Getting started

[scout34]

Just got a Uberti Kentucky flintlock from Cabelas.  Hope to take it deer hunting in MD in a few weeks but have never used one of these before.  What do I need to get?  How do I build a load?  Round ball or Conical?  It's got a 1 in 44 twist .50 cal.  I've heard that you need to shoot one of these things about 100 times before the bore is seasoned, and to not bother adjusting the sights before then.  Is that true?

How often should I clean it?  The instruction book is extremely uninformitive, and the video that came with it is busted.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Scout

[Slamfire]

A patched round ball is ideal for deer huntin'. Try some .490 balls from either Hornady or Speer, and some prelubed patches, in 0.015" or 0.018" thickness. Start out with a 50 grain charge of FFg or the equivalent in either Pyrodox, or 777. Sometimes a fiber wad between the powder and the ball improves the accuracy. Keep addin' 5 grains (volume measure) to the powder charge, until you get you best grouping. There's your huntin' load. Zero it at 75 yards and it won't be too high to cause misses at midrange, and won't drop below 4" out to the limit of a prb's energy, at 100+ yards.
Sometimes you'll have to wipe between shots, sometimes not, dependin' on the powder used. Run a couple of wet and a couple of dry patches down the barrel when you're done shootin', then go home and thoroughly clean the rifle barrel, nipple, boster, and lock. I like water, as hot as it comes from the tap, with a couple drops of Murphy's oil soap. Remove the nipple, put a tight patch on the cleanin' jag and pump until the water flows out of the top of the barrel. I follow with 91% rubbin' alcohol to driy the water up, before it rusts the barrel. Dry patches will tell you if you have all the foulin' out of the bore. Repeat above as necessary. Use a pipe cleaner on the bolster and nipple hole.
Don't be terribly suprised if you ain't done developin' a load before season opens. Every barrel wants somethin' different. 

[sharps4590]

Slamfire's advice is good, can't really improve on it.  If you're shooting and need to swab the bore just don't use sloppy wet patches.  Slightly more than damp is more than adequate.

I believe that your hunting load should be no less than 70 grs.  I always preferred 90 grs. in 50 cal., when I used that caliber, if the rifle liked that load.  I quit the 50 years ago but not because there is anything wrong with it.  It is a fine deer caliber.  I just prefer the 54.

When you prime your pan only fill it about 1/3 full.  If you fill the pan and it covers the touch hole you're gong to hear....ffffffffffftt....BANG and you will have experienced your first hangfire.  If you cover the touch hole you create a fuse and that fuse has to burn before ignition is achieved.  Ideally the flash in the pan ignites the main charge and the rifle should fire before the hammer finishes it's fall.  This is really fairly easy to achieve. 

Pick your vent.  By that I mean to use a vent pick and force it into the touch hole.  I don't know that it's necessary but I often force a little priming powder into the vent.  I've done it both ways and honestly can't tell any difference.  Make sure your flint is sharp and your frizzen clean and use a good flint, they can make all the difference in the world.

If this is your first flinter and you have no mentor you might shoulda started a little sooner.  Having said that, a few hours of range time should have you and your rifle working very well together.

I've sighted in rifles after as few as 20 rounds and had success but I prefer to shoot quite a few more than that before I start tinkering with the sights.  The barrel will shoot in over time and you may have to adjust the sights as more balls are ran down bore but you should be able to get an adequate sight setting for this year.  If you're filing the front sight, remember, baby steps, baby steps.  Just take off a little at a time or you may be replacing your front sight or filing your rear sight lower.

As your starting a bit late I believe I'd start out with an 80 gr. load and the ball/patch combo slamfire mentioned.  1-44 twist is just a wee bit fast for PRB but it should shoot more than satisfactory.

Good luck!

Vic

[Birddog6]

Just a few tips:

1:  Use only REAL  Black Powder in the flintlock. I suggest Goex or Scheutzen. Use the same powder for the flashpan as for the main charge.  You load from a Powder Measurer, NOT from the flask or horn .

2:  Use  Tom Fuller Black English Flints.  You can acquire them from TOW, Log Cabin, October Country, etc.

3:  Don't plan on hunting deer season if it is only a couple of weeks away.  You need to learn the rifle, find a load, etc, well, unless you have every day off to shoot it for the next two weeks. Finding a load is something that takes time & ettort & documentation.  Sometimes it takes me 4-5 trips to the range to find it, some times it takes me Dozens of trips, just according to how good I want the rifle to shoot.  The rifle will shoot as good as the time you put in it.

4:  Do all of the test load works off Sandbags on a solid Bench.  You need to find the load the rifle likes best & then learn to shoot it.  Anyone can shoot a percussion, not just anyone can accurately shoot a flintlock, as they are a whole different animal & it takes time to adjust.

