Aug 30, 2017

FLINTLOCK HUNTING

Ever wondered where the old saying “flash in the pan” came from? It’s origins date back to an era when Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone wandered the woods with a powder horn and flintlock rifle. When the hammer is cocked, the frizzen, also known as the steel, which is an L-shaped piece of steel positioned over the flash pan, is charged with powder. When the trigger is pulled, the flint on the hammer comes down hard, scraping down the face of the frizzen, throwing it back to expose the powder pan, causing a shower of sparks that then ignites the main charge in the rifle.

Most novice shooters of the flintlock rifle close their eyes at this point and hope the ball (or bullet) flies true. To many, that was the downside of flintlock hunting: there was essentially two ignitions every time the trigger was pulled whereas the more modern rifles let bullets fly all in one smooth motion. It’s natural to lean into the shot and push the body forward right when the trigger is pulled to fight recoil.

But what’s old is becoming new again. Like vinyl records, Converse All Stars and horn-rimmed glasses, flintlock rifles and in particular flintlock hunting are beginning to see a slight resurgence. The traditional bow community - wooden longbows and arrows - is helping to blaze a new path to get back to the way America’s founders harvested game.

The history of the flintlock rifle can probably go back to the 16th century. That is to say those old guns used some sort of flint to ignite the load. The locking mechanism for the hammer was developed by French artist and inventor Marin le Bourgeoys in the early 1600s when he made one for King Louis XIII. Bourgeoys is credited with inventing the flintlock mechanism, a way of shooting firearms that would last over two centuries.

Obviously the weapon would evolve and eventually cross the ocean where it was mass produced for one of the worst atrocities this country has ever witnessed, the Civil War. The most common flintlock rifles of that time were the Model 1819 Hall Breech Loading Rifle, which had been patented by John Hall in 1817. Others, like the ones we defeated the British with during the American Revolution some 100 years before were homemade replicas of what had come out of England. Shooting an elk or deer at 300-plus yards sure makes you think about the advancements in firearm technology.

Flintlock hunting is part of a bygone era that also involved using these rifles to do battle.

Imagine for just a second that you’re a young man in the midst of a Civil War battle. Your rifle is charged - powder poured, ball seated - and the captain has just ordered the battalion to attach bayonets. Your body reacts to the commands, rather unconsciously. You can see your hands but they don’t feel like yours. Sulfuric gunpowder fills your nostrils and the taste of blood in your mouth is so heavy you may as well be chewing aluminum. The ensuing minutes could be your last. If you survive the volley fire the enemy lays upon the lines of your friends and in turn plant your ball into the breast of the man across from you, then it’s a rush to win the battle with hand-to-hand combat. Kill or be killed. The hot steel blade at the end of your barrel meant for another.

Now let your mind drift to more peaceful times. At home in the Appalachian Mountains a young man may venture out for days in search of game for his family. Bear, deer, turkey, even elk, were abundant in those days and harvesting meat was not so difficult. The journey would be days long only for the sake of a time when a man wasn’t in so much of a hurry. Likely there was a crystal clear trout stream where one could camp for several nights, living off of fresh fish and small game. Evenings you’d pack your pipe and ponder the secrets of the world as the sun set blood red beneath what was surely a flat Earth.

Taking up flintlock hunting is a tip of the hat to the very young man who suffered the trials and reaped the rewards of our young country. While rifled barrels have increased the accuracy of these relics, they still aren’t as efficient as what you’ll find in the mass-produced Remingtons, Winchesters and others. Like anything, it takes practice. Just do us a favor and leave the bayonet at home.