Introduction

[Chocktaw Brave]

Hello all, I have been looking at this website for a bit and decided to join up to gain more knowledge for my upcoming project.
My experience with black powder started in the 70’s. I home made a “pistol” from a cut off .30 caliber barrel from my dads shop. I was only 16, and it was crude(fired by fuse), but it would put a hole through a 5/8” sheet of plywood! And it started my long journey into black powder firearms.
I have owned several flintlocks, a brass Henry style percussion rifle, and a .69 cal flintlock pistol that I purchased for $40, wish I still had it.
After a long hiatus, serving in the Army, I have revived my interest it them. I purchased a .50 cal Green Mountain barrel about 20 years ago. It sat in my Dads shop for most of that time waiting on a stock. It never came to be, and was forgotten in a corner. I lost my Dad four years ago. While going through his shop I found the old barrel, in surprisingly good shape considering it was in the white, in the dank humid air of south Texas.
So I have finally decided to complete this build that I kinda started so many years ago.
I’m going to build a full stock early Hawken flintlock. Barrel is 36”, and I have all the iron hardware on hand, but still waiting for my stock to be inletted. I have never been that good at woodworking(my Dad was fantastic!), so I decided it would be better to have the hard parts done by someone else.

I currently own a Traditions Kentucky rifle in flintlock. It’s not bad for a mass produced black powder rifle, but I really want to build my own. I have been cleaning up a few of the cast parts while waiting for the stock, but as soon as it arrives, I’ll have a ton of questions for you guys.
Thank you for the opportunity to share in the truly American tradition of building flintlock rifles!

P.S. I plan to take the state proficiency test this summer and eventually Moose hunt with this rifle.

[Bill Raby]

No need to wait for someone else to do the inletting. It really is not that hard. You will never be good at woodworking unless you do a bit of it.

[RAT]

If you need to have someone else inlet your barrel, and you're starting with a solid stock blank, contact David Rase. He's a member here. Many makers job-out their barrel inletting to him. He will inlet the barrel channel and drill the ramrod hole for a very reasonable cost. And better still... he's very good at it.

[smylee grouch]

Welcome Chocktaw and thank you for your service. Good hobby and this is a good site to learn about it. Enjoy the ride. 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Welcome to our world!!  Good luck with the addiction.

[bob in the woods]

Welcome !  Lots to enjoy here 

[flinchrocket]

Greetings Mr. Chocktaw, enjoy the ride. Thank you for your service. The only state I’ve been where I saw a moose was Montana. He was standing in the middle of Emerald Lake.

[Chocktaw Brave]

Thank you all!
I’m buying the stock from Pecatonnica River, everyone else I called was out of stock. So they are Inletting it. I was gong for a #3 grade, but they were out of those, so it’s a #4 grade stock.

Where does one buy files with a blind/safe edge?
All I have seen in stores here are plain.

Lots of Moose here in Alaska, I’ve taken two with a bow at 43 and 35 yards, and one with a modern rifle at 25 yards. So I think I can get one with a muzzleloader! I’ve read that in the early days, hunters shots were typically accurate to 150 yards, but I wonder how much energy a .490 round ball has at that range?

[Stoner creek]

You can safe edge your file on a bench grinder or belt sander.
Have you considered changing your handle to Chocktaw Bingo? One of my favorite songs from James McMurtry. Check it out!!

[Bob Gerard]

Mississippi or Oklahoma Choctaw?

[Chocktaw Brave]

Good tip on the file!

I’m guessing Oklahoma, my Great grandmother on my moms side, was full blooded. Most oF her family came from Arkansas. And northern Texas/ Louisiana.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

One of the very first power tools I purchased when I was starting out was a good bench grinder, mine made by Wissota.  I used it to shape my own safe-edged files.

[tecum-tha]

Wow, .45 cal is a legal hunting caliber in Alaska with basically no other description.
I first thought that .50 cal. sounded pretty illegal for moose. I checked the regs.
Personally, I think this rifle may be a little too heavy in weight and a little bit too small in the caliber department.
But maybe you just plan to hunt a few hundred yards from the road or with horses.
 

[Chocktaw Brave]

Well a friend of mine shot a black bear with a .50 cal, of course it was only about 10 yards away. But good clean kill.

[Chocktaw Brave]

Well a friend of mine shot a black bear with a .50 cal, of course it was only about 10 yards away. But good clean kill.

I have an area that I hunt where I’ve gotten a couple of Moose, I always spot and stalk them, i’ve gotten pretty good at following tracks. Must be the Indian blood in me.