[ 10-Bore Flintlock Rifle ]
- So you have some behemoth of a rifle there, don't you?
- Yes, this is a 10-bore rifle,
nominally .775 calibre, but I use a .760 ball in it.
It was made by a fellow named Jim Gefroh up in Fort Collins, Colorado,
and it's an exact copy of a 1792 Joseph Manton British rifle.
The kind that would have been sold to wealthy sportsmen who went down into Africa,
and down into India in the early years of the Raj.
- Now, you've taken that rifle somewhere exotic haven't you?
- Yes, I've hunted with this rifle in Argentina, Africa and Canada.
In Argentina I shot a 400 pound ... wild boar with it,
and a very large water buffalo.
And various other things.
In Africa I shot two or three animals.
The nicest being the number three in the record book, kudu,
... near Port Elizabeth.
Number three taken with muzzleloaders.
But when they say muzzleloaders, they're also talking about
people who have in-line percussion cap driven guns.
This is a traditional flintlock.
I've made one change in that I put a peep sight on here for my old eyes, it's hard to line it up.
The original sights were right here, and I changed them out.
You see if I'm hunting thin-skinned animals,
for example I shot an elk in Colorado, a 556 elk in Colorado with this in November,
I use 185 grains of 3F powder, and in that case the bullet went right through the elk.
When I was hunting the buffalo I used 200 grains of powder,
and I'm going to use 200 now for chronograph purposes.
- And what's the weight of the ball on that?
- It's about 660 grains, pure lead.
So I'll put in my 185 grains of powder.
No, I think I'll use this.
One ... did I say 185? I'm putting in 200 grains of powder.
200 grains of triple F, 3F Swiss powder.
Pour it all in there.
Get a little on top, so it's always the same.
So I put a wad over the powder.
It's ... not necessary, but it seems to give me better accuracy.
And then I use a patched .760 ball.
And I usually put it with the sprue up.
Consistency is very important in this kind of shooting.
Got a little gadget here.
- That thing is huge.
- That's a short starter. And if I were using regular patches then I would cut it off right here.
... I use pre-cut patches for hunting.
It's very important not to get interrupted at this point and shoot. - Yes, it would be.
And I have a mark on this rod that shows me I have the proper load in there,
I haven't forgotten the powder, the patch or the ball.
- Alright, so priming now. You said you use standard ... powder rather than 4F?
- I use whatever I'm shooting, because that's the powder that I am going to be carrying.
This has double set triggers.
After I cock it, I pull the rear trigger, and that sets the front trigger to a hair trigger.
I set the trigger.
[The beeping is the Doppler radar we are using to chronograph it.]
Well, looks like it's dead centre, huh?
- Wow! That's a big hole, jeez.
- This gun I can use, you always hit a saucer at 100 yards, which I consider good.
And sometimes better, but almost always a saucer at 100 yards which is enough for hunting.
- That's kind of moved you back. - Yeah, it does set me back.
- ... Ready.
- Jesus, that thing's got recoil! Holy cow! Whoo!
- That's why I brought a lead sled. - Wow! I don't blame you.
- You've become a religious person. - Whoo-hoo!
[Thanks to Mike for sharing this beast of a rifle with us! Be sure to check out his work in Arms Heritage Magazine.]