Greetings from Newbee

Pistolero45

Hello! My name is Mark, and I have decided to join your forum. As BP background, I built a T/C Hawken rifle from a kit in 1976. As a teenager I got pretty good shooting rabbits with that gun, and have slayed a dozen or so deer with it over the years. Last fall I shot a nice doe with an in-line, but that gun just does not have any personality. Now I have the itch to build a flintlock for the purpose of big game hunting. Any thoughts or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

navc130

Have you looked at the Dixie Gun Works and Track of the Wolf catalogs?
You first must decide what style you want. Get a quality lock that will spark and work well. If you hunt from an enclosed blind a short barrel is much easier to manipulate. For big game, minimum caliber .50 - .54.
Shorter barrel flintlock styles can be: fullstock Plains rifle, German Yager rifle, Indian trade musket - .62 cal. smoothbore. Or, just a shorter length Kentucky rifle would be authentic. Not common, but they were made so.

Chief Shaway

As stated above, spend the money on the lock.
You can get a decent barrel to group is you spend enough time finding what load it likes but if you do not have a good lock and spark, gun no go boom.
Good luck to you.

Pistolero45

Yes, I have looked at both Track of the Wolf, and Dixie. I would prefer a full stock flintlock of at least .54 caliber. And a single trigger as I have discovered deer hear that set trigger - I hunt from the ground and take most shots at about 35 yards. There is no need for a patch box or anything fancy as this will be a hunting gun. Barrel length is a consideration as I am often in thick brush.

MG1890

Pistolero, suggestion: step into the 20th century and try metallic cartridges and smokeless powder!!!!![:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

Pistolero45

I've slayed somewhere between 50 and 60 big game animals. Metallic cartridges do work, but I am now interested in adding an additional challenge. I'm just a little too old and whimpy to take up traditional bow hunting.