Musket caps

[Huntinshep]

Have not used musket caps and will need musket caps for an Enfield. What are the best to use and where can I buy them? Thanks for any help.

 

[dave951]

Absolute best are RWS but Schuetzen are also good. I have great results with both. The difference is the metal Schuetzen uses is a bit harder and if the nipple profile isn't right, they may misfire occasionally. That's easily fixed by lightly polishing the nipple profile.

Back Creek Gun Shop is your best source. They are the powder and cap supplier of choice to North South Skirmish Association members.

 

[hawkeye2]

The info I have is RWS caps won't be available before June (possibly later). So unless you can find someone who has some still in stock Schuetzen would be the go to ones.

https://blackpowderva.com/

 

[TScottW99]

Grafs has Schuetzen in stock, $75 for a 1,000

SCHUETZEN MUSKET CAPS 4-WING 1000/bx - Graf & Sons

They taunt me every day as I search for #11s

 

[hawkeye2]

That seems to be the average price for Schuetzen caps but it's nice to know they are available at other places. We all may have to go to alternative brands of powder and caps for quite a while and who knows? May work out for the better in some cases.

 

[dave951]

Schuetzen at $75/1k is the usual price.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Track of the Wolf sells nipples for the Enfield that use #11 caps. With all the supply chain issues it wouldn't be a bad idea to have both. You won't notice any difference in ignition. If you already have #11 caps you won't "need" to find Musket caps. Just food for thought.

 

[Nodrama43]

are these Schuetzen musket caps "stronger" than a #11? Is this a better (more reliable) ignition method if I convert a TC hawken over to musket caps. I have Goetz FFFg, Pyrodex P, Pyrodex RS, and BH209 powders. I also already have several musket nipples that are brand new. Wanting to get ready for a late season MZ hunt in Idaho. I have not begun load development and wanted to ask this question before I get to much time into it.

Last month after reading about musket caps I let a bunch of CCI re-enactor caps go to a friend as general consensus was they would not be a worthy candidate for my use.

 

[deermanok]

are these Schuetzen musket caps "stronger" than a #11? Is this a better (more reliable) ignition method if I convert a TC hawken over to musket caps. I have Goetz FFFg, Pyrodex P, Pyrodex RS, and BH209 powders. I also already have several musket nipples that are brand new. Wanting to get ready for an Idaho late season MZ hunt in Idaho. I have not begun load development and wanted to ask this question before I get to much time into it.

Last month after reading about musket caps I let a bunch of CCI re-enactor caps go to a friend as general consensus was they would not be a worthy candidate for my use.

Musket caps put out more flame than # 11 caps because they have more surface area and more priming compound.
Are they better? Depends on who you ask.
They won't ignite Blackhorn 209 very reliably, so not recommended.
The hammer on your gun would have to fall square on the nipple to set off Musket caps. If it's off center just a bit, you'll likely experience misfires with them.
They are less fiddly than #11 caps though.
The choice is really up to you.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

I have read here that others have found the CCI re-enactor caps are not a good choice for real live fire. Members here with hands on experience with them will hopefully comment. The regular musket caps "may" give more reliable ignition with the substitute powders, but with real BP I don't think you will notice any difference. Substitute powders in a cold, damp environment would not be my choice for hunting. Real BP is your best friend. If you have some, use it for hunting & shoot the subs at paper targets. Good luck!

 

[dave951]

are these Schuetzen musket caps "stronger" than a #11? Is this a better (more reliable) ignition method if I convert a TC hawken over to musket caps. I have Goetz FFFg, Pyrodex P, Pyrodex RS, and BH209 powders. I also already have several musket nipples that are brand new. Wanting to get ready for an Idaho late season MZ hunt in Idaho. I have not begun load development and wanted to ask this question before I get to much time into it.

Last month after reading about musket caps I let a bunch of CCI re-enactor caps go to a friend as general consensus was they would not be a worthy candidate for my use.

