MVTC Tulle Fusil de Chasse

[Colduglandon]

I just took delivery of my first flintlock. Looking for starting powder and ball load for this musket. Never owned a flintlock before. I have fired my percussion 50 cal cva kit gun using substitute powders, never black powder. Any suggestions appreciated.

[l.cutler]

Use real black powder! Without knowing bore size it would be impossible to recommend a ball size. Some shoot smoothbores with a bare ball and wadding, while some shoot a patched ball as in a rifle. I have tried both and use a patched ball. I use 65 grains of fffg and a patched .570 round ball in my .58 caliber Carolina gun. Post some pictures if you can, I love those smoothbores!

[Model12Win]

You might need real black powder for reliable ignition of the pan powder.

[noelf2]

As others said, you will want to get some real black powder. Subs will not give you reliable ignition, and will have a long delay between spark and bang. FFg would be ideal for a 20 bore or bigger. FFFg will work fine though.

[Colduglandon]

I found this note on sellers website

"If you are a smoothbore target shooter or hunter, this is the gun for you. One afternoon we took the prototype out for some 25yd test firing, and it performed pretty well with a .600 round ball, 65 grains of FFg, and muslin patches.

[Colduglandon]

Please post on my behalf as I have trouble with the computer:

Muskets were charged from their cartridge and the practice of using a separate priming horn with finer powder did not come about until the time of Napoleon.

So, a soldier back then would pull a cartridge from his cartridge box and bite it open, keeping the bullet in his mouth. From the torn paper cartridge he would prime his pan and then shut it. The remainder of the powder would be poured down the barrel. The paper cartridge wadded up and stuff into the barrel and the ball spit from the mouth atop the paper. The rammer was then pulled from the stock and the ball and paper rammed down the barrel. After the rammer was returned to the stock, the soldier (generally upon command) could then shoot.

Modernly though I would have a powder spout that was allowed for 60 grains FF (30 grains is enough if you're just target practicing). Pour it into a measure and introduce it down the barrel. Then some wadding material followed by an undersized ball. On other hand, I'd probably put the wadding atop of the ball to keep it from rolling out.

Anyway, I'd use a priming horn to prime the pan with a finer grain of powder. You should know that Colonial Williamsburg did some high speed photography of a flintlock in action and found that the bigger grain powder tends to trap the sparks better than the finer grain priming powder.

After priming, you, like the infantry, will be ready to shoot.
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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. Molon Labe!

[Hawg]

60 grains is a very weak load. I would start at 100 with a patched ball and go up from there.

[Colduglandon]

Maybe they took it easy because it was a prototype and it was only 25 yds. Thanks for the advice.

[Old Stony]

I shortened up mine some just to make it a different shooter for me, but they can be fun and you can load about any level of powder you want between 30 to 100 grains or so depending on what you want it to do. They are very versatile. I load a .600 ball generally, patching the ball with some lubed drapery material I have a supply of. I have shot deer and hogs with this smoothbore and also had a lot of fun loading shot in it.

[l.cutler]

60 grains would not be a bad place to start. I have had three 20 gauge smoothbores in addition to my .58 and have never gone higher than 80 grains. Smoothbores are a different animal than rifles, too much powder will really shoot eratically.

[4V50 Gary]

60 grains because it's a good starting point. He's no voltigeur. Stretch your powder for more fun.

[T. O'Heir]

Go buy a copy of the Lyman BP Handbook and Reloading Guide. Tell you every thing you need to know, starting with that 60 grain load is by volume, not mass like smokeless.
Muslin is a kind of thin cotton cloth. Found in discount fabric shops. Other patch material is called pillow ticking. It's that stripped(usually blue and grey) cotton cloth found on old feather pillows. Also found in discount fabric shops.

[Colduglandon]

The input is appreciated. Got a question on flints. Track of the Wolf has British, American and French. Anyone have a preference. Thanks for the reminder on the Lyman book. I bought one a while back before I did any BP shooting just to read through. Now I hope I did not lend it out.

I've been asked several times since I ordered the flintlock if I'm going to join a militia or reenactment group. Wondering if I just started down a slippery slope.

[Bishop Creek]

I have found the hand knapped British flints from Track of the Wolf to be excellent.

[Colduglandon]

The Track flints were recommended so I will likely go with that.

[bedbugbilly]

I have a Fusil-de-chasse that we scratch built. Mine has a 20 gauge barrel nd I normally use a .600 RB with pre-lubed strips of pillow ticking - cut at the muzzle for patching. That's what mine likes but every gun and barrel are different.

I no longer hunt with mine - I have taken pheasant with it though as well as other four legged critters. For the ranges I'm shooting, 60 grains of FFG is adequate. I used to use 4F for priming the pan but now just use the same 2F that is in my horn. The trade lock is a large lock and the 1 1/8 flint gives a good shower of sparks and gives fast ignition with the 2F priming. But again, each gun is different so you might want to play with that and see what works best in yours.

For using shot, you can get wads and over shot cards from Circle Fly. My brother has a 20 gauge Northwest Trade Gun and he likes to use an over shot card between the powder and patched ball. I've tried it and can see no difference in accuracy out of my Fusil.

You'll love that Fusil. They have a great feel to them and I find them to be very well balanced. With practice, you'll soon begin to get good accuracy at smoothbore ranges.

I use the 1 18" English flints from Track of the Wolf and they work well - I've tried others and still keep going back to them.

Trade guns have a long and interesting history. I have a Northwest TG that someone started as a kit (I think one of North Star's but not sure). I was able to buy it at a song a number of years ago and that will dating back to when Curley was still alive be my project this coming winter to get it finished.

Enjoy that new Fusil and have fun! It will put a big wide smile on your face!

[ligonierbill]

I put together a Chambers kit of a Pennsylvania Fowler a few years back. It's 0.62 bore (16 ga) and likes a 0.600 ball with 0.010 lubed pillow ticking. I load 80 gr FFg, which was Chambers' recommendation. No sense getting carried away with the powder. These are not long range weapons, and the old time recommended charge was 1/4 the weight of the ball (320 gr -> 80 gr). That doesn't work for small calibers, but it does for mine.

You know, the beauty of a smoothbore is you can load shot. Load your powder, an overpowder wad, some cushioning material, shot (usually the same measure by volume as the powder), an overshot card to retain it all, and you've got a shotgun. No choke, of course, but you can work the powder to shot ratio to get a decent, albeit short range pattern. In general, more shot, less powder works best.

If you haven't already, check out the National Muzzleloading Rifle Association. Great organization dedicated to preserving the firearms and culture of that time in America.

[Colduglandon]

Thanks for the tips on using shot. This is my first flintlock so I'll enjoy figuring it all out. I've ordered two different sizes of flints to see what works best. The dealer said to use a .60 ball in this weapon.