OK, I just did it, bought my first flinter

[Ridge]

I used a Lyman Trade Rifle in 50 cal (percussion) to hunt deer for years. It will make you a fine rifle.

 

[hanshi]

Welcome to the dark side of shooting. A percussion muzzleloader is just a mechanical device, but a flintlock has "soul".

 

[tenngun]

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Others have answered most of your questions already. But none address the flinch issue. My advice is: don't fret over it. After a few shots you won't even notice the rifle going off. Concentrate on the target and trigger. The rest will just happen. You will be walking towards yer ded deer before you realize the gun went off. The only way it is such a big deal is it is so much fun to shoot flint.

i got my first flinter about 1977. Had a few cap guns since but never liked them as much. Pretty quick you won’t even notice it flashing. You concentrate on the target, light trigger touch till ... shots off, puff, the flash just blends in from the smoke at the other end.

 

[Huntschool]

Ya know..... Perhaps, if no one had mentioned the flash he would not have even noticed it... Flinch.... man made and that may just have happened....

JMHO

 

[Gene L]

Welcome to the dark side of shooting. A percussion muzzleloader is just a mechanical device, but a flintlock has "soul".

You put soul into any rifle if you shoot it enough or build it. I believe soul cannot be purchased. None is automatic to any type of gun, and this includes centerfire, rimfire, and ML rifles.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

So, now I'm making out my shopping list of "necessities" for my new arrival. I've caught the disease, wish me luck.

You for sure need something to hold your prime. Here is one I made using parts from a purchased brass primer mixed with an old propane torch flame flare. You can also open the metering valve a tad to make it flow faster. (normal hardware store drill bit)
Welcome to flintlocks!
Flintlocklar