Firing my flintlock without a main charge before taking a hunt

[Ricky Bobby]

Curious if anyone fires their muzzleloader without a main charge, to help remove any moisture or anything else, before loading it to take a hunt?

I was hunting this past Friday evening and had my flintlock not fire when it sparked into the pan while holding on a nice doe. Luckily I was able to recock and fill my pan with more FFF without her spooking and I did end up getting her so not the end of the world. Not sure but I feel like good chance it was possibly from moisture of some sort? Before leaving on the hunt I ran a dry patch to help remove anything in the barrel and I did check my flash hole with a paper clip (which I have made a standard practice).

I’m completely new to muzzleloaders, real black powder, and flintlocks so I’m not afraid to admit I’ve got a lot to learn. I was thinking maybe I should start firing my rifle without a main charge before loading it before leaving for a hunt? Anyone practice this?

Looking for advice here from the wiser. Lol. Just want to eliminate the fail to fires as much as I possibly can!

Thanks

 

[R Ellis]

I always dump some powder down the barrel and fire it to remove any oil before loading and never had a misfire also I dry patch before I dump the powder

 

[Ricky Bobby]

I always dump some powder down the barrel and fire it to remove any oil before loading and never had a misfire also I dry patch before I dump the powder

How much powder are we talking?

 

[Brokennock]

I just swab with a couple patches damp with denatured alcohol then a couple dry patches.

One of my two flintlocks prefers that I leave my pricking wire in the flash-hole throughout the entire loading process. A gun of average reliability became a gun of great reliability when I started doing this.. The other only works well doing thos with 3f, if I use 2f and do that gun #2 has reliability issues.

 

[tenngun]

I too just wipe the barrel well and ( horror of horror) I blow down the barrel and wipe the vent with a pipe cleaner and wipe the pan well
I’ve been hunting with flinters since 1979 and never had a miss fire hunting

 

[tenngun]

Edit, to above
I’ve had miss fires squirrel hunting after several shots, but never on first shot or in the deer woods

 

[Spikebuck]

Three votes for swabbing the barrel with an alcohol patch and then dry patching.

If you dump powder and fire, then load, don't do what many of us do by leaving the charge sit until a deer is taken or the end of the season or you'll have a very corroded barrel.