Welcome to Patrick J Cameron MANCAVE. Flintlock guns and hunting white tail deer, turkey and sometimes small game, Fly fishing Brook Trout, Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout in both salt water and freshwater rivers and streams. Traditional bushcraft, General ManCave topics.
I use a spray bottle filled with 91% alcohol to clean my barrel between relays when I shoot matches. It removes oil and it cuts fouling pretty well. It dries really fast leaving no residue. And it's cheap. I feel sorry for people who can't get real black powder. Pyrodex can be made to work in percussion rifles. It works best in percussion revolvers and under-hammer rifles where the fire only has to travel a short distance and goes directly into the charge. For a fast follow-up shot, I like to keep a few mini-ball design bullets in my bag. They load quick and easy and they shoot to point of aim out to 50 yards in my rifle. Thanks for the video. You make many good points.
I enjoyed your video. I have to comment on what you said about condensation though. Everyone has their own experience, and this is mine. A number of years ago I went hunting on a cold winter day with my Lyman Great Plains percussion rifle. On my way to my stand I saw a buck, took a shot and missed. I reloaded and continued to hunt. When I came back to the house that evening, leaving the rifle loaded, I hung it back where I keep it, hanging on the fireplace mantel above the fireplace, with a fire going. The rifle remained there for a week, until I took it out on another hunt. As I walked to my stand I spied an 8 point buck, drew a bead, pulled the trigger, and pop. All that fired was the cap. It spooked the buck, he ran a short ways and stopped. I put on another cap, pulled the trigger, and just a pop again. The buck jumped, but didn't run as far this time. I put on another cap, pulled the trigger, and pop again. This time the buck just looked up, and went about eating, casually, eventually walking into the brush out of view. I went on to my tree stand. When I got there I unscrewed the nipple and poured a little powder in the touch hole, replaced the nipple and recapped. After a while I see the buck walking towards my tree. I drew a bead and just a pop again. I'm really frustrated now. I walked back to the house and pulled the ball. When I pointed the muzzle down no powder came out. Did I dryball or what? I wound up putting the barrel into a bathtub full of hot water and running the ramrod in and out until finally a black cloud came pouring out of the barrel. So the only conclusion I can draw is that bringing a loaded cold rifle into a warm house and hanging it above the fireplace, enough condensation formed inside the bore to soak the powder. When it dried it turned into a solid cake that would not ignite, or even pour. Just what I experienced.
I have been giving your experience many hours of thought. In order for condensation to form on the steel and powder, It has to come into direct exposure to the warm moist air inside the house. The heat from the fireplace should have evaporated any tiny amount of moisture that might have come into contact via the hole in the nipple. It would take a large amount of condensation to turn the entire load into a large solid mass. The load does get packed to some extent when you seat the ball. Removing the nipple and pouring a tiny amount of powder in the touch hole should have eliminated any possible problem. Did carbon build up in the nipple cause a problem, blocking the ignition from the cap? This is an unusual experience.
@@PatrickJCameron I agree with everything you said, however I was just relaying what happened to me. As I said, I did unscrew the nipple and pour in a little powder, screwed the nipple back, capped it, still to no avail. When I finally pulled the ball back at the house, I could not pour powder out, even after hitting it with the ramrod. It took soaking the barrel in hot water in the bathtub for a few minutes to finally get a black cloud to start pouring out the muzzle. We know that we get ignition when loading with pellets rather than loose powder. You would think that solidified black powder should be no different from pellets? In addition to my muzzle loader, I have brought other rifles into a warm house after a hunt on cold days and had condensation form on them as well. Was condensation what caused my powder to solidify and not fire? I can't say for sure, but, right or wrong, it was my only logical explanation at the time.
Jim kibler longrifles are awesome! I have a colonial in 58cal and a woodsrunner in 54cal i love them . And he's coming out with a fowler in 16 and 20 ga. Anytime now can't wait! Anyway great gun hope to see you make smoke 🤠
I used pyrodex when I first started. In my defense, I have a Thompson Center Firestorm and the user manual specifically says pyrodex (and even pellets) are good to use. In the beginning, I basically did everything the user manual said. I've grown out of the pyrodex phase, especially now that I'm advanced enough to make my own black powder.
