Getting Started

[appalichian hunter]

Every thing I use whether range or hunting fits in a shooting bag, This is a basic set for a days hunting, horn (holds around 1/2 lb powder) is on a separate strap. lets start with a flint wallet which contains, small oil bottle, small bottle same size with bore cleaner which is moose milk ( bottles are insulin containers with cork stoppers) jag ball puller combo (Larry Calahan design) two home made turn screws of different size filed too fit every screw on the gun. small hand made pliers. these also have a turn screw filed into one handle (my design) 6 extra flints and spare flint leather(about four in. long) extra vent pick (one is carried in my hat band) a feather to plug the touch hole, a small linen rag that has been oiled, a ball of tow, spare powder measure, and a combo flint napper, vent pick, and turn screw made from a flat piece of metal. In the bag is a flat small prime horn with a 3 gr. throw, soft leather (deer skin with a horn spout) ball bag holds about 10-15 balls (.62cal.) small round tin container contains ball lube (bees wax, Crisco, olive oil mix) and extra patching material(strip of ticking about 1 -1/2 in. wide and 2 ft. long rolled up) well oiled cows knee (if not on rifle) on the bag strap is pan brush, vent pick set secured with a hand made chain long enough to allow these too be placed in the bag while attached too the strap, powder measure held in place with a leather sleeve sewn to strap an a braided cord long enough too easily be used to charge the load also fastened too the strap, A piece of hemp cordage about 5 ft. long, a loading block holds 5 patched balls ( I know not documented) on the back of the bag is a small knife about 4 in. blade with a sewn sheath (patch knife) or I will wear a neck knife also. If on a extended hunt I carry a haversack or snap sack for food items and fire starting kit (flint and steel, burning glass, char cloth, tinder fungus and a bit of fat wood ( Also a bic lighter and barn burner matches for extreme emergencies) with a copper cup about 4in. round and 4 in. high, period pocket knife, small first aid kit. this all fits well in a a bag not overly large and comfortable too carry, Along with my belt knife and hawk into the wild I go. Each rifle has its own bag and all are pretty much set up the same.

 

[Newtire]

Hello again guys, hope I don’t drive you nuts with too many questions. And this one might be a doozy. So to put things into perspective, back when I started reloading for unmentionables, after five or so years I had a core group of tools that I used and worked well for me. I also had a great deal of various other things that I had acquired along the way that were either a gimmick or just flat out unnecessary. Fast forward a few years, and if you were me, you’ve got your first flintlock on the way and you want to get as much as you can together before it arrives, what would you need? Not unlike that core group of tools I mentioned.
I’ve got a bag coming from The Leatherman, a few flints and leathers coming from TOTW, one of those brass pan chargers and a short starter. I like the Treso starters. Anyways, could anyone expand on this?

One of those little pan charger goodies loaded up with some fine powder to dribble thru the vent in case you forget to put the powder in, no chance of that huh? That way you can just shoot the ball out.

 

[ord sgt]

I didn't have any form of mentor when I first started with m/lers. I bought a T/C Hawken kit (percussion). Put it together and read the T/C manual. Learned to load and shoot from there. Got curious about flintlocks and decided to build one, with a copy of Chuck Dixon's book "Building Muzzleloading rifles" Had the basics from the T/C on loading and firing. Now, 40 years later, I am trying to finish my last rifle. Might just get it done before I am finished for good.

 

[Magungo1066]

Banjoman has some really good advice about identifying what you don't need. When I first got into flintlock shooting, I bought things that now gather dust. You will quickly find out what you need, and then what is convenient. There are some things you absolutely must have though, such as a ball puller, powder measure, or cleaning jag for example.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Any way you look at it, you wind up with more stuff to shoot one gun than any four moderns.
That's not necessarily a bad thing either.

wm

 

[user 49399]

Any way you look at it, you wind up with more stuff to shoot one gun than any four moderns.
That's not necessarily a bad thing either.

wm

Especially when you start making your own accouterments.

 

[jimhallam]

You can throw away the short starter and pan primer, just more junk in the bag, should have used that money to by a dozen more flints. Much better to by a mold a few thousands of a inch undersize so the balls start and load easy. Olive oil is a great patch lube as well as authentic, in a pinch when hunting-trekking you can use it in and outside of the rife as well. A good unbreakable rang rod is nice but not a necessity ( if the balls are not so tight they will pull easier too), your going to need a couple cleaning jags (in case one is lost) and a ball puller or two. Vent picks can be made from old wire or I've heated old sewing needles red hot and let them cool then stick them in a tiny antler tip or. Keep it simple, I shoot constantly and prime all my rifles with FFG without a hitch.

Olive oil might be authentic for a Uberti, but I doubt that there would be many olive trees in the boonies of Ohio ;-)

 

[Grenadier1758]

Olive oil might be authentic for a Uberti, but I doubt that there would be many olive trees in the boonies of Ohio ;-)

But there weren't many sperm whales in Ohio or Kentucky either.
Or for that matter any Ford trucks with automatic transmissions.

Might be surprised by the presence of sweet oils such as olive and canola oil.

Let's use some modern available lubricants and not dismiss olive oil.

 

[Flintlock]

Olive oil (sweet oil) was imported in bulk. If I remember well it was a very common oil in the colonies. Bear and cool oil would have been more common on the frontier but we don't often have it on hand. Using modern oils and junk with a flintlock seems about like stocking the guns in nylon, just not right.

 

[Howard Pippin]

Olive oil (sweet oil) was imported in bulk. If I remember well it was a very common oil in the colonies. Bear and cool oil would have been more common on the frontier but we don't often have it on hand. Using modern oils and junk with a flintlock seems about like stocking the guns in nylon, just not right.

Well, I do have a percussion stocked in nylon, but it keeps the weight light enough that I can still hold the rifle with fake shoulders, and I also drive my pickup to the range, and drink the coffee I bought at the local store on the way and at the range. Could have ground some barley, but didn't have any. It does take me just as long to load that nylon rifle and it cleans the same way my Lyman Flintlock does, except I don't have any tow so had to use commercial cotton. My water was original but the Dawn soap I put in it wasn't made from fat. That line I crossed seemed to have a tear in it, just where I was standing. What do the rest of you do?
Squint

 

[Woody Morgan]

I have a synth-stocked, Cerakote-barreled flintlock rifle and have a ball with it.
Put that in your corncob pipe and smoke it.

wm

 

[user 49399]

When you have what you think you need figured out, then go shooting another five times and shoot only from the bag. This means you take only your gun, a possibles bag, a powder horn or flask and what you have in your pockets.

If your at a range, don’t lay anything on a bench, table or the ground. Shoot off hand, standing up. This is good practice for hunting and shows you what is really necessary for hunting. If you’re wanting to go the period/historically correct route, this also good practice for that.

If all you want to do is target shooting from a bench (and there’s nothing wrong with that), then you can pack as much as you want in a box, bag or whatever and lay everything out on the bench. I prefer shooting from the bag.