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Hunting with a flintlock nostalgic reasons

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Howie1968

40 Cal.
Joined
Mar 14, 2016
Messages
1,076
Reaction score
789
Location
Lufkin,Texas
When I got back into traditional muzzleloading 4 years ago after a 35 year absence, I never even thought of a flintlock. Of all my hunting friends I am the youngest by a decade or two. a lot of my older friends tend to shoot mostly anything traditional. since ive been on this forumn ive became friends with some members and a couple even mentor me. I picked up my flintlock from a well respected vmember who had completely re-done my flinter upgrading the lock to a LR lock. the gun bluing has been rubbed back the stock rubbed back came with flints leather patches. its also the lightest muzzleloader I own shoots rb and bullets great, it definatly was a learning curve. I seriously doubt I will go rock lock only as when I grab this rifle its like my mind goes back a couple hundred years I get lost in thinking this is how our fore fathers used to hunt. when I carry my flintlock the kill or harvest is not important but rather having her in my hand letting my mind wander.
I could literally kill a pig a day with my flintlock so far ive taken squirrels a fox a coyote 4 decent size pigs. now if my flinter was a 54 caliber I would carry her more. I just love a .54 does anyone else do this hunt for nostalgic reasons with a flintlock
 
Well we don’t really have the pigs up here, nor any special muzzleloader season. I hunt with traditional due to the pure enjoyment received, however not exclusively flint. I’ve only ever harvested a bear with flint but now that I have completed the challenge of successfully collecting whitetail, mule, moose, elk and black bear with both archery and caplock, I expect flint is the next step. Will be starting this fall.
Congrats on your success and keep it going. Most of us envy you sir!
Walk
 
Well we don’t really have the pigs up here, nor any special muzzleloader season. I hunt with traditional due to the pure enjoyment received, however not exclusively flint. I’ve only ever harvested a bear with flint but now that I have completed the challenge of successfully collecting whitetail, mule, moose, elk and black bear with both archery and caplock, I expect flint is the next step. Will be starting this fall.
Congrats on your success and keep it going. Most of us envy you sir!
Walk
walking eagle, like you I enjoy my percussions I do hunt with longbow and recurve taken a few blackbear elk whitetail hogs and varmits with bows
 
When I got back into traditional muzzleloading 4 years ago after a 35 year absence, I never even thought of a flintlock. Of all my hunting friends I am the youngest by a decade or two. a lot of my older friends tend to shoot mostly anything traditional. since ive been on this forumn ive became friends with some members and a couple even mentor me. I picked up my flintlock from a well respected vmember who had completely re-done my flinter upgrading the lock to a LR lock. the gun bluing has been rubbed back the stock rubbed back came with flints leather patches. its also the lightest muzzleloader I own shoots rb and bullets great, it definatly was a learning curve. I seriously doubt I will go rock lock only as when I grab this rifle its like my mind goes back a couple hundred years I get lost in thinking this is how our fore fathers used to hunt. when I carry my flintlock the kill or harvest is not important but rather having her in my hand letting my mind wander.
I could literally kill a pig a day with my flintlock so far ive taken squirrels a fox a coyote 4 decent size pigs. now if my flinter was a 54 caliber I would carry her more. I just love a .54 does anyone else do this hunt for nostalgic reasons with a flintlock
Yes. I like the nostalgia of many old guns and gear. Also hunting with a flintlock or longbow just feels more natural to me. Even my unmentionables that I sometimes hunt with are older guns from the 1930s through the early 1950's.
When I hunt certain patches of ground, look out off of certain ridges with a good view, flintlock in my hand, I can't help but think about those who probably did the same so very long ago.
 
I just love a .54 does anyone else do this hunt for nostalgic reasons with a flintlock

I started hunting with a muzzleloader because it was superior to a modern shotgun with a slug barrel. Where I live one cannot use a modern rifle...and yes the way the law is written is quite stupid but that's for another area on this forum..... The other reason was that as I was stuck in the fall semester at college until the "regular" season for deer closed, a muzzleloader was an obvious choice. I never got a deer solo at that time in my life. I would be part of hunting parties, and a few times it was my task to track down the wounded deer and finish it, but I never initiated the first shot.

When in the service, I just never had the time to hunt at all. Well, game animals, anyway.

So when I went back to the civilian world, I had no desire to hunt long range with a modern rifle. Upland birds and waterfowl was what I was into, and it was all modern. Then..., one of my coworkers got me into AWI living history, right at the same time Last of The Mohicans came out. Having to work close to a deer, using a flintlock, now THAT was interesting. It took many years to figure out how to do that, too.

