• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades
  • Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

1st time shooting a flintlock

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Shoot the rifle right-handed. The lock (and pan) will be on the same side as your face. Wear safety glasses and concentrate on the front sight. Left-handed shooters do the same when shooting a right-handed gun. It's the concept of having one's face in front of all that pan flash that is more unsettling than the actual firing.
 
I have not killed 120 deer. I have killed about 10 and 10-12 elk and I can assure you the PRB will work at least (I think better) then the conical. We are shooting black powder and no matter how much you dump down the tube yer not gonna reach CF presuure and the PRB is all you need. UNLESS yer shooting a .32 or .36 at deer then you likely need a conical cuz you are under gunned. At .45 and above it (IMHO) is a waste of lead. My favorite deer load is 60-65 gr 3f and a PRB. For elk add 10-20 grains. My PRB kills went NO FURTHER than the few conicals I shot.

So there. No more free advise unless you were a buyer when I was offering a deal on freeze dried water for cleaning (all out, you snooze you lose).
 
Even though my thread was hijacked by questions from a left handed shooter and it seems nobody's read my updated pt.2, I'll answer some more questions now.
I have tried shooting the gun with the ramrod in and out of gun, it seems to make no difference in my point of aim.

I'm not sure why everyone is so against shooting a conical. I did say earlier in this thread that everyone has their own opinion but apparently mine doesn't matter. I have tried 60 gr. of 3f and a RB and patch and it shoots well. I have also discovered that the 80 gr. of 3 f and a T/C Maxiball shoot very well also, I'm getting about 1 1/4- 1 1/2 in. groups at 50 yards now with 2 quick plunges of 3f in the pain and I always make sure to pick through the touch hole before filling the pan, it does make a difference.
I think I've eliminated my flinch by just concentrating on the front sight.
Like I've said, having a nice journey, have learned a lot.

I'm glad everyone's killing so many deer with a RB, but can't I try it my way without getting "beat up" for it. Hey, at least I'm not shooting a sabot pistol bullet.
Sorry if my choice of projectile has the purist upset but I still believe a heavier projectile could be better or at least better for me. I guess I'll find out this coming winter if I get a shot on a deer. I'll let you all know then.
 
Old dogs can learn new things!! I've shot Caplock for 40yrs however, I took my T/C .45cal Hawkins Flintlock out after having it tucked away for 10yrs on Tuesday 8-8-2023 (First time with it). At 50yds, 50gr of 3f and primed with 4f what I thought was the right amount i pan. First shot bang. Man was I excited!! Then it went downhill. Hit and miss on the ignition. I did the clearing of the vent hole etc and all the other things. I even switched the flint around. First off, I have learned since the other day that the double end flint type I was using isn't really one of the good flints. I have a few English Flints that are best from what I've studied. I will be trying them next time out and if all works well, I will get more. I feel now after more reading that I wasn't doing anything incorrect other than not using a quality flint and not having my flint sharp. I learned that using a worn or dull flint will get you nowhere!! I will also learn how to Knap my flints. I really do not want to give up on the Flintlocks and mine is a nice one. My flintlock is an older one without the Barrel Warnings and has a low 4-digit serial number and the Malise Cross stamped on the bottom side of the barrel at the Breach which puts the age of my weapon around 1969 / 1970 production by T/C. Thanks everyone for all your knowledge and ideas!!
 
If you are left eye dominant and shooting your rifle right-handed your dominant eye will be on the wrong side. What can happen is your right eye will be looking down the rear sight and your naturally dominant left eye can pick up the front sight. You will be a lousy shot. I am right-handed and left eye dominant. I have learned to close my left eye when I shoot a rifle or shotgun. When I shoot handguns, I have to close the right eye. It took me a while to master it, but I did it and so can you.
When you shoot your revolvers keeping both eyes open and sighting is the proper sight picture. It shouldn't take anytime at all to get used to it; it's natural. Shooting revolvers is different than a rifle with regards to sighting.
Msg Ret Army.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top