Traditional Firearms > Flintlock Long Guns
Favorite caliber and gun for woodswalks?
Smokey:
--- Quote from: Bigsmoke on April 06, 2023, 11:06:08 PM ---Close counts with nuclear devices, also.
--- End quote ---
Seems excessive for a woodswalk.
Point is: I thought a larger ball has more chance of catching that axe head than a smaller roundball. Other than the need to knock down a steel plate, if necessary, is there any practical reason for a larger caliber, such as .54 in a woodswalk?
Bigsmoke:
I really think a lot of it comes down to just personal preference.
In my case, I started off decades ago shooting a .54 Renegade. Over the years, I have had a lot of different rifles and the .54 has always been what I liked best and what shot best for me.
I have tried a few different .50's and was not able to make them do anything. OK, I did have one .50 that shot well, but I figured that was the exception that made the rule. I have had a couple of .62's and they shot well, I had a .66 and it shot like a .50. I had a .69 and it was OK, but not great, but my .72 and I got along just fine. My 8 bore was also good, but I could never get proficient with the 4 bore.
And then there is the problem with some clubs not wanting you to shoot anything bigger than a .58.
So, yeah, the .54 is the rifle that works best for me. As long as I am casting round ball, it is affordable enough to shoot, it is not abusive to the shooter and it has the power to knock down steel silhouettes at 200 yards. I think that checks off all the boxes. But again, it is mostly personal preference. If you have a .50 and it works good for you, why change. I have seen a lot of shooters do really well with a .50 in woods walks.
If you have the opportunity to try some different rifles in various calibers, that's not a bad idea. And also, the design of the rifle has a bit to do with things also.
John (Bigsmoke)
No Powder:
10-4 on the personal preference Bigmoke. If it was all about winning, I'd take my best shooter to every shoot. But I have several I can use and I like to shoot them all. So I lay winning to the side and think more about the fat chewing and the tales that need to be told and pick a weapon and go for it. But weather can play a big part in the decision made. I still like the ones with the hooked breech for ease of cleaning if they should get wet. So flip a coin and have at it.
Hanshi:
With health issues I have only managed to shoot two trail walks with neither being recently. For the first one I took my 7 lb .45 flintlock longrifle. I did okay on that one. On the second one I used my 8 lb .40 flint longrifle. I did fairly well in that one. That particular .40 was turned into another .45 by Bobby Hoyt and is only 7 lbs 11 oz. So if I were to go to another I'd likely take one of them. The first one , 7 lb .45, has collected most of the deer I've killed. Either one of the flintlock .45s would go with me.
There is one other .45 that a percussion that's very accurate and has won 1st or 2nd in a few postal matches. The barrel is 15/16" X 25" and has never hunted, just targets. Though it weighs only 6 lb 2 oz the barrel is heavy and hangs at the muzzle. The only rifle I've owned that was a better offhand shooter was an E. Virginia rifle flintlock. 9.5 lbs X 42" X .50 X straight barrel that would hang steady like a rock on the X of a bullseye.
A bit less likely candidate is my svelt .50 X 38" X "B" wgt flintlock at 7 lbs 2 oz. I shoot it fairly well but it has little muzzle "hang".
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