Making sure that smokepole goes off!!!!

[54roundball]

With hunting season upon us I was wondering how everyone makes sure that rifle will go boom when the buck iof your dreams is in front of you.My self I shoot a lyman great plains 54 caliber percussion rifle. I like to shoot it it once the night before I hunt then. The next morning halfway on the way to where i hunt I pop off a cap or to with the barrell pointed towards the ground to see if the shot will move any leafs or grass or pebbles with the shot. If they move i know i have a clear ignition channel. I then pour my powder charge down the barrell. followed by a wonder wad then a patch lubed with bore butter then a dry patch then i load my projectile.Then I proceed to where I hunt then I cap the rifle. If I dont see any thing that day I uncap the the rifle and leave itin my vehicle until the next morning.The last evening I hunt I will shoot off the rifle and clean it that evening. How do you guys do it?

[Skinny Shooter]

This is a good topic and welcome to Huntchat. :cool:

The day before, I make sure my flint sparks and will chip the edge if needed with my forged screwdriver.
Then foul the barrel and load a ball with an ox-yoke patch over FFg.
It stays like that for awhile into the season.
From your description it sounds like you're not using a patched ball.

[54roundball]

no I hunt with a homecast.535 round ball from a lyman mold with a .010 ox yoke patchI use the wonder wad so i dont burn my patch plus i dont contaminate my powdercharge with fouling when I run a patch thru my barrell.

[Adam Helmer]

54roundball,

What are your trying to do? Why do you shoot the percussion rifle "once the night before?" Now you have a dirty bore that is rusting if you used BP.

I have used percussion rifles for 35 years and think I am doing it right since I have had 100% sure fire with them all. I clean my percussion arm after firing, lightly oil it and stand it muzzle down. On the day of the hunt, I run two dry patches down the bore, snap two caps, load and go hunting. My CCI caps are non-corrosive so I can leave the arm loaded all week with no worries.

The Lyman Black Powder Handbook pretty much uses my SOP, and vice versa. I cannot see any reason to fire your arm the night before the hunt. If you do, why do you need to snap caps next day?

Adam

[54roundball]

Hmmmm. Adam how should I put this?
Last time I checked I was not hunting with your rifle , it was mine and if I dont have a problem with how I do things you shouldnt either.But since you have a problem with how I do things I hunt here in Iowa during mid December thru mid January where temperatures are never above freezing over night. And for steel to rust it needs moisture as a catalyst to create iron Oxide (rust) . With the moisture frozen how is my Barrell going to rust? As I said in My post I leave it in my vehicle.If it did rust ( hasnt yet) that would be my problem wouldnt it. And if you think Pyrodex or triple seven fouling isnt corrosive think again.Hodgdon recomends cleaning the same as if you were using black powder. Oh by the way good job on killing the new members thread.

[Adam Helmer]

54roundball,

First, you did not explain why you "shoot off a round the night before." Please give me your reason for such an act.

Please explain how "I killed a new members thread." I suggest you reread my last post here and how I hoped to help you make sure your smokepole goes off.

Finally, Please show me where I ever said "Pyrodex or Triple Seven fouling is not corrosive." Where did I say that? Have a nice day.

Adam

[54roundball]

Every one knows theyre own rifle best. I know that if set off a round in my lyman I know it is going to fire the the next time I load it and pull the trigger. Thats why I do it the night before. I assure you it is done at daylight and in a safe manner aimed at a proper backstop. You implied that only BP was corrosive "Why would you do that now have a barrell rusting if youre using Black powder."Why didnt you just post how you do things instead of critisizing me for how I do it. The original intent of the post was for every one to share information. I was not askig for help:D

[Adam Helmer]

54roundball,

I assure you no one is criticizing you or your procedures. I agree, if it works for you, go for it. Sometimes we ask questions to better understand a post, please see questions in that vein. Good luck afield.

Adam

[rattus58]

Actually ANY residue of firing is hydroscopic. Corrosiveness comes with the territory alright, and true pyrodex is probably one of the worst, and I have a few comments here.

I also foul my barrel before each hunt, but I do it the morning of the hunt. I foul it if I can with a bullet on the powder, but if not, then a full charge packed and covered with a wad. Using a squib load for this with a sidelock can spell disaster if you are not careful, and I don't want to deal with fouling plugging up my nipples or fire channels like I have had happen in the past. A heavy charge takes care of all oils that may remain after an alcohol cleaning and numerous patches downbore. I also use pipe cleaners to make certain of a clean channel and a nipple prick to make sure that it too is ready.

Unlike you all though, I NEVER leave my gun overnight loaded by choice, cleaning and preparing for the following morning is A OK with me (Although my last bear hunt was an exception beyond MY CONTROL on the subject).

If you foul the bore, you can minimize the corrosion/hydroscopic actions by just wiping the bore ahead of the bullet with alcohol patches followed by dry patches and even a lightly oiled patch overnight to be wiped clean in the morning.... (WD40 might not be the choice for this) but even leaving it dry won't hurt.

