PA pellet flintlock rifle vs Traditions Deerhunter flintlock

saskgunowner101

saskgunowner101

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So I've been pondering getting into flintlock rifles for a while now, and maybe I'll test the waters in 2026. Does anyone have any experience with the above mentioned rifles, good, bad, or otherwise? Not sure what to think regarding the different twist rates with the PA pellet flint being 1 in 28 (good for modern sabot, but also heavy for caliber bullets?) and the Deerhunter at 1 in 48 (compromise twist? good for light load roundball or shorter bullets?). All info appreciated.
 
I've a Traditions Deerhunter I've messed about with a few times - accuracy shooting patched .490 round ball at 50 yards was decent. Outside of that, it's a nice enough little gun. The fibre optic sights and rammer pre fitted with a jag are nice touches. Traditions have a reputation for crappy locks, and the Deerhunter boasts an 'improved' lock. For what it's worth, it's behaved well enough when I've taken it out
 
ScienceGryphon said:
I've a Traditions Deerhunter I've messed about with a few times - accuracy shooting patched .490 round ball at 50 yards was decent. Outside of that, it's a nice enough little gun. The fibre optic sights and rammer pre fitted with a jag are nice touches. Traditions have a reputation for crappy locks, and the Deerhunter boasts an 'improved' lock. For what it's worth, it's behaved well enough when I've taken it out
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I find that my Deerhunter is very adequate for my needs. It is not easy finding a left hand Flint lock. The trigger was heavy and rough but that assembly came apart easy for rework. They provide an adjustment in the lock assembly.
 
Odinson said:
I find that my Deerhunter is very adequate for my needs. It is not easy finding a left hand Flint lock. The trigger was heavy and rough but that assembly came apart easy for rework. They provide an adjustment in the lock assembly.
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Do you recall what kind of $$ premium there was for the LH compared to regular versions? Where did you find a lefty flintlock?
 
saskgunowner101 said:
Do you recall what kind of $$ premium there was for the LH compared to regular versions? Where did you find a lefty flintlock?
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I got it at a little hole in the wall gun store in Ontario, I think it was used but it was in perfect condition so it was hard to tell. I've had it now for about 5 or 6 years and if I recall correctly, there was no "premium" applied to it. It could be that the store operator didn't know that he had a unicorn.
I still remember my buddy (now deceased) telling me about the left hand flint lock. I jumped into truck, drove 2 hours and grabbed it.
 
For my first flintlock I went straight to Pedersoli Frontier .50 which I got a really good deal on in 2006.
Shoots damn straight with prb and 80grs of whatever you feed it.

I liked shooting flints so much I bought a sister Pedersoli Frontier in .32 cal.
The gunstore in Kitchener Waterloo had everything I needed to get me started.

Because of al the negative reviews with Traditions bp guns, I stayed clear away from them. Too many issues with frizzen not hard enuf, lock is cheap etc etc.
of course whatever you decide to get that meets your budget will work for you.
 
Huntsman said:
For my first flintlock I went straight to Pedersoli Frontier .50 which I got a really good deal on in 2006.
Shoots damn straight with prb and 80grs of whatever you feed it.

I liked shooting flints so much I bought a sister Pedersoli Frontier in .32 cal.
The gunstore in Kitchener Waterloo had everything I needed to get me started.

Because of al the negative reviews with Traditions bp guns, I stayed clear away from them. Too many issues with frizzen not hard enuf, lock is cheap etc etc.
of course whatever you decide to get that meets your budget will work for you.
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I have found absolutely nothing wrong with my Traditions. It works the way it should. If I do my part, it will go bang every time. I don't see a problem with the lock assembly, maybe a bit on the rough side but a bit of time and a screwdriver and a polishing stone will solve the problem.
As far as accuracy, it does the job. I found there was quite a difference between Hornady conical, round ball and a "minnie" something or other that I cast myself. Each one has its own distinct point of impact. The Hornady are by far the most accurate. Can't put one in behind the other but they will pretty much clover leaf if I do my part. I generally load 100 gr of Pyrodex. Seems to work for me.
 
Odinson said:
I have found absolutely nothing wrong with my Traditions. It works the way it should. If I do my part, it will go bang every time. I don't see a problem with the lock assembly, maybe a bit on the rough side but a bit of time and a screwdriver and a polishing stone will solve the problem.
As far as accuracy, it does the job. I found there was quite a difference between Hornady conical, round ball and a "minnie" something or other that I cast myself. Each one has its own distinct point of impact. The Hornady are by far the most accurate. Can't put one in behind the other but they will pretty much clover leaf if I do my part. I generally load 100 gr of Pyrodex. Seems to work for me.
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I don’t doubt your statement. What I am going off of is back in 2006 when I was interested in diving into black powder guns. Reviews on Traditions QC weren’t up to snuff compared to Thompson Center that I based my decision on.
I had two TC flintlocks (Hawken and Firestorm). I shoulda hung on to the Firestorm. It had the best ignition every shot. But was a little too modern for me at the time. SS barrel, fiber optic sights and synthetic stock lol.

Happy hunting y’all and keep yer powder dry!!
 
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Huntsman said:
I don’t doubt your statement. What I am going off of is back in 2006 when I was interested in diving into black powder guns. Reviews on Traditions QC weren’t up to snuff compared to Thompson Center that I based my decision on.
I had two TC flintlocks (Hawken and Firestorm). I shoulda hung on to the Firestorm. It had the best ignition every shot. But was a little too modern for me at the time. SS barrel, fiber optic sights and synthetic stock lol.

Happy hunting y’all and keep yer powder dry!!
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I feel confident that I wouldn't go hungry if it was all that I had.
 
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