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Flintlocks

THHuntNY

By THHuntNY,
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THHuntNY Newbie

THHuntNY

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Just recently purchased a flintlock build kit to pass a little time. I'd really like to get it in the woods during rifle and muzzleloader season. I'm just not sure what weight bullet or ball I should use with the powder charge. I will be using 85gr of 2F powder. What would be a good projectile weight that will kill a deer. I don't really want to make shots over 100 yards, not because I am in able to shoot over that distance I just don't want to end up wounding an animal.

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airedale Grand Master

airedale

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Projectile selection for your flintlock will be determined by the rifling twist rate of your barrel. There is a general rule that applies fairly well, fast twist rates would be something like 1 in 25 and they are best when it comes firing a bullet in a sabot or a power belt. There are medium twist rate that are like in the 1 in 40 range that are supposed to fire both bullets and round balls with decent accuracy. A slow twist rate like a 1in 60 is best for patched round balls. 

The round ball weight is going to be determined by the caliber, for instance I have a couple of 45 calibers and the round balls will all be around 127 grs. When firing bullets there will be a wide variety and selection of weights available and the shapes can vary a lot. The manufacturer of your rifle should provide you with some kind of a starting point when it comes to what is preferable for your particular rifle when it comes to bullet type and some loading data. I would start with that and experiment and fine tune from there.

As for powder the choices are again wide but most folks firing a traditional sidelock will be using plain black powder or pyrodex. 45 cal and below most use fff burn rate with 50 cal and above using ff.

ThIs is just touching on the subject lightly, books are written on choices and combos which can be pretty big but it makes things fun, good luck to you and your flintlock project.

Al

 

 

Edited by airedale
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THHuntNY Newbie

THHuntNY

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Projectile selection for your flintlock will be determined by the rifling twist rate of your barrel. There is a general rule that applies fairly well, fast twist rates would be something like 1 in 25 and they are best when it comes firing a bullet in a sabot or a power belt. There are medium twist rate that are like in the 1 in 40 range that are supposed to fire both bullets and round balls with decent accuracy. A slow twist rate like a 1in 60 is best for patched round balls. 
The round ball weight is going to be determined by the caliber, for instance I have a couple of 45 calibers and the round balls will all be around 127 grs. When firing bullets there will be a wide variety and selection of weights available and the shapes can vary a lot. The manufacturer of your rifle should provide you with some kind of a starting point when it comes to what is preferable for your particular rifle when it comes to bullet type and some loading data. I would start with that and experiment and fine tune from there.
As for powder the choices are again wide but most folks firing a traditional sidelock will be using plain black powder or pyrodex. 45 cal and below most use fff burn rate with 50 cal and above using ff.
ThIs is just touching on the subject lightly, books are written on choices and combos which can be pretty big but it makes things fun, good luck to you and your flintlock project.
Al
 
 

Thanks so much


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cdmckane Newbie

cdmckane

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10 hours ago, THHuntNY said:

 

Just recently purchased a flintlock build kit to pass a little time. I'd really like to get it in the woods during rifle and muzzleloader season. I'm just not sure what weight bullet or ball I should use with the powder charge. I will be using 85gr of 2F powder. What would be a good projectile weight that will kill a deer. I don't really want to make shots over 100 yards, not because I am in able to shoot over that distance I just don't want to end up wounding an animal.

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Why have you already decided what powder charge you're going to use?  Your rifle may like 95 or 75 grains better than 85 with your chosen projectile. 

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slickrockpack Newbie

slickrockpack

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13 hours ago, THHuntNY said:

 

Just recently purchased a flintlock build kit to pass a little time. I'd really like to get it in the woods during rifle and muzzleloader season. I'm just not sure what weight bullet or ball I should use with the powder charge. I will be using 85gr of 2F powder. What would be a good projectile weight that will kill a deer. I don't really want to make shots over 100 yards, not because I am in able to shoot over that distance I just don't want to end up wounding an animal.

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congrats.

whose kit?   and rifle or smoothbore?

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slickrockpack Newbie

slickrockpack

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13 hours ago, THHuntNY said:


Can't wait to get it all finished and in the woods here in a couple weeks!


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I know that feeling

I always have electrical tape holding my barrels on while I am out trying loads, and in not alone! :-)

All the parts in one place makes my trigger finger itch

ClubButtBess729FullRightKit.jpg

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Marion Proficient

Marion

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I know that feeling
I always have electrical tape holding my barrels on while I am out trying loads, and in not alone! :-)
All the parts in one place makes my trigger finger itch
ClubButtBess729FullRightKit.jpg

Oh damn do all the kits require such extreme woodworking skills?

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slickrockpack Newbie

slickrockpack

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3 hours ago, The Jerkman said:


Oh damn do all the kits require such extreme woodworking skills?

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that's a beginners kit!

but No! you can start off with the mostly finished kits and they are an excellent way to get your feet wet...

I honestly think that once in your life you need to cut the tree down for the stock, grab a couple pieces of flat steel to make a barrel and learn what it's like to make a sand cast and cast your brass and silver parts.

But any start anywhere is better than not starting it at all! grab a kit and have some fun

3 hours ago, The Jerkman said:

My question is how do you decide on an accurate flintlock? I am used to my sub MOA .300wby out past 500, how can you find an accurate flintlock kit that is of a high quality too?

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flintlock hunting is about Hunting, not shooting, you see these kids today in camouflage and they're shooting at 500 yards....why the camo?

the point of the flintlock is to hunt, I don't think I've ever shot an animal past 35 yards except one moose I head shot  years ago

but there is target shooting with flintlocks and its always fun to see what you can do way out there, as I've shown before on here we do 1,000 yard shoots with handguns, it's not hunting its shooting and a shame that's what hunting has become to some in this country but anyway.....

the accuracy of the flintlock is in the shooter, most modern guns shoot far better than the people doing the shooting but in the front stuffer world the skill of the shooter is only enhanced by an accurate gun.

what is accuracy but consistency? so being consistent in your loading, measuring, components ...each item you make consistent shaves another tenth off your group, very good springs in your hammer and trigger, another couple tenths, a very good lock, another tenth, a very well made barrel..another tenth, and lots of trigger time another few tenths

before you know it, you are punching one ragged hole at 50 yards, or 100 or whatever you are capable of.

like most things the better the quality of the parts the better the accuracy but not always...

My family used to hold beef and turkeys shoots on the weekends, and my 5 brothers and I would always slide in there and make sure the turkeys and beef didn't go home with other people.

our father, a competition shooter and live bird competitor, read hustler, would train us how to beat the local boys and win the side bets and sometimes we[d be surprised, but not often.  Our father would size up the competition and make side bets with the gallery and spectators and sometimes he wouldn't bet at all and let us just shoot for the beef quarter or turkey and n those times we almost always were beaten or nearly beaten by a stranger that stood out to Dad and he would warn us, " boys, beware of that man, he only owns one gun..and a man who only owns one gun you can bet sure knows how to shoot it..."

NOT my photo, just one that popped up on the world wide web searching for "muzzleloader target group"

 

50traderife007jpg.jpg

Edited by slickrockpack
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