Why Hunt with a Flintlock Rifle

When the English landed at Jamestown, VA on May 14, 1607 before the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock in 1620, they carried with them a variety of muzzle loading firearms. The probably had a few matchlock's, wheellocks and flintlocks. These flintlocks were far superior and reliable to the rest. Modern arms experts accept the flintlock as the first (practical) ignition system. It allowed the soldier or hunter to carry the weapon worldwide for over 200 years! Flintlock rifle, just these words takes me back in time to when my ancestors roamed the hardwoods and pines of my native state in search of small and large game, living in a small log cabin on the banks of the Ohoopee River with beautiful white sand bars loaded with bream and bass. I can see him sneaking through the river swamp moving ever so slowly with flintlock in hand scanning the swamp for the cautious buck or doe, then out of nowhere a nice doe steps out of the palmetto's forty yards away. He raises the one and only flintlock he owns to his shoulder, takes aim and squeezes the trigger. The wood ducks and herons take off in flight from the crack of his rifle. The smoke is lingering but the doe bounds through the palmettos and falls, and then all is quiet again. He reloads and picks up the blood trail easing along he spots her up ahead, she is still and quiet. He is thankful that she didn't suffer. The shot was perfect and he thanks the Lord for the food he has provided. His wife will smile when he approaches the little cabin in the woods. These were hard but simpler times, times I feel like I missed out on being born so late in time. But in reality, we don't have to miss out all together, we can step back in time for a little while using flintlock. But I do believe our ancestors were better marksmen, woodsmen, and hunters than we are today as a whole. They were hardier people that had to know their weapon and know how to get close to game. They didn't have all the little gadgets that we today rely on so much to take up our lack of knowledge. I actually hunted with modern rifles and shotguns for several years and felt almost like if I could see him, he's mine. That's the feeling you get using a 7mm magnum, 300 ultra mag., etc. The sense of accomplishment is not there when I've taken game with them. That's one reason I've gained a respect for my brother, a bow hunter, a totally primitive bow hunter, flint points and all. He has to be better at not spooking and getting close to game than the modern hunters do. No, we don't have to hunt for survival anymore and that's all the more reason to hunt with primitive arms to give the animals a more level playing field. We've all seen it, a 7 year old boy or girl with a trophy buck he or she shot with a scoped rifle, and that's fine. But we as grown men and women need to think just what are we hunting for? Personally I'm hunting for the sense of accomplishment, also the great meals we have after a successful hunt. What better way to do it than with a flintlock rifle or shotgun. Although some of us like the nostalgia of dressing up in buckskins or colonial style clothes. Some of us dress in modern camo, use modern tree stands, tripods, etc. and they still get the same thrill of knowing he did everything right to make his flintlock fire at that crucial moment. Although, I do favor the flintlock, I also like some caplock rifles and muskets too. I do not care for the modern in-lines with scopes saboted bullets and all the strange propellants they use. I don't think my 3rd Great Grandfather used this type of fire arm on the Ohoopee River chasing whitetails and I don't think I will either. Primitive arms are supposed to be primitive. Remember we are not competing we are supposed to be having fun, enjoying the outdoors and respecting the game we hunt, not bragging on how many we've killed.

Brian's History

Brian descended from pioneer Georgians. There is a lot of written history on his ancestors of long ago Georgia! He has a long line of ancestors who hunted and fished in his native state, so Brian came about his hunting and fishing heritage naturally. He has always had a great interest in the fish and game of his native region, mainly, the whitetail deer, wild turkey and largemouth bass. The largest whitetail buck ever taken in Screven County, Georgia was taken by Brian in 1989 with a 1895 45-70 Govt. The buck scored 172 5/8 Boone and Crockett Points. That's saying a lot considering this is lower coastal plain Georgia. He has always had an interest in black powder fire arms as far back as he can remember and has owned and used black power weapons since the age of 14 years! He has 28 years experience taking small and large game with caplock rifles, flintlock rifles, smoothbore muskets and fowlers of all calibers and gauges and has been successful in taking record book whitetail deer with flintlock and caplock rifles. Brian's interest evolved into building custom flintlock rifles and fowlers full time. When he is not hunting, he is pursuing his other passion, Trophy Largemouth Bass. Brian was raised bass fishing and has studied the art of live bait fishing for over 20 years and has refined heavy cover and trolling techniques. His live bait techniques have produced trophy bass consistently year after year. Brian and his wife Rina divide their time between building muzzloaders and hunting and filming whitetail deer, wild turkey and largemouth bass. Using the traditional muzzloading black powder, fowler dressed in 18th or 19th Century attire is what makes Brian's hunting videos unique. Using the time honored shiner (live bait) techniques is what makes Brian's bass fishing DVD's so exciting, trophy bass after trophy bass.