.45 Cal. Flint

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  • Last Post 26 June 2012
Pigslayer posted this 03 June 2012

The accuracy of the flintlock rifle never ceases to amaze me. I have built two . . . an Issac Haines in .50 cal. & a Southern Mtn. in .45 cal. Both shoot well in that I can put three (3) round balls in a 2” circle at 50 yds. with primitive sights. I may even do better with a better rest & a little more patience. But you know, at 60 years old and having cataract surgery, I'm doing O.K.. I am at present working on a .40 cal.. I have had people tell me how “slow” a flintlock is . . . what? These things fire in 1/100th of a second! I had a good time at the range today. I was shooting my .45 cal. Southern Mtn.. It was right on time. As long as I do my part I'll keep it in the black. I'm a stckler for uniform charges so I always weigh my charges & put them in small glass vials prior to going to the range. In my .45 cal. I use 60 grs. FFF. In my .50 I use 80 grs. FF. PRB forever!!

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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hunterspistol posted this 26 June 2012

I'm all “oohs and ahhs” over them! They really are beautiful rifles. And Blonde? Almost every manufacturer made one at one time or another. They're lovely, you do some nice work. Thank you for sharing the pics, Ron

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onondaga posted this 26 June 2012

I like the Blonde, and there is nice figure in the wood.

Gary

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Pigslayer posted this 26 June 2012

delmarskid1 wrote: Man that is pretty! With carving like that who needs grade #5 wood. Nicely done.

Here is my .45 cal flint. I did this one blonde rather than the traditional red/brown. Some folks have tried to chastise me for not being traditional but Hey!, it's my rifle! LOL

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Pigslayer posted this 26 June 2012

delmarskid1 wrote: Man that is pretty! With carving like that who needs grade #5 wood. Nicely done.

Thank you very much. Cherry just gets more beautiful with age. At first I didn't know whether I liked how it turned out or not. Now I just love it. My choice of using a Getz Swamped barrel was purely by accident but luckily it was the best choice. I'm trying to get a .36 Cal. Getz Swamped Barrel for my next one but they are getting really hard to get. Thanks for the compliment!

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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delmarskid1 posted this 26 June 2012

Man that is pretty! With carving like that who needs grade #5 wood. Nicely done.

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Pigslayer posted this 26 June 2012

In another thread hunterspistol asked to see some more pics of my .50 cal. flint. It's the first one that I built. The stock is cherry.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Pigslayer posted this 26 June 2012

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Pigslayer posted this 16 June 2012

sharps4590 wrote: Well good!! So are you going to burn some powder this weekend utilizing that new patching amterial? Had a good day at the range . . . but a short one. Well, I got two shots off with my .50 cal. using .018 patches @ 50 yds.. I was ecstatic at the results! (See below). To my dismay I found that I had forgotten my cleaning patches so I could not swab the bore with alcohol. I knew I wouldn't get another shot loaded without doing that. Goex FFG powder leaves a very dirty barrel and trying to stuff another round down that barrel especially with a tighter patch would result in a stuck ball. I also find that my Getz barrel on my .50 cal. is harder to load than my Green Mtn. barrel on my .45 cal.. The lands on a Getz barrel are a lot wider. So . . . back home I went . . . but with really good success in knowing that my groups will be a lot tighter!! At the range today there were two guys shooting high power jacketed and using some really expensive heavy barreled rigs with scopes costing in the thousands! Upon making the two nice shots at 50 yds that I did I exclaimed “That's a dead deer". The guy to my right who was shooting a .338 Lapua with a $2,000.00 scope condescendingly said that his shots would mean a dead deer too. Aggrevated with him I said, ” Look, I'm shooting a patched roundball out of a .50 cal. flintlock rifle with open primitive sights in conjunction with 60 year old eyes and grouping at 1 1/4” @ 50 yrds..” Can you do that? He looked away. He'll have more respect for a “Flinter” next time. Some people . . . Think I'll try those head shots on squirrels next!! LOL

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Pigslayer posted this 16 June 2012

sharps4590 wrote: Well good!! So are you going to burn some powder this weekend utilizing that new patching amterial? Yes! Will be heading there in a couple of hours.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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sharps4590 posted this 16 June 2012

Well good!! So are you going to burn some powder this weekend utilizing that new patching amterial?

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Pigslayer posted this 13 June 2012

Pigslayer wrote: Pigslayer wrote: JeffinNZ wrote: I would suggest your patch is 1/2 thick as it or should be. If you try some 18-20 thou patches I think you will see things really tighten up.

Me thinks you're right.

Just got on line with Track Of The Wolf & ordered pillow ticking patches in .018. I also ordered a nice vent pick . . . 'bout time. I like dealing with both Track Of The Wolf & Dixie gun Works. Got home from work today & my .018 patches & my cool vent pick were waiting on me from Track Of The wolf!

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Pigslayer posted this 13 June 2012

sharps4590 wrote: That is funny...I have the optical device from Lyman that uses a suction cup and the only reason I don't use it is because........it won't stick to my lense where the bifocal is...lol!

I figured you'd like that!

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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sharps4590 posted this 13 June 2012

That is funny...I have the optical device from Lyman that uses a suction cup and the only reason I don't use it is because........it won't stick to my lense where the bifocal is...lol!

Close is good....closer is better!! I rarely take a shot outside 25 yards and 30 is way plenty. I prefer 20 yards. I can see the squirrel and see the sights but seeing the squirrel AND the sights is a bit tough these days. However, 2 weeks ago I did take one through the head at 40 long paces across level ground. It was pretty open woods, I could see the squirrel exceedingly well because of where he was and I've been shooting quite a bit this spring. Still, I'm giving it 60% good fortune.

