Hunting in the rain.

[LIMPINGJ]

Looking for suggestions on how to keep a cap lock working in wet weather. I got drawn for one of the public lands hunts here in TX. The first afternoon was nice weather then the rain started Tuesday morning. I had the lock wrapped in a plastic bag and the muzzle covered. Because the Park Rangers want to see the rifle was unloaded when they came to pick you up from your blind I chose to fire off the load instead of trying to pull the ball. On the morning hunt the rifle fired just fine when they came to pick me up but that afternoon there was some heavy rain and the rifle did not fire when they came around to pick us up after legal shooting hours. Since Wednesday was forecast to have heavy rain again I just headed home. Please share you suggestions on what I could do to increase the odds of my rifle firing, I was thinking of keeping the capper inside my rain suit till ready to shoot then put the cap on might help if you kept the nipple sealed someway. Thanks for any ideas.

[slim1836]

Google "cows knee" for an idea.

Slim

[**oneshot**]

I use a "cows knee" as stated above. It works on my flinter. I also put a film of beeswax on to seal the pan.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Caplocks are SOOO simple. Put a piece of scotch tape across the muzzle to seal it after loading. Seat the cap insuring it is snug on the nipple, smear the cap/nipple joint with chapstick or a non-melting lube to forclose water access.

Later remove cap. * Plug nipple hole with a tight fitting maple toothpick, grease as above and retape to keep barrel interior dry.

Voila.....#2!

(*If they require it, pull the ball)


BvT

Voila ! Waterproof.

[Hanshi]

I've hunted in the rain with both caplocks and flintlocks without problems. I keep the lock under my coat or armpit and that seems to work. I don't hunt in the rain anymore but do still get out in misty/sprinkely/ foggy conditions.

[Mike Brooks]

Puting tape over the muzzle is not needed. With a tight fitting patch/ball combo with a greased patch you could probably fill the barrel with water and not wet the load.
A greased cow's knee over the lock should work well as well as a tight fitting cap.

[LIMPINGJ]

As stated in orginal post lock was wraped with a plastic covering just a modern cows knee and the area was not wet untill it was removed to fire the rifle. I will experiment with BvT's sugestion of keeping the cap dry.

[OverMax]

One suggestion. Don't be twisting and tipping the rifle side to side while still hunting. Try to hold your rife in a non compromising position against the inclement weather as long as you can before changing its overall position again.That applies to walking standing & sitting down. Second suggestion. You need to purchase a CO-2 ball discharger. (No need to pull a ball or bullet with a screw or finding it necessary to fire the rife to clear it s barrel.) CO-2 discharger does come in handy no doubt about it.

One question please. When you fired your rifle in the AM. And then reload for the afternoons or evening hunt Did you wet patch its barrel after that AM firing and then perhaps reload without firing a couple caps off first on an empty breech / barrel?

[fouronesix]

Taping the muzzle has less to do with keeping the charge dry and most everything to do with keeping foreign c##p out of the bore. Not a bad way to prevent problems.

As far as keeping a cap lock going in the rain, the best is to seal the cap on the nipple with wax or some non-migrating sealant. A drop of water on the nipple or cap will find its way under the cap by capillary action.

CO2 discharging gadgets are fine- if you like gadgets. I prefer to carry a little FFFF powder, a nipple wrench and thin wire pick.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Puting tape over the muzzle is not needed. With a tight fitting patch/ball combo with a greased patch you could probably fill the barrel with water and not wet the load.
A greased cow's knee over the lock should work well as well as a tight fitting cap.

I put tape over the muzzle as my load combination is a lightly greased patch and a snug, not tight patch/ball fit that is loaded with a tapered hickory stick. It is not waterproof without the tape. I hunt and don't carry much gear. I learned long ago not to use tight loading techniques to hunt a mile back in the bush, especially in the rain. "Could probably" and "should work" are not good enough for me. But hunters should make their own decision in this regard and to test is easy.

I know a cow's knee arrangement is unneccessary for me to hunt with a caplock as the cap/nipple joint is so easily sealed.

One important thing about hunting in the rain not yet addressed has to do with whether you can get your wooden ramrod out of the gun after an hour or two or more of rain. I don't think of a CVA plastic/aluminum wonder. Think traditional. They will stick as the stock and rod swell from moisture. Better to thin your ramrod down and be able to withdraw it when soaked so as to load, than to have it impossible to remove due to swelling wood in the rain. And this a a rain hunting lesson easily tested. Good Hunting !

BvT

[LIMPINGJ]

OM the rifle was cleaned after being fired that morning. I think the compound in the cap got wet because when I removed the nipple you could see prining compound pushed into the nipple hole that had not been fired. Also the comment about your ramrod is a good one to check before a hunt, I knew mine would swell so carried it seperate from the rifle.

