Though a long time bow hunter this is my first season in many years with black powder. Is it correct I should pop a cap or two prior to actually charging the barrel? Should I add a little powder or just a cap? I don't want to make that much noise in the woods when going on a hunt. If I don't clear the barrel first do I risk a misfire when aiming at a buck?
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Powder or no powder?
- Thread starter Hawkins54
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Yes! big chance of miss fire,hang fire,no fire.
Due to oil etc in bore and chamber.
run a dry patch before snapping caps...if you have a chambered breach use a small jag with patch to remove all fluids in the recessed chamber.
Snap those caps in your basement,garage ,half way to your hunting spot etc. just not on stand.
No powder! just caps 2 for good measure.
point barrel at ground and watch for pressure wave to move leafs etc.
make sure nipple is clear after..use nipple pick.
And if you want to be fussy run a clean patch down bore before loading..
Thats my mop. 100% success rate using this method.
Good luck shoot straight....dan
Due to oil etc in bore and chamber.
run a dry patch before snapping caps...if you have a chambered breach use a small jag with patch to remove all fluids in the recessed chamber.
Snap those caps in your basement,garage ,half way to your hunting spot etc. just not on stand.
No powder! just caps 2 for good measure.
point barrel at ground and watch for pressure wave to move leafs etc.
make sure nipple is clear after..use nipple pick.
And if you want to be fussy run a clean patch down bore before loading..
Thats my mop. 100% success rate using this method.
Good luck shoot straight....dan
I'm a big fan of not fouling my bore prior to a hunt. Many times I will keep my gun loaded for extended periods of time and do not want to have to clean my gun after every hunt. Basically, once you foul that bore with powder your going to need to clean it pretty soon thereafter. Remember the old adage, "never let the sun go down on a dirty bore".
We all have developed our own ways of doing things over the years but here's mine. Prior to loading up for a hunt, I will pull my barrel and give it a good flush and cleaning. At this point, I do not add any oil to the bore. I will however pop a couple of caps to make sure all is clear. I can tell by the report of the cap whether my path is clear. To me, if there are no obstructions, the sound of the cap being fired will pretty loud. Some like to point the barrel toward some grass to see if it moves. I have never done this but it sounds like a good idea to me.
By doing this, I have never had a delayed fire or a misfire. Again, this is my ritual and may not reflect what others do. Also, I can keep my gun loaded this way for a long time without any damage or corrosion to my bore.
Jeff
We all have developed our own ways of doing things over the years but here's mine. Prior to loading up for a hunt, I will pull my barrel and give it a good flush and cleaning. At this point, I do not add any oil to the bore. I will however pop a couple of caps to make sure all is clear. I can tell by the report of the cap whether my path is clear. To me, if there are no obstructions, the sound of the cap being fired will pretty loud. Some like to point the barrel toward some grass to see if it moves. I have never done this but it sounds like a good idea to me.
By doing this, I have never had a delayed fire or a misfire. Again, this is my ritual and may not reflect what others do. Also, I can keep my gun loaded this way for a long time without any damage or corrosion to my bore.
Jeff
chironomidkraut
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what bout a flintlock? do u fill the pan a couple times and let it fire before going into the woods or range?
No not needed with a flinter (imho). The diverting flash channel you get from the nipple in a drum mounted barrel, through the drum, into the breech, and the fact that a small amount of crud can mess with the flash of the cap, is the issue.
LD
LD
Rat Trapper
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On my cap locks this is how I do it: wipe the barrel with alcohol patch and then run a dry patch down the bore and leave it in place while I pop a cap or two. When the dry patch is removed it should be burned on the bottom. If it is not, don't load it as you have a problem. You can do this at home before you head out to the woods.
Rat Trapper said:
spot on...just what I do :hatsoff:
B.
Little Wattsy
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You want the oil OUT of your barrel to load..
Clean thoroughly with alcohol, pop caps until you can move a leaf or gum wrapper with just the force of the cap coming out the end of the barrel. Do this at home not in the woods. Load-em up and head-em out
Clean thoroughly with alcohol, pop caps until you can move a leaf or gum wrapper with just the force of the cap coming out the end of the barrel. Do this at home not in the woods. Load-em up and head-em out
Without any back pressure cap debri can block the nipple...this has happened to me a number of times so now a patch and jag go down first!Wattsy said:
B.
Amen, Bro.
For a percussion rifle: at home prior to the hunt, an hour or overnight, doesn't matter, swab the bore, squirt some carburetor cleaner into the nipple, swab again, wait a while, about one cup of coffee long, load your charge and ball. Head for woods, put cap on nipple when you get to your hunting spot. Murder Bambi.
For a flint, similar process.
longcruise
70 Cal.
:haha: :haha: :haha: :rotf:
If this was your attempt at humor, you scored high with me! :thumbsup:
If this was your attempt at humor, you scored high with me! :thumbsup:
stone knife
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I clean my bore out in the morning before I go with break cleaner, to make sure no oil is left in it.
longcruise
70 Cal.
This happened to my grand son on an antelope hunt. Last day, last bit of daylight, POP! Just the cap wnet off.
