Shot my first flinter today

[BE Wild Willy]

Well the temperatures reached a balmy 39 degrees today so I decided to take out my Pedersoli Frontier 54. This was my first time shooting a rocklock, I shot it 9 times with no issues with ignition.

First, here's my gun and the conditions...

Next, my targets. First one is 3 shots at 25yds./ 60gr. 3f. Round 1 off to left, 2 & 3 nearly same hole.

Lastly, target shot at 50 & 75 yards / 70gr. 3f. 3 shots at the top right were at 50, 2 at bottom right were at 75. Loner upper left was me at 75 trying to adjust the sight picture to bring it up. Gonna need to file them sights.

 

[bioprof]

Looks like you need to file down your front sight to move your point of impact up.

 

[BE Wild Willy]

Yep, the sights are untouched from the factory. Gonna have to file down the front and file it narrower as I go down. After getting that accomplished I'll drift either sight to move it to the left. Ultimately I'll get it to shoot point of aim at 75 yards.

 

[buford87]

I beliieve you need to work on shrinking your group before you file your sights to the point that you want to leave them. I am not saying don't file at all but leave some room for adjustment until you settle on the best group to shoot. Also that is agreat looking rifle..............watch yer top knot..............

 

[fraungie]

don't file anything until you have a good group. Since you are shooting a .54 I would try some 2f powder as well

 

[Roguedog]

Way to go Willy. I concur, that is a fine looking gun/instrument. I too am just getting my feet wet with shooting flintlocks and am a little hesitant to start filing sights just yet. I'm gonna shoot mine for awhile and hopefully get things settled down a bit before I break out the file. By the way, beautiful area you're in there.

Jeff

 

[ebiggs1]

Unless you have a better way of holding your rifle steady, you haven't learned anything. The gun must be secure and exactly the same each time you fire it. Otherwise, you are just showing your shooting ability not the guns. :hmm:
Get a better bench rest before you touch anything. :thumbsup:

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Hey Willy!

Welcome to the rock side of life .... if like me, your c'fire toys whilst soon be neglected! Have fun.

 

[BE Wild Willy]

I will definitely shoot more shots and tighten them groups up. But I will need to start filing next time I go out as I know from just the shots that I took it needs to go up dramatically.

The group at 25yds was a 6 o'clock hold on a 3" bull. Shot to the left was first one fired on a clean bore and a little anticipation of the click boom lag. Next 2 shots were nice and tight.

Then I went to 75 yds. Fired 2 shots at a 6 o'clock hold on a 5" bull. They are the bottom right pair in pic 2. Tried a modified sight picture by holding the front sight above the rear sight notch. Not very precise resulting in the shot at 9 o'clock. Otherwise was looking to throw a 3"-4" group at 75yds.

Lastly, I moved the target back to 50yds. and shot three more resulting in a 3" group exactly where I anticipated.

Not great shooting but satisfactory for the conditions and to know what needs to start happening.I will continue to develop a load/loads for accuracy but will need to get that front sight filed down and narrower so that the sight picture can be more precise. All in all I was quite pleased with the initial accuracy and performance of my first flinter.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Looks like you need to file down your front sight to move your point of impact up.

Or, lower the box.

 

[Roguedog]

If we shoot flintlocks, does that mean we're "rock stars"?

Jeff

 

[D Sanders]

If we shoot flintlocks, does that mean we're "rock stars"?

Jeff

:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

HH 60

 

[MSW]

i think you're doing great, so far ... i would recommend, however, that you get a better bench - something rock solid. then, get the rifle to throw a really good pattern, then when your load is 'dialed in,' you can tinker with the sight to get point-of-aim to point-of-impact.

see if you can get a copy of Dutch Schoultz' paper - this will save you a boatload of time and aggravation ... his website is
http://www.blackpowderrifleaccuracy.com/

(should we tell him about the highly habit forming nature of rockbanging?)

 

[Lonegun1894]

Shhhh. Habit-forming? Nothing around here is habit forming. :rotf: Just keep doing it, and things will naturally progress as they should. And if he notices himself picking up rocks, and slowing down a bit, and eating more wild game, well, what's the harm?

 

[Billnpatti]

Go slowly with your file and move your groups up slowly. You don't want to overshoot your desired POI.

 

[Matt85]

i would also try increasing your powder load some. 70 grains is on the small end for a 54 cal. for my 50 cal rifle 70 grains of 3f is my short range load, for longer ranges and hunting i use 90 grains.

not saying 70 grains wont work, just that you should try some heavier charges aswell.

-matt

 

[cowpoke1955]

My first flinter was my Pedersoli Blue Ridge in .45. The front sight has a taper to it. The more you file, the wider it gets. I switched the front sight to a silver blade from Track of the Wolf: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/874/6/FS-TC-HB-TH . It stays the same thickness, no matter how much you file it. It also gives me a better sight picture than the factory sight. Just some thing to think about :v

 

[stronics]

I think for the first time out with a new gun you did really goood. As for the bench...it sure beats not going out shooting.
I'd like to know how you like the flint over percussion?
David

 

[BE Wild Willy]

Thanks for the link, I'm seriously considering going that route. Does that sight fit properly in the Pedersoli dovetail?

 

[BE Wild Willy]

Jury is still out, although I like that look and style of the lock on a flinter far more. I've barely shot the gun at this point, so far I can tell a definite difference in the ignition speed compared to my caplock. I can sense the click, and then bang.