Hunting with a percussion rifle

[Wolf777]

Forgive my lack of knowledge as I’m new to the ML world, but I had a question about hunting with a percussion rifle that I felt didn’t belong in the hunting forum.

When hunting with a percussion rifle and a cap in place, are you walking through the woods with the hammer down, or in half cock? I’m assuming with the hammer down it keeps the cap from falling off and the weather but is literally a smack away from accidental discharge. The half cock position is not a true safety but doesn’t allow the trigger to engage the lock but doesn’t protect the cap.

Thanks in advance. Just wanting to make sure to approach this adventure with safety as my top priority.

 

[QuinnTheEskimo]

Half cock for me. The caps shouldn’t come off easily enough to fall off.

 

[TDM]

Agree with @QuinnTheEskimo

 

[user 56392]

Half cock here as well.

 

[64Springer]

Cap on, hammer down.

I don't trust the cap not falling off.

AD never a problem.

 

[Newaygo77]

Always on half cock. I took a fall in the woods last week while tracking a friend’s deer. My gun didn’t take the brunt of the impact, but it made me thankful that my hammer wasn’t resting on top of the cap where it could cause an accidental discharge.

 

[NDHunter]

I personally have never had a cap come off and I haven't had a AD on half cock and I used to hunt in some pretty thick woods when I was younger.

 

[Steve Wagner]

Welcome Wolf, I am pretty new to this game too, but I saw this question asked elsewhere [on this forum, I believe] and someone posted some really good advice: Take a thick piece of leather [1/8" or more], maybe 1" square, burn a hole in one corner to tie a shoelace through and tie off to the back of your trigger guard. Make the lace long enough to allow the leather to reach the nipple and pinch the leather between capped nipple and hammer while hunting. On the TC Hawken I am hunting with, the half cock position is so close to the cap that the hammer still pinches the leather in place while in half cock. This is doubly safe but if your rifle's half cock is a bit too far away, you could release the hammer onto the leather. If the leather is thick enough it should still take a heck of a wallop for the gun to go off. Better experts here can chime in as to the safety of this option. It is not my idea, it was in the thread I saw. I would opt for enough layers of leather to be thick enough to stay put w the hammer in half cock. I used about 1" off the end of an old, yellow leather work glove finger [2 layers], saturated it w waterproof boot dressing and heated it to absorb all greasy residue. I then burnt a hole w an 8 penny nail and tied her off. The water proofing makes your new 'safety' double as a rain cap in wet weather and, should you choose, when trying to navigate a really wet, brushy area [like where I live in NW MT] where you know a soaking is coming, you could remove your cap and let it seal the nipple keeping it dry. I used some super glue to laminate the cut end of the glove finger. Do this before the waterproofing or it won't work. You can also add a filler first to get the thickness you want as discussed above. At any rate, when you cock your hammