flintlock hunting tips

i just got back from shooting my tc hawken flintlock and had a few questions cross my mind concerning hunting with it. i have killed several with a sidelock and a stack with an inline but this will be the first attempt with the flinter for me so i would like to hear from some seasoned folks

in our humid climate, do you charge the pan and then change it out periodically to prevent wicking ? if so how often ?

do you put something in the touch hole to seal it off then remove before the shot ?

do you cover the frizzen while sitting ? if so with what ?

i am really pumped about this year and have the whole week of muzzle loader season off but i hunt with some sort of 'loader almost all of the season. i hope to be able to show pics of my first flinter critter in the second week of november !!!

Chris, when I`m huntin` with my flintlock, I do most of my huntin` on the ground, generally settin` up against a tree. I don`t take much particular care, but I do try to keep my rifle held "level", so the primin` powder don`t gather up on one side or the other. When I prime Gabriel, I only fill the pan to just shy of the flashhole. I get faster ignition that way. As for keepin` it level, that`s probably mind tricks, more than anything. I must be powerful lucky, because I`ve never had a misfire.

Traditionally, a lock cover made from the "knee" section of a calfhide, heavily greased, and held in place with a bone pin, was used to help keep the primin` pan and frizzen dry. I`ve never made one for myself, because it might get in the way, if I need to shoot fast.

Congratulations on graduatin` up to a shooter!!

thank's nic !!! i have some of the blue ice flint's that you recommended and this rifle seems to like them. i have been banking my powder toward the touch hole but careful not to cover it. i do most of my hunting off of the ground as well . i got a hunting frock to try out and now i need a more traditional possible bag.
you need to put the post showing your possibles bag in this forum , it may help some folks !!!

FERAL try bankin the powder away from the touchhole and see how she handles. I don't worry so much about holding mine level but I do make sure I don't cover the touch hole when I prime her. A flintlock will learn ya to follow thru with your shot and make ya shoot everything better in my opinion.

FERAL ONE said:

i just got back from shooting my tc hawken flintlock and had a few questions cross my mind concerning hunting with it. i have killed several with a sidelock and a stack with an inline but this will be the first attempt with the flinter for me so i would like to hear from some seasoned folks

in our humid climate, do you charge the pan and then change it out periodically to prevent wicking ? if so how often ?

do you put something in the touch hole to seal it off then remove before the shot ?

do you cover the frizzen while sitting ? if so with what ?

i am really pumped about this year and have the whole week of muzzle loader season off but i hunt with some sort of 'loader almost all of the season. i hope to be able to show pics of my first flinter critter in the second week of november !!!

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I keep a vent pick tied to the trigger gaurd long enough to reach the touch hole.
On those foggy/rainy humid days...Yes..I check the poweder in the pan . I use the vent pick to touch the powder.IF no powder is stuck to the pick then the powder is dry. If powder sticks to the pick then I dump/wipe it away and put in fresh.
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I do not like to put anything in the touch hole but when it is really raining hard ,I will cut a tooth pick the length of the pan and shove it in the hole to keep the rain out.Once I reach my stand,I take it out and prime the pan as usual
( cut it the length of the pan so that you can still close the frizen to protect the tooth pick.You dont want to snap it off at the edge of the hole.).
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I cover the entire lock area when it is raining.
I made a leather flap that I attach to the rifle. I cut two holes in a piece of leather the same distance at the screws on the side plate. I back out the screws a little,slip the leather over the screws and tighten back up.
Sort of like a a hood for the lock.If I need to shoot,I simply flip the leather hood off the lock and shoot.The hood will the be out of the way dangling on the side plate side of the stock.
One additional trick of the trade is that on humid days and on the morning hunts,I take a hand warmer and place it on top of the pan and lower the frizzen on top of it.It helps to keep that area warm and sort of cooks off the moister. The leather hood I mentioned above helps to keep the heat in . If you need to shoot ,simply raise the frizzen a little to remove the hand warmer and shoot.
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I made my vent pick out of a paper clip.It is just the right size.You can use the vent pick to sort of "feel" the main powder charge through the touch hole.It should feel "crispy" to the touch. If not ,the main charge may be a little damp.
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As Nic mentioned already,Do not cover the touch hole with powder.It slows the ignition by making the priming powder burn through the hole rather like a fuse giving you a hang fire.