Yup, they are stronger. CCI reenactor caps have issues with accuracy. Non-muskets- I have one round ball gun set up for them and it's never, ever misfired.

 

[dave951]

I have read here that others have found the CCI re-enactor caps are not a good choice for real live fire. Members here with hands on experience with them will hopefully comment. The regular musket caps "may" give more reliable ignition with the substitute powders, but with real BP I don't think you will notice any difference. Substitute powders in a cold, damp environment would not be my choice for hunting. Real BP is your best friend. If you have some, use it for hunting & shoot the subs at paper targets. Good luck!

I have worked with the CCI and I won't use them because RWS and Schuetzen give better accuracy.

 

[Nodrama43]

Thank you for all the reply’s. I am going to be setting up a TC Hawken with an NOS stainless LRH drop in barrel. One member here uses Pyrodex P with #11 caps but he drills the nipple out a tad. One thing I like about the musket caps is my fingers can manage them a little better due to size. I will install the musket nipple and check the contact geometry with the hammer. It is an early first year stock with the early hammer as well. I will see how that looks prior to ordering the musket caps. Ordered several No Excuses test kits to figure out the correct bullet size. Next decision will be do I want to shoot the 420’s or 460’s. I have 120 of the old style Hornady flat point hollow base conicals sitting on the shelf as well To try.

 

[FiremanBrad]

I have read here that others have found the CCI re-enactor caps are not a good choice for real live fire. Members here with hands on experience with them will hopefully comment. The regular musket caps "may" give more reliable ignition with the substitute powders, but with real BP I don't think you will notice any difference. Substitute powders in a cold, damp environment would not be my choice for hunting. Real BP is your best friend. If you have some, use it for hunting & shoot the subs at paper targets. Good luck!

Here’s my thoughts…
The reenactor caps light the crappy reenactor powder when shooting blanks just fine.
And, when used with Goex and live fire out of my 3 Bander, those same caps work just fine lol!!!

 

[dave951]

Here’s my thoughts…
The reenactor caps light the crappy reenactor powder when shooting blanks just fine.
And, when used with Goex and live fire out of my 3 Bander, those same caps work just fine lol!!!

Are you shooting for accuracy and a score or just plinking? When the shot matters, it matters.

 

[hanshi]

Sometime ago I found I still had a couple of tins of RWS and some Navy Arms musket caps left from, well, a long time back. I've also managed to acquire a couple more tins. Their only use is with my US M1841 rifle and I don't shoot it a great deal. Other than that I shoot only one other percussion rifle I own and it takes #11. Thinking ahead, actually no I just lucked out, I bought a brick of CCI #11 magnum caps for a (currently) very small price. I've never fired any CCI musket caps or Schuetzen caps but even today have a tin or two of Navy Arms #11. All have been "uber" reliable. I really see little if any reason to switch to a musket nipple on a rifle designed to use #11 caps. Never used any subs but even regular CCI #11 caps will work with supreme reliability with BP.

 

[Surrywoodman]

In my TC Hawken and Traditions PA Long Rifle, I had to use musket caps (with musket nipples of course) to get reliable fires using Pyrodex P and RS and they were totally reliable at that point. Once I switched over to BP I switched back to #11s and they both still go boom every time

 

[Dave Dworshak]

Running's in Willmar Mn had some RWS musket caps on the shelf today. $25.99 /200 .

 

[Widows Son]

Track of the Wolf sells nipples for the Enfield that use #11 caps. With all the supply chain issues it wouldn't be a bad idea to have both. You won't notice any difference in ignition. If you already have #11 caps you won't "need" to find Musket caps. Just food for thought.

+1 to this.

I put a #11 sized Enfield musket nipple on my Whitworth for a while until I found a supply of musket caps. It fired as reliably as ever.

 

[brewer12345]

Running's in Willmar Mn had some RWS musket caps on the shelf today. $25.99 /200 .

Wow. And here I thought the $16.99 that the local Cabela's was asking for the tins of CCI was spicy.