My new black powder rifle

J

Jack O'Conner

New member
I bought this Thompson Center flintlock yesterday from a fellow who never shot it; been sitting in a closet for 30 years. Caliber is 45 which should do the job on late season whitetails here in Pennsylvania.

This is my first flintlock. I'm hoping to have fun figuring out right combination of bullet and powder to shoot accurately at 75 yards. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Jack

TC45.jpg


TC45b.jpg
 
Amazingly enough

My cousin took a ten point buck in southeastern PA (Chester County) with a rifle identical to yours.

He used a round ball but I am not sure of the load. I think the shot was closer than fifty yards. I don't know if it dropped the deer in it's tracks.

My cousin is a very good shot and can put the round where he wants it.
 
A patched round ball with lubricated patch and 65 to 75 grains of real black powder will do you just fine. Get extra flints and practice before hunting season.
 
Let the fun begin !!

or does it have the compromise 1-48" twist?
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Good question and sadly, I suspect it wil be the 1:48. Don't understand why TC, thought that this would be a good compromise on a Flinter. You could step up to a MaxiBall in .45 as part of your shot-string. ... :)


Enjoy and;
Be Safe !!!
 
TC redesigned the cock which can improve the ignition and allows for much greater longevity of the flint.
Blue ones are available from TC which are made to fit all of the standard size TC flint locks.
Notice in the photo below how the shape of the new style cock has slightly less of an "S" shape to it which improves the lock geometry:

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/10/roy-hill/gun-preview-thompson-center-firestorm/

Some folks also install an improved vent liner.
 
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Although I have not shot flint locks much I think I would use 2 FFG or 3FFG down the barrel and 4FFFFG in the frizzsen and don't put the powder in the frizzen where it covers up the flash hole. Leave yourself a little air space between the powder and the flash hole.
 
Lets talk twist....

...and please keep in mind that I don't shoot long arms and I don't hunt. So I really am asking a question.

I know that in my uncles and cousins part of PA, the shots are generally pretty close. The country is a lot of hills and a lot of woods. Both my unle and my cousin told me that their shots seldom go out past 75 yards and are generally shorter. That information is from twenty years ago but my thought is that it has not changed much. Both my uncle when he was still with us and my cousin hunt in western PA as well and I understand the ranges are not much different.

I have never hunted in PA and so in truth, it could be an entirely different story now. Jack said 75 yds and so my thought is that it did not change much.

So for those relatively short range shots, is twist rate all that important?
 
twist

Both my unlce and my cousin told me that their shots seldom go out past 75 yards and are generally shorter.
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My backyard range is only 50 yards, and my .56 Renegade has zero twist (smoothbore) and I can't tell the difference in those groups vs when I use my 1:48 barrel that I have for it. :)


(I'm only shooting prb's. You definitely would have some funky flight with a conical in a smoothie.)
 
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So for those relatively short range shots, is twist rate all that important?
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Absolutely. The right twist rate to stabilize the projectile being used is essential to accuracy even at 25 yards.
 
I was invited to hunt with some Christian guys for the late season. These men who hunt in Mifflin County tell me the shots rarely exceed 50 yards. 75 yards yards is a very long shot. With open sights, I doubt that I'll be accurate beyond 75 yards anyways. They post the shooters along ridges overlooking brushy hollows and open areas where the deer typically escape the drivers. This gang has been driving the same areas for many decades.

A friend at the gun club agreed to mentor me with the flintlock. He shoots a "period correct" Lancaster flintlock in 40 caliber and has taken many deer with it. Neck shots at 40 - 50 yards shooting patched round balls. He hunts from a modern climbing treestand. Truthfully, 40 caliber is not legal within the Commonwealth but he doesn't seem to care about that.

Twist is 1-48 for this TC rifle. I read that thickness of patch and diameter of the round ball are critical to accurasy. Get it right and 2 - 3 inch groups at 50 yards are attainable. Planning to try both 777 and real black powder FFg. as propellents. FFFFg for pan primer. Most of the local shops sell real gunpowder here in Pennsylvania.

I'm planning to master this flintlock. That is, clustered groups at 50 yards. But if I fail, I'll just sell it and call it a fun experience.

Jack
 
PRB's are very forgiving; to a point

Jack,
I might have missed this as am not understanding what projectile, you are going to shoot. Sound like you are going for a PRB. ... :confused:
If so and although not "perfect" your 1:48, should still serve you well.

So for those relatively short range shots, is twist rate all that important?
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Absotively and twist is to conical as spin is to football. What happens when you put too much spin on a hardwall? That's right, instability, curve or slider. ... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Try the barrel with a patched round ball. Some 1-48" twist rifles shoot RBs just fine. For hunting in wet and damp conditions 2F or 3F is better pan powder than is 4F. The larger powders are coated and the 4F can turn to "soup" very fast while hunting. Order some Black English Flints from TOW or Long Hunters from Rich Pierce. You must learn to Knap your flints in order for the rifle to work and have long flint life. Make sure you clean the breech bolt face a small anount of carbon under the vent will cause a FTF. Keep the pan clean under the vent and wipe the pan. Not tastey, but lick your finger and wipe the pan bottom before charging the pan. This will cause some powder to stick in the pan and not shift while hunting. Good luck flinters are great those modern cap guns are well?:D
 
"Don't understand why TC, thought that this would be a good compromise on a Flinter."

Because the 1-48" twist will shoot both roundballs and conicals passably well. A 1-66 twist for roundballs won't shoot worth a damn with conicals, and a 1-24" twist for conicals will do some amusing things with roundballs.

The 1-48" twist gave everyone the ability to choose what they either wanted to shoot, or what they were required to shoot.

Then, of course, Pennsylvania changed the game by making primitive season roundball only, and that's when we got the Pennsylvania Hunter flintlock with the 1-66 twist barrel.
 
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