I never pop caps before loading for a hunt. I plug the nipple and then pour a bit of denatured alcohol down the bore and then slosh it back and forth. Then the alcohol is pushed out through the nipple by pumping a patched jag. Then you must give the alcohol time to evaporate. Best to allow it overnight with the nipple removed.
I do pop a cap prior to loading for target or match shooting though but I don't bother with the alcohol step.
Walks with fire
54 Cal.
Do yourself a favor and buy a can of Denatured Alcohol. Buy or crounge up a small spray bottle. I get mine at Wal-mart in the travel accessories department and fill it with the alcohol.
If it's a flint gun spray the lock to remove any oils; spray the cleaning patch and run it into the bore. My rifles have patent breech designs so I also need to alcohol swab that area. Spray the flash channel or vent clean as well. Run a couple of dry patches and let it dry well for a couple of minuites.
When you get to where you are going to hunt let your rifle become the same temperature as you are going to hunt in to avoid any condensation getting into your load. Once the barrel is acclimated; dry patch to collect any condensation; load up and keep it dry; it will always fire. Fouling is what attracts the moisture. Keep everything clean of fouling and oil and you won't have any trouble.
Sight in your rifle on the gun in this clean barrel condition and leave it that way.
If it's a flint gun spray the lock to remove any oils; spray the cleaning patch and run it into the bore. My rifles have patent breech designs so I also need to alcohol swab that area. Spray the flash channel or vent clean as well. Run a couple of dry patches and let it dry well for a couple of minuites.
When you get to where you are going to hunt let your rifle become the same temperature as you are going to hunt in to avoid any condensation getting into your load. Once the barrel is acclimated; dry patch to collect any condensation; load up and keep it dry; it will always fire. Fouling is what attracts the moisture. Keep everything clean of fouling and oil and you won't have any trouble.
Sight in your rifle on the gun in this clean barrel condition and leave it that way.
Take you rifle out of the safe. Sit down and run dry patches thru the barrel. Remove the nipple from the rifle. Take a pipe cleaner and dry it out and the same pipe cleaner to dry out the passage way if the bolster or drum.
Replace the nipple and load the rifle with your powder. Next..I put a wadded up piece of patching atop the powder. ( to keep any excess patch lube from getting to the powder.) Then the lubed patch and ball is loaded.
If you want to you can remove the nipple and place a very small amount of powder under the nipple.
I always leave my loaded and unfired rifle in my truck. so has to not cause condensation inside the barrel due to taking cold weapon in and out of heated areas.
Once at my hunting area, I place a percussion cap on the nipple, and start my hunt.
Then I take aim at my game and then I miss.
Replace the nipple and load the rifle with your powder. Next..I put a wadded up piece of patching atop the powder. ( to keep any excess patch lube from getting to the powder.) Then the lubed patch and ball is loaded.
If you want to you can remove the nipple and place a very small amount of powder under the nipple.
I always leave my loaded and unfired rifle in my truck. so has to not cause condensation inside the barrel due to taking cold weapon in and out of heated areas.
Once at my hunting area, I place a percussion cap on the nipple, and start my hunt.
Then I take aim at my game and then I miss.
Idaho Ron
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I also pop caps on a patch. I fully agree with others that say the patch helps. On a clean bore the patch should look like this. This patch has two caps popped on it.
Lets talk between shots. A lot of people clean between shots. I do as well but I also pop caps to clear the nipple then too. If a person just pops a cap at a lief after cleaning you run the chance of fouling the nipple. This picture is of the gunk that the patch catches when you pop a cap after cleaning. That wet residue would easily foul the nipple causing a miss fire or a hang fire. Ron
Lets talk between shots. A lot of people clean between shots. I do as well but I also pop caps to clear the nipple then too. If a person just pops a cap at a lief after cleaning you run the chance of fouling the nipple. This picture is of the gunk that the patch catches when you pop a cap after cleaning. That wet residue would easily foul the nipple causing a miss fire or a hang fire. Ron
Billnpatti
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It is always best to pop a cap before loading. but, if you have a CO2 discharger, you can use it to blow any oil out of the nipple. It makes a little bit of noise but not enough to clear the deer out of the woods. Actually, popping a cap is not all that noisy since you will be holding the muzzle close to the ground to see if a blade of grass moves when you pop the cap. This movement is the indication that the ignition channel is open. It's about as noisy as popping a cap gun. You'll probably make more noise walking to your blind.
What I do is to wipe the bore with a clean patch till no oil gets on it. Then I take a can of compressed air sold for computers and with the nipple in the barrel I spray the air through it using the red tube for the can. I can tell by the sound of the air coming out of the muzzle the flash channel is clear. I also do this with my flintlocks, spraying through the flash hole. Never have a failure to fire in the ten or so years doing this and it saves caps for the important stuff (making smoke). :wink:
