doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com .62 Caliber Flintlock Hunter

For about 5 years now I've wanted to build this rifle, I've actually been working on it a little here and a little there for almost 3 years now. The Mechanic's Car, the Shoemaker's kids and the Gunsmith's gun all seem to be the same story, you get so busy building for customers you can never find the time to build anything for your self. So I slowly put an hour or two at a time in on this thing for nearly 3 years to finally get the Flintlock hunting rifle I have envisioned for a while now.

I know when people look at this they are going to say how it isn't historically or period correct but that is actually the point. I have owned several flintlock rifles and I think they are fine guns for rendezvous or re-enacting but they have never been my cup of tea when it comes to hunting. They are long barreled, full stocked, heavy and just not my taste in hunting rifles. The few Halfstock Flintlock rifles on the market didn't interest me either, CVA, TC, Lyman all make a half stock flintlock but they are all patterned after a variation of the plains rifle, they all have untapered barrels, they all have underribs or at the very least pipes and a ramrod hanging under the barrel and none of them comes in a caliber bigger than .58. And they are mostly pretty heavy.

I wanted a rifle that feels, weighs, handles and generally looks like one of my modern cartridge rifles but is still legal to hunt anywhere in the U.S. during muzzleloading season.

Down to the details:
.62 Caliber Colerain Barrel Slow twist for Patched Roundball. 32" long tapered.
R.E. Davis Lock
Pachmyer Decelerator Recoil Pad, I like steel buttplates but I plan to be shooting this for many years to come and I like recoil less and less these days.
The Trigger, Triggerguard and Grip Cap I made myself.
The stock is American Black Walnut with an ebony forearm cap.
The sights were just extras I had laying around from TOTW...single leaf rear and a silver blade front.
The stock is oil finished and waxed to give a nice matte(low sheen).
The metal is rust blued and also done to a matte finish.
I don't like my hunting rifle to give off a lot of reflection.
To keep the weight down I didn't add an underib or pipes and ramrod instead I made a multi-piece ramrod for my possibles bag.
Weight is 6 pounds 10 Ounces.

The Rifle:






The Target:

6" x 6" square the black circle is approx 2" diameter
100 yards, offhand, un-supported
120grs FFG Goex
4Fg pan
.600 diameter 97% lead - 3% Antimony (325ish grains, I haven't weighed one yet to see exactly)
.018" Pillowticking Veg Lube

The one flyer was totally my fault I had a very slight hang fire and I didn't hold through like I should have. I think with more load development I can probably tighten the group up a bit more but since Muzzleloader season starts here in about 3 weeks I may not have time to get back out and do the load work so for now I am satisfied enough to take it hunting white-tail.

Thanks for looking,

Colin

A handsome rifle indeed. I like to see folks think out of the box. I'm doing something (very slowly) similar, only different. It is percussion, sorta hawkenesque, and it will be exactly what I want for hunting deer etc.

for someone that doesn't like a lot of recoil, .62 cal and 120 grs of powder is a pretty good "HELLO" every time you pull the trigger.

Thank you.

Colin

Thanks for sharing!

To me it looks kind of like an old African frontiersman's rifle from the early 19th century, except for the pistol grip. Of course those old boys wanted--and probably needed--even bigger bore rifles. I could see a Boer trekker packing something similarly plain and "un-English."

Flyer? Hangfire? Offhand? 100 Yards? German silver front sight?Holy cow Cowboy!! You better head to Perry shooting like that! That's amazing. I can't get that accuracy off the bench with a round ball....good shooting!

CowboyCS,

There is a book from the 1920s:

http://www.amazon.com/Scotsman-Buckskin-...AN+IN+BUCKSKINS

Which tells about a Scotsman who went west IIRC two times during the period of the American fur trade. Again IIRC he carried a .62 or .69 English slow twist big game rifle. There is considerable discussion about his rifle and how it was used. You might find it an interesting read. I really enjoyed reading it and in fact may pull it off the shelf for a revisit.

Bob

Thanks for the comments and compliments guys.

HARIII,

I've read it. William Drummond Stewart, quite the adventurer...he also carried a Percussion Double Rifle made by Holland and Holland.

The other one that is a good read is Prairie Fever: British Aristocrats in the American West 1830-1890. There was even a town here in Kansas that was modeled after London to cater to Hunters and there family/friends.

Colin