My advise that is usually worth about $.02 is to go slow and don't feel you need to know everything up front. Part of the fun of shooting these old smoke poles is solving problems that come up.
Then if or when you take one to the field hunting after investing $500.00+ for tags and a whole pail full of money on everything else for the trip, are you willing to have only 1 shot and the potability of that 1 shot failing for numerous reasons and then look back and treasure the hunt weather or not your tag was filled.
Some just cannot accept that.
My score card is Gbro -0- for 10 hunts W/3 flashed pans and 2 out and out misses. All bulls 5X5=3 6X6=2. And I am readying my gear for another Colorado Hunt next month.
There is nothing quite like stalking a large bull Elk with a flintlock, The flash in the pan only means I don't have to carry all that meat out of the mountains, and I didn't wound an animal. I would not want to chase a wounded animal in the area where I hunt. The flash is almost a blessing
