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Old June 6, 2013, 02:57 PM   #1
Archarris
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Euroarms Kentucky rifle

I'm looking to buy my first bp rifle for deer season this fall. I am on a very tight budget. I came across a Euroarms Kentucky flintlock. What is a reasonable price for this? It looks kinda beat up, but that's ok because I'm going to drag it around the woods and don't want something I'm afraid to get dirty. Anyone have any experience with these rifles?
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Old June 6, 2013, 03:43 PM   #2
Pahoo
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Check the bore and lock !!!

Quote:
It looks kinda beat up, but that's ok because I'm going to drag it around the woods and don't want something I'm afraid to get dirty.
If it looks all that beat-up, you may not like the bore and you would be wasting your money. Last weekend I saw a Cabela's Hawken model and it really did not look all that bad, on the outside. Dropped my bore light down the bore and it was bad. Well beyond webs and dust. Showed it to the seller and he just shrugged his shoulders. He was asking $190.00 for it and was only good for parts and wall-hanger. .....

Be Safe !!!
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Old June 6, 2013, 06:27 PM   #3
Doc Hoy
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I am thinking you have some time....

...until deer season to do a little shopping around.

I would be skeptical of a rifle that has been rode hard and put up wet.

I am also thinking you want a little time to practice with it to get yourself accustomed to how it shoots.

I am not a hunter but there are plenty of guys here who are and they will have an abundance of good info.
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Old June 6, 2013, 07:17 PM   #4
Hawg
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A flinter would not be my choice for a first gun. I'd start with a decent percussion sidelock like one of the Hawken models. You may pay a little more for it but you'll be happier with it. After you get used to that then you can pick up a flinter to play with.
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Old June 6, 2013, 08:10 PM   #5
Captchee
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I would agree , with Hawg with the acception of a rifle with a quality lock .
the rifle your looking at would not be such a gun .
with a flintlock , the lock is of Utmost importance . a good one will be very reliable and fast . a bad one will give you nothing but fits unless you have the experience to fix whats wrong with it.
Some times one can get around a bad bore . Surprisingly sometimes what some would think of as a bad bore will shoot very well , other times not . But its best to get one in as good a condition as you can
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Old June 6, 2013, 08:22 PM   #6
Archarris
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Thanks for the replys. I've got time before hunting season so ill hold out for something better.
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Old June 6, 2013, 08:26 PM   #7
jackpine
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just the other day I saw a T/C New Englander 50 cal on gunbroker for $150 basic auction and no bids. If the bore is good thats a steal and worst case you have to pick up a new barrel on GB or Ebay for maybe another $150. That would be a $300 rifle that will last generations with a little care
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Old June 7, 2013, 10:31 AM   #8
n5lyc
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You will find the learning curve getting into muzzle loaders is steep.

I started in the late 70's.
I am still learning.

You can lessen that curve by starting with a percussion rifle as stated earlier.
THEN if you like it, step into to a flintlock.

The nuances of operating a flintlock is something you just don't jump into.
and even with years of experience in caplocks, unless you have a mentor to show you what NOT to do, you will probably get frustrated quickly.

That being said, even after 30+ years of muzzle loading, (and shooting most anything else with a trigger) I still prefer to use percussion.

Not saying I don't know how to make a flintlock reliably fire, i just prefer the percussion.

Which ever you do get first, take it to the range, try different loads and projectiles.

Remember, the max loads are rarely the most accurate, a good hit in the vital areas of an animal is better than a miss with a lot of smoke and recoil.

Since you are "handloading" each shot, it is all about consistency, using the same powder charge, same patch thickness (or sabot if you are using modern projectiles in a fast twist gun), same seating pressure, are you going to be shooting from a clean bore? or a fouled one. (it does make a difference).


Muzzle loaders are not like a modern rifle where you bring it home, shoot it 3 or 4 times to zero it, and then throw it on the rack until deer season.

Each gun is different, they have their own personality, their likes and dislikes.
I have 2 .50 cal Hawken rifles, 1 by CVA, another by Thompson Center.
The CVA is most accurate with 55gr. of FF with a .010 patch and a .490 round ball.
The TC likes 70gr. of FF with a .015 patch and a .490 round ball.

Go above or below these powder charges, and the groups start getting bigger.

Good luck, Let us know which way you go, and how you do.

Ian
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Old June 7, 2013, 05:14 PM   #9
Captchee
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like the last poster said , i to started out with a cap lock . that was back in the mid 70's. 1977 to be exsact .
that was the first rifle i ever built . in 1982 i jumped to a flintlock and have never looked back nor ever considered looking back .
my sugestion to you would be to find eather a local club or a group of local traditional shooters . link up with them , shoot some of their rifles .
if a flintlock is what you want , then yes it will be much faster to lern the ropes with the help of an exspereiance shooter . but again , the key to a flintlock is a quality lock . IMO its a must
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