New to flintlocks and muzzleloaders in general and I could use some advice

Hello all,
I just purchased my first muzzleloader today, a Traditions PA pellet .50 flintlock with a 1:48 twist. I am trying to to figure out the best loads to shoot for it and I had some questions. I have done some of my own homework but I would really like some input from experienced flintlock shooters, so if anyone would be kind enough to help me out I would greatly appreciate it.

What I am looking for out of my loads:
I will be deer hunting primarily, so if you have a favorite type of round for this I would love to hear it.
I would really like the shortest delay possible when firing, this is a pretty high priority for me.
Accuracy would be my next priority

Questions:
I know that for the priming pan that the finer powders are recommended, 4f being what I see recommended most often. But I found some 5f and I was wondering if this would be an even better choice? I have also seen 7f powders online, are these an even better option?

For my the main charge I see that most people shoot 2f powder, but I have seen a few people saying they prefer to use 3f as it cuts down on the delay as well (this would be desirable for me). Can anybody give their input on this? Is there a downside to using the 3f over the 2f?

I will be painting the stock (synthetic black stock) to camo it up, is there an issue doing the same to the barrel?

Is there anything else you think a newbie flintlock shooter should know? Anything you wish someone had told you when you first started shooting flintlocks?

Thanks in advance guys!

Welcome!
Flintlocks are challenging and rewarding, but not the easiest way to begin muzzleloading.
4f is fine for priming, but extremely sensitive to humidity( loves to clump up). For simplicity sake, I would recommend 3f for both priming and main charge. Your rifle will tell you if it prefers 2 or 3f , but you can save powder and reduce fouling by using 3f. Generally, you can get equal velocities with 10 grains less, give or take, with 3 as opposed to 2f. Do not fall into the trap of thinking it is impossible to overload a muzzleloader. You absolutely can.
Flintlocks are sometimes called flinchlocks. It is impossible for your to flinch faster than a properly set up and loaded flintlock can fire. The flinch occured prior to ignition.
One of the biggest mistakes folks make is overfilling the priming pan. Only fill 1/3 to no more than 1/2 way. More than that and the priming charge burns like a fuse. That's when you hear a " click poof BANG" A properly loaded and primed flinter will simply go BANG.
Use the best flints you can get. Agates are ok, but nothing matches a good flint for a shower of sparks. And keep the frizzen clean and oil free when shooting. A patch with rubbing alcohol followed by a dry patch does nicely.
Always swab between shots for best accuracy and safety. Safety because you are killing hot embers and making it possible to be certain you can get the bullet or ball down in the powder. Short seated projectiles can cost you more than a barrel... Mark your rammed with tape at the muzzle when you first load a clean barrel. This way you will know its in the powder. Score a final mark on your rammer for your final load. Do not bounce the rammer up and down! All it does is deform the bullet/ ball, crush the powder( which will give erratic velocities and pressures because of how black powder burns) and gives poor accuracy.
Old timers carried a feather to put into the touch hole prior to loading. When the load was seated and the feather quill withdrawn, it left a little cone in the charge which exposed more of it to the flash of the priming.
Patch ball or bullet? Up to your rifle to tell you what it likes. The ball is a shorter range item. 75 yards is about it as it loses velocity and energy very quickly. Yes kills have been made at farther ranges, but is it worth it to push your luck with something with blood and breath in it? Your barrel will be a 1-48 twist. Traditions barrels are quite good and accurate. If you try bullets, the TC. Maxi ball 370 grain and 70 grains of 3f would be a good place to start. Same charge with the ball. The ball will have significantly less recoil.
Use paint formulated for plastic, such as Krylon makes, on the stock. I would leave the barrel alone though. Paint won't last.
There are numerous books and articles on the care and feeding of muzzleloader. This is a great site full of very helpful folks. Of all the shooters out there, it's my experience that no one will help you faster and more cheerfully than a muzzleloader. Be warned though! The muzzleloader bug bites HARD and digs in like a tick. You never know where it will lead...
Keep your back green and your powder dry!

Welcome! Good luck with the 'flinter'. I realize they can be more of a challenge. Since the States I hunt allow most anything, I've not even shot a flintlock.

I am respectful of those that use then due to regs or by choice.

Hello all,
I just purchased my first muzzleloader today, a Traditions PA pellet .50 flintlock with a 1:48 twist. I am trying to to figure out the best loads to shoot for it and I had some questions. I have done some of my own homework but I would really like some input from experienced flintlock shooters, so if anyone would be kind enough to help me out I would greatly appreciate it.

