New to Blackpowder Hunting - Carrying Question

[stew71]

Ok...as someone who has never hunted with a BP rifle, what is the proper method of carrying a charged traditional caplock in the woods while hunting, such as the Lyman Plains Rifle. Is it carried with the hammer down on a primed nipple or should you carry it down on an empty nipple, only placing a cap when you want to fire? I know that the half-cock position is not to be used as a safety.

My initial guess is that it would be acceptable and safe to have it down on a cap, while being careful to avoid a sharp blow to the back of the hammer. But then again....

Also I have heard and read that when using conicals, you should periodically ensure that the bullet hasn't slipped down the barrel away from the powder charge. Is that true or just that legal-eagle safety stuff they print in the user manuals?

Thanks.

[deerwhacker444]

I hunted with a Lyman Great Plains for many years. I always carried mine on half cock with a cap on the nipple. Never had a problem. I would be hesitant to carry with the hammer touching the cap. My Flintlock is carried on half-cock, don't know why a Caplock shouldn't work the same.

IMO, any conical or sabot I've shot out of a muzzleloader has been tight enough in the bore that slippage will not occur. That's one reason I never could warm up to those Powerbelt bullets. They have a small ring that barely touches the bore. Using something like that I can see how slippage might happen. Some people might swear by em, but not for me.

[stretch]

I've always carried mine with a cap on the nipple and the hammer at
half-cock. When I come out of the woods and I haven't shot the rifle,
I pull the cap off and stick a piece of leather over the nipple and put
the hammer down on that. Seals the powder from moisture getting in.
An old-timer taught me that trick....

-Stretch

[Hobie]

Dittos to half-cock over an capped nipple. Old timer I knew in Kentucky in 1964 did the same. New age shooters in WV before and after did so also. I do it. Everything is done deliberately, just as you SHOULD do with any gun. No problems yet.

For those that would not, would you take the time to stop and charge a flintlock pan when hunting? Neither did the old timers.

BTW, I carry my lever rifles at half-cock on a loaded chamber. Dittos on my Winchester pump .22s.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Loaded and with cap and at half cock is the way I carry mine.

[C. Cash]

Always on half cock. If the hammer is struck while fully down then, it could likely go boom at the wrong time.

[JReed]

Yep capped and at half cock. The cap also helps to keep moisture out of your charge on damp days.

[marlinman93]

Being from the rainy climate, a friend taught me a cool trick that keeps things dry, and caps in plce (and dry!) We take a piece of Saran Wrap and after getting everything ready to fire, place the cap on the nipple, and then wrap the cap and that area with Saran Wrap. It holds the cap in place, keeps it dry, and when you're ready to fire just drop the hammer on the cap and it will fire even in rainy weather!

[JReed]

Being from the rainy climate, a friend taught me a cool trick that keeps things dry, and caps in plce (and dry!) We take a piece of Saran Wrap and after getting everything ready to fire, place the cap on the nipple, and then wrap the cap and that area with Saran Wrap. It holds the cap in place, keeps it dry, and when you're ready to fire just drop the hammer on the cap and it will fire even in rainy weather!

I'll have to remember that one. Never thought of using Saran Wrap makes sense though.

[stew71]

Thanks for the insight everyone. For whatever reason, I had the impression that half-cocked on a BP rifle would somehow be different than on a centerfire rifle. I think it was all of the repeated warnings in the user manuals that had me questioning myself.

[Pete44ru]

The fellas are right. Consider.......... The hunter's thumb OUGHT to be on the half-cocked hammer at all times, anyway, anticipating the opportunity to cock if for a shot suddenly presented - thereby safeguarding any inadvertant strikes to the hammer.

Myself - I jes try not to fall over my own big feet, and enjoy an unexpected "hunting trip".

.

[O.S.O.K.]

I agree on the half cock = that's what I've always done.

As to the conicals - if its a little loose - slather on some "firm" lube like SPG or similar to help hold it in place.

Test it at the range to ensure that it works good - shoots the way you want, but would help keep it from slipping around.

You could even put a glob of lube on your ram rod and push it down on top of the bullet (not too much!) but enough to "glue" it in place.

The conicals that I've used are tight enough that I don't get any movement.

[rjohns94]

half cock on my flinter, and my lever guns.

[rjohns94]

as for keeping caps in place, on my sxs bp nipple gun, I used items that any BP supplier has, and its a rubber retention device that fits over the cap, sealing out weather, retaining the cap on the nipple and leaving the cap exposed to a hammer strike. They worked great and i used them on my BP pistols too. After the shot, you just flick them off. You could reuse them but for like a 1.99 a hundred I didn't.

[Blaine]

In addition to cap issues, please make sure the ball is TIGHT on top of the powder...no space between powder and ball.....excess pressure will happen if there is a space. With practice, you can feel the powder compress to the same level each time you load. Semi-tight patches are good. Lot's of lube on the patch that could wet your powder is bad

[Rusty]

I like the idea of the plastic wrap over the nipple to help seal it. I've always used wax on the nipple before putting the cap on to help with the seal.

One thing you might also do as a safety measure, when you uncap your rifle look at the cap to make sure the priming compound is still there, then check the top of the nipple to make sure it is clean. I have seen the little dab of compound come out and lay on the top of the nipple. If this happens, the rifle is still primed and will go off. Fortunately the guy that this happened to did have his rifle pointed in a safe direction, but it was a wake up call. Not to mention any names but those caps that used to come in white tins with green writing on them seemed to be bad about losing the compound.