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The obligatory 'zomg what rifle should I buy' posting

3K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  tony ennis 
#1 ·
Yeah. Sorry.

I'll pay in advance by telling a story.

Some time ago, my son bought a Pedersoli flintlock pistol kit. He built it, looks great. We found some local black powder shooters (KY's Wilderness Rangers) and they invited us to attend one of their shoots.

So this weekend, we did. We arrived and were immediately greeted by a bunch guys in period garb. We didn't know what to think! We (me, my son, and 2 of his pals) were immediately made to feel at home.

About a dozen Wilderness Rangers were there that day. That had beautiful flints - half of them were heavily striped... tiger maple? There wasn't a percussion cap to be seen.

We didn't even get through introductions before these guys were shoving rifles into our hands! "Here! Try this!" We told them we had no experience in shooting black powder so they taught us how to load and operate the rifles... after basic range rules and safety instruction.

My first surprise I got immediately. BP is loud! I thought it would be a WOOOSH! Haha, no.
I got my 2nd surprise learning about "set triggers.' I think all 4 of us shot before we were ready. Seriously light trigger action! I had no clue it was possible for a heavy spring to be operated by such a tiny amount of force.

About that time the club had their Thanksgiving Turkey Shoot, a 5-shot shooting contest at 50 yards or so. I was impressed with the club's overall marksmanship.

They taught my son how to load and shoot his pistol. We couldn't hit jack with it :)

In the mean-time, other members were STILL handing us their rifles to shoot.

They were the nicest people you could imagine. We came with empty hands and they treated us like old friends.

Then, as it was their Thanksgiving shoot, they brought out a ton of food including home made chili and corned beef and fed us. They had a fire going with put some coffee on. I indulged using my period Starbucks insulated mug. It was really good coffee.

There are two short videos on my lame blog.

-=-=-=-=-

Now, this flintlock thing was my son's dealio. I was attending as an excuse to spend time with him. Haha man did I have a great time and get totally sucked in. So now it looks like we're having a Flintlock Christmas.

My son Justin wants a winter project so he's looking at a kit. I have about a zillion projects and don't need another; I'm looking for a rifle that's ready to shoot. This has the advantage of allowing him to take his time on the build since we can share my rifle.

Here are the parameters of the gun quest: We're looking for generally similar rifles except he wants a kit. We both want double-set triggers. We're both looking for long rifles, not carbines. Flintlocks only. 45 cal - we don't hunt. I'll do a 50 if there are compelling reasons, but I've fired M1 Garands and Springfields and I can say I don't like a heavy-recoil rifle. I like the idea of an adjustable rear sight. I don't need fancy wood on this gun. I don't have a lot of money, so I need a rifle that's going to last me for a few years.

So what are some reasonable bang-for-the-buck rifles that meet the criteria? I'm looking at the Pedersoli Pennsylvania rifle but at $750 or so it's really more than I want to spend - I'll also need accessories and so forth, adding to the cost. Yet I am concerned that if I economize I'll get a bad rifle that won't shoot - I read flints are much more finicky.

Oh yeah, Justin was looking at a kit in which the stock came in two pieces and was connected by a brass plate and some studs. Seems like a bad idea...

Enough typing :) I'd love to hear your opinions :)
 
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#3 ·
If all you want to do is shoot targets, you may consider a .36 caliber. I love that caliber because I can shoot 000 buck-shot which can be purchased in 5lb bags and is very economical. It also uses very little powder, and they are tack drivers.

To simplify loading, you may go to the NMLRA.org site and you will find teflon pillow ticking patches which work great! You may want to buy a few pre-cut patches to determine the correct size and cut your teflon patches into squares based on the size of the pre-cut patch. If you want to be more traditional, mink oil or Wonderlube works great!

Do not follow suggestions of using petrolium based oils in the barrel. Water based cleaners are much better.

Traditions aren't too bad and fairly priced. CVA, maybe, I've never shot one, but some people like them. Otherwise, if you are adept at building your own, you can find reasonably priced kits.

Check Track of the Wolf, Bass Pro, October Country, or google somw other sites.
 
#6 ·
Pedersolli is said to be a fine rifle. But remember if any repair is needed, you send it to Italy and then wait for them to fix it. I say this because I read a post of a person that had a pedersolli that needed repairs. As I remember... It took nine months and several letters to get the rifle finally back.
 
#8 ·
I forgot to mention Blue Ridge. For the price, it's an OK rifle. I still like the .36 because of being able to use 000 buck-shot. Besides, the .36 is a tack driver, I use one for squirrel and rabbit.

I have shot flinters for over twenty years now, but since I build my own and love a good quality rifle, mine would cost more. Track of the Wolf has some excellent kits with the highest quality parts one can get. Like accuracy and ease of cleaning? Go for the Colerain barrel with round bottom grooves.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the info. My plan is to buy an entry-level yet usable rifle. If the sport continues to interest me in a year or so, I intend to build or buy a nice rifle.

I didn't know enough to ask the shooters at the range the calibers of the guns. I still haven't decided between 45 and 50. None of the rifles I shot last weekend had an appreciable kick. That plus the words of advice here tells me I don't need to worry too much about it.
 
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