Flintlock Range Day....

[Adam Helmer]

Yesterday it was 46 degrees and sunny. The snow on the ground was melting rapidly and the dog and I got to the backyard range in the Polaris Ranger.

I centered the rear sight on a .50 caliber T/C Hawken flinter by moving the front sight a smidgen to the right and staking it. I got the rifle zeroed with patched ball and 75 grains of 2F Goex with the rear sight just one click left of center. I cleaned the rifle and polished the frizzen and stoned the flint. I put a piece of scrap leather over the barrel and below the flint for the flint stoning. Otherwise, one must use cold blue to touch up stone marks on the barrel. The scrap leather takes care of errant stone swipes.

Tomorrow, we are casting pure lead balls and bullets for the .45, .50 and .54. I like caplocks, but I gotta say I much prefer flintlocks for treks up back into the big woods. I got some copper plated shot for the .50 smoothbore flinter and Spring gobblers. More testing is in order.

Adam

[Johnny Reb]

Hi Adam
Sounds like ya had fun, still too much snow here and too cold to get out to the range. What kind of load do ya use for your 50 cal smoothbore for turkey hunting, and what is your maximum range with it.

[Adam Helmer]

Johnny Reb,

I use 80 grains of 2F Goex and the same measure dimensions for shot and .50 T/C Wads over powder and over shot. I have a killing pattern "On Targets" out to 40 yards. On April 30, 2011, I will check it out to live turkeys.

Adam