I guess most of us played the smokeless powder and jacketed bullet game for quite a while. I did up until about the mid to late 80's then went all cast except for my 1000 yard target rifle. I believe that was the last jacketed bullets I fired as I sold the rifle in 1999. Except for handguns at long range and that rifle I guess I've been all black powder since about 1995 or so, either muzzleloaders or BPC rifles. The last jacketed bullets I fired in a revolver had to be about '82 or '83. Goodness....doesn't seem like it was 30 years ago...LOL!!!!

I agree with you regarding them being boring. For me, there isn't that much challange left to make a good bolt rifle topped with a good glass shoot MOA or less. Cast bullets make it more fun but still, kinda boring. Now, shoot a 3 in. group with black, a PRB and open sights at 100 and you've done something. Or, shoot MOA with a BPC and a good set of aperature sights and I feel a lot more satisfied, especially when that happens at 600 yards. I believe you'll find the 40 cal. ML quite accurate and it should shoot around an inch or under at 50 off a bench.

Flinters I started shooting about 1977. It was an on again/off again affair for maybe 10 years. Splitting time about equally with flint and percussion. I have a couple pretty decent custom percussion rifles but haven't fired them in years. I have been playing quite a bit with a Pedersoli Kodiak double rifle and it's a percussion but that's the first time in years I've busted a cap. That rifle has been a challange to get regulated to one rear sight but I keep creeping closer.

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Pigslayer posted this 11 June 2012

<user=6317>sharps4590 wrote: Pig, I guess I have to confess to another “crutch” I use to make those head shots.....if not easier at least consistently doable. I punch a hole of about 1/8 in. through a roll of tape, using a leather punch, the kind with the wheel that rotates. Then I trim up the tape to about 3/16 and stick it on my glasses. Trial and error will give you the correct location on your lense. Were it not for that I'd be taking ribcage shots.  That's good shooting my friend! I actually have one of those little devices that I got from Brownell's . . . somewhere. I never used it due to the suction cup on it landing right where the line of the bi-focal was and it wouldn't stick. Actually since having cataract surgery my eyesight is razor sharp although my close up vision such as rear sights are a little fuzzy but not enough to impair my shooting. I'm going to have to dig that device out being that I have the “no-line” progressive bi-focals now. I started shooting flinters about 11 years ago and when I got them to shooting 3 shots in a 2” circle @ 50 yds. I never pushed for better being that that was plenty good enough for whitetail. But now that I'm playing with them again I'm going to see just how good they can shoot! Of course the .45 & .50 cal. are a little big for squirrel. I'm building a .40 cal now and am anxious to see how that will shoot. I was, for most of my life a high powered jacketed bullet junkie and via that have made some incredible shots over the years with my 7MM Mag. & my .270 Win but then those two are probably two of the flattest shooting rifles ever made. Those high powered rifles bore me now. Patched round balls & primitive sights are so much more fun. Head shots on squirrels . . . let's see . . . yep, I could do that . . . even today. Just have to work at it. But even at that, 50 yds. is a fair distance to be doing that. I believe I'd let Mr. squirrel get a little closer if I wanted him in my frying pan. LOL

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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onondaga posted this 10 June 2012

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=6171>Pigslayer:

I have the Lee Hardness Test Kit.  If you ever have any bullets or small ingots you would like tested with the Lee Kit, just PM me for mail info. Odd samples only need to be about the size of a penny or up to the size of a 1 pound ingot. I'd test them for free and email you the results, but I get to keep the lead!. I have done this for others, no problemo. It is best to number samples so I can send you a result for each number. I will test up to 10 pieces for you.

Gary

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Pigslayer posted this 10 June 2012

onondaga wrote: http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=80>JeffinNZ: I think the fellows that can't get that thick of a patch loaded have used lead that is too hard for their round balls. Dead soft pure lead is the ruler here,  with truly soft pure lead you can use RBs at bore size with a patch!

Gary My roundballs seem pretty soft as I can easily scratch them with my fingernail. I was told by the seller of the lead that it was pure soft lead . . . but then people lie. LOL Wish I had a hardness tester. Good lead is getting harder to get & I have been thinking that I'm going to start buying all my lead from Rotometals. It's clean & the alloy/purity is always right.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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onondaga posted this 09 June 2012

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=80>JeffinNZ: I think the fellows that can't get that thick of a patch loaded have used lead that is too hard for their round balls. Dead soft pure lead is the ruler here,  with truly soft pure lead you can use RBs at bore size with a patch!

Gary

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Pigslayer posted this 09 June 2012

Pigslayer wrote: JeffinNZ wrote: I would suggest your patch is 1/2 thick as it or should be. If you try some 18-20 thou patches I think you will see things really tighten up.

Me thinks you're right.

Just got on line with Track Of The Wolf & ordered pillow ticking patches in .018. I also ordered a nice vent pick . . . 'bout time. I like dealing with both Track Of The Wolf & Dixie gun Works.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Pigslayer posted this 09 June 2012

JeffinNZ wrote: I would suggest your patch is 1/2 thick as it or should be. If you try some 18-20 thou patches I think you will see things really tighten up.

Me thinks you're right.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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JeffinNZ posted this 09 June 2012

I would suggest your patch is 1/2 thick as it or should be. If you try some 18-20 thou patches I think you will see things really tighten up.

Cheers from New Zealand

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