Kentucky flintlock pointers

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Cowboy2

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I've decided to get the Cabela's Kentucky flintlock rifle. This will be my first flint (I've plenty of experience with percussion guns, usually with conicals). I was hoping you guys might point me in the right direction on a few things.

1) What flints (size, type) should I purchase?

2) What size/type patches should I try (for roundballs)? I've mostly fired conicals in my rifles, so I could use a little help on that score.

3) Any suggestions on relatively cheap conicals to try?

Thanks ahead of time.
 
I am not a fan of the smaller flintlock offered by Cabela's, as the barrels are pretty short to be calling it a "longrifle", and the locks are small (imho). But as they are on sale for $130 - $150 less than what I'd recommend, I can't tell you it's a bad idea. (Unless you are looking for something acceptable in a historic venue, then it is a waste of money. imho) I'm sorry, you didn't ask about any of that, so..., :scrutiny:


Your owner's manual will tell you what you need, but I'd try a .490 ball, and a .010-.015 patch from cotton ticking. Go to Wally World or any other reasonably priced fabric store, and buy a yard of ticking material. Wash it in hot water in a machine, then tumble dry. That should work fine. Saliva is a free and very good lube for the patches as you learn your rifle.

I'd say 1/2" ENGLISH flints. Cut flints and the French stuff never seemed to work well for me. Again, your manual will tell you what size should work.

Start with 50 grains of powder, real powder, not the "substitute" stuff. Shoot it a few times, then find the patches and inspect them. The Cabela's long rifle and Blue Ridge Hunter are Pedersoli products with a rep for cutting patches, and if yours cuts patches you'll need to fix that or you won't get good accuracy. It's an easy, do-it-yourself fix. Don't worry about it for now. Shoot it and see what happens.

Conicals I have found are a lot of mass that in many cases is unnecessary. Conicals were invented to give soldiers faster reload times, not because the patched round ball didn't work very well. Large, dangerous game is another matter, but...,

Your .490 ball will be fine on Mulies and Whitetails out to 100 yards, though you will need to increase your powder load to about 70-80 grains. (Yes..., 100 yards broadside with a heart/lung aim point you should expect a through and through shot from a patched .490 ball in a .50 or .530 round ball from a .54 with an 80 grain charge.) Some folks are going to chime in and say neither are worth a darn past 50 yards, but the actual results shows that as incorrect.

I use 3Fg for both main charge and prime, and I use a .54. Your pan will be smaller than mine, so you may find 4Fg works, BUT it tends to gather moisture faster than the 3Fg when in the pan. Well work out your best load on the range, and IF you decide to go for a deer, then write back for additional tips. No good getting it all now. Get her going good from the bench, then learn the rest.

LD
 
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Good advice.Not much to add except my dad had one of those Dixie Kentuckys that turned out to be an exceptional shooter. It had a noticable ''flint lag'' [which isn't always so with flinters] but shot dead on.
 
Paul's a great source of information. He's over on the traditional ML forum most of the time.

You know, what I'm finding is it's not the flints it's the frizzen. I've got a very nicely made Siler that will spark with any flint I put in there. It is after all bits of the frizzen that start the fire, not bits of the rock.
 
Contary to what you have heard, this is the correct way to prime a flintlock
pan. Just shut the frizzen slowy , Keep the powder covering the touck-hole.
This way has been well proven and will the fastest possible ingtion. Believe Me!
0015.jpg
 
Interesting. It seems to me that the geometry defined by the edge of the flint and the frizzen face would be more important than that of the edge of the flint and the pan. Can you help me understand what there is about the flint edge being in the middle of the pan that's significant?

I do agree with your statement about the location of the powder in regards to the touch hole. Larry Pletch's fine work at Friendship last year, published in Muzzle Blasts tends to confirm it, although I believe he did not cover the touch hole completely.
 
Where the flint edge points is where most of the sparks will be.I just rediscovered this myself,but I remember my dad telling me this,years ago.Where the flint points,at the final end of its arc,is where most of the sparks will end up,as the hammer and flint swing,the arc of sparks is ''swept along''....
 
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Larry Pletch also did a series of high speed videos of various locks in action - they're on Youtube. I'll see if I can find a link. Anyway, as best I can recall, the flint scrapes off tiny bits of red hot metal but they go in many different directions; the flint doesn't move fast enough to direct them. My memory may be faulty here, so I'll spend some time looking for those videos.
 
Found 'em. Do a search on YouTube for Friendship07.

My memory was faulty. In fact, the flint and sparks from the frizzen do exactly as you describe, depending on the lock, of course.

