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Jim

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I have been bitten by the muzzle loading bug. I joined the frontier muzzloading forum and it is legit, Just passing it along to all you muzzle loaders out there. There is a wealth of knowledge there and it seems like a great group of folks like we have here. :beer:

Jim

https://www.frontiermuzzleloading.com
 
I think I'll tell my one buddy to join. He flinches so bad that we have never found a hole in the target! #-o :lol:
Come to think of it, I also flinch on occasion, shooting them can be fun and sometime challenging, especially with a flintlock.
Thanks for the link, although I'm pretty well set up there's always something to learn from the guys that are at a much higher level.
At one time I rode to work with a guy that was really into blackpowder; he provided me with quite a bit of helpful info.
 
overboard said:
I think I'll tell my one buddy to join. He flinches so bad that we have never found a hole in the target! #-o :lol:

Sounds EXACTLY like me. My last hunt still haunts me, I honestly think I shot from the hip when I saw the doe walk by and completely missed. :LOL2:
 
FWIW flintlock shooting has made me a much better offhand shot for all of my shooting disciplines! Yesterday at a traditional black powdah shoot, I used a circa 1670 club butt flint smoothbore musket ('replica', wears no rear sight, in 62-caliber w/ 48" barrel) ... and my score was only 10-pts less the top rifle score.

Once you go flint ... you'll be hooked even MORE!
 
They can humble you!
Here's what happened to another buddy this year, who has shot quite a few deer with a flintlock.
Deer #1- Missed a head and neck shot at around 130 yd.
Deer #2- Standing pretty close, and when he went to cock the gun he noticed the flint was really crooked; went to straighten it and it fell on the ground along with the leather that holds it; found the flint but couldn't find the piece of leather. Deer gone!
Deer #3- Standing pretty close, and when he fired there was no spark. Deer took off like a rocket! That was only the second shot from a new flint, and he figured that maybe the frizzen was getting bad.
Plus one morning when he got out of the truck, he slipped and fell on some snow covered ice and broke the sling stud off the ramrod ferrule. He had a bad year!!!
 
DaleH said:
overboard said:
They can humble you!
Yes, they can ... but all you mentioned were operator error :shock: ...

How can one ever pass up the fine lines of a real arm like this one?
Oh that's simple to do if you like to eat regularly and you count on what you kill. :lol:
 
JMichael said:
DaleH said:
overboard said:
They can humble you!
Yes, they can ... but all you mentioned were operator error :shock: ...

How can one ever pass up the fine lines of a real arm like this one?
Oh that's simple to do if you like to eat regularly and you count on what you kill. :lol:
:LOL2: TRUE!
Actually my buddy is pretty good with one and has shot numerous deer with it, but this just seemed to be a #-o #-o #-o year for him.
He also had a chance with the rifle, I think he said his glasses were fogged up. He is a good hunter and he shot some nice buck when we went to Maine, but it just seems like everything went wrong for him this year.
 
This is what is considered a primitive weapon in Mississippi and Louisiana!

Single shot rifle .35 caliber or larger with an exposed hammer!
 

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DaleH said:
Lowe 2070 CC said:
This is what is considered a primitive weapon in Mississippi and Louisiana!

Single shot rifle .35 caliber or larger with an exposed hammer!
Cool .... as that makes my 75-caliber matchlock legal :) !

Primitive Weapons
Weapons legal for use during the Primitive Weapons season are all archery equipment and primitive firearms. "Primitive firearms," for the purpose of hunting deer, are defined as single or double-barreled muzzel-loading rifles of at least .38 caliber; OR single shot, breech loading, metallic cartridge rifles (.35 caliber or larger) and replicas, reproductions, or reproductions of those type rifles with an exposed hammer; OR single or double-barreled muzzleloading shotguns, with single ball or slug. All muzzle-loading primitive firearms must use black powder or a black powder substitute with percussion caps. #209 shotgun primers, or flintlock ignition. "Blackpowder substitute" is defined as a substance designed, manufactured, and specifically intended to be used as a propellant in muzzleloading or other black powder firearms, excluding modern smokeless powder. Metallic cartridges may be loaded with either black powder or modern smokeless powder (cartridges purchased at sporting goods stores). Telescopic sights are allowed while hunting with any primitive firearm during the primitive weapon seasons. During any open season on deer with primitive weapons after November 30, a person may use any legal weapon of choice on private lands only, if the person is the title owner of the land, the lessee of the hunting rights on the land, a member of a hunting club leasing the hunting rights on the land, or a guest of a person specified above. If the person is required to have a hunting license, the person must have a primitive weapon license, Sportsman's License, or a Lifetime Sportsman's License.

