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First Rifle recommendations?

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Hoo there folks. I’m looking at building/buying my first rifle. I can’t decide on percussion or flint...I know I’ll likely end up with a 50-54 caliber rifle first. I’m just looking for a decent kit to start. I’ve seen the Kiblers and Traditions. I was just seeing if there were any more kits or if anyone had a builder they recommended. If going the bought bit built route, I’d like to buy Texan made if at all possible. I just don’t know the right locales to look into for intel, figured I’d get it straight from you wildcats.
Flint or percussion?? Percussion has a smaller learning curve than flint. You need to decide if you want to go to the next level of learning to shoot a flint, or you will not have a rifle that goes bang every time you pull the trigger. What is your patients' level? Are you anxious to make a gun, or, be shooting one? If you are the latter, better get a used gun and get to shooting first. If your skill level is high, get a top end kit. If you need practice, get a lower end kit. Someone with skill can make a low end kit look better than a beginner having high end material.
Flintlocklar:D
 
Mr.Larry, I’m a fair hand. I do plenty of custom leather and dabble in carpentry. I’m patient as can be in all honesty. Just not sure which to go with...
I love a flint rifle, never seen one I didn’t find enticing.
But then again I love the “ease” of the percussions from my research.

I’m having quite the time deciding, but I’m not in a huge rush.
 
I'd start with a percussion. There is enough of a learning curve just figuring out how to load, shoot and take care of these rifles that injecting flinter issues into it doesn't make a lot of sense. You can always get a flinter as your second rifle.

The other thing you should be thinking about is what type of projectile you want to shoot. If you plan on shooting round ball, look for a slow twist option. It can be a challenge to get faster twists to shoot balls well, if it is even possible.

Will you be hunting with this rifle?
 
I'd start with a percussion. There is enough of a learning curve just figuring out how to load, shoot and take care of these rifles that injecting flinter issues into it doesn't make a lot of sense. You can always get a flinter as your second rifle.

The other thing you should be thinking about is what type of projectile you want to shoot. If you plan on shooting round ball, look for a slow twist option. It can be a challenge to get faster twists to shoot balls well, if it is even possible.

Will you be hunting with this rifle?

I will. The first one, if I go larger bore will be for deer. But I’ve now considered going smaller bore just to chase squirrels and the like to shoot more and hasten the abilities. If you can hit a squirrel, you can hit a deers heart.
 
I would suggest starting with a 50 cal percussion rifle and going from there if you find you really like front stuffers. Why 50 cal? Good enough for deer hunting, can back off the charge for target loads, and you can find projectiles and everything else at any sporting goods store that sells muzzleloader stuff. 54 is nice for big game hunting, but is tougher to find stuff for. Smaller bores are great, but something of a specialty item. Ditto flinters. If you try a 50 cal percussion rifle and find it is not your cup of tea, there is a ready market for them.
 
If you are going with a Traditions kit, I would suggest a percussion rather than flintlock for someone starting out. I have been shooting muzzleloaders for 40 years with most of that being percussion. I have several flintlocks which are pretty reliable. I have a flint Traditions I purchased several years ago and it has been frustrating. The lock is okay, but not great and the patent breech design does not lend itself to reliable ignition after a couple of shots. I have several percussion Traditions and they don't have this problem.
 
I guess my first choice for a first rifle is a .45 TC Hawken in a percussion. Loaded down for squirrel or load up for deer. Very accurate and reliable. Won’t break the bank and just a lot of bang for the buck. That said I love all of my longrifles. Flint or percussion they are all fun but the flints are a bit more challenging!! Greg
 
I would just order Swiss or GOEX from TOW, a 25 lb case will last your a very long time.

But if you want to have less powder for safety reasons, I would get in touch with a re-enactment group, lots of good contacts in those groups.
 
I have owned many different old rifles. Both Flint and percusion. Currently have a Thompson Sennaca in 45cal. Just love the weight of it and the accuracy also. The Sennaca model has a barrel proofing of 110lbs pressure I believe. I usually shoot at 75 feet with 60Gr. in it. No.3 Goex. A very comfortable rifle to shoot.
 
Hoo there folks. I’m looking at building/buying my first rifle. I can’t decide on percussion or flint...I know I’ll likely end up with a 50-54 caliber rifle first. I’m just looking for a decent kit to start.
I think you'll be fine with either a Lyman caplock Great Plains Rifle in .50 https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/rifles/muzzleloader-kits/lymantm-great-plains-rifle-kit.html
or the same thing in flint. https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/rifles/muzzleloader-kits/lymantm-great-plains-flintlock-kit.html

Either will be a patched round ball rifle, and will do very well for you. Slightly more complicated than a Pedersoli kit, these need in addition to the wood, the metal needs some browning. Pretty easy to do. Prices are good too.

LD
 
I bought a Lyman GPR percussion in 54 about 2 years ago new. Mine is mechanically reliable but the fit and finish is not as good as older ones I have seen. Mine shoots very well , is well balanced, and fits me about right. I was tring to get into traditional muzzleloading without breaking the bank. I bought a finished gun for convenience but if you buy a kit you will probably have a good looking gun . I may rebuild mine at some time in the future but it is fine for the moment. Of the kits out there that are reasonable the GPR looks the best to me.

I ordered 5 cans of Graff fffg and the price was reasonable. The fffg is shooting so well I will probably not even try any ffg. I am using some Remington No. 11 caps that I bought 20 years ago with good results. The Lyman nipple suppllied with the gun is very good quality so I ordered some more and some Hot Shot Nipples as well that I have not tried yet.

I am currently shooting 90 grs of Graff fffg , with a Hornaday .530 swaged ball, and Thompson .015" pre-lubed patches.
 
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Back before Robert Redford killed his first mathematically challenged Wapiti in the movie Jeremiah Johnson with a "Fifty Caliber Hawken" and everybody who bought black powder firearms decided anything less than a Big Fifty could not be depended upon to scare off a muskrat, the Forty-Five caliber was very popular and for good reason. It used a slightly more slender -ahem- barrel on less expensive factory guns, it used less powder and shot, it was known to be an accurate and pleasant to shoot caliber, and the muzzle blast was somewhat less than a drill instructor at close proximity. Many beginning ML shooters (myself included) built kits or otherwise obtained a .45 for an initial smokepole. Then The Industry, happy to build anything the customer would purchase in copious quantity, obligingly turned it's collective back on the .45 and seized upon the darling of newly printed mountain men everywhere. My brother was one of those who built his first .50 from a CVA Hawken kit; I built a CVA Kentucky in .45 and loved it. To his credit, Tiny could out shoot me at the bench, but lots of ordinary blokes off the sidewalk could do that. Plenty of game animals fell to my first .45, and if the Arkansas law allowed it's use on small game as well as deer, I would probably own only that caliber for a serious hunting rifle. I therefore heartily endorse the despised .45 as a first rifle, and wish you luck and good smoke!
 
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