When to cock?

[BrownBear]

... where shots present themselves quickly, and often while you're moving.

Takes a tiny bit of practice, but there's a neat "half way" strategy I like better than carrying the gun capped and half-cocked when moving in rough terrain. I fully cock the gun while keeping the "hammer" end of the tab between a couple of fingers with the cap out and handy. Just a matter of capping and dropping the tab to be ready to shoot. I make and carry extra tabs and don't much care if I lose them.

 

[Chris Nolin]

Perfect. This all might seem obvious to the experienced muzzleloader hunters here, but gold for a new guy. Cheers.

 

[Naphtali]

The only possibly safe alternative from Brownbear's reply would be to apply your hammer-blocking safety after cocking. . . . "How many production locks have such a safety?" you might reasonably ask. The only currently manufactured production rifle that comes to mind is Pedersoli's Mortimer flintlock. And even using this flintlock mechanism and rifle, I still recommend you practice Brownbear's method.

Hope this helps.

 

[biliff]

FWIW, the Mortimer safety only engages the tumbler at the halfcock position. It disengages automatically when going to full cock and has a bit of a tick of its own when disengaging.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Well, You guys must hunt different deer than I do, a click of hammer cocking or even the slight click of setting a trigger will cause NW Bama deer to do a double back flip and get out of Dodge.

I only hunt with a flinter, the one I have with a single set trigger I cock if I am setting still, put a stall over the fritzen but don't set the trigger. My single trigger gun I cock with a stall as well if I am sitting.

If I am walking I keep both guns on half cock.

 

[roundball]

Have filled my deer tags using side lock muzzleloaders, first caplocks then Flintlocks, for 21 years now.
I hunt thick woods where 98% of the shots are close 25-35yds, with only a very rare one at 60-70 yards.
There have only been 2 kinds of reactions from deer when I cocked a muzzleloader:
1) They either didn't hear it and kept on walking;
2) They heard it and stopped to listen more, presenting a perfect, still, shot opportunity.

 

[bpd303]

Been my experience too, however it's different with squirrels. They hear the click and scatter like...well tree rats.

 

[hanshi]

I hunt solitary and cock my gun after I take my stand. I have a leather frizzen cover for every gun I use and it is on the frizzen until I spot game. At that time I remove the cover, set the trigger before I fire. While walking through the woods the gun is on half cock with the frizzen cover in place.

 

[Swede50]

I will not hunt with anyone that either has his rifle off safety or on full cock be it BP or modern.
I have fell and seen to many hunters fall.
To easy for a firearm to fire and cripple or kill someone.
When I am in a tree-stand I wait until I see a deer then cock my TC or Lyman and squeeze off a shot.
I do not remember ever spooking a deer cocking a BP rifle. If it is that noisy something either needs oiled or cleaned.

 

[hanshi]

I'm way past my tree hunting days.

 

[bpd303]

I have never hunted from a stand, tree or other wise. When I can no longer still hunt and stalk, I will just resort to shooting paper.

 

[hanshi]

I hear ya'! I can't walk very well so I exit my truck (private property), step into the woods at a usual spot and sit in my folding, canvas chair.

 

[Razor62]

Well, You guys must hunt different deer than I do, a click of hammer cocking or even the slight click of setting a trigger will cause NW Bama deer to do a double back flip and get out of Dodge.

I only hunt with a flinter, the one I have with a single set trigger I cock if I am setting still, put a stall over the fritzen but don't set the trigger. My single trigger gun I cock with a stall as well if I am sitting.

If I am walking I keep both guns on half cock.

Same here! I had a large doe with a yearling at 30 yards when I decided not to shoot. There was an audible click as I carefully lowered the hammer and she snorted while doin' a 180. All I saw were tails and brown blurs streaking away a lightspeed.
Granted this was a modern break action shotgun but the click was about the same as a sidelock being brought to full cock.
I always employ the pressure on the trigger technique when cocking my sidelocks in hunting situations.
Some deer will tolerate much more than others when it comes to unusual noises. I've also had them just stand and stare after a missfire. I've even managed to get off a second, killing shot on occasion.

 

[robinsroost]

I've seen some guys on TV with percussion side locks place a cap on the nipple, then slowly lower the hammer on it and walk away...YE GADS! :nono:

I have both caplock and flintlock rifles. When I am hunting with a caplock, I have a 3/4" piece if truck inner tube tied to the trigger guard, with a 6" piece of waxed linen cord. I punched a small hole through one corner of the rubber square, tied one end of the cord to it, and the other end to the guard. I put a cap on the nipple and put the rubber square on the cap, and lower the hammer on the rubber square. This serves two purposes, it makes the gun safer and it helps protect the cap from moisture. When I cock the hammer, the rubber square falls to the side. Keep yer powder dry.......Robin :stir:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Been my experience too, however it's different with squirrels. They hear the click and scatter like...well tree rats.

I believe crows are the most alert/sensitive to sounds and movements.
Turkeys #2
Squirrles #3
Buck deer #4

 

[larry wv]

I carry at half cock. For Deer I use the silent cock. At 75 yards here the Deer go crazy if I just pull the hammer back. Not that many Deer (coyotes) and a lot of hunting pressure because of that. I also hunt on the ground most of the time anymore. I will climb during the rut in Bow season. Usually with a climbing stand.

Larry

 

[Eric Krewson]

One of my good friends is a traveling hunter, Kansas, Illinois and places west. He always remarks that the deer in these places walk around like cows and are pretty hard to spook. Like me, he is used to our wired local deer, a deer that won't drop 2 feet on the release of an arrow is a bit of a novelty.

Although I no longer hunt in a dog running county, when I did the alarm level in the deer herd was unbelievable.

 

[stuartg]

Ain't that the truth! I've hunted a lot in the Midwest, mostly Nebraska and Missouri. I tell ya, those deer are almost like pets compared to our southern deer. Makes me chuckle when I watch these hunting shows sometimes.

One thing I will say is those grain-fed deer do taste a good bit better than the acorn eatin' type.

 

[stantdm]

Where I hunt whitetail deer the click of a hammer cocking spooks them clean out of the county. You might get by with a double trigger set but not cocking the gun without holding the hammer back as several have mentioned.

 

[stinkyfeet]

I hunt with almost all single shots be it a muzzleloader, slug gun, or TC Encore never have I ever spooked one cocking a hammer. Maybe the deer are super spooky there, IDK. But I have hunted all over the country. Now they have caught me moving the gun to cock and aim but never skipped zip codes from a click of a hammer.