Flintlock Recommedations

[BruinFlinter]

I am an avid archery hunter and usually hunt the second season here in PA with my bow but would also like to start muzzleloader hunting. My son has also taken an interest in these also and I am looking at purchasing a couple of flintlocks. I would like to get them fairly soon so as to be able to spend time at the range with them prior to the season. There seems to be a limited number of companies out there producing flintlocks. Those that I have looked at so far are the TC Firestorm, Traditions PA Pellet and Lyman Deerstalker. I would appreciate any input from folks that currently own any of these such as quality, performance, reliability, parts availability, etc. .

 

[Grouse]

I have owned all three you have looked at. The Lyman Deer stalker is truly superior in all aspects. The T/C Renegade is another good flintlock.

 

[tooldog]

I agree with Grouse that the Lyman and the T/Cs are good. The Lyman might be the best bang for the buck. You might also want to look at RMC's flintlocks at http://www.rmcsports.com/. They are in Mingoville, PA. A couple of my buddies shoot their flinters and really like them. They are a bit more expensive than the Lyman though.

tooldog

 

[cayuga]

I have a Tradition's Woodsman Hawkins, Lyman Trade Rifle, and two Thompson Center Hawkins. While none of these are the exact model you mention, all three of them share locks, barrel twists, etc.

If I had to choose one of the three for over all speed of the lock, it would be hard, but the Lyman is really quick and does not eat flints. The Thompson Center can ocassionally eat flints. The Tradition's is fast and flint friendly.

If you want to purchase new rifles, I would suggest get them in .54 caliber. The .54 caliber roundball is superior to the .50 caliber for taking game. Also most of these rifles, it seems that what you end up shooting for best under 100 yard accuracy.