Weather Proofing

[Pegleg_86]

Hey everyone. New member here from Missouri. What does everyone use to weatherproof your caplock rifle for hunting in possibly inclement weather? Just curious as I currently have a method I use, but I am always looking for better ideas that would work better.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

FWIW, I once hunted Vermont in downpours for 4 solid days and kept the flintlock tucked up under one or the other armpit. Proceed to 4-days later and I had to head home and it was 34° and very cccccold out, and I could just not pull the ball out.

It shot out perfectly and went off without a hitch and hit 1” below the mark I was aiming at at a tree ~50-yards away.

Now with that said, I will say that both my armpits ‘hurt’ for a few days afterwards …

 

[jackpine54]

When I used to hunt with a caplock I never worried about it too much. Keep the lock tucked under your arm if you're knocking rain/snow off branches. The most I ever did was put a cows knee over the lock if it was really raining hard or heavy wet snow. Never had a problem. Well except when I tipped the canoe.

 

[user 48679]

Welcome to the board ! !

I keep a finger cot (google) over the muzzle when hunting in inclement weather (rain/snow/etc)

https://www.traditionsfirearms.com/product/muzzleloading-rain-gear-a1330

And percussion cap keepers over the seated cap

https://www.ebay.com/itm/143817614801

When the rifle is fired the muzzle cot bursts from the air pressure of the boolit moving down the barrel, and the cap cover splits a bit to make easy spent cap removal.

 

[FishDFly]

Cows knee from cutfinger, cap cover from October Country and M/L rain gear as above.

 

[Ames]

I stay home, by the fire, with some Irish coffee.

 

[FishDFly]

Yep, my deer do not move in the rain, they are sissies.

 

[Ames]

But they ALL get up to dance right when the rain stops!

 

[user 48679]

Yep, my deer do not move in the rain, they are sissies.

The perfect time to slowly hunt upwind into the buck bedrooms.........

 

[sheriff john]

Switch to my trusty underhammer.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

In the old days wax from a candle would be carefully dripped on the caps of percussion rifles and revolvers.

 

[Pegleg_86]

As of right now what I do is use the tubing cap keepers on the percussion cap and roll a plug of my soft winter black powder lube that I make for my revolvers to put in the end of the barrel. Just wanting to see if anyone out there had a way other than mine that might work a little better. Have never had a FTF but there is always that chance with anything I guess.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Don't forget to put some tape or something like that over the muzzle. That's a much bigger opening for water and foreign matter to get in than your little bitty nipple hole. If you slip or something it's VERY possible to jam your muzzle in to the mud and plug the bore.

The air in front of the ball will shoot away the tape long before the ball gets there, and its' resistance to being shot away isn't enough to constitute a barrel obstruction and cause other problems.

 

[TDM]

Candle wax around the nipple like @Uncle Miltie said works. Rubbing beeswax into the barrel and lock seams keeps the moisture out.