You are good to go! We'll have a tire tool and monkey wrench season before long!
 
I had a friend offer me his muzzleloader for the last day of the season. I still had a doe tag and could use the meat.
He ran me through the basics and off we went. 30 mins into the hunt, I had this.
 

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Wow ... those Regs as written would exclude my matchlock where the ignition is provided by a ... well, lit match, in the form of a length of rope treated w/ a nitrate solution. It burns emberless, similar to a cigarette, but without any visible dropping ash.

Those Regs also exclude a wheel lock firearm. And both of those ignition types, as well as a snaphaunce lock if one gets technical, preclude flintlock ignition. Ah well, we can't have it all, no?

I guess I'll leave my replica 'hand gonne' (75-caliber, 1st 'gun' ever invented) at home ...
 
Dale, I will assure you that your matchlock and wheel lock would be more than acceptable if not technically legal. When you make single shot TC Encore with a scope into a "Primitive " weapon because it's a single shot, the purpose is to encourage more harvest.

Actually, you'll note that on privately owned lands you are allowed to use any legal weapon during the "Primitive" season!
 
DaleH said:
Wow ... those Regs as written would exclude my matchlock where the ignition is provided by a ... well, lit match, in the form of a length of rope treated w/ a nitrate solution. It burns emberless, similar to a cigarette, but without any visible dropping ash.

Those Regs also exclude a wheel lock firearm. And both of those ignition types, as well as a snaphaunce lock if one gets technical, preclude flintlock ignition. Ah well, we can't have it all, no?

I guess I'll leave my replica 'hand gonne' (75-caliber, 1st 'gun' ever invented) at home ...
Why would it be excluded? Caliber too small to meet the requirements?
 
JMichael said:
DaleH said:
Wow ... those Regs as written would exclude my matchlock where the ignition is provided by a ... well, lit match, in the form of a length of rope treated w/ a nitrate solution. It burns emberless, similar to a cigarette, but without any visible dropping ash.

Those Regs also exclude a wheel lock firearm. And both of those ignition types, as well as a snaphaunce lock if one gets technical, preclude flintlock ignition. Ah well, we can't have it all, no?

I guess I'll leave my replica 'hand gonne' (75-caliber, 1st 'gun' ever invented) at home ...
Why would it be excluded? Caliber too small to meet the requirements?


"All muzzle-loading primitive firearms must use black powder or a black powder substitute with percussion caps. #209 shotgun primers, or flintlock ignition."

Percussion Cap, #209 Shotgun Primers, or Flintlock ignition are the only referenced ignition types. Matchlock and wheel lock are not included.
 
JMichael said:
Why would it be excluded? Caliber too small to meet the requirements?
Ha, most calibers of the earlier arms are 62 to 65 and on up to 75 caliber :shock: , so it sure isn't the bore size!

In fact, I have a historically accurate reproduction of a late 16th century Dutch arm, in 62-caliber with a 48" barrel ... and it is termed a Boy's Rifle, due to the small caliber! (Technically though, it is a flint smoothbore fowler (musket), for use with shot or ball or what they used in the F&I War - a handful of shot or 3 buckshot over a large ball). Sorry to go on, but I find the early arms absolutely fascinating! And they can hit accurately too, as at a recent BP woods walk, my score w/ that smoothbore was 3rd place only to the top rifle scores.

Just my $ 0.02, but earlier ignition arms are probably excluded only because they just weren't considered; ignorance I guess, in the purest sense of the word. And as Lowe points out, the Fish & Game Depts themselves are using the primitive seasons to make for bigger harvests! Think about the political scene, it is less .. uhhhh, inflammatory to say they have a primitive arm season than it would be for them to propose adding an extra week to the 'rifle' season. Rifles and people that own rifles are 'bad' you know [-X ... don't you realize that :wink: ?
 

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