Wet weather

[pinemarten]

Hello gang! Out today for the Michigan black powder season over in the West end of the U.P. The trees were hung low with wet snow. I spent a few hours pushing through it but was covered in snow and it soaked me and my priming powder was clumped when I got back to the truck...

I had wrapped my wool cape from my hunting shirt around the lock but it was hard to keep the weather out. Also only 35 so it was a misty rain /snow mix...

What can I do to enjoy hunting with my beautiful flinter in damp weather? I had tried to do a search on here but couldn't seem to find a post on it (I got tons of 'hits' but unrelated). I was using 4F in pan. I have read about those gun covers (cow or mule knee?). Saw on a Google search someone talking about putting a rim of bees wax on edge of pan so that frizzen foot will set down into it...

What really works???

Thanks!!!

Dan

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use a well waxed bit of leather called a "cow's knee" to cover the lock in wet weather. Keep the muzzle pointed down helps as well. I also wear a caped coat and wear a hat with a large brim. And sit under a hemlock. All reduce drips.

I don't wax or add anything to the pan or frizzen. Don't even oil the face of my frizzen if it gets rusty. Oil on the frizzen reduces sparks and anything around the pan might prevent it from closing tightly.

 

[Spikebuck]

I use a cows knee over the lock. I check prime often in humid or damp weather and sweep out the pan and replace the prime if it's starting to clump. I've also been out in very wet heavy snow and will sometimes turn the rifle upside down and tuck the lock portion under my armpit for protection.

I have read from others about using a full oiled leather rifle case that is designed to slip right off quickly when needed. I believe that the case design has a mostly open bottom to aid in quick removal. This would protect the whole gun.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

I read once, and it was the writings of an 18th century writer, "do not go sporting on rainy days."

I guess you flintlock-only-by-law guys have it rougher than we do here in WV. :blah:

Best of luck to you though in the rain. The only way I could get my CVA Bobcat (caplock) to be reliable was by taping plastic wrap over the action, like this "cow's knee" you guys are talking about, and that just on foggy days, without rain!

 

[Grenadier1758]

Use 3fg as the priming powder. The g is graphite that provides more protection from the mist than 4f with no graphite coating.

The well greased cow's knee and keeping the lock protected under a cape helps a lot also. Even with all these protections, you still need to check the pan and refresh the powder as needed.

Deer seem to enjoy watching a flintlock rifle shooter fumble with priming powder when the hunter is freshening the prime.

 

[Dave Marsh]

Hello, go to this this site http://www.cdlyles.com
Go to page 14 and you will see the gun cover I use.
It sure came in handy yesterday as we had the same weather. Works great. :thumbsup:

Dave

 

[TerryK]

When it is really foggy and misty out I mix aluminum oxide powder in the pan powder. It is usually sold in gun shops for pan powder, but it is also used to keep archery feathers dry. One name brand is fletch dry. It weighs nothing and kinda resembles dry snow. You can pour water on the powder, and it beads of like a ducks back. Ignition time is reduced, but it is the answer in the rain. The powder is also good to help brush out the pan after you fire to prevent the old burn from sucking up moisture.
http://morrismuzzleloading.com/inc/sdetail/428

 

[Greg Blackburn]

Aluminum oxide powder? Now that is very interesting!

Aluminum powder is added to explosives to speed up the explosive's speed (faster expanding gases = more shattering effect) and it is added to the rocket boosters of the Space Shuttle for the same reason.

I looked on the link and it's only a 9 gram bottle? Seems a small amount.

 

[larryp]

I think the style of flintlock has something to do with it too. I have a Ketland style lock on my trade gun and it is a bugger to try and fire in wet weather. Even with a cow's knee and holding the lock under my arm it's a 50/50 chance of whether or not it goes off. My belt pistol has an L&R John Bailes lock with rain gutters and a flange around the frizzen that fits into the pan. I can carry it just shoved behind my belt without taking any care to keep it dry in the same weather and it always goes off.

 

[Spikebuck]

When it is really foggy and misty out I mix aluminum oxide powder in the pan powder.

What mix ratio do you use?

 

[hanshi]

I no longer hunt in rain. But when I did I either covered the lock with a baggie, kept the lock under my armpit/coat or both. Had no problems.

 

[TerryK]

When it is really foggy and misty out I mix aluminum oxide powder in the pan powder.

What mix ratio do you use?

The powder weighs almost nothing. I just fill up my pan charger and dump that amount on a paper plate. Then I add something like 1/8-1/4 teaspoon by volume to the powder and mix it around. The powder will get a silverish sheen.
Fletch dry is pretty unique. It weighs almost nothing, and has the consistency of graphite. In my area everyone uses it on wet days, and to dry and clean the flash pan. Like I said, the coating will increase the ignition time a bit, so I only use the mix on wet days.

 

[TerryK]

Aluminum oxide powder? Now that is very interesting!

Aluminum powder is added to explosives to speed up the explosive's speed (faster expanding gases = more shattering effect) and it is added to the rocket boosters of the Space Shuttle for the same reason.

I looked on the link and it's only a 9 gram bottle? Seems a small amount.

I guess it is in a typical 2 ounce jar, but the powder itself is lighter than Styrofoam. I am a material engineer, and it is very unique stuff.

 

[mr.flintlock]

I am retired now and have become a fair weather hunter but sometimes I hunt in iffey weather and it will begin to rain a couple of hours after I am settled into my stand. When this happens, I get out my plastic poncho and put it on and keep the rifle covered with it until a deer comes by and I am ready to fire the rifle. When I was still working and had a very limited number of days to hunt, I hunted every day that I could, rain or shine and this is what I did to keep myself and the rifle dry.

 

[good ole boy]

I,ve used towels draped over the rifle .Baggies,pant legs cut off with the rifle slipped thru and even plastic bread sleeves.The only time I had trouble was once in a white out snow storm with prit-near zero visability.Some Does came thru and was straight on.As I had the hammer back with the lock uncovered waiting for them to quarter and go broadside the snow got my lock soaked and didn,t discharge.I did get it to go off but by then they jumped out of the way of my Round Ball. :rotf:

 

[good ole boy]

Also don,t forget to protect the muzzle end from encroaching moisture.

 

[Crewdawg445]

Cows knee as others mentioned, well oiled... can't stress that bit of advice. There's no need to rush out and buy a fancy gun cover or gun blanket. Make a simple knee and you'll be set.

Another U.P. guy! Family's from up near White fish point. My heaven on earth! :thumbsup:

 

[pinemarten]

Thank you for the good suggestions! I don't take my fullstock flintlock apart (remove barrel) every time I clean it because of worry over getting pins in and out without damage, time, etc. When melting snow was building up on the barrel, I turned the gun upside down so as not to allow the water to run between barrel and stock. I guess that position would expose the open area of the bottom of a Cow's Knee.... Mostly it is too cold for much rain by rifle season...but not always!

Where the covers mostly made of leather or would waxed canvas be traditional as well?

Dan

 

[SDSmlf]

Easy to dispose of water proof case is a great idea if you can make it work. I have taken a couple of deer in fowl weather priming after seeing them. Use PC electrical tape on muzzle with feather stuck in flash hole. Easy enough to pull feather and charge pan once deer are spotted. Trick is to be able charge with minimal movement.

 

[Grumpa]

Aluminum Oxide powder and Aluminum powder are two different things. The latter is a fuel component of thermite, which would burn right through the flash pan. :shocked2:

I believe TerryK referred to Aluminum Oxide powder.

Richard/Grumpa - NOT a Chemist! :grin: