Missed Opportunity

[Tizzy]

UGGGGGGGG! I missed my opportunity to get my first flintlock buck this morning. I had just gotten finished watching a flock of turkey when I noticed a doe approaching my stand no more than 30 yards to the left of me. Since it is not doe day here and I don't have any doe tags, I did what any responsible hunter would do....pull out my blackberry and attempt to video tape the doe. The only problem was that after video taping the doe for about a minute the sunlight hit the deer and I realized the doe wasn't a doe, but a spike buck. You can imagine my frustration as I attempted to put down the blackberry and make ready my early Lancaster to take the buck. While fumbling around the deer became spooked and trotted to about 65 yards before stopping for my whistles. I steadied for the shot, took aim and..............flinched! I flinched bigger than the empire state building when the pan flashed. I'm not sure why I flinched, maybee it was my fumbling attempt to get into position, or lack of experience. Not sure, but I was holding high when the rifle went off. Oh well, maybee next week will produce another chance for me to harvest my first deer with a flintlock. Oh, and glory be to God above, because not long before I saw the deer I had sent a prayer up asking if he would allow me the opportunity to see one. He did his part..I failed mine. Ha Ha

[Daryl]

It's good to get out, afterall, experience is the best teacher. Note the statement after my signature.

[northmn]

Next year the spike will be maybe a 6 pointer?  I have a 54 flintlock that is jinxed.  While I still use it, I had a flinch on an easy shot with it last year.  Replaced the sights and liner this year out of stubborness and the fact that it is the only caliber I have for deer at this time except the 40, whcih I may use anyway.  Good luck have fun.  I ahd a little spike practically crawl in my lap while I was squirrel hunting and had squirrels all over the place while deer hunting.

DP
 

[BrownBear]

You'll treasure the memory of that buck someday!  That's the nature of hunting memories.

I sat on a stump for a sandwich midday a few years back, laying my rifle on the ground next to me.  First bite and the largest buck of the year stood up from the scrub not 30 feet in front of me and trotted out of sight into the nearby timber quicker than I could close my mouth.  Ratzz!  

Something made me look over my shoulder a few moments later, and there he stood 40 yards away looking back downhill at me.  Didn't have time to shift to a one-handed sandwich hold before he stepped back out of sight.

No problem, right? Just mark it up to experience.  

Wrong!

Made the mistake of telling my hunting pards and showing them the tracks.

Now the place is a local landmark, and folks that don't even know the story call it Sandwich Flats.  

Could you be a little more specific about where we can find Blackberry Hollow?   

[Tizzy]

Ha Ha, Blackberry Hollow....I think that would be an appropriate name for that section of woods. You know, the only reason I had my Blackberry on me is that my wife is expecting any day now. Had I not had that phone on me, and had not tried to record another amateur outdoor show, I would have realized that "doe" was a buck while it was offering me a perfectly clear broadside shot at 30 yards. It's better to have missed an opportunity at a spike than risk seeing my first child being born. I appreciate you gents sharing your mishap stories with me, they make me feel not alone during my moment of humility. Take care, everyone, and hopefully my next hunting outing will end with a success story. 

[eagle24]

Tizzy,
Don't sweat it, you'll get another chance.  Relax and enjoy being in the woods and you'll soon realize that you don't have to harvest a deer for the hunt to be a success.  Probably won't be too many more years before I consider getting in and out of the woods a success in itself.   I understand the Blackberry if your wife is "anyday", can't say I blame you.  After the new baby arrives,  I'd change the rules.  I tell my wife and daughters if the call or text me in the woods it better be important.  Funny, what they consider important.

[Tizzy]

GHall, I know what you mean about the cell phone rules. I think after the baby gets here and my next chance to go hunting arises I may just have to "accidentally" forget my phone. 

[hammerhead]

happens-- but not the end of all hunts

[ottawa]

a nice buck where i bow hunt made it thrue bow and gun season the owner let me hunt the last day of ML on his land (neghbors use it for gun and ML) practiced all year for a shot this buck gave me perfect 20yrd broad side 54 in hand boom about 2ft hi 3ft in front had cloves on i did not prctice with bigger then i thought that big tree didnt stand a chance

[Tizzy]

Wow, the more you gents comeforth with your hunting mishap stories, the less alone I feel in my blunder...You know my wife kinda chuckled when I told her that I had posted my story on here, she said I was going to my "support group." Ha Ha

[ottawa]

my wife keeps looking for recipe for tree

[BrownBear]

Wow, the more you gents comeforth with your hunting mishap stories, the less alone I feel in my blunder...You know my wife kinda chuckled when I told her that I had posted my story on here, she said I was going to my "support group." Ha Ha

Well, shoot.

You're just hearing the stories we're willing to talk about!!!!   

[SPG]

Does a blackberry have to be ripe in order to video tape with it?

[eagle24]

Wow, the more you gents comeforth with your hunting mishap stories, the less alone I feel in my blunder...You know my wife kinda chuckled when I told her that I had posted my story on here, she said I was going to my "support group." Ha Ha

Well....here's another one.  I decided to take a doe this evening.  About 4:00, four does walked by at 20 yards.  I sat still and thought I'm gonna let them go.  They started feeding and 15 minutes later, I'm drawing a bead on one at 50 yards.  Why shoot em at 20 when you can shoot em at 50?  Right?  Kaboom!  When the smoke clears I have no clue which way she went, but was sure she was hit good.  Well here they come back, all four.  Get to within 40 yards, looking mad, they blow and take off.  I had marked the spot well where the one I shot at was standing, so I got down and spent the last 45 minutes of light looking for blood.  Nothing.  I'm pretty sure it was a clean miss, especially since I saw all four of them after I shot.  No clue what happened other than I missed.

[Tizzy]

Ha Ha, sounds like another good one for the "support group" GHall. You know, a shot at a target the size of a deer's vitals at 50 yards on the range is easy, you add fur and a few hooves and it becomes near impossible. I just hope I didn't jinx anyone in the divulging of my misshap. GHall, sorry to hear about that missed opportunity, but I have to admit, it put a smile on my face. For those of you still lurking in the shadows and withholding your blunder stories.....just know we are here for you. Ha Ha

[Tom Currie]

I have my own Sandwhich flats , 8 pointer walked by midday , while I was eating lunch. And my wife believes this is my support group also.

[JBlk]

You might not of made venison but the memory of that buck over your sights will remin your mind forever.

[Tizzy]

I had a current misshap and thought it was only fitting to include it in this original post that I had started when the last event occurred......So there I was.....In a not so distant area from "Blackberry Hollow," a nice coyote presented himself to me for the taking. While I did not want to take the shot and ruin my chances at a deer, I was compelled to do so by the terms myself and the other hunters on this land had agreed to. You see, here in South Carolina the coyote population is getting out of hand, and the turkey and deer population seems to be suffering because of it.  So I settled in for the shot, took aim and swooosh. The pan flashed, but no respectable boom followed it.  I couldn't believe it. I had missed that deer earlier last week with the same rifle. I'm starting to believe it is jinxed.  So I have returned to the "support group" to ask a question in search of some knowledge. While I understand these things happen to flintlocks on a frequent basis during less than perfect conditions, this same rifle has given me trouble in the past during shooting at the range with the same thing. I had wiped the bore free of all oil before loading, and insured the vent was clear. The weather conditions were partly cloudy and no precipitation.  I guess what I'm looking for is some tips of the trade to make this thing fire more reliably, with the problem seeming to spawn from the vent.  I would change the vent liner in it at see how that fixes the problem, but with deer season ending soon and a baby due any minute, I'm looking for a quick fix to ensure better reliability as I don't want this to happen on the buck that has been tearing the woods up. I had thought about pouring a few grains of priming powder down before a reduced load of FFG to compensate for the pressure increase, but wanted to consult you gentlemen before doing so. Any tips or tricks that will increase reliability and offer my rifle the ability to redeem herself would be appreciated. 

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Tizzy, first I'd like to see a photo of the pan/vent area.  Then I'd like you to tell me which is the largest # drill that will pass into your vent hole.  I need to see what everything looks like to make a comment on a fix.  It's probably quite simple.

[Tizzy]

Mr. Sapergia thanks for your assistance. I attempted to attach the photo to my response, but I'm going to have to read through the tutorial on attaching photos tomorrow after getting out of the woods and try again.  A little bit of info. The vent will allow a 1/16th fractional to pass through with a tight squeeze, so I believe that would equal near a #52 bit. The vent is a little forward of center of the pan, as the rifle was constructed from a precarve with the lock pre inlet, so it is what it is. I will try and send another post when returning from the woods with the requested photo. Thanks again for your assistance.

[Daryl]

Mr?- hehehehehehehehehe

[Tizzy]

Ok, I'm back to try and post this pic.......here goes....  I sure hope that worked. As you can see the photo isn't the best quality in the world as photography was an elective I never took in High School. I do however hope it displays the relation of the vent to the pan.  Sorry that it has taken me so long to post the pic..I was able to harvest a buck this morning, then I had a dentist appointment.

[Jerry V Lape]

I am sure Daryl will be along with his expertise shortly.  However, I had a pan/flash hole set up just about identical to yours and it was neither reliable nor fast.  Note there is a lot of metal on the front side of that pan.  I took a dremel grinder to my pan and made it wide enough to center the flash hole and highly polished the interior while there.  That helped a lot.  Then I put in a Jim Chambers White lightening liner and the rifle now is highly reliable, quite fast and and the pan wipes out easy too!   Daryl may have some better suggestions but it has probably been awhile since he mislocated the flash hole this far so I may be considered more expert in such problems 

[Daryl]

The picture is OK s'fr as I can see - and the hole location also appears as if it should work just fine as well, althoguh a bit forward of centre - however a whitelightening liner is a good investment, as Jerry indicated. You'll have to re-drill and thread the hole for the 32TPI liner, though. Moving the pan forwad with a dremel will also help with the appearance as Jerry suggested.

[Dphariss]

When you load the rifle how close to the pan is the powder in the liner?

For best results it should look like the photo below.
If it does not you will need a larger vent. If it does then you need only about  a .060 vent.
But if the powder is held back twice as far there will be problems with the smaller vent and a .070 or slightly larger vent will be needed. This will result in some powder being ejected when the gun is loaded and more gas escape when fired.
In my experience a flat vent or one with a slight exterior funnel will work best. The screw driver slot may hurt reliability if any fouling builds up in the slot next to the vent.
The late British vents were virtually all made similar to the White lightning. Different process in most but the design and function was the same. Many English locks have "vent wipers" that wipe all fouling from the vent. This helps prevent moisture from being absorbed into the fouling and I thing fouling on the face of the vent helps prevent the flash from heating the main charge to ignition.
But that is just theory.

Dan