What I am looking for out of my loads:
I will be deer hunting primarily, so if you have a favorite type of round for this I would love to hear it.
I would really like the shortest delay possible when firing, this is a pretty high priority for me.
Accuracy would be my next priority

Questions:
I know that for the priming pan that the finer powders are recommended, 4f being what I see recommended most often. But I found some 5f and I was wondering if this would be an even better choice? I have also seen 7f powders online, are these an even better option?

For my the main charge I see that most people shoot 2f powder, but I have seen a few people saying they prefer to use 3f as it cuts down on the delay as well (this would be desirable for me). Can anybody give their input on this? Is there a downside to using the 3f over the 2f?

I will be painting the stock (synthetic black stock) to camo it up, is there an issue doing the same to the barrel?

Is there anything else you think a newbie flintlock shooter should know? Anything you wish someone had told you when you first started shooting flintlocks?

Thanks in advance guys!

Click to expand...

I once actually purchased that vary rifle, kind of. But the store called me at the last minute and told me since they did not have the stockr I wanted in stock, they were going to substitute a different stock. I told them I did not want a camo stock and to cancel the order. (The person got a little heated on the phone with me because they "already had it packed." And I was having a bad day too.

Anyway the reason I wanted a PA Flintlock was a friend I talked to all the time owned one. He told me he went hog hunting with it and used 85 grains of Black Powder 2f and a 240 grain .452 XTP made by Hornady and the rifle was very accurate with that. He also shot a lot of round ball with it. I own several Traditions Rifles. I was shooting my flintlock Woodsman the other day. It too has a 1-48 twist. My load was 85 grains of Schuetzen 2f black powder and 4f Goex Primer powder. A very accurate rifle. Now for your questions.

On priming powder, 4f on the range works great. But 3f in the field also works. So if you load 3f as your main charge, and 3f in the pan, you can only use one kind of powder. Put it this way, once my two pounds of 4f run out, I am going to shoot 3f in the pan. I do it when hunting and never had a problem with it. The real very fine powders your talking about, even a slight breeze will clear your pan. And you don't need that fine powder. If you want speed in your ignition play with powder placement in the pan. Some of my rifles like the prime right next to the vent liner, others like it on the far edge of the pan. You just have to try. I run a thin line of powder the length of the pan. I know that can cause a fuse effect but it seems to work for me. Also practice not to move when the rifle first goes off. I have had a few " Tick .... Boom!" in my life. If you stay into the shot you can pull it off. So if you want to shoot 2f or 3f, some rifles like some powders for the main charge better. All you can do is experiment.

Painting the stock. People paint the stock and barrels all the time. I never saw the need for it. But it it makes you happy then go for it. I like nice clean lines in my rifles. So I never paint anything except maybe a front sight now and then depending on snow cover.

Things I have learned....

Keep that flint tight in the jaws of the rifle and sharp. A dull flint will case a dead strike. So if you are going to use Thomas Fuller Black English Flints, learn to knapp a flint. It takes time to learn but we all had to.

Get some fuzzy pipe cleaners. The trick is push a pipe cleaner into the vent liner hole before you load. In the old days they used a sharp feather quill. I use a pipe cleaner if the rifle acts up. Push that in there and then dump your powder, and load your ball or what ever. Then before you load the pan, very slowly pull that pipe cleaner out. This does a couple things. It drag main charge powder up, behind the vent liner/touch hole, and it insures that the touch hole is clear and clean. Then load your pan and have fun.

Swab between shots. I know that many will load countless ball or projectile. I like to swab the barrel with isopropyl alcohol. It does a few things. One it keeps the barrel consistent between shot to shot. Also it makes loading the next shot much easier. And last it give the rifle and you time to cool and calm down. There is no race to see who or how fast you can load. The only time I load quickly is when hunting and if the first shot was bad. So far that has not been the case. Take your time, make it count and get it right.

Black powder rifles need to be cleaned the same day you shoot them. There are a number of ways to clean them. In the new members section I wrote a step by step to clean and care for your rifle. Clean that rifle. Never set it in the corner with the idea of "I'll clean it tomorrow." Because people forget. And what you will have on your hands in a matter of days is a rusted pile of barrel. Also, use a good quality gun oil to protect the barrel and etc. I like Barricade by Birchwood Casey, and Montana Gun oil. There are other oils out there that people like and use. Some stink to me so I use the two mentioned.

Last if you have any questions or concerns .... Ask a question. The forum or myself will be more then glad to answer you and help you out. I'd rather see you have a great experience the a great accident. To learn the rifle and the frizzen, flints, etc I would shoot 85 grains of 2f black powder and a moose milk patched .490 round ball. Learn the quirks of the rifle, where it hits, how it acts. Later you can experiment with other loads and projectiles.