Which percussion caps to use?

[renegadehunter]

Using real BP the only difference I see between CCI regular and mag caps is how much the cap fragments apart. I dislike using the mags as they seem to always blow apart more and get stuck in the hammer, requiring me to occasionally have to use my nipple pick to get them out. The non mags seem to either fall off as soon as I pull the hammer back or stay on the nipple and can be brushed off. Just a personal preference I suppose, I'd use the mags if that was all I could find, but I do target purchasing the regular ones if they are available.

 

[Artie Peltier]

Congratulations on your first Rifle. I’m sure it’s not going to be your last either! You were given a lot of good and accurate info.
1. Clean, clean and clean again. Like everyone said Rifht after shooting. Take the barrel off, by removing the wedge, and clean inside and out ( hot soapy water). Remove the nipple, clean with hot soapy water, re-clean again clean ****(hammer) wipe down stock, remove traces of all black powder or substitute. Oil everything lightly. Within the next day or two run a patch down the barrel to check for any left over residue, clean more or just oil as needed. I’m sure if you ask about cleaning in another subject you’ll get tons of info.
2. I’ve used magnum caps and regular. Both worked well. Just keep that nipple clean and get an extra one. They do wear. Hope this helps and have fun here. Art

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Congratulations on your first Rifle. I’m sure it’s not going to be your last either! You were given a lot of good and accurate info.
1. Clean, clean and clean again. Like everyone said Rifht after shooting. Take the barrel off, by removing the wedge, and clean inside and out ( hot soapy water). Remove the nipple, clean with hot soapy water, re-clean again clean ****(hammer) wipe down stock, remove traces of all black powder or substitute. Oil everything lightly. Within the next day or two run a patch down the barrel to check for any left over residue, clean more or just oil as needed. I’m sure if you ask about cleaning in another subject you’ll get tons of info.
2. I’ve used magnum caps and regular. Both worked well. Just keep that nipple clean and get an extra one. They do wear. Hope this helps and have fun here. Art

Thank you for the post Artie.
I have been watching youtube videos on cleaning and agree with you about the importance of clean, clean, clean!
The best ones I have seen have been Idahoron's videos.

 

[Shot deer]

Hi folks. I'm as pilgrim as they come. First post too. Just got a Hawkin 50 and busy gathering the essentials. I see CCI #11 caps and also CCI Magnum caps. Which do I want to use and what is the reason for different ones?
Thanks, HJ

Who is the maker of your Hawken? I have a CVA Hawken-style that does not like CCI; it takes two hammer slams to make it fire. I have to use Remington caps for one pull of the trigger.

As to your question, I think either (magnum, or no magnum) are fine to use.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Who is the maker of your Hawken? I have a CVA Hawken-style that does not like CCI; it takes two hammer slams to make it fire. I have to use Remington caps for one pull of the trigger.

As to your question, I think either (magnum, or no magnum) are fine to use.

It's a Traditions.
Thanks for the tip. I will try to get the Remingtons, as you suggest.

 

[Shot deer]

It's a Traditions.
Thanks for the tip. I will try to get the Remingtons, as you suggest.

You very well might have to experiment, maybe the CCI's will work for you, and then again maybe they won't, but whatever you choose, Good Luck!

 

[Griz44Mag]

I consider nipples a "wear" item. Eventually they are going to wear out just like a jag or ramrod, so it's good to be prepared and have spares.

Beat me to it. I carry spare nipples in my box. Rotate them out, put in a fresh cleaned one after every session and let the pulled one soak in MAP, then cleanit and put it into the rotation. Always keep a third new nipple handy at the bench. When I see accuracy dropping or I see the hole getting bigger, I toss it.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Griz44Mag, what does MAP mean?
HJ

 

[Carbon 6]

MAP = Murphy's oils soap, Alcohol, and Peroxide.

 

[Juice Jaws]

[QUOTE="Griz44Mag, Always keep a third new nipple handy at the bench. When I see accuracy dropping or I see the hole getting bigger, I toss it.[/QUOTE]

Griz, I have a hard time thinking a nipple has that much to do with accuracy. What makes you think it does? Just wondering. I think I have only change one nipple in all my years of shooting.

 

[Grenadier1758]

As the touch hole in the nipple opens up or enlarges, pressure in the chamber becomes more variable on ignition. The high variability results in larger groups or poor accuracy.

 

[Carbon 6]

Some guys groups aren't small enough to notice a change in accuracy.

 

[steam1993]

I have a Hawken style rifle in .50, and had misfire problems with it, tried magnum caps, and still had misfires. I used both bp and pyrodex, fixed the problem by taping the rifle from the opposite side of the hammer, misfires stoped, think i was not getting enough powder under the nipple(yes it was at half **** too). So i now use just plain cci #11 caps now, and have gone all black powder too.

 

[dave951]

Another thought, caps can affect accuracy. Find what works best and don't change. In muskets, the CCI reenactor caps are garbage for accuracy purposes so most us the the NSSA try to avoid them.

 

[reddog]

Thanks, never thought there was much to it, but my accuracy seemed to be better with std. caps. Now, where to source "good" musket caps?

 

[Grenadier1758]

I have a target pistol that is designed so the hammer comes to rest on the frame. The nipple is not touched and ignition relies on the primer in the cap being thick enough for the hammer to strike the cap. At a certain stage in the life of this pistol, #11 magnum caps would fire but standard #11 caps would not. I did buy a longer nipple and I can use #11 caps.

 

[Juice Jaws]

Some guys groups aren't small enough to notice a change in accuracy.

Well thanks C6 you just save me some money, guess there's no use for me to change nipples.

 

[Juice Jaws]

As the touch hole in the nipple opens up or enlarges, pressure in the chamber becomes more variable on ignition. The high variability results in larger groups or poor accuracy.

Interesting, I would of never of thought that.

 

[arcticap]

As the touch hole in the nipple opens up or enlarges, pressure in the chamber becomes more variable on ignition. The high variability results in larger groups or poor accuracy.

I agree, but want to make both a joke and a point.
Isn't every shot from a muzzle loader as different [or variable] from each other just like every snowflake is different [or variable] from each other?
There are soooo many other variables to consider that folks are usually just happy if their nipple simply works.

Is it true that every snowflake is different?
The short answer to the question is yes -- it is indeed extremely unlikely that two complex snowflakes will look exactly alike.
It's so extremely unlikely, in fact, that even if you looked at every one ever made you would not find any exact duplicates.--->>> https://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/alike/alike.htm

 

[Carbon 6]

Well thanks C6 you just save me some money, guess there's no use for me to change nipples.

Au contraire