Interestingly, on some locks the flint does not travel far after hitting the frizzen but the sparks almost all end up in the pan. What I'm trying to say is that it appears the flint doesn't actually 'herd' the sparks to the pan at all - it just gives them the impulse in that direction.

Nonetheless, the point is made, I think. It certainly doesn't hurt, and probably does help a great deal, to have the flint edge in the center of the pan. Assuming, of course, that the flint edge also strikes the frizzen at the right angle and location first.
 
I have this rifle. I believe it has a medium twist barrel, 1:45, which means that it isn't optimal for PRB or conicals. Mine shoots PBR reasonably well as long as the powder charge is at or below 70 grains. The twist is too slow to optimally stabilize conicals so stick with the shortest conicals you can find such as the ball-et type.

To shoot ball-ets accurately you will need to use powder charges at the upper end of the acceptable range which I believe is around 80 or 85 grains to get the spin rate up high enough to stabilize it. Be careful to follow the instructions from Pedersoli on charge because these barrels are not designed to handle charges at the high end like the modern in-line MLs.

I have also shot PowerBelt conicals out to 100 yards reasonably well. I believe they were 225 grains, again, with charges at the upper end. You will have the most fun with moderately loaded PBR though. PowerBelt conicals are expensive.
 
Thanks everyone, I really do appreciate the help.

Brillo, do you have a particular type of "ball-ets" in mind (assuming you are talking about something other than run of the mill miniballs)?
 
Cosmoline has that right. I have alot of respect for Paul V. He's one of the good ones and his posts are from years of experience. He really puts a lot of thought and effort in all he writes.

giz
 
do you have a particular type of "ball-ets" in mind (assuming you are talking about something other than run of the mill miniballs)?
Click to expand...

He's referring to the round nose Buffalo Ball-ets which can be more forgiving when fired from slow & moderate twist rifles because they're shorter in length and easier to stabilize. Sometimes they shoot better with a wad loaded under the bullet.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_99_311_313&products_id=3625

Since you're buying the 1 in 48 twist .50 caliber Cabela's Kentucky, your rifle may be able to stablize a slightly longer heavier bullet like the 270 grain Buffalo Ball-et hollow point.

http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_99_311_313&products_id=3632
 
Flash Hole placement

Picked this Jukar (CVA) up last week and it was a mess. As in a few other post in regard to B/P I have not shot flint locks since the 1970's or so and have a question as to this one's flash hole. In the picture you can see that it is somewhat forward of the pan and slightly high. From the condition of the gun it has been fired but will this be an issue or should I just hang it on the wall.
 
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Two things bother me about that touch hole - the location and the size. The location is obviously not ideal and I expect that it will result in a few FTF's, but I don't believe it's completely worthless. Of more importance is the size - I think it's way too large. I think that will be a bigger problem than the location. However, it won't hurt to try it out.
 
Every time I read one of these I get the urge to buy a flintlock, I found a good deal on a Lyman Trade rifle .54 NIB $275 should I spring for it? I like set triggers & this doesn't have one but two of my othr rifles don't have one either.
 
I went back into my memories about the person that got me into B/P. He had a flintlock that was setup about the same as mine. I took the barrel and TIG welded the hole up completely and he re drilled the flash hole in proper place. Best I remember it worked find but now I don't have access to a full machine shop and my welding (eyes) are not what they werel. Think if nothing else I will give it few tries with ffff powder for the primer then go from there. thanks for you input
 
TomADC - The Lyman Trade Rifle is an excellent gun; the price depends on the condition of the bore. It's easily worth more than that if the bore is clean, and worthless if it's badly pitted. If you have access to the gun inspect the bore thoroughly with good bore light. If not, insist on an inspection period with a money back guarantee.
 
Brillo, do you have a particular type of "ball-ets" in mind (assuming you are talking about something other than run of the mill miniballs)?


Yes. The Buffalo Bullet Co. makes what is called a Maxi Ball-et. It's a very short conical with a slight hollow point. I believe it's maybe 270 grains. Hornady used to make a similar conical but I don't know for sure if they still do. Both work pretty well in my uploaded 1:45 twist barrel. 100 yard accuracy seems to fall off with length which fits with ballistic theory. Do not overload these rifles though to achieve higher spin rates to shoot longer conicals. They are just not as strong as modern in-line barrels. Brillo
 
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Mykeal

The Lyman is factory new. I may have to do this, just just bought a Pedersoli Sharps, trying to justify the Lyman..
 
Discount retail (Midsouth Shooter's Supply) price for a .50 percussion Lyman Trade Rifle is $337 new, factory assembled. The flintlock is more (they don't have any in stock). If it's truly factory new, it's a very good buy.
 
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