So "nostalgic" when carrying my rifle? No, not just when carrying Trudy or when carrying Patience. Some places that I hunt it's important to be modern and ORANGE. Now on private property, in the woods, dressing in colonial garb, and going out after deer, then YES, at those times I do feel nostalgic.

LD
 
I've been hunting almost exclusively with muzzle loaders for the past 5 years. I started out with percussion guns, and slowly worked into flint locks. I like the feeling of doing it the way my fore fathers did. Getting close, and making that one shot count. Nostalgia really kicked in for me when I inherited my Great Great Grandfathers muzzle loaders as I was the only one in the family that appreciates things old. I had to do some cleaning and some restorative work on the guns, but this past year I had them out in the field to hunt with and it was a moving experience. At times I felt my G G Grandfather was by my side coaching me in my hunt.
 
I just like the feeling I get when I go into the woods with a flintlock. I don't dress for a persona, I get all the history I want from simply hunting with 18th century technology. I use flintlocks for the entire season, all seasons big game & small game.
 
I hunted exclusively with bow and arrow, much of that with traditional equipment, from the time I was 14 until I was 40. I never had a desire to hunt big game with modern arms and never did except 1 yr with a .44 mag handgun.

I've always had a deep interest in American History and decided in 2000 that I wanted to get into muzzleloading. That's when what one would call the nostalgia kicked in as part of my hunting. First it was caplocks, then flintlocks, then period dress while hunting, then starting fires with flint and steel and then building some of my own guns and other equipment. Hunting with traditional equipment and trying to experience just a small part of what our forefather's might have experienced is what makes the hunt for me now. I can't imagine ever going to modern equipment...it would make the whole experience nearly meaningless to me.

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I'm like many here - love the historical/nostalgic idea of hunting with a flint lock. I will be hunting turkey this spring with my SMR that I built from a Kibler kit. I have a nice traditional hunting pouch and am on the hunt for a powder horn. I'll wear contemporary hunting gear, but am excited to use a traditional rifle!
 
I wander the Northwoods with flint, 45 and 54, depending on the season. I found correlations between building my guns and pouring roundball with tying flies and wandering miles of river. Very satisfying catching or shooting a reward for all the hand crafting you put into it.
And if I don't get a deer or a salmon it's still a great feeling spending the day in the woods with what you built.
 
The first repeating rifle I had in my hands was an m14 rifle: I thought that thing was the cats meow. I was sure proud of it. As my duty progressed the M16 came about. Not so proud of that piece of Mattel toy. After returning home I was sick and tired of the fancy Dan weapons. Dear season was coming of age and my cousins drug me out in the bush. They all had fancy Dans and I could have too. I drug out the old granddad. It looked sad, but the bore was shiny and bright.
The nostalgia, maybe, the old 50 just takes me back to a time when things seemed slower and not so chaotic. I didn't get that deer the first year. I went to my stand and fell asleep, was razzed about it for years until there is no one left to razz me. I can score a hit when and if I want too, or hungry enough.
I just see no reason to have anything newer, I do, but they collect a lot of dust. The old flinter is the go to weapon, little heavy for small game, so I cheat and use a smaller 45 cap lock.
I have worked some fine looking weapons when I had my little shop, but nothing was as enjoyable as the old smoke poles to refurbish, or build, even those confounded kits got some respect.
 
Well for me it is definitely nostalgic and or a returning to my roots, if you will. After a long military career, that included multiple deployments it was a way for me to reconnect. I decided to research some artifacts that were in my family and was looking for some hobbies that would heal my mind and body. In the process I learned that two of my Grandfather's were Richard Skaggs ( Henry Skaggs brother) and William Pittman, two of the original Longhunters and my Heart grandmother Laurana Weeks was a member of the Cherokee Nation. This "hobby" provided me with the grounding that I needed and their stories brought me clarity. Hell, they fought wars everyday and lost those closest to them and yet never lost the will to persevere. So it has been a natural evolution for me, but a nostalgic one for sure. What's great for me also, is that my family remained in the general area where my ancestors hunted and so I often wonder if I'm hunting the same ridge that they hunted or am fishing the same streams that they fished.
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What's great for me also, is that my family remained in the general area where my ancestors hunted and so I often wonder if I'm hunting the same ridge that they hunted or am fishing the same streams that they fished.

Warrior,
You nailed it for me. Technically, the state of Texas owns the woods I hunt in, but these are MY woods. My great grandfather, grandfather, father, myself, and my son have hunted these woods. Good lord willing, I will some day get to hunt them with my grandson, and possibly great grandson. I HOPE it carries as much meaning to them as it does to me. I don't need the meat, although it is a great benefit.

I love the black powder aspect of it for the feeling of connection with my past. Heck, it is also just fun!!!

Doc
 
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