Aloha.... :cool:

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I run an alcohol swab down to remove the oils, followed by a couple of dry patches. I then pop a cap to make sure that the ignition system is clear (making sure that it moves leaves, ect); after that I take a nipple pick and run it through followed by a pipe cleaner. I then dump my powder charge with the gun pointed slightly to my right....this way some powder will trickle into the drum. I then run a patched round ball home. At the end of the day, I fire the load.....I then run a patch to help remove the fouling, followed by a couple of dry patches, then a good cleaning once I'm home.

[moneychanger]

my only thought,musket nipple, musketcaps, and goex black in
my sidelocks.

[rattus58]

This is a situation that can plague anyone shooting a sidelock in particular. I'm just getting into flintlocks right now and have had all sorts of misfires... but since it is probably mostly my own doing till I become more familiar with all of the guns idiosynchracies, I'm going to contain my thoughts only to the caplock.

Lots of things can cause the gun to go click, without the follow up boom. They can be:
1) Improper cleaning
2) Moisture
3) Nipple channel or fire channel not clear
4) Nipple not clear
5) Poorly constructed caps
6) Nipple not forceful enough to deliver the flame
7) Breech is not cleaned up and powder is not inline with the channel
8) Cap not securely on the nipple and flush
9) Too weak a spring
10) Related, too much drag on the hammer with a weak spring

Cleaning: This is important both after shooting and again before shooting. When you are through shooting, make sure you clean your gun thoroughly and then after you have assured yourself of a dry clean barrel and lock area, lightly oil your bore. Before shooting again I would clean your bore thoroughly again with alcohol and dry patches and then run either pipe cleaners or twisted wire with a patch through nipple channel to assure yourself of no oil or other debris.

Personally before loading my gun, and after popping a couple of caps (these can leave debris that can plug the nipple channels too with no blowback) I like to fire off a full charge into the air (no bullet obviously) or into a dirt bank to assure myself of all oils and that the gun will go off. If you cannot do that, then after you have loaded your gun, remove the nipple and drop a few grains of fresh powder down under the nipple.

While loading... MAKE SURE THE BORE IS DRY... Cannot stress this enough. When loading for hunting, some hunters insist on loading with a loading tube so powder doesn't stick to the sides of the bore. This is extreme, but it does accomplish another necessity, it concentrates the powder around the flash hole. One should always turn the lock down and gently tap the breech area to tap powder into the flash channel.

Moisture... If humidity is high, cover both the nipple and bore with either a baloon and a rubber balloon under the hammer (no cap). IF you are going to walk around with the gun capped, try to seal it with blistex,vaseline, or paint it with nail polish (smelly and not first choice)

Poorly constructed caps... Caps that leave a lot of residue can leave your nipple filled with by product that can plug your nipple. Always have a nipple prick that you use as a final loading action when hunting.

Some nipples, particularly some factory nipples, don't deliver a real "shot" or jet of flame to the powder. Some aftermarket nipples like the hotshot and surefire nipples for example are designed to deliver a a jet of flame to the powder. Possibly switching to musket caps would be a good idea too (this is what I have done to even my #11 guns).. lots of flame there for sure.

Remember though, it is the least amount of flame necessary to ignite the powder that will give you the best ignition and accuracy shot to shot.

Sometimes our breech area will get a build up of carbon. This build up is not healthy for your gun. From time to time take a scraper and with your ramrod, try to clean out the breech of impacted by product. Make sure you clean this thoroughly and everything is dry before you load again.

Weak springs are a reality sometimes and changing them out is necessary to get good ignition. Another culprit that is related, is a nipple that is out of round, hammered flat that impedes the cap from fitting on flush. This even with a good spring will require two strikes to set off the cap. Change out the nipple or dress it with a file till the caps fit flush.

Lastly, you can have too much drag with poorly constructed locks. Polishing these areas (the moving parts of the lock and where they come in contact with each other) will produce smoother workings of the lock and a faster hammer throw.

Otherwise I don't do nothin... just go out and shoot... :) :D

Aloha... :cool:

[wrenchman]

like you guys i dont like leave my side lock loaded over nite but it is more of a i dont want a hang fire in the hunt.
when i am hunting like this past seasen i was worryed about all the rain and temp diff so i would fire each nite the last day i didnt even bother to bring out the side lock.
while in camp i leave the gun locked in the truck so it wont sweat and i wipe it with a oil rag and i still got some serfice rust at the tip of the muzzle.
Like you guys have said you tend to do what works for you i have never had a stuck ball or a fouled barrel so i gess it has been working for me.
If you guys want to know why i like to fire evey nite my uncle was bear hunting and just pulling the nipple in the evening after about 2 days he seen a bear comeing in when he shot it did nothing he had to shoot a couple primers to get it to go off.
He did get a bear later in the week but after he told me what happened i have just shot the gun ever evening.
Now with the inline i just started to youse with the 209 i dont worry about it as much i dont no if i should.