5:  Start your loads with about 60 grains of 2F of BP, with a .490 ball, some prelubed patches of .015 & some Natural Lube 1000.  Shoot 3, change targets & WRITE ON THE TARGET ALL THE DATA !!!!!!!, go up 5 grains, & shoot 3, change targets go up 5 grains & shot 3, etc. This MAY get ya going if the gun likes the combo & just Maybe you can have a decent load for a 50 yard shot by deer season.  If you cannot group a 3" group of 3 consistanty at 50 yards by deer season, you simply don't have a load & you are wasting the deer as too much chance of wounding one & not finding it.  Yu find the load  THEN  ya move the sights. 
  This is not like using a 12 ga slug where you can blow a hole anywhere & the deer will bleed all over the place.  Shot placement is Critical on a 50 RB and it must be in the heart/lungs cavity if you plan on finding the deer. Shoot on in the leg or gutsor thick meat & I have seen some shot in the meat of the neck & the dang deer can go for a mile & will go straight to heavy brush most likely & really hard to find at times.  Because of the twist of that barrel, I would not go past 90 grains.

6:  When ya find a load, you may want to try some 3F in the rifle also & do the test loads all over .

7:  Swab between shots will most likely be beneficial in reloading.

8:  Buy a brass or SS range rod with a bore guide. (See above venders)  This will keep ya from breaking the wooden RR at the range in case you get too hefty on it.  Some guy uses a brass on when hunting.

9:  When ya hunt, make sure you have a lil screw on T handle or RR extension in your bag just in case, a cleaning jag, ball puller, patch worm, breech scraper.  IF  your rifle has a patent breech you will need a 36 cal scraper for that also that is rounded on the end of the blade.  T/C makes one or you can buy a regular .36 cal breech scraper & round it.

10:  Be prepared to dryball it & also to have a ball stuck in it.  If you shoot it much this Will happen, just a matter of time.

11:  I suggest you buy the  Lyman Black Powder Handbook.  LOTS of good infor in there & well worth the $ for it, especially for a newbie.

Good Luck

Birddog6

[captchee]

 I would agree with birdog here  as well as  well as sharps  on the pan charge .
 I would also add that the  flash hole should be drilled out to at least 3/16.

 Also I would add  a couple things to birddogs recommendation .
Learn to follow through . There will be smoke  but keep  a bead on your target  completely through ignition  no mater if your shooting rested or off hand . don’t drop the rifle to look  or you will pull the sights .
Also  don’t grip the rifle like you would a modern  center fire  on the for stock. Just use your forward hand to rest the gun lightly . It will stay there  and not jump up on you like a center fire will .
Follow through right through the smoke .
 
 If you have never hunted with a round ball , do not expect the  to  yield a knock down. Learn your weapon , place your shot correctly  and your deer will go only a short ways .
  What im saying is don’t expect a TKO like you see in the movies . that’s Hollywood and very seldom happens with  a 50 cal  Roundball .  Keep your yardage low  as possible  and “Always” assume you hit where you were aiming  .

 After your shot , try and keep calm .  Get a mental picture of where the deer stood  when you shoot as well as where  you last saw it ,then  reload .

 Now IF the deer has  made it far enough  that you cant see it . Give  it a little time . Then go to where  it was when you shot . Tie a ribbon at that point .  If you can follow  its trail to where you last saw it great . don’t give up just because you don’t see signs of blood right off . When you get to the last place you saw it , tie another ribbon . This will help you in you tracking .
 don’t forget to re prime your pan  when you re load  and keep the cock at ½ cock tell your about to fire or you think you will need to .
 If you have done your work , placed your shot  correctly   your deer will not go far .
 If you have ever hunted archery  your going to find this IMO very similar

[Birddog6]

 I would also add that the  flash hole should be drilled out to at least 3/16.

IMHO, 3/16" is too large for a .50 cal vent.  I would go with a 1/16" first & very lightly cone the outside of the vent liner & also cone the inside of it.  See how that works & if it is inconsistant, then  try a 5/64".  Personally I would not go any larger than that as you loose allot of velocity & also anyone within 15" of the vent side will get blasted with vent blast.

 Also don't fill the flashpan full, about 1/2 full & do not cover the vent hole with powder. as this will cause the vent to fuse & actually slow the ignition down.

[captchee]

 sorry  not 3/16 but 1/16th
 largest hole would be 3/16
 the measurments below is the largest i go  in the cliber brackets .  I dont find 1/32 to make any noticable diffrence .  up to 50 =1/16 
 50  and up 1/8th
 67 and up 3/16
slightly coning the outer face also helps

 sorry im not much a typest or speller lol

[scout34]

Thanks for the great advice!

I suppose the best thing to do would be for me to stay patient and learn the rifle.  take my time and be methodical about this.  I would have started load development sooner, but I just got back from the sandbox.  Next year I plan to be ready.

Just shot a young 6 point cull buck last night with a .257 Roberts.  The deer's left front leg was broken and pierced, possibly in a fight with another buck.