Suggestions for First Muzzle loader?

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RatS that Renegade looks pretty good. Too, it seems to have the blade front and square notch rear (I think) which I prefer over the bead and blade. I just sold a T/C Hawken .50 flinter that I'd owned for near 40 years.......I just don't shoot it anymore. A good friend just had to have a flintlock, and I gave him a real deal.

Saw a percussion T/C Hawken .50 in a shop a week or so ago, $250. Didn't look too bad, but I don't really need it. Most of the traditional side hammer guns don't sell well .....almost all the BP hunters around here are using stainless in-lines with pellets, scopes and sabots.

Your comments regards slow twist and conicals is duly noted. I've not owned any slow twist rifles and can't speak from experience. But my 1-20" White Mtn won't shoot roundballs worth a hoot.
 
If bitten by the "historical bug" you are actually better off to start with the gun you want to end up with.

Many if not most men start with an import, and up-grade to a better one, maybe a few times, and in the end they get a custom made rifle or a good kit and make it themselves, before they are truly happy.

If we look at the time and the over-all expense of doing that, the shooter ends up spending years and a lot more money to finally get what he really wanted.

I say start with the one you really want, take the time to get it exactly as you want it and you will not have to "learn" what you really don't want.
 
If bitten by the "historical bug" you are actually better off to start with the gun you want to end up with.

Many if not most men start with an import, and up-grade to a better one, maybe a few times, and in the end they get a custom made rifle or a good kit and make it themselves, before they are truly happy.

If we look at the time and the over-all expense of doing that, the shooter ends up spending years and a lot more money to finally get what he really wanted.

I say start with the one you really want, take the time to get it exactly as you want it and you will not have to "learn" what you really don't want.
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I think this is pretty good advice... depending. If you are brand new to smoke poles, you may want to test the waters with something inexpensive to make sure it will hold your interest. I'm new to muzzle loading myself, and I started out with a cheap Pietta C&B revolver. It's not the epitome of workmanship, nor is it all I will ever want, but I do like it and it has been a great introduction for me. It is also entirely plausible that BP firearms wouldn't hold their interest, but they do (honestly I should have known better :) ).

I will not pursue the gradual upgrades from here out though. Next I'm getting a rifle, probably make it from a kit. And it will be exactly what I want, no less. So I think Wyosmith gives good advice in general.
 
Suggest Jonathon Browning Muzzleloader in 50 or 54 round ball. These are Hawkins with first rate walnut. Browning built the rifle to commemorate the life of Jonathon Browning, John Browning's father. I enjoy mine with brass furniture in 50 cal.

.02. David. :)
 
For a first rifle I'd go with Lyman Great Plains percussion. A flinter can be overwhelming to a new shooter. The stories about exploding breech plugs are blown all out of proportion. It is a round ball rifle with a 1:60 twist. I would go with a .54. I wish now when I had my rifle built I'd gone with a .58. My second choice for a factory gun would be the Pedersoli but they cost a lot more.
 
Agree with Hawg, the JBMR is essentially a high op Lyman -- percussion. The OP wished for historical significance -- this is the firearm that lead the Mormons across the plains from religious persecusion.

.02. David. :)
 
Not to mention the GPR is about as close to a real Hawken as you can get in a reasonably priced production rifle. The TC and Investarms etc bear no resemblance to a real Hawken. The Pedersoli is closer but then it's bordering on the price of a custom build.
 
I bought the Traditions Pennsylvania flinter. In hindsight for me being a brand new flintlock shooter at the time was a poor choice. The Traditions' use an odd "patent breech" design in where the touch hole does not feed directly into the barrel , it feeds ignition from the rear via a smaller drilled connector hole. I had a lot of issues early on with misfires. Luckily the VERY knowledgeable guys over at Traditional Muzzleloaders got me educated and now I have a excellent loading method and my Penn flinter goes boom "almost" every shot. The Lyman rifles are better quality over the Traditions if that makes a difference. I love my Traditions Penn, but it's certainly a "decent quality" mass produced repro import flintlock rifle.
 
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