In mine it must be a half inch or so....

[PaperPunch]

from the nipple to the powder charge in my PA Hunter percussion.
That's a hell of a ways around the corner, compared with my flinter with a new style SS flash hole liner.
That said, I think the percussion is a lot more "fiddly" to keep it firing reliably than the flinter.
I believe its time to put down the cap gun for my serious hunting and do my pre season shooting exclusively with that.
Then I won't need as many accoutrements for clearing out that long 90 degree channel, nipple wrench, pipe cleaners, etc. only my vent pick, powder, patch, ball, and flint maintenance tools.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I really don't see an issue here. For cleaning just put the breech end of the barrel into a small bucket of soapy water then using the ramrod with a patch pump up and down. That will flush your patent breech very well. Flush with clear water, dry, oil and forget until next shooting session.

 

[Sparkitoff1]

Once I get to know my percussion rifles and shotguns I can keep them as reliable as my flintlocks. For rifles, my goal is 2 perfect shots with the ability to fire 3.  By being choosy and stealthy I have been able to put the first shot to good use exclusively. So far everything has succumbed to the first shot, but I know I can reload and get another if necessary - and another. In practice in a range setting the things that have kept my flintlock from carrying out my 2 perfect shots and maybe a 3rd has been my fault, but is still inherent to the flintlock. In one recent succession of trying 3-shots on a deer target I did not wipe the flint or frizzen on the 3rd shot and I got some spark but no ignition. When I quickly realized that I wiped them, closed the frizzen, pulled the cock back and it went boom.  That step would not have existed with the percussion cousin. I have also experienced moisture and goop in the pan after 1 or 2 shots that absolutely has to be wiped out before re-priming the pan. That is another step that slows down the next shot and could be overlooked in the heat of the moment. I agree with most of what you said. In my experiences I can be assured of first shot reliability in a hunting situation with either and then the percussion gun gets a nipple pick, swab and reload, nipple pick again cap and ready. To me, there is more chance of goofing up the second or third shot on the flintlock. Again I do everything I can so I don't need a follow-up shot and with either system my reload is very methodical. You seem definitive in your concept so I will say that the psychological advantage is worth something!