Dealing with flinch shooting flintlock

Hey all,
Some of you may have seen my post on my pedersoli .32 scout I purchased a couple of months ago on the other forum.

Haven't had time to shoot anything lately and plan to some time this week get the .32 out and shoot. This is my first flinter and I'm having trouble with flinch when I shoot.

What are some ways to help other than practice? Being a south paw and shooting a right handed rifle probably isn't helping, but......

Practice makes perfect! I leave a wood chip in the jaws instead of the flint and dry fire 10 or more times each night. After a while I didn't even notice the falling flint when I was actually shooting the rifle.

~WH~

practice practice practice! Finding the perfect pan charge that goes off almost instantly,helps that flinch out greatly.

When at home take that rifle whether percussion, flint or modern and stand in front of a wall mirror (bathroom mirror is usually large enough).  Be sure it is not loaded, serious - had a guy do as stated and shot a hole from the bedroom through the living room to the outside. Take your usual shooting position standing in front of the mirror. Take aim at yourself and squeaks the trigger (did you see the end of the barrel move - that's what your trying to control). This is good practice when the weather is bad and you can't go to your range. Do this when ever you think of it and you'll see improvement.   For a flint gun put a wood chip in place of the flint (for practice).  

I, along with some others, were fortunate to have started off with no flinch when shooting flintlocks. I can't begin to understand why the pan flash bothers some and not others. All I can recommend is to FULLY concentrate on that front sight so you will learn to ignore the flash. If you flinch it's because you pay attention to the pan ignition and have started to anticipate it. Once you learn to ignore, forget about it the flinch will evaporate. Good luck.

After talking to a half dozen guys with flinch problems I found they had had some bad experiences with sparks in their faces. That would probably make all of us flinch ....

I agree. Mine, however, was from a caplock.

A good reason to wear shooting glasses!

Winter Hawk wrote:A good reason to wear shooting glasses!

ALWAYS

Flinch and pan flash, My research, as well as some hands on have lead me to understand some watch the lock fall to frizzen and initial spark set off. Instead of keeping the eyes on sights over flash/back flash from frizzen does leave some distrust that inspires flinch. Can it be avoided? I have no clue

CVA Fanboy wrote:Flinch and pan flash, My research, as well as some hands on have lead me to understand some watch the lock fall to frizzen and initial spark set off. Instead of keeping the eyes on sights over flash/back flash from frizzen does leave some distrust that inspires flinch. Can it be avoided? I have no clue

LOTS OF PRACTICE WILL HELP ....

The only times I've been "sprayed" by muzzleloaders were with percussion; not with a flintlock.

Flinch is getting better. Shot some yesterday trying to work out the best load and way to load this rifle. Swab every shot with a .310 round ball and .010 oxy yoke wad and it hits same hole off bench rest at 25 yards. Don’t swab and it opens to a 3” group or more.
Now for offhand practice!

Good for you! I still stand by my suggestion of putting a chip of wood in the jaws instead of the flint, then spend a couple of minutes every night dry firing at a spot on the wall (I use the peep hole in our front door). Ten "shots" per evening will get you to where you can ignore the hammer fall. It's worked for me and countless other people. Of course it can get you in trouble if your wife comes around the corner where your target is, just as you are practicing....

~Kees~