Oh, and don't mind the Thompson Center Firestorm. My next goal for growth is building something more traditional from a kit, like Kibler's. I've never done that before so the journey of learning continues.
Thanks for the advice! I started my flintlock journey not long ago and seeing this video sooner could have saved me a lot of frustration and profanity. I spent my first year just focused on reliability; I didn't even care about accuracy. Now I'm experienced enough to confirm what you're saying and agree with you.
I do the same thing that I did in the military my drill sergeant taught me all the way back in 1978 Dawn dishwashing liquid and it's hot water as you can stand and you scrub that barrel until you think it's clean then you do it a little bit more you run patch after patch after patch through that barrel until it is dry that's how I do all my rifles black powder all the way up to an AR which is a dirty word I know
Thanks for posting this! As a Canadian, how hard is it to get black powder? Always considered getting one, but worried it would be hard to get the powder.
Your rifle is beautiful, and I am especially in love with how gorgeous the wood stock looks. I want mine to look just as nice. You mentioned you used "Jim Chambers oil finish". Did you just buy the 3-piece finish kit (Antique wood stain, Barrel brown & degreaser, and stock finish oil)? Thank you.
Yes. That is the kit that I purchased. All the products are EASY to use and produce great results. WEAR GLOVES when staining! t takes days to get it off your hands.
I’m with you all the way ! Wise words indeed ! I’ve just got only one thing to criticize. And that’s the remark “I’ve never had a misfire “ ! Well let’s be honest how do we find out what works and what doesn’t ? As I was learning I’ve had a lot of them and now I’ve got very few. And ya I do a lot of shooting and take my flints to the bitter end and on my range I get to the end of them and I know it’s time to change it. Thanks for the good presentation, well done. 👍😃
All I can say it that I am super careful and serious when I do load my gun and make sure to keep my powder dry. BECAUSE, I could not take spending three days to call in a turkey and not have my gun go off OR endless days deer hunting, only to not have my gun go off. I have found a method that works for me and I am very strict on it. I am hunting turkey in Maine the end of the month. (10 hour drive and hundreds of dollars) then on to Ontario and more hundreds of dollars then 1000 miles back home. You bet I am careful and serious when loading my gun.
Wise words indeed! But of course they would be because you know very well what you are talking about. One very important aspect of long term storage is that many people make the mistake of storing a firearm muzzle up, this allows oil to drain down the vertical barrel and seep into the stock, it also allows the oil to congeal around the touch hole/nipple and prevent reliable ignition, if the firearm is stored muzzle down this does not become a problem, I have seen many good rifles returned from hot climate countries,(India/Africa), with the head of the stock so soaked with oil the wood has become soft. I look forward to many more of your videos! Chris B.
Very well observed Patrick, I did consider the Southern Mountain rifle with 2 calibre barrels, because these barrels are CNC profiled they will interchange without problems, so you could just buy another barrel and bore it out to 20 bore without problem, then just change the barrels as required. Stay safe! Chris B.
Good point. Don't know if there is enough meat at the narrow/waist of the swamped barrel for .620 bore. Would have to check with a custom barrel maker to get solid advice on max bore dia. that would be safe.
@@PatrickJCameron I did not know it was a swamped barrel, what is the minimum across the flat dimension of the barrel ? That would not be at a point of maximum pressure for the 20 bore, but I was thinking that you could just drop the smoothbore barrel into your rifle stock. if you measure a 12 bore barrel the muzzle end is only .060"thick. Good luck! Chris B.
I have just measured my swamped barrel and the narrowest section is .770" AF so at that distance from the breach it should be OK, it may be a little weak to support the muzzle section though. Chris B.
I've had condensation all over a centerfire rifle when it was kept in a truck in -10F temps all night and then brought inside, otherwise I agree with you - it's a rare enough problem to not really have to worry about it.
it is IMPORTANT for you to know how close you are to making it click. A piece of paper is supposed to be 3 thousandths of an inch think. You are NOT that far off. If you tap the button with the handle of a screwdriver it will likely click. YOU ARE THAT CLOSE!. Ethan at I love muzzleloading shows how he addressed this issue on one of his latest Kibler Woodsrunner video easier than I can explain it. Basically one way is to dress the closing/locking edge on the spring with a file. A very fine file. One or two swipes at a time. Keeping the locking edge crisp and square. As if you were cleaning up a burr on the edge even if there is none there.