[Mike Brooks]

Taping the muzzle has less to do with keeping the charge dry and most everything to do with keeping foreign c##p out of the bore. Not a bad way to prevent problems.
I wonder how the old timers ever got along before the invention of tape?:???:

[Boerrancher]

I have found the easiest way to keep a cap lock functioning in bad weather is to trade it for a flint lock or not take it out in wet weather.

Best wishes,

Joe

[Mike Brooks]

One important thing about hunting in the rain not yet addressed has to do with whether you can get your wooden ramrod out of the gun after an hour or two or more of rain.
I split my rods out of a hickory log which makes them nearly unbreakable. I make sure to put a good taper on the rod and have never had one stick. They never fall out with the taper as a hand split rod usually has a bit of a crook in it which gives the rod enough friction to keep it in place.
I have never used tape at the muzzle and have hunted in the rain way too many times. I have never had water in my bore. Probably because I carry my gun muzzle down......

[Mike Brooks]

I have found the easiest way to keep a cap lock functioning in bad weather is to trade it for a flint lock or not take it out in wet weather.

Best wishes,

Joe
I was going to suggest that but didn't want to be controversial.[smilie=1:

[waksupi]

Caps will draw moisture. Plastic over them will just make condensation worse. There is nothing you can put on them, to stop it. It took me a lot of years to figure that out, and to only hunt with flintlocks.
I agree on a lot of taper on the ram rod. If you think it feels too loose and it tends to slip out, heat it over your stove burner and put a bend in it. That will keep it in place.

[fouronesix]

I taper all my wood ramrods so the will not get stuck when taking on moisture. If a little loose when dry, just wrap a little string or thread around the top pipe.

[LIMPINGJ]

This was a shotgun or muzzle loader hunt so if I get drawn again I will take my 870 as backup if it is raining. I will have to save for a while to afford a flintlock that compares to this 20 ga English style rifle

[Maven]

LJ, et al., Take a look at this thread, especially post #1233671: http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/275984/

[MissionaryFarmer]

I use a tight cap, keep the lock under my hand, arm or coat and the muzzle pointed down. Even after hunting in a northern Indiana drizzle I don't worry about the gun going off.

[quilbilly]

Having hunted with a sidelock in the winter ML season on the west side of Washington State for the last 25+ years where an all day rain with a little sleet mixed in for 5+ inches of precip is a daily routine, the answers have been (1) vinyl coated nylon poncho's that covers you and the gun, and (2) plastic tube nipple and cap protectors that slide over the cap and nipple exposing just the end of the cap. Side benefits are (1) that dark green poncho with rain on it allows you to look just like a small evergreen three making it amazing camouflage that the deer or elk just can't figure out , and (2) the plastic slide on cap protector also helps focus the flame from the cap to the charge. Sorry about the run-on sentences.

[Boerrancher]

I am glad that some of you fellas have found what seems to be several ways to keep your cap lock functioning. I was never that lucky. Heck I can't even take my 32cal cap lock out squirrel hunting if there is a heavy dew on with out having troubles, and in any kind of a rain, forget it. It is a waste of time. I guess that is why I keep both cap locks and flinters. Though my cap locks seem to be loosing in the numbers game. I will try some of the suggestions posted here for keeping the cap lock running, spring is just around the corner and it won't be long before the squirrels will be jumping.

Best wishes,

Joe

[troy_mclure]

i grew up hunting with a hawken caplock in southern ohio.

a smear of bore butter over and around the cap seals it pretty good, ive actually had mine submerged in a 3' deep creek and still fire.

tape is worthless if you are a stalking type hunter as it falls off so easily. ive found a greased patch over the ball to work better.

[Rattus58]

Looking for suggestions on how to keep a cap lock working in wet weather. I got drawn for one of the public lands hunts here in TX. The first afternoon was nice weather then the rain started Tuesday morning. I had the lock wrapped in a plastic bag and the muzzle covered. Because the Park Rangers want to see the rifle was unloaded when they came to pick you up from your blind I chose to fire off the load instead of trying to pull the ball. On the morning hunt the rifle fired just fine when they came to pick me up but that afternoon there was some heavy rain and the rifle did not fire when they came around to pick us up after legal shooting hours. Since Wednesday was forecast to have heavy rain again I just headed home. Please share you suggestions on what I could do to increase the odds of my rifle firing, I was thinking of keeping the capper inside my rain suit till ready to shoot then put the cap on might help if you kept the nipple sealed someway. Thanks for any ideas.

Did you wipe your barrel thoroughly before reloading? Did you fire a squib load before loading to make sure that all oils and moisture are "burned out of the barrel and that you don't have any moisture in the nipple channel?

Cows knees work well to keep a frizzen dry maybe, but with a cap in the rain, unless its loose where moisture can through capillary action maybe cause it migrate upwards and interfere with ignition, something like chapstick over your cap or borrow some of the missuses nail polish... might even be a dear attractant.... might serve you more effectively in MY OPINION.... in the rain....

Me... Its football infront of the fireplace if its raining... :)

Aloha...