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How long does 1’000 caps last for an average shooter

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I shoot a weekly league, 12 shots. Probably two clearing shots before, a dropped cap or two...figure 15 -15 caps a week, 60 a month at least, april through september. If I go to an open shoot, hopefully 2-3 a year, i will likely go through about 60 shots a day. I guess for me that is going to average out to between 500 and 600 shots a year, plus hunting use.
 
jesse_ennis said:
I run 70 grains in my rifle, that’s a good number to know thanks
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Wow! 70gr is a stiff load for a .45cal, unless you are hunting large game.

I use 40gr FFFg with a .495" RB at 25-50yds, then up the load to 65gr so that I don't have to adjust my sights when shooting @ 100yds.

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from 95-2010 when I had my children going to approx 15 shoots a year averaging 60-70 shoots per that chews up a 1000 caps real quick. Now with only 1 kid shooting with me and we are down to only 11 formal shoots a year we go through easy 1000 a year
 
Most people, at least in my experience, pop a cap before loading to clear the channel and maybe dry up any moisture that might be there.
Who can answer your question? You know what you use each time you shoot.
Personally I would have more than a thousand but that’s me. Minimum of a thousand on back up. But then I stocked up starting years ago. I just had a feeling these lean times were ahead of us.
 
Don't concern yourself, order another 1000 as soon as possible and keep shooting without counting. 😀

Unless you are very hunter oriented then I agree with @JDBraddy that 70 grains is probably on the high side. I rarely load more than 45 grains in my 45 but only shoot it for small game and competitive or informal sessions. If hunting is your primary goal then just stick with the 70 and you will be sharp and ready to hunt when it matters.
 
If every caplock I own use the same caps, the answer would be easy. Don't shoot much these days as all my ol' buds are ...dead. Now adays, I get out something I've not fooled with in perhaps ten years and scrounge around for proper sized caps. At 75 years old and no shoots I know of within 75 miles, 1,000 assorted caps would last me the rest of my life. I have many, many tins left - more tins than time. Shoot 'em while you able to have such fun.
 
longcruise said:
Don't concern yourself, order another 1000 as soon as possible and keep shooting without counting. 😀

Unless you are very hunter oriented then I agree with @JDBraddy that 70 grains is probably on the high side. I rarely load more than 45 grains in my 45 but only shoot it for small game and competitive or informal sessions. If hunting is your primary goal then just stick with the 70 and you will be sharp and ready to hunt when it matters.
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Yeah I’d have to say hunting is my primary concern so I’ll probably keep it at 70, funny enough I thought that was gonna be the low end of powder I needed so I loaded 70 on the first shot and I’ve hit everything I’ve aimed at so far so I’m gonna stay dialed in at 70. I agree on ordering more caps though.
 
when you are doing your thinking remember the caps used to clear the nipple and ignition path before you load after cleaning.
 
jesse_ennis said:
I have 1’000 cci #11’s and was wondering if any of you out there could give a ball park estimate of how long these should last me, shooting maybe 2-3 times a month
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For the years I was shooting competit
jesse_ennis said:
I have 1’000 cci #11’s and was wondering if any of you out there could give a ball park estimate of how long these should last me, shooting maybe 2-3 times a month
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Sorry if this is half a repete. When I shot competitively and was shooting percussion guns I went through 1100 to 1200 a year. Boy I miss those dsys.
 
Pratt said:
when you are doing your thinking remember the caps used to clear the nipple and ignition path before you load after cleaning.
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If it's properly cleaned and stored there's no reason to pop caps. If there is any excess oil in the flash channel popping a cap only gives it more substance to interfere with ignition.

I have never popped a cap for clearance and never had a first shot failure to fire. If residual oil is suspected it can be cleared with denatured alcohol.
 
longcruise said:
If it's properly cleaned and stored there's no reason to pop caps. If there is any excess oil in the flash channel popping a cap only gives it more substance to interfere with ignition.

I have never popped a cap for clearance and never had a first shot failure to fire. If residual oil is suspected it can be cleared with denatured alcohol.
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Agreed. I use contact cleaner to clean out any oil in the breech/bore. Never an issue in the field or on the range.
 
I am shooting about 50 caps per outing. I do this intentionally to stretch what I have even though I am blessed with a comfortable amount. I have flints and Muskets to shoot as well.
 
longcruise said:
If it's properly cleaned and stored there's no reason to pop caps. If there is any excess oil in the flash channel popping a cap only gives it more substance to interfere with ignition.

I have never popped a cap for clearance and never had a first shot failure to fire. If residual oil is suspected it can be cleared with denatured alcohol.
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I pop a cap every time before loading after cleaning my ML’s, oiling and putting them away. Sometimes the cap does not sound very strong, therefore I pop a second one, which is always louder. That tells me all I needed to know. However, after wiping the bore prior to loading, I shoot a little bit of lacquer thinner down the flash channel then follow up with compressed air.

I never have a misfire, not even after hunting in the rain for several hours. This is a very humid Area. I use Ballistol liberally. Wiping the bore, lacquer thinner, compressed air and snapping a cap pays off.

Indeed, I go through more caps than many using this process but I simply do not experience misfires nor hang fires. Considering I squirrel hunt a lot, which most times I shoot at least 3-6 times each hunt, I reckon I go through 150 caps a year in my squirrel rifle just for that alone. That does not include testing and other ML’s.
 
ETipp said:
I pop a cap every time before loading after cleaning my ML’s, oiling and putting them away. Sometimes the cap does not sound very strong, therefore I pop a second one, which is always louder. That tells me all I needed to know. However, after wiping the bore prior to loading, I shoot a little bit of lacquer thinner down the flash channel then follow up with compressed air.

I never have a misfire, not even after hunting in the rain for several hours. This is a very humid Area. I use Ballistol liberally. Wiping the bore, lacquer thinner, compressed air and snapping a cap pays off.

Indeed, I go through more caps than many using this process but I simply do not experience misfires nor hang fires. Considering I squirrel hunt a lot, which most times I shoot at least 3-6 times each hunt, I reckon I go through 150 caps a year in my squirrel rifle just for that alone. That does not include testing and other ML’s.
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I think that works for you because of the way you do it. The problem is cap snapping into a ignition channel that is contaminated by too much oil or whatever the shooter has put into the bore after the previous clean up. The snapped cap can't possibly clear the Goomba out and then mixes with the Goomba to make it even worse. The ignition channel may not, and probably is not, completely blocked but still enough to prevent ignition. I certainly have no proof of that but it just sorta makes sense to me. I did observe one incident that I think illustrates what I'm talking about.

I was along on a ml antelope a few years back as a non hunter. We hunted hard all day trying to create a setup for a shot. Just at the end of the day we succeeded. The hunter was within range and seated with cross sticks. He touched the trigger and "pop", no boom. The 'lope is now on the alert but hasn't figured it out. Hunter re caps and shoots. Another "pop" and now the quarry is beyond suspicious and takes off.

When we got together after the incident I asked what he thought went wrong. He answered "I don't know, I popped a cap before I loaded".
 
longcruise said:
I think that works for you because of the way you do it. The problem is cap snapping into a ignition channel that is contaminated by too much oil or whatever the shooter has put into the bore after the previous clean up. The snapped cap can't possibly clear the Goomba out and then mixes with the Goomba to make it even worse. The ignition channel may not, and probably is not, completely blocked but still enough to prevent ignition. I certainly have no proof of that but it just sorta makes sense to me.
Click to expand...

Snapping caps is a pretty reliable way to clear the fire channel. This is the way N-SSA competition shooters have been doing it for years. I recommend a minimum of 2, 3 is better, to make sure the fire channel is clear. You will know you have a clear channel when you snap a cap at some grass or a bit of leaf on the ground and see it move.

I shoot in N-SSA competition. I typically shoot 4 guns at a weekend shoot - carbine, musket, smoothbore, and revolver. I make up 100 rounds per gun, and typically shoot 75 or so. So about 300 caps a shoot for myself per skirmish. About 6 skirmishes a year. So figure 1,800 caps, not counting practice. Probably more like 3,000 musket caps a year.
 
longcruise said:
I think that works for you because of the way you do it. The problem is cap snapping into a ignition channel that is contaminated by too much oil or whatever the shooter has put into the bore after the previous clean up. The snapped cap can't possibly clear the Goomba out and then mixes with the Goomba to make it even worse. The ignition channel may not, and probably is not, completely blocked but still enough to prevent ignition. I certainly have no proof of that but it just sorta makes sense to me. I did observe one incident that I think illustrates what I'm talking about.

I was along on a ml antelope a few years back as a non hunter. We hunted hard all day trying to create a setup for a shot. Just at the end of the day we succeeded. The hunter was within range and seated with cross sticks. He touched the trigger and "pop", no boom. The 'lope is now on the alert but hasn't figured it out. Hunter re caps and shoots. Another "pop" and now the quarry is beyond suspicious and takes off.

When we got together after the incident I asked what he thought went wrong. He answered "I don't know, I popped a cap before I loaded".
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I don't see it that way, Cruiser.

As I have stated, I always run some lacquer thinner down the bore then follow up with compressed air. Then run a dry clean patch down afterwards, snap a cap and load. This has been my process for the last year and it has worked flawlessly. If there's any goo in there, rest assured the lacquer thinner and compressed air will remove it.

Before then, I would clean the ML, oil, and store. Get it back out and run a couple of clean patches down the bore, snap a cap and load. I never had a problem doing it that way either. IMO, caps do not leave enough residue in the flash channel to hurt a thing.

Works for me but I digress.
 

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