Opening of PA flinlock season - rain

[CG6018]

Thanks for sharing! :thumbsup: That is indeed a beauty, and the grain in that cherry butt on the cheek piece side is amazing.

I think your choice of iron furniture for the cherry stock was spot on.

Thanks again. :hatsoff:

I think sharing the target borders on showing off! :hmm:

 

[nhmoose]

I keep my rifle in a wool case that is greased. I keep the frizzen up and ready to prime. I also keep wiping the pan and barrel dry wiped.

When game is spotted I prime and close the frizzen. When the game is about right position IMHO I drop the case cock and fire. I have taken several animals that way.

Kind of hard to explain.

On very wet high humidity days it is still a toss up but better than watching tv.

 

[faste350]

just looked and our area is saying 100% chance of rain. let it rain, we're good to go!

 

[GANGGREEN]

Occasional rain forecast for my area and I may just work all day. Monday calls for clear skies, calm wind and much colder temps. I'll be out on Monday. Woohoo!!

 

[Danny Ross]

Last year here in Ohio we had rain most of the week at least where I hunted. I had bought a Port-a-Roof Magnum years ago. First time I have had to use it and it worked like a charm. I stand hunt off the ground and use a Turkey Seat. Set the Port-a-Roof high enough on the tree where I could get the gun back in under it, also used a cow knee over the lock and electrical tape over the muzzle. I stayed dry as it wasn't windy, only part of me that go wet was where my legs stuck out and the gun went bang when I pulled the trigger. Needless to say this set up ain't gonna work if you are moving driving deer. DANNY

 

[Dean2]

We have some pop up blinds that are easy to carry, quick to set up and keep the water off you and the gun. Don't even need to poke the barrel out to shoot if you don't want to, there is enough room you can just shoot through the window opening.

On private land you can leave the gun in the blind so you don't have to carry it back and forth in the rain.

For walking in the rain a well oiled Leather gun sock is hard to beat. If you hunt in real downpours, a Gortex liner in it may not be HC buy it will make the leather sock COMPLETELY waterproof and you can't see it from the outside.

 

[good ole boy]

The rain held off till within the last hour of light for us.

 

[509thsfs]

Been hunting wmu 2f the last 2 days, nadda. Trying different area tomorrow. Weather has not been bad. A little sleet this morning. It stuck to the ground and made seeing in the woods nicer. With Raincoat mixed with my priming powder and a cows elbow, I don't worry about weather.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

3 of us camped out in the Delaware State Forrest from SUN thru WED night, setting up a 99% primitive camp ... as in the occasional use of emergency lighting ... like when we had to get up twice during MON another/early TUES morning to remove the built-up sleet/ice off the fly above the tent.

I jumped 8 MON morning and found the deer kicking up the ground and eating acorns. We had a few opportunities, but alas no shots were taken. Our fulled wool kept us warm & dry and the wood stoves and awesome meals made the camp an enjoyable experience.

We found a few places where the deer were congregating on WED afternoon's foggy day ... wished we could have stayed longer ...

 

[M. De Land]

Wow, sounds like a great experience.
Some how no matter how lousy the weather or bad the hunting a warm camp fire and dry bed out of the wind make it all seem fine as frog hair!

 

[509thsfs]

Saw it snowed a bit last night. Also a bit if a breeze and temp was down. Decided to go out later to do a sneak and peek of bedding areas. I know two areas they bed to get out of weather. Found two bedded at 65 yds. I could not see heads so waited. After about 15 minutes something spooked them, along with 3 more I could not see earlier. They were all doe and trotted off without me able to get a shot.

If weather is the same tomorrow I plan on setting up by a different bedding area and then still hunt later.

 

[Dphar]

Sad to see the forecast for Saturday's flintlock season is 80% rain. Generally we drive deer through heavy brush or still hunt. Either way the rifles get pretty wet. I personally have poor luck with my rifle going off is damp conditions. Sometimes we use fletch dry mixed with the primer charge. It is slower, but at least it has a better chance of going off. Any other tricks for damp weather?

Waterproof leather rifle cover and Swiss BP for prime. Totally pristine bore and pan ANY BP fouling will wet the prime since it suck up water from the air like a sponge.
So wipe the bore a dry patch then one wet with alcohol, then dry patches to clear any oil.
A full grain cover, slick side in, treated with Sno-Seal will slide off pretty easy if its not made too tight. Nothing else will work like the cover.

Its almost impossible to keep a FL or even a percussion dry without a good cover. Especially if you have to lay it down....

Dan

 

[Brokennock]

Nice deer, and Wow, what a good looking swivel breach.

 

[Dphar]

Thanks for the compliment.

Dan

 

[Dphar]

 

[GANGGREEN]

Interesting to see the swivel breech on a thread about PA's flinter season when it wouldn't be legal. :grin: I also find it interesting that the PA digest suggests a flintlock rifle built before 1800 or a similar reproduction, which I find odd, since many or most of the rifles that we carry during the flintlock season are probably reproductions of firearms built in the early 1800s. Love seeing it though Dan, it's very beautiful.

As for PA hunting, I've been out twice, once to try to push a deer to a buddy (he saw two but wasn't ready and didn't get shooting) and once by myself (and wishing my son were with me to benefit from my "drive"). I think I've got them narrowed down and hope to make blood tomorrow morning if the weather cooperates.

 

[rf50cal]

Unless it's late in the season, I don't usually fight the rain, I just stay home. Last Monday, however, the rain showers worked in my favor.

During the regular Big game season I hunt from an open stand with a roof, located in a fence row between two fields. Unfortunately, I've not had much success there in the late Flintlock Season. About 200 yards below this stand, there is another fence row where I have had much better luck with the muzzle loader. I usually hang a portable stand there. I was sitting in the portable stand Monday afternoon when it started raining, around 4:00 pm. With an hour of daylight left, I decided to scoot up across the field to the stand with the roof. After climbing into the stand, to my surprise, I saw 12 deer already feeding at the far end of the upper field. I should add, about this time, it quit raining.

It took 30 minutes. but the deer eventually worked closer. When a big doe turned broadside at 50 yards, I dropped her with a high shoulder shot from my 50 cal. Allen Martin rifle.

It's funny how luck works with hunting. Had the rain shower not come thru, I would have stayed in the portable stand and never known the deer were in the upper field.

 

[Dphar]

There are a lot of stupid laws out there. This would work I think even in PA. Though its more like an 1815 rifle than a 1795 rifle. Was going to look in "English Guns and Rifles" by George but its packed up since there is a move in progress.

Dan

 

[M. De Land]

Nice swivel gun,what is the weight? Is there any difference in the lock performance between the two frizzen and pan groups?

 

[GANGGREEN]

Yep Dan, that one would be legal in PA and it would look fine.