Hunting in wet weather

[roundball]

RESPONDING TO WOLFBANE'S QUESTION
(system would not let me respond directly saying the "subject line was too long")
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Speaking only for myself, personally if it's raining hard I don't go...but if I'm hunting and get caught in a shower, or am out under trees still dripping from a recent rain, I carry the rifle with the muzzle down and the lock up under my coat or raingear, under my arm next to my warm body...stays dry yet still ready to use quickly.

I bought a Leatherman 'cow's knee' but have no confidence it would really keep the priming dry as just the extremely high humidity during those times can still get to the powder...others may have different views.

I do use a cow's knee every day that I go hunting but only as a protective device while walking in or out of the woods in the dark to protect the lock/frizzen/flint/hammer from getting snagged on a bush or something.

 

[Wolfbane]

Thanks roundball, that is the kind of info I was after. :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

Thanks roundball, that is the kind of info I was after. :thumbsup:

Just remember, that's only my view...not claiming to be an authority on the subject, just commenting on the how and why I've come to learn to do it.
:thumbsup:

 

[Wolfbane]

Understood. I figured you Americans would have some ideas about this, since your hunting seasons often fall in damper months. Over here, with open season on deer, it is not so critical, though most around where I live choose to hunt in winter or autumn because it is more comfortable, and there are less snakes. However in Northern Australia, it is hot all the time.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I love shooting in the pouring rain.

A balloon (or you know what) over the muzzle.
A tad bit of crayon wax around the lip of the frizzen. My lock tucked under my tri-corn.

Ive shot for days like this. With my French/Canadian boots even my feet stay dry.

 

[BrownBear]

We do quite a bit of hunting in wet weather- me with a cap gun and my hunting partner with a flinter. Both of us use beeswax to seal our primes. I rub it around the base of a seated cap and he rubs it around the seam of the closed frizzen. Works great for the first shot, but things get "interesting" after you have shot once and need to reload.

Not PC, but we also like a strip of electricians tape over the muzzle to keep the bore dry. It just blows away when you shoot, and never seems to affect POI or accuracy.

 

[Halftail]

My lock tucked under my tri-corn.

You put yer Lock up under you Hat?

 

[Halftail]

Wolfbane,
I guess about the only thing I am concious of while hunting in wet weather is to keep the barrell pointed down at all times.I hunt with a caplock all the time in the rain.No problems yet.

 

[Mad Professor]

I use a round cut of duct tape to cover the muzzle and dribble hot wax from a candle around the cap/nipple. Has worked well in rain, fog, drizzle, snowstorms, sneaking through wet thickets......

 

[Hoyt]

Last spring gobbler season it rained almost continuously and when not raining, here in Fl. the woods are soaked every morning with heavy dew. I made a cow's knee and used it along with tucking flintlock area under my shirt while sitting under palmetto prawns.
I only got caught in one toad stringer and that was before daylight..I was completely soaked to the bone before I got back to vehicle..but my gun went off as it did every time I shot it last season. If it's a hard rain I don't go out in it with flintlock.

 

[Wolfbane]

Thanks so much. :hatsoff: I wanted to know if I could go bush with the same flexibility as with a centrefire cartridge rifle, and with a minimum of fuss it appears that I can. I can see myself getting into this muzzle loading thing rather deeply :grin:

 

[boar]

Wolfbane Besides the cowknee you can seal cap to nipple with nail polish also run bead of beeswax ahead of lock to make a dam to stop water from running in to lock. Dilly

 

[Wolfbane]

Cool ideas! I think I might make myself a wet weather kit, in the hope that it might rain again.

 

[CrackStock]

After trying to answer below several times, I spotted this thread up here:

A couple of possibilities:

Keep the muzzle down

wear a pancho or other baggy garment and keep your lock area under your arm pit so it will be covered

make a cow's knee which is just a water proof cover for the lock area

use a thick woolen sock with the toe area cut out as a cover from snow or light rain

a thin coat of bore butter or other wax substance (generally softened with olive oil) lining the pan may seal moisture out -- also check where the lock and barrel meet!

bit of Saran wrap secured by a rubber band can keep the muzzle dry, but keeping it down is easier

CS

 

[Wolfbane]

Thanks one and all, this has been tremendous.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

My lock tucked under my tri-corn.

You put yer Lock up under you Hat?

Yuppers, I carry my rifle as port arms with the flintlock under my chin, which is under my tri-corn.

stays dry, and I can carry it for hours.