A Black Powder Hunting Tale of Woe and Misery

[user 31232]

Maybe you accidently double-patched while loading? I've done that, and it's very difficult to get the ball down the bore.

That kinda makes me think that cutting patches at the muzzle would be a good option in some cases

 

[BillyC]

Except for the guy that pushed his ball in too far and cut the patch too long, causing the jag to catch on the extra material and his ramrod to stick in the barrel.

 

[oldwood]

When hunting ,I go semi modern with my supplies to feed the flint rifle. No powder horn , pre-measured charges in containers from Dollar store , priming horn with plunger on business end , An extra flint or two , screw driver, pre-lubed ,cut to size patches and balls , in a loading block. A couple tee shirt cleaning patches. When younger ,usta carry a 1/2 pint ginger brandy for medical reasons only. It got me out of the woods , a couple miles back to the truck , when I was injured , and severe pain , prevented me from walking , w/o a sedative.

 

[sheriff john]

One great thing about hunting with muzzle loaders is that no two hunts are the same. Unmentionable hunters? Not so much. Handful of modern cartridges in your pocket and you're good to go. Same as last year, the year before, and the years before those. Memories blur unless something special happens (Special "bad" or Special "good").

We, on the other hand, will always have "The year I ...(pick one/two/three) ...brought the wrong caps/balls/flints, broke my ramrod, dry-balled, lost my flint, forgot to cap my horn & dumped all the powder walking to my stand, etc. etc. " Best of all ..the year I killed my first ...with a muzzle loader. Enjoy, for before you know it, memories will be all you have.

 

[user 53891]

One great thing about hunting with muzzle loaders is that no two hunts are the same. Unmentionable hunters? Not so much. Handful of modern cartridges in your pocket and you're good to go. Same as last year, the year before, and the years before those. Memories blur unless something special happens (Special "bad" or Special "good").

We, on the other hand, will always have "The year I ...(pick one/two/three) ...brought the wrong caps/balls/flints, broke my ramrod, dry-balled, lost my flint, forgot to cap my horn & dumped all the powder walking to my stand, etc. etc. " Best of all ..the year I killed my first ...with a muzzle loader. Enjoy, for before you know it, memories will be all you have.

Whether me and my sons hunt muzzy or CF, our hunts are always memorable! It's always about being together and having a great time together....if we get our deer, elk, bear, antelope, well that is just a bonus. So I can't and won't say either is more or less memorable.

 

[smoothshooter]

Under those circumstances I might of not bothered with the patch! Just kept the muzzle up until the last second.
But then again hind sight is 20/20.

Good argument for a smoothbore though . And using more lube!
Best wishes for next time buddy. Thanks for the journey.

I decided years ago that if I have to use a ball starter to load my gun, the patch/ball combination is too tight. Especially for hunting situations.

 

[smoothshooter]

I decided years ago that if I have to use a ball starter to load my gun, the patch/ball combination is too tight. Especially for hunting situations.

 

[bronko220002]

There is no way your bore shrunk that much. The shrink rate for steel is .0000068" per inch or about .0005" per foot. Being unable to start or seat your ball was likely due to a double patch as stated, fouling or stiff patch lube in that cold weather. We all had a day similar to that I'm sure.

 

[Snooterpup]

I consider that any time I'm in the woods hunting, the type of weapon really doesn't matter. My wife and I always joke when we're fishing but not catching anything. It's called "fishing" not "catching". ..

Yes, and it reminds me of a time a lifetime ago when dad took my brother and I fishing to Tygert lake. Shortly before we arrived dad pulled into an old ramshackle gas station (right out of “Mayberry”). An old codger sat beside the front door in an even older rocking chair. With the car filled and the gas paid, dad asked the old man how the fishing was. In the old guy’s best Walter Brennen voice he said, “fishin’?, oh, its good, fishin’s real good, real good.” After a suitable pause he exclaimed “ Catchin’ ain’t, but the fishin’s real good”.
One of my best memories.

 

[Daveboone]

I have noticed that my greased patches stiffen up greatly in cold weather, which effectively makes them much thicker...and harder to load.If I have them in a speed loader, they are somewhat compressed already and much easier to load than in individual loose ball and patch.

 

[oldwood]

Snooter.......I see your hangin out in Minnesota??? You say you folks fished in Tygart Lake ??? Could that be W. Va. ??? There was a backwoods feed mill/ gas station/ grocery store/ that would sell us kids 3.2 % beer , as long as you could put the money up on the counter. The lady there had no teeth , and understanding her was a challenge , when she would ask , if you were 18 yrs. old , legal age to purchase beer in W.Va.. Though I was 14 at the time , I was tall enough to put the money on the counter. .........The irresponsible , and good old days. Had a job in the family business , back then , and took my pay out in beer and ammo. Wish I woulda had a m/l gun.

 

[smokepolehall]

That turned out to be a good hunt. No you did not win that prize, but you did win a learning curve. I did close to that one fine morning in Dec. many years back. I was nose bleed high in a pine in my climber when a big 6 pt came by me. I have my Poor Boy .40 ready as he stops maybe 22 yards away. I put my sight down into his neck n squeeze the trigger. When smoke clears enough to see, no Buck on the ground. I ease on down go look & no hair no blood. I track his kicked up leaves a short ways n nothing. I am young in my early 20's so i am miffed as to what has went down. Well i shot high as i went back up tree n shot again. Come down ck'ed stump i aimed at. Learning curve it was & it hurt my pride cause i missed a chip shot on a tick toter.

 

[CaptainVane]

The doe and buck are heading straight towards me now, so I hastily grab my ramrod to seat the ball. I get it in the barrel and push but the ball WILL NOT MOVE. I am using all my strength now, bouncing up and down as much as you can in a climbing tree stand 20 feet off the ground, but that ball won't budge.
I nearly pissed myself laughing cause the whole time I’m hearing Chuck Berry singing…
Riding along in my calaboose
Still trying to get her belt a-loose
All the way home I held a grudge
For the safety belt that wouldn't budge
Crusin' and playing the radio
With no particular place to go