hntr In my ongoing, tiring quest to make sure we have something topical to discuss; here's a question:
"Without getting into specific uses with our ancient weapons, just in general, when the dealer puts down the last card and you have to choose, which do you prefer to shoot, flintlocks or percussions?" Please don't just post one or two words but discuss your choice and why you made it. This is not a quick and easy question; but it gets right down to your BP commitment and how/why you got started. If you don't prefer one over the other tell us about "why". Photos are great additions to your posts.
cap or flint ? at the moment I am the owner of a percussion halfstock, but my preference is more along the line of full stock flint lock rifle or smooth bore ! had to sell my southern mountain rifle a few years back and not by choice and went a good few years with out a muzzle loader until I got my hawken halfstock which just happens to be a cap gun ! it`s better than no rifle at all . and one of many percussion rifles I`ve owned over the last four decades !so have my preferences but I do like percussion guns! the photos a small sample Of what I had just 6 years back and what I have now!
That rifle looks awesome, beowulf. For my answer to the question I'll start by saying I own 2 great shooting percussion rifles, a .45 and a .54. They get fired from time to time simply because I really like them and the .54 has taken deer. The other six are flintlocks. My passion is flintlock longrifles and smoothbores, they get most of the shooting. For years I've hunted exclusively with flintlocks; and they get most of the range time as well.
At this time I have over 20 muzzleloaders in my gun closet, 9 of them are flint lock. They are about an even mix of right and left handed rifles. It depends on the weather as to which I use to hunt with, or take roundy's .Any day in the woods is better than a day at work
I also have a orphan match lock, that dose not get shot very often. I also have 22 cap an ball hand guns.
[hmm] I only have one flint lock and five caplock rifles plus 5 cap and ball pistols so my flint experiance is lacking...That said i would like to add more flints...especciallty a high quality one to learn more...
Quote from: Hawken50 on October 26, 2018, 10:08:35 PM
[hmm] I only have one flint lock and five caplock rifles plus 5 cap and ball pistols so my flint experiance is lacking...That said i would like to add more flints...especciallty a high quality one to learn more...
with all the overtime you have put in why not spend a little of the pay and buy a nice one? cuch
Patience is my favorite go to because shooting flint is more of a challenge... we return you back to your regular scheduled discussion while I get back to homework..... pnic
pnic Too many responsibilities oh great one....
Quote from: old salt on October 26, 2018, 10:03:59 PM
At this time I have over 20 muzzleloaders in my gun closet, 9 of them are flint lock. They are about an even mix of right and left handed rifles. It depends on the weather as to which I use to hunt with, or take roundy's .Any day in the woods is better than a day at work
I also have a orphan match lock, that dose not get shot very often. I also have 22 cap an ball hand guns.
interesting! I`ve been thinking of building a matchlock !found a nice simple lock that should be easy to build once I have the time to do it ! perhaps over the winter !
All three of my muzzle loading rifles are percussion. I have never shot a flintlock, but they certainly look like a hoot to shoot. My collection probably needs to be diversified a little .......eh? Avoiding a flinch looks to be challenging when the pan charge ignites.
I have an Austen Halleck mountain rifle that looks very much like the one at the top of the rack in beowulf's picture, only it has darker wood. It is my favorite to admire hanging on the wall, but is really too big for me to shoot well. Length of pull is just too long.
I also need a shorter lop in order to shoot at my, ahem! best. I've owned and enjoyed only two c&b pistols in my lifetime. My only pistol at present is a .50 flintlock. I've killed deer with both flint and cap but mostly flint. I always feel confident in the bush with my flintlock and love their reliability and feel. My two longest range deer kills were made with flintlocks.
Out of sheer stubbornness I am moving to more flintlocks. I will never give up my Mongrel cap locks, but I apparently need more stress in my live so flinters are the way.
2 flint pistols but I only occasionally have reason to shoot them.
3 flint rifles, the .50 rarely gets shot these days, but it hunts every year. The other 2 are .40s and the Mongrel .40 is a favorite.
Percussion rifles and muskets: the muskets rarely get used, the old TC Renegade hunts regularly and the TC stock with a .50 GM barrel that I inherited a few years ago is the go to target rifle but the Pedersoli kentucky is also a favorite.
Percussion is first choice, but I also love my flinters and shoot them a lot.
Quote from: hotfxr on October 27, 2018, 10:23:19 PM
Out of sheer stubbornness I am moving to more flintlocks. I will never give up my Mongrel cap locks, but I apparently need more stress in my live so flinters are the way.
if you truly need more stress , go to matchlocks :mini-devil-28492: ROFL ROFL
I have two great caplocks and one is a mongrel .45 that stays with me. But with longrifles, well, they're not "real" longrifles unless they're flintlocks. Just thought I'd express that sentiment. hntr
I suppose if I was put in a situation that I could on have flint or cap lock, I would go with the flinters. So far I have never had a flash in the pan and no boom. I have caps that either would not go off or were so week that they would not ignite the powder charge.
I just like the challenge of the flint lock system
Quote from: old salt on November 02, 2018, 10:46:43 PM
I suppose if I was put in a situation that I could on have flint or cap lock, I would go with the flinters. So far I have never had a flash in the pan and no boom. I have caps that either would not go off or were so week that they would not ignite the powder charge.
I just like the challenge of the flint lock system
I must respectfully disagree with the above statement because I remember a cold damp day at a fall Grouse Creek Rendezvous when you stepped to the line and there was a flash but no boom..... :mini-devil-28492: It was the same day I learned not to use 4f in the pan as it turned to mud! pnic