@@PatrickJCameron thanks for that. But i assume there are options for wood and fitting materials/ brass/iron. Id be interested in the southern mountain rifle kit he sells. In cherrywood in 45 caliber. .currently have an Italian 45 kentucky rifle in 45 and like the 45 calibers.
Very nice job Patrick on that Flint lock . getting ready to start a S.M.R. from Kibler. I will take your advice on patients and take my time . And when you talked about the Grand kids ending up getting your guns . I smiled because I feel the same way .Thanks for the video and Happy Trials
Hi Patrick so I Ordered Kibler Kit and they offered an extra special stock with total figuring in it with carving it’s a bit expensive but I believe it will be worth it I built my first Muzzle loader in the later 70’s when Ontario introduced black powder season for deer and there were no guns to buy I have been shooting a Savage In-line with Rifle powder and have taken Deer Bear Turkey. Now I am switching to a flintlock? BTW nice ring which lodge?
Doric 424 Ajax Ontario……… I am picking mine up in May so I can get the Iron Nitrate and finishing products. I am looking forward to building it out. A few years ago I got a Boyle thumbhole laminate stock for May savage and had it bedded, since then I have shot running deer at 204M and 138M. Accurate beyond belief.
They look fantastic, give my eye teeth to get one. I have watched most of videos on Kibler rifles. Jim does an incredible job on them. One day some how, i will like one. I know here a firearm needs to be sent to a gunshop and the police told me no problems just need a form from them so it looks like problems are on your end.
Really no problems on this end. It is extra easy and simple to get a kibler flintlock shipped to Canada but some people just have not had the chance to explore the process. I have shipped several flintlocks to Canada and crossed the border with flintlocks dozens of times with no issues whatsoever. The second video explains the Canadian connections without boring Americans friends to death. Thanks for the comment.
For the fellow who wants to hold a Woods Runner before buying one ,should attend some black powder gun shows or historical event , and handle one there. They are everywhere now!
About 40 years ago I used to shoot competitions. I’m now 72yo and wanting to get back into black powder. I’m torn on the woods runner, and the southern mountain rifle, I love the woods runner but I like the iron furniture and set trigger. But I think I will drop the hammer real soon. Thank you.
It is a tough decision for the very reasons you mention. The identical composition of the woodsrunner to the original is a strong consideration. The woods runner is done on a different CNC machine and it a more complete assembly, requiring less work. 7-1/2 pounds. The 39 3/4 inch barrel is pretty handy. I would guess the trigger on my gun breaks at about 2.5 pounds. The brass will develop its own patina quick enough. Good luck with your decision.
@@PatrickJCameron the kit is about 10 x more than the last one I built in the 80s, but from all I’ve seem the quality is 100x better from Kibler, I think I’m going to just do it, I’m not getting any younger.
@@PatrickJCameron I just finished my Woods Runner and made it with the Southern Ohio Artisan Workshop. The guy next to me did a Southern Mt. riffle. And I have also taken a tour of the factory given by Jim Kibler himself. And I can confirm the above posting. The Woods Runner is made on a more modern machine and consequently requires less work and just fits better. But, if you like the SMR then by all means go with it. You won't regret it. I chose the WR because my gun is going to be a deer hunter and the WR is more suited to that purpose.
Great review on the woodsrunner. Iam on the fence also. If i was to order this gun i would get the carved version in 50 ca. The main thing thats holding me back is if it fits me. Iam 6 foot tall and weigh 155 lb. with long arms. I have the traditions Pennsylvania witch i love the looks of it with all of the brass inlays but it just doesn't fit me very good very uncomfortable to shoot. Sure wish i could fine someone in S E wisconsin that had one that i could hold.
I am also 6 feet tall but a touch over 200 pounds. I find the rifle fits very well. The 54 cal will be a hair lighter than the 50 cal. The swamped barrel certainly makes a big difference in the balance of the gun.
I too am 6'2" and thin and I just finished my Woods Runner. It fits me pretty well. But, my Tompson Center really fits me well. It just has a longer stock. I hope this helps.
