Flintlock vs Percussion rifle

[StrawHat]

While I prefer flintlocks, there are a lot of good deals in percussion muskets these days. Lots of the Civil War re-enactors are aging and calling it quits now that the 150th Anniverary of Gettysburg is over. A search of the Civil War fora will find some good buys. Also, visit gun shops and pawn shops. The musket doesn't catch the eye of the shooting public so stays on the rack.

I tend to look at caliber in the English style. 45-50 is around right for deer, 54-58 is better for larger game and 62 is about perfection. That said, a 58 musket of any flavor will do the job for most hunters. An advantage to the musket is the sling swivels allow you to sling it over your back after a successful hunt when you need both hands for the drag.

 

[Pete D.]

flint gun

A flintlock can be made fairly reliable, but it seems a caplock is more so, and without any concern about the powder in the pan or the need to carry 2 powders/flasks.

Fairly reliable?
Two powders and flasks?
and someone mentioned ignition delay....
what delay?

I use a flintlock fowler for my Upland game hunting.
It and my GPR flinter are as reliable as any guns that I own. They go bang when they are supposed to.
I carry one flask when hunting - the powder is FFFg which lights just fine in the pan.
A properly loaded flint gun is as fast as a percussion gun. If one shoots a flint gun and gets something like "snap..flaaassh...bang" the gun was loaded wrong. Don't mean to criticize but the sequence is "snfzbang"..the snap of the lock and the bang happen virtually together. no detectable delay.
That being said,,,,yes, there is a learning curve that is a bit longer than for a caplock.
Nowadays, however, when we have to scramble to get supplies and percussion caps are in short supply, I am real happy to be using flintlocks.
Pete

 

[Milkmaster]

And get a pistol in the same caliber. Same supplies...twice the fun!

 

[mustanger]

In my oponion, the safest bet, would be to buy a caplock, and learn on it. Then find someone with a flinter, and try his a few times. One of the problems with novices and flinters is what I always did. Squeeze trigger, PUFFF, I turn my head, and then bang. I would repeat out loud " don't look, don't look" and still I would. I had a .54 Cabelas. Wish I wouldn't have sold it. But I don't think I would make a good flint shooter. Still it was fun;