Your Flintlock Ownership History??

[Loggy]

Thought it would be interesting to have a thread gathering your Flintlock Ownership History, comments on various guns... etc.

My very first flintlock was a TC PA Hunter 50 caliber which I cut my teeth on back in 1997. In 2000 I bought a TC Firestorm and hunted  with it & TC PA Hunter until 2007 when I had Brad Emig build my PA Mountain Rifle. I then sold both TC's. In 2008 I bought a Lyman Great Plains Rifle(GPR) 54 caliber thinking I needed a 54 cal backup case of gun failure etc.  Didn't like the Lyman GPR and sold leaving me for the last 17 years carrying my Brad Emig built PA Mountain Rifle. 

I killed deer with all my flinters except the Lyman GPR which only owned one year. My shooting after going custom immediately improved. It still amazes me on the difference.  If I had it to do all over again I would of bought a custom smoker on day one....of course family $$ took priority so the $300 TC PA Hunter had to do.

Oh forgot also had an RMC Accusporter too during my run before going custom. It was too much like the TC Firestorm....ok but didn't meet my expectations. Think it also had a 1-48 bbl same as the TC FS.

What's your story?

[ridgecommander]

Started off with a cheap Cabelas Hawkin that was unreliable as hell. Sold it to an unsuspecting buddy of mine after never killing anything with it. Picked up a blue/synthetic TC Firestorm and that has been my go to flintlock. With knapped English flints, it is super reliable. Shooting 100 grains of BP pushing a 245 grain Powerbelt Aerotip out of the 1/48 twist. Very accurate. Have killed many deer and two coyotes with it.

Been yearning for a Kibler Longrifle so maybe that will be in the future.

[moosemike]

I had a TC Renegade but sold it because I quit flintlock hunting. Then I bought a Lyman GPR left hand. I got one with that but sold it because I quit for the second time. Three years ago I got a Traditions and I'm not quitting anytime soon. I wounded and lost one with it last year but no action this year

[Loggy]

Glad you’re keeping on smoking Mike! I know some guys that have the  Traditions Deerhunter and love it 

[acorn20]

From 1970 to 1973, I was able to participate in muzzleloading shoots due to the tutelage of four old codgers who left me use their rifles. It wasn't till 1973 that I had a custom, .54 caliber percussion muzzleloader built.   It was in the Hawken style and that rifle won so much meat at shoots over the years in our four state area.

In 1976, I built a short, 24 inch barreled, .54 caliber Jaeger to hunt thick, cut-over forests. That stock developed a severe check and in 1989 I had Ed Wenger restock it for me.

I met Keith Casteel in 1988 at Dixon's Faire and in 1983, had him build a .54 caliber, transitional rifle for me.

I always wanted a swivel breech rifle and in 2007 I met and ordered from David Price of Contoocook, NH, the components for such a rifle. I took the components to Keith Casteel and he built me a swivel breech; the only swivel breech he's ever built. Both barrels are rifled to .54 caliber.

In 2011, I attended a large gun auction at the Conestoga Auction Company in Manheim, PA. I picked up an original, half-stocked, .40 caliber muzzleloader from the Marlin Yeager estate.  This is the only original, antique muzzleloader I own.

I wanted to add a little more challenge to turkey hunting so decided to have Ed Wenger build me a smooth rifle. It's an early Lancaster styled, Dickert, .20 gauge smooth rifle. It's called a smooth rifle because it has characteristics of a rifle but a smooth barrel.

I was able to procure a beautiful piece of English walnut and thought it would make a nice English Gentlemen's Rifle. I put a custom .62 Rice barrel on it and had Ed Wenger assemble it.

I've had an unbelievable stock of curly American walnut since 1994 and had been acquiring the rifle components till 2020. This was going to be my last custom rifle and I wanted Ed Wenger to build it. Ed called me in January of 2020 to tell me he had acquired a set of steel hardware; the last components I had been looking for. That rifle has a .62 caliber, Mint Hill Barrel, and Chambers round faced Germanic lock. Ed's niche in gunmaking is Germanic hunting rifles and Jaegers.

These are the muzzleloading firearms I enjoy shooting and hunting with. I've killed deer with all of them except the two .62 calibers and that's only because I haven't had the opportunity. Muzzleloading really put the sport back into deer hunting for me.

[bushmaster]

Started out with a Lyman Deer Stalker in late 90's. 2nd flinter was a Tc Firestorm, sold it as I hated the trigger. Picked up an old Hatfield and have been hunting with it for the past 12 years I guess. Presently own 3. The Hatfield 50, CVA 58 mountain rifle, and a custom I bought at auction in a 50.