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Sorry I ruffled your feathers,pulled my cap bill down and twisted it to be between my face and pan and seems to be working for me.Was afraid I would pull it completely off the paper if I did not block it.
 
I found the slight delay to be the real distraction too. Once you figure out how to minimize that lag, that pretty much takes care of the problem I'd say. I suppose some people can't hardly help but notice the flash though.
 
New flint shooters..... Tell them to concentrate on the sights and their placement on the target. Dont give them a heavy darn gun. Dont give them a gun with a 6 lb trigger pull like some muskets or other military guns that have not had those terrible triggers lightened up. Let then "dry fire" the gun with flint in but no priming while concentrating on the target. Then let them fire with prime while concentrating on the target. Then put a light load in and do the same. Dont even mention the flash...…

I dont know how many folks over many years of shooting that I have "helped" into flint guns, including some absolute beginners and none.... yes none of them have been bothered by the flash.... even if they noticed it in their peripheral vison.

Truthfully, on my first time with a flinter I was too busy concentrating on the target and just slowly touching the front trigger of a set trigger gun that I never saw the flash and asked the gentleman whose gun I shot "where was the flash."

This whole thing may well be much to do about nothing in my opinion...…. And thats just what it is.... My opinion.

JMHO
 
I found the slight delay to be the real distraction too. Once you figure out how to minimize that lag, that pretty much takes care of the problem I'd say. I suppose some people can't hardly help but notice the flash though.
They don't call them flinchlocks for nothing. Truth is, once you master the flint, you'll be a much better shot. It took me two years of dedicated off-hand trigger time before I was ready to compete at Friendship with a flinter. A low velocity Walther air rifle helped a lot too. It also helps to have a good touch-hole, and a fast lock.
 
The only time the flash was ever an issue for me was when there was a delay in it when I first got the rifle. Then I switch to 4F and that went away and it's never been an issue since.
 
Find an early copy of "Instructions to young Sportsmen" by Colonel Peter Hawker and follow his diatribe.. "have your man load your gun for you,oft' times with powder and no shot or with no priming in the pan,shooting at a mark on a gate post."That is if you have a man or can find a G/F or Wife who doesn't mind getting her hands a bit dirty..
Worked for me back in the 60's..

OLD DOG.
 
Was out shooting at a public range, I was having to get my gun sighted in. I had to file my front sight down and ran through forty shots, but got it on target.
As I was leaving I saw an ol’boy at the hundred yard range. His rifle looked a bit old and I walked over to see it. It was a Swiss military rifle of 1916. We talked a bit and I got around to letting him shoot my gun. I only had a couple of ball in my bag and was down to just a bit of tow for wadding.
I loaded a round and let him have a go, warning him to hold on target for a second or so.
He had watched me fire and knew it would flash.
He held on like a master, still holding steady after the shot.
Said if he hadn’t seen me fire the flash would have taken him by surprise.
My gun has a white lightning touch hole liner and a siler style lock. I can’t notice pause, yet he said the delay really surprised him too, as it didn’t seem that long when he was watching me.
We talked a bit and I think there is a flinter in his future, as he emailed me a question or two( or ten).
He had never fired any ml
 
Find an early copy of "Instructions to young Sportsmen" by Colonel Peter Hawker and follow his diatribe.. "have your man load your gun for you,oft' times with powder and no shot or with no priming in the pan,shooting at a mark on a gate post."That is if you have a man or can find a G/F or Wife who doesn't mind getting her hands a bit dirty..
Worked for me back in the 60's..

OLD DOG.

https://archive.org/details/instructionstoyo00hawk/page/n6
 
I never even mention the delay. For all new shooters, I make sure I emphasize the follow-through; hold the sight picture for a count o 2 seconds after the shot is squeezed off. I think when they are concentrating on squeezing and holding, they never notice the very slight difference in lock time. Experienced shooters do, mostly because they are just concentrating on getting their shot off as the target goes by, and few shooters have noticeable follow-through; some of them have the gun down almost before the bullet is gone.
 
When I'm shooting my rifles I try to use that "2 second" hold rule and it's almost become instinctive with me. So much so that when ole' Pat was the range master at the range I shoot at is trying to teach some newby about follow thru more than a few times he'll tell the person, "Watch that guy with the longrifle and notice how he is still aiming long after the shot fires. That's what you need to learn to do."
 
When I'm shooting my rifles I try to use that "2 second" hold rule and it's almost become instinctive with me. So much so that when ole' Pat was the range master at the range I shoot at is trying to teach some newby about follow thru more than a few times he'll tell the person, "Watch that old guy with the longrifle and notice how he is still aiming long after the shot fires. That's what you need to learn to do."
Fixed that for you Zonie lol.
 
Iffen yo kin shoot a flinter well, you be amazed how well you will shoot a more modern firearm. ! Use that 2 second rule, to be honest I never notice the flash from either flint or cap lock. I got a mate going with his flintlock, just sighting his rifle on a mark and flashing off priming only, he found to start with he was getting distracted by the flash of priming. Effectively dry firing with priming only got him over the fence as they say.
 
Britsmoothy I bet you did not lead enough, reckon a goose would look like a jumbo and be quite deceptive as to how fast they are moving !! I read of Robert Ruark getting a couple of geese after a lot of goes and they came down like shot down JU88s !!
 
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