, I have no designs on Olympic competition. :)

As I see it, this "new to me" side of the sport offers a challenge and lots fun. I've done the competitive rifle and pistol thing and the cowboy thing too but, these days, I don't take anything too seriously. I'm looking for low pressure fun but, who knows what lies ahead.

Thanks again
 
Hey, thanks for the welcome pard.

I love Texas history and will keep your advice in mind. I haven't thought much beyond a pistol and rifle to get started. My pistol is an 1858 New Army in .44 cal. which puts me in the civil war era for the moment. However, I gave up predicting the future long ago. :)
The purchase of that revolver was heavily influenced by my son who bought one about 2 weeks before I bought mine. Cabelas had them on sale for a price I couldn't refuse. I haven't even had the time to take it out of the box and clean the storage lube off of it much less shoot it. :(

Thanks again.
 
rowdyjoe said:
I've been looking on-line at the "guns for sale" sites and have the idea that a .50 or .54 would suit me pretty well ...maybe. :)
Been looking at the variety of Hawkens and TC Renegades. Also have my eye on the new Traditions Mountain model. It's still waaaay to early for me to buy anything but,it doesn't hurt to window wish. :)

Bastrop/Camp Swift is an old stomping ground of mine back during most of the 70's. I spent 9 yrs at Bergstrom AFB when it was active. I was a weapons instructor there and when our firing range would go down for periodic re-build, we would "borrow" Camp Swift to conduct our training. Got to know the place pretty well through those years but, I'm sure it's changed drastically since then.

Garry
Click to expand...

I'm about 6 miles west as the crow flies (15 miles as the house flies) from Camp Swift. You would not recognize it now. Texas Forest Service has big fire training academy there now too! Last time I was on post was for a WWII public event/reenactment at the Blackwell drop zone just south of McDade.

When I was in the USMCR infantry company out of Austin that was our training area in the mid to late 70's as well. Along with other choice and beautiful locales.

Good luck in your endeavor to locate a long arm. Personally I've settled on Jäger rifles. They just complement my bier deckels and Jäger pfeifes too well!! I'm not to concerned about their correctness here. Although my old ranch compadre does own a pretty cool late era percussion Jäger that was found in a cave on the Pedernales river, by his uncle before WWII.
 
Thanks for the link. I've seen that one and it's very tempting. Looking at the posts, it might be gone already.
I'm trying to rein in my excitement and not jump into something too soon. I don't know enough yet to make a informed decision.
Right now, I'm leaning toward a (any brand) Hawken in .50 cal. I like the design but, I won't rule out a Renegade in .50.
After seeing the newest offerings from Traditions, I really like their Hawken and their newest, the Mountain so, I'm not ruling out buying a new rifle.
 
Thanks for the welcome. I appreciate it.
As for Camp Swift ...we got to know one of the game wardens (if not the only one) in Bastrop county pretty well during our periodic treks to the lost pines. His last name was Gaddy but, can't remember his first name. His uncle was a game warden in Travis county and we got to know him really well. He would stop by the Bergstrom range once or twice a month to visit and/or check out a firearm. His first name was Ben ....Ben Gaddy. Both guys were really fine folk. Wonder if you've heard of either or both?
 

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