Hunting in the rain

[Zutt-man]

I’ve been shooting muzzleloaders for over 20 years, but very rarely have I hunted in the rain. Even when I have, I had a percussion gun in hand. This won’t be the case this time around. There’s a massive cold front (40-50° drop in 2 days) moving through and you can bet I’ll be out trying to fill my deer tags. The rain it is bringing with it is projecting (not relying on the weatherman) to be light and widespread.

I might note I’ll be sitting for this hunt and not traipsing around the timber. Outside of a cow’s knee, what else do you folks do to protect your load, priming pan and gun in general, during these situations? Do you hold the gun a certain way? Covering it entirely? Just not go out?

Thanks in advance and happy hunting!

 

[bud in pa]

I make a dam of candle wax about 2 to 3 inches in front of the lock between the barrel and fore stock.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I put a small "oilcloth" over the entire lock assembly.With a small towel under it The oil cloth sheds off the water and the towel absorbs any moisture that seeps in around the oil cloth. Flintlocks are not men to be carried in the rain!

 

[Penske]

Cows knee, keep tucked under your arm or under coat, change prime often. Main point is to keep it out of the direct rain as much as possible. Cow knee works the best but just make sure to always have the knee opening facing down. Do not prime with 4f in the rain!

 

[Rifleman1776]

I just held my hand over the half-cocked lock to keep water out. I like chapped hands.

 

[ffg]

I often wondered what it was like in the middle of a big battle when it started to rain during the American Revolution. ( FIX BAYONETS)

 

[Zutt-man]

I often wondered what it was like in the middle of a big battle when it started to rain during the American Revolution. ( FIX BAYONETS)

Not even in my younger years was I chasing down a whitetail lol

 

[GSDay500]

When we hunt elk and it rains . . . we hunt elk! I cut the leg off an old nylon rain pant. It'll be bigger on one end. Slit that end a little ways. Slip the muzzle in and slide it toward the tight end. This covers about a foot behind the lock and 2 feet of barrel. It slides right off the muzzle end if you let go of it.

Keep the muzzle pointed down and check your prime about once and hour. Works!

Greg

 

[smoothshooter]

I’ve been shooting muzzleloaders for over 20 years, but very rarely have I hunted in the rain. Even when I have, I had a percussion gun in hand. This won’t be the case this time around. There’s a massive cold front (40-50° drop in 2 days) moving through and you can bet I’ll be out trying to fill my deer tags. The rain it is bringing with it is projecting (not relying on the weatherman) to be light and widespread.

I might note I’ll be sitting for this hunt and not traipsing around the timber. Outside of a cow’s knee, what else do you folks do to protect your load, priming pan and gun in general, during these situations? Do you hold the gun a certain way? Covering it entirely? Just not go out?

Thanks in advance and happy hunting!

I wear a poncho. Covers entire gun and almost all of me too.

 

[hanshi]

I've always been a fair weather hunter but still did my share in everything from foggy mist to torrential downpours back when I still hunted. I only used my armpit, the skirt of my hunting coat and sometimes sorta "leaning" over the lock. They always fired when I'd had enough and walked back to the truck.

 

[Brokennock]

Seems like I've written this a few times before.

Cow's knee,,,, well greased. A thick smear of patch lube around the barrel where the fron edge of the cow's knee contacts it. Blob of same in the corner formed by the stock and side barrel flat just ahead of the lock.
Once primed I run a bit of said lube around the edge of the pan.

My match coat does a good job of covering a significant portion of the gun, but most importantly the lock area.
Many say to be sure to keep the muzzle down. This seems good advice, but in practice isn't 100% practical. I do my best, but have learned not to stress over it too much.
Many advocate repeatedly checking priming powder. This seems silly to me. Once primed dry and the pan sealed, then the lock covered,,,, why risk opening it to let moisture in?

 

[Dale Lilly]

I hate hunting in rain ... but I have been caught when unexpected.... grrrrrrr!

 

[Ballshooter]

Well, I live in the northwest Washington State and it rains more than not during muzzleloader season. I use a cows knee and beeswax around the lock and about two inches up the barrel Chanel. I will be using my 58 kibler colonial smoothbore. Last year I used my 54 GPR flintlock in the down pours of the northwest and I was fine. Changed pan prime every few hour just to be safe. But to be honest I probably don't have to.

 

[SDSmlf]

I’ve been shooting muzzleloaders for over 20 years, but very rarely have I hunted in the rain. Even when I have, I had a percussion gun in hand. This won’t be the case this time around. There’s a massive cold front (40-50° drop in 2 days) moving through and you can bet I’ll be out trying to fill my deer tags. The rain it is bringing with it is projecting (not relying on the weatherman) to be light and widespread.

I might note I’ll be sitting for this hunt and not traipsing around the timber. Outside of a cow’s knee, what else do you folks do to protect your load, priming pan and gun in general, during these situations? Do you hold the gun a certain way? Covering it entirely? Just not go out?

Thanks in advance and happy hunting!

Grew up hunting in the rain and snow of Western New York. Think Lake Effect. If it wasn’t rain or snowing, or at least threatening to, it wasn’t hunting season. I have posted the following before, but it is what I do, because it works for me. Can’t say how it will help or work for you, but here it goes.

I was taught that with a flintlock in damp weather to always keep the vent plugged until it was time to shoot, then pull the feather or whatever was plugging the touchhole, prime the pan, and shoot. With a small pan charger hung around your neck, attached to a strap or in a particular place (think a protected pocket) it became almost one motion to pull the feather, prime, close the frizzen and cock the piece. I grew up hunting in upper part of New York State and northeastern Pennsylvania. Think lake effect snow and rain. Almost never a dry warm day. I have also now added some HC/PC black electrical tape to cover the muzzle, at least HP/PC for the 1970-1980 era. Two pieces of tape crossed over the muzzle, and a wrap around barrel to make sure the crossed pieces say in place. Looks ugly, but the method works for me. The tape over the muzzle also lets me know at a glance a charge is in the bore. I now live in North Carolina, but hunt states in the North East and South East USA. I have complete confidence my gun will go off when I want it to, unless it is exposed to tremendous downpour or goes for a swim I don’t worry about pulling a load. Yes I do use a cows knee. I have a few, but the one I use the most is from a forum member going by the name @Cutfingers. And I am sure others make a quality item, but that’s whose I use.

 

[Bushfire]

I hunted the other day the morning after an inch of rain. Pushing through thick brush I was getting wet from droplets falling out of trees and shrubs as i pushed through. After a while I checked my pan and the 4F was sludge. Wiped it all out, replaced it with 2F and continued. Ended up taking a shot and had a flash in the pan. Touched the hole again and next shot with 2F prime clack-Boom!

 

[JBird]

I used 4f or null b last year and found it had a higher tendency to absorb moisture than coarser powders. So I would go with 3f if your lock lights fast with it.

 

[Steel Hayes]

While not HC, I split a ziplock bag in half, keep it secure over the lock with two Velcro strips(meant for larger cables).
Very easy to take off in a hurry.

 

[Birddog1911]

Do not prime with 4f in the rain!

What kind of hair brained fool would do such a thing?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I make a dam of candle wax about 2 to 3 inches in front of the lock between the barrel and fore stock.

I do the same thing...,

In fog, morning mist, misting rain and rain, where the stock and the barrel meet often will create a "rain gutter" and if you raise your gun or rifle at all, the water runs right down to where your pan and barrel meet, and you get sludge where your priming powder should be..

BUT when you do as @bud in pa suggests, and you put wax or gun grease or bore butter in front of the lock, where the barrel and stock meet, it helps to deflect the moisture/rain from running down the gutter to the lock...

LD

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Every hunting season here is wet. I just use Crayola heated around the pan. Seals it until clack boom happens.