The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Well I thought I would take advantage of the glorious weather we are having to try out and zero the .54 calibre Investarms Flintlock "Hawken" I bought in the spring.

I picked this one up new in box from Krankies bin end sale for well under £200 so I didn't expect much from it.

Fit and finish isn't too bad just some places where the generic nature of the wood and metal are compromised for the different versions that they assemble for the yankee market.

The lock is a generic one taking a 3/4" flint, I binned the bit of slate that came with the gun and fitted 3/4" flint from Dysons.

I had the gun out shortly after I got it to try for function and shot it at 100 yrds. I had put around a dozen rounds through it. I was shooting it mainly to see how the lock did, what the pan liked and the loading regime needed to give consistent ignition. I was easily hitting the target at 100 yards but wasn't looking for groups or working on loading combinations. That is what I decide to start work on today.

The lock sparks well with a good, set up flint and the frizzen seems well hardened. Lock time isn't the fastest but not bad for a cheapy gun, there is just a slight pause 'tween squeezing the trigger and ignition. Interestingly this gun likes a full pan of priming powder, stacked away from the touch hole, which is bushed.

The barrel looks good nice and heavy, octagonal with the ubiqutous 1 in 48" twist, it is smooth with no rough patches when pushing down a cloth.

Sights are of a modern style with the rear sight adjustable for elevation and windage.

There is set trigger with a set let off at around three pounds.

For todays shooting I set the target up at 75 yards, shot standing using a tree stump as a rest.

I was using .534" cast lead balls and 0.012" Tanner patches dry lubed with Aquoil

I started with a load of 40 grains of Swiss fffg taking a six o clock hold on the target and they are the two bottom holes on the target.

I then moved up to 45 grains and shot the next four holes, I pulled the last one to the right as I had a hesitant ignition, the flint needed knapping and easing forward. These were shooting to point of aim just slightly to the right.

After fettling the flint the last two in the black were with 50 gns and showed promise but I had to pack in there as I was loosing the light.

I will start there again tomorrow weather permitting.

I am very pleased with this little flinter, it promises to be a lot of fun, seems to be quiet well behaved and nicely painless to get to shoot.

Hmmm, not bad for the money at all...

Looking forward to the next report.

It looks to be the basis of a good shooter. The lack of light is a nuisance right now and we are often clearing our things away at the range at not much after 15:00, roll on the longer days.

Tracer, ooman, tracer. And a bag of carrots...

After the days of strong east winds we are back to glorious weather again, so the day before yesterday I had another session with this little flinter.

Moving on from the 50 grain fffg load with a dry lubed Tanner 0.012" patch and a 0.534" ball I upped the load to 55gns and shot this 75 yrd six shot group standing rested taking a six o clock hold at the bottom of the black.



I then tried the same load with a 0.014" linen patch taking a centre hold on the bull and got this.




Looking at the fired patches they were blown, the 0.012" patches were showing some piercing at the lands so I suspect that with this being a new gun the rifling has some sharp edges that are cutting the patches when I an sending down the ball, a few passes down the barrel with a steel wool wrapped jag should fettle that.

I also suspect that the openness of that group was also due to the foresight floating in the black with the centre hold, even although the light was excellent the sight picture wasn't as sharp as the six-o-clock hold.

All in all this is one of the best shooting, value for money, acquisitions I have made in a long time and I am getting around 30 shots to a Dyson flint not bad and should do better with some better quality sparkers.

These eytie repro houses are turning out some excellent kit that definitely doesn't break the bank. Accurate, challenging, satisfying and fun shooting doesn't need to cost a lot.

I have to shoot with a 6 O'clock hold these days, must be an age thing. Downside is I tend to forget and I am sure it cost me a place at the last competition.