Help me start the flintlock journey

[RobRed]

Hey all, I would like to get into flintlock shooting because I would like to participate in the PA flintlock season and I also like to tinker.

This would be used for plinking at the range once a month or so and then PA hunting season.

I am not overly concerned with being historically accurate,

I’m looking for:

high quality
durable
reliable
accurate
handy in the woods
Nice looking

So far this has pulled me in the direction of a Hawken. Are there any other guns I should consider?

Who makes kits that have really nice locks? Would it be worth buying a cheap kit for the stock and barrel and purchasing a non mass produced high end lock?

Are the pedersoli Hawkens available?

I’m a buy once cry one kind of guy, so I’d like to get a higher end gun. However I don’t want to spend for a totally from scratch custom build.

Please advise.

 

[smokepolehall]

Hey all, I would like to get into flintlock shooting because I would like to participate in the PA flintlock season and I also like to tinker.

This would be used for plinking at the range once a month or so and then PA hunting season.

I am not overly concerned with being historically accurate,

I’m looking for:

high quality
durable
reliable
accurate
handy in the woods
Nice looking

So far this has pulled me in the direction of a Hawken. Are there any other guns I should consider?

Who makes kits that have really nice locks? Would it be worth buying a cheap kit for the stock and barrel and purchasing a non mass produced high end lock?

Are the pedersoli Hawkens available?

I’m a buy once cry one kind of guy, so I’d like to get a higher end gun. However I don’t want to spend for a totally from scratch custom build.

Please advise.

My experience with Pedersoli is pia trying get Lock tuned on a Scout model. Mine fires about once every 7trigger pulls. It breaks my black english flints every other shot. Now i am not pushing this model or Brand, i just got a great buy on mine. I got a Traditions Woodsman Hawken .50 cal RH rock sparker factory made for $408 including tax n shipping. Its a shooter n accurate as any out there.

 

[edmehlig]

A Lyman Deerstalker would be a good choice.

 

[deermanok]

Older model Thompson Center rifles like the Renegade, New Englander and Pennsylvania Hunter are good choices and affordable in the used gun market.

 

[RobRed]

Appreciate the suggestions, unfortunately all the models referenced are discontinued. Really disappointed that there seems to be no longer any off the shelf decent option.

 

[edmehlig]

I was at Dixon’s ML store in Hamburg PA last week and they had some still there. Shop around and let us know exactly what you are looking for and I’m sure someone will point you in the right direction.

 

[deermanok]

Appreciate the suggestions, unfortunately all the models referenced are discontinued. Really disappointed that there seems to be no longer any off the shelf decent option.

The only production guns today are Traditions and Pedersoli.
For semi custom guns, Jim Kibler has some beautiful kit guns to finish yourself.

 

[Freedom]

With your intentions, the description you provided, the fact that you like to tinker. Buy once cry once,...there is only one choice and that has to be a Kibler kit. Your choice will be SMR, Colonial, or Woods Runner. The Colonial takes a little effort and some skill to get it together nicely. The Woods Runner seems to be a more easily assembled kit.

 

[RobRed]

With your intentions, the description you provided, the fact that you like to tinker. Buy once cry once,...there is only one choice and that has to be a Kibler kit. Your choice will be SMR, Colonial, or Woods Runner. The Colonial takes a little effort and some skill to get it together nicely. The Woods Runner seems to be a more easily assembled kit.

This is the direction I think I’m going to go. Any advice on the option for the whitetail woods? I know they will all do the job but I’m not yet well versed on my flint lock history.

 

[edmehlig]

A 54 or 58 cal makes a nice big hole. What twist bbl are you thinking of getting?

 

[smokepolehall]

This is the direction I think I’m going to go. Any advice on the option for the whitetail woods? I know they will all do the job but I’m not yet well versed on my flint lock history.

In that case them Woodsrunner in a .50 or .54 would make a great rock sparker. Both are capable of reaching 150 yards accurately to use hunting. My choice would be the .50 but the .54 is a great caliber.

 

[biggamehunter78]

Older model Thompson Center rifles like the Renegade, New Englander and Pennsylvania Hunter are good choices and affordable in the used gun market.

Second this. In PA these plus Hawkens are all over the place at guns shops. If you look around long enough you can find a decent deal. 50 or 54 work well. Dependent on what twist you get is what projectiles you can shoot. I’d point you toward conicals if you’re going to be deer hunting. Rounds work great but sometimes lethality isn’t as quick as a larger chunk of lead.

What part of the state are you in?

 

[RobRed]

Second this. In PA these plus Hawkens are all over the place at guns shops. If you look around long enough you can find a decent deal. 50 or 54 work well. Dependent on what twist you get is what projectiles you can shoot. I’d point you toward conicals if you’re going to be deer hunting. Rounds work great but sometimes lethality isn’t as quick as a larger chunk of lead.

What part of the state are you in?

I live out of state but my in-laws have some property in the south west corner of PA.

One of these days I need to do a road trip out there and hit some small town shops with cash in hand and try to find a good one.

 

[biggamehunter78]

If you make it to Grove City hit up Morris.

Another reason to stick with “stock guns” for hunting here is parts availability. Most shops in PA carry some amount of FL stuff, but not much for custom guns (frizzens, springs etc)if crap happens. Normally TC replacement parts and Traditions, etc. I’m not disuading you from something other than that, me and my family/friends have a bunch of beautiful flinters. Mostly what we hunt with are stock or modified stock guns. Especially with the bollocksed weather we’ve been getting in that season the last many years. I sure as to heck am not taking a handmade PA longrifle for a walk in freezing or nearly freezing rain/snow/sleet if I have a choice.

 

[bigtruck68]

Pedersoli,s are great guns,I have several of them..they shoot great and are well balanced,the only downfall I have is there too long for hunting in the brush...my hunting rifle is a 54 cal renegade or a Lyman great plains 54 cal.they can be found all day long for about $500 to $600.

 

[biggamehunter78]

^^^^^^
This.

 

[RobRed]

^^^^^^
This.

This is the advice I was looking for thanks

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Get you a T/C Renegade or Hawken, .50 caliber, with a good bore. Honestly, you can't go wrong with these. I prefer the Renegade myself. Mine, equipped with a T/C aperture sight will shoot under an inch at 50 yards with a 250 grain .45 caliber Hornady XTP in a Harvester crush rib sabot over 70 grains of 3f Swiss Holy Black. I know... sabots in a flintlock?! It WORKS.

 

[exarcher]

Appreciate the suggestions, unfortunately all the models referenced are discontinued. Really disappointed that there seems to be no longer any off the shelf decent option.

There are good ones available on the auctiion sites quite regularly, also the classifieds here & other ML sites. Keep your eye out & you can find never fired ones or great used ones if you are patient... (I have done so myself)

 

[RobRed]

Get you a T/C Renegade or Hawken, .50 caliber, with a good bore. Honestly, you can't go wrong with these. I prefer the Renegade myself. Mine, equipped with a T/C aperture sight will shoot under an inch at 50 yards with a 250 grain .45 caliber Hornady XTP in a Harvester crush rib sabot over 70 grains of 3f Swiss Holy Black. I know... sabots in a flintlock?! It WORKS.

This is right inline with what I would like to do. I would like to use a modern bullet and enough powder to achieve some knock down power (ethical shot) on game.

I know round balls have taken more deer than probably anything… but I’m not loving the idea of hunting with them.

Do you know the twist rate on the barrel of your T/C?