carrying a flintlock in the woods

[sickle hocks]

Is it normal practice to carry a flintlock primed and at half-cock? Minimal chance of accidental discharge? Is this how you would carry wrapped in a cow knee?

It sounds like the way the powder is arranged in the pan is important, and carrying would probably screw that up...maybe it's better to prime just before shooting?

I also wondered if a ball could come unseated after a day walking in the bush, causing an obstructed barrel...Would you normally check with the ramrod before firing?

thanks..

 

[rabjr]

Well I can honestly say I never walked around carrying a flintlock primed and on half cock...but I wouldn't say that was wrong. I do sit on stand with my flintlock primed and on half cock. I don't worry at all about where my powder is in the pan. A quick tilt of the gun towards the vent while shouldering it is good enough for me, never had a gun fail to go off in a hunting situation. My patched round balls are so tight I don't worry about them after seating them. If you have a loose load then yes I would think it a good idea to check once in a while but normally one shouldn't need to unless using some of the loose fitting conicals out there.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I do it all the time. It is especially hard to hunt grouse or rabbit if you have to stop and prime before shooting once they flush. OK - so that's a smoothbore flintlock. I do still-hunt deer with a flint rifle and it is primed & at half-cock when I do. Even under the cow's knee I'm primed and at half cock; moving or sitting. Finger off trigger, of course.

If your ball moves from walking your patch & ball combination is too loose a fit.

 

[RC]

I do...mine is primed an on halfcock while i'm hunting...walking.....cow's knee only if raining..gun always pointed away.towards ground usually..loaded or not, once loaded i never worry about load...but check prime often..cannot imagine trying to prime an pull hammer back after seeing a target/deer while walking..like always jus be safe...jus my opinion

 

[Vaino]

I always carry my flintlock primed and at half cock when hunting whether I'm moving or sitting. Hunting isn't child's play and a certain amount of "common sense" is req'd, to put it mildly. All my flintlocks always fire irrespective of prime location in the pan....a hurried prime is quite normal when hunting and the amount and location of the prime shouldn't cause a misfire. During a day of hunting, my flintlock "sees" a variety of positions and none so far have effected the "gun going off". A properly patched RB won't move at all and it behooves the hunter to develop a load where the PRB doesn't move. A critical variable is the sharpness of the flint and knowing when to knapp comes from experience. Hunting is serious business and requires forethought.....Fred

 

[Black Hand]

I'm with Fred on this one. My gun is always loaded, carried primed and on half-cock. I sleep with it this way in the woods, and the gun is kept in the blankets with me. I don't use a frizzen stall, and rarely a cows-knee unless it is really coming down.

The only consideration would be the quality of your gun lock/tumbler. When on half-cock, a sharp smack on the lock should NOT dislodge the sear allowing it to fire. If it does, you have other problems....

 

[Rifleman1776]

I always, since 1970, carry my flintlock rifle in the woods primed and at half cock. Have never used a cows knee. In wet weather I just keep my hand over the lock when carrying. Very tiring and uncomfortable and my hand can get cold and seriously chapped. Kinda nuts but that's the way I do it. Here in the Ozarks deer hunting is not a lot different than quail hunting. You see 'em then you don't. Rarely is the buck standing still waiting for you to shoot him. As for safety. The only 'safety' is the nut behind the trigger.

 

[Robby]

:thumbsup:
Robby

 

[ericb]

When I'm Hunting...I'm Hunting. I've shot more than one Deer where I didn't expect to, going from point A to Point B, and most of those were in situations where there was no time to reprime, and where any unecessary movement would blow the chance. But...I always unprime the weapon before going up a tree, or clambering over or up big Rocks, or any other situation where lack of firm footing and a slip is possible. Many years a go here in Pa there was an experienced Bucksinner, who they found, in his Buckskins, in his Tree stand "looking" down at the ground, with a Bullet hole in his forehead. Beneath him, on the ground, lay his PA Rifle, discharged. Those who were there said it looked like he had either been climbing up to his stand, and pulling his Rifle up after him when it went off, or, equally possible, he had dropped the primed Rifle, and it discharged when it hit the ground Butt first.

What flehto said: "Hunting is serious business, & requires forethought..."

E

 

[Robert Egler]

I'm with Fred on this one. My gun is always loaded, carried primed and on half-cock. I sleep with it this way in the woods, and the gun is kept in the blankets with me. I don't use a frizzen stall, and rarely a cows-knee unless it is really coming down.

I agree, although the gun is next to my bedroll when I sleep, would be darn hard to get it out of the blankets quickly if I needed it.

 

[hunts4deer]

A well fitted leather frizzen cover (also called a hammer stall) will go a long ways toward promoting safety. It slips off in an instant but can prevent an accidental firing. It should be tied off the the trigger guard so it won't get lost.

 

[mr.flintlock]

I always carry mine primed and set on half-cock. There have been several occasions where I have been scouting or walking to or from my stand and walked up on deer.

 

[sickle hocks]

I had to look up 'frizzen stall'...it sounds like most of you don't use one...Even with thin leather it seems like it would force you to set the flint / frizzen spacing at half cock wider than is optimal?

 

[rr11]

When hunting I load the rifle when I leave the truck half cock and primed. When I get to my stand if climing I dump the prime, after settling in the stand I reprime the rifle. Only use lock covers in the rain.

 

[bowkill]

primed an on halfcock always

 

[wattlebuster]

Primed an halfcock :thumbsup:

 

[Firelock937]

I also carry on half cock with a hammer stall when hunting deer or squirrel. If hunting something to be flushed, like rabbit or grouse,I just forget the hammer stall and be careful.
I do find myself checking my prime fairly often if I do alot of walking,though. Probably more than I need to as it's usually ok. Less priming powder is better than more.

 

[kbuck]

Yep, primed and on half cock.

 

[roundball]

When I'm in a hunting environment anticipating a possible shot on game, I carry my Flintlocks the same way I carried my centerfires...loaded, primed, cocked, and the safety on...in the case of Flintlocks, that means a good quality leather Hammer Stall (safety).
The only time my Flintlocks don't wear a Hammer Stall is at the range where I'm specifically loading for an immediate shot...

 

[larry wv]

primed an on halfcock and hardly ever check to see if ball has moved. Some of the conicals are a bit loose and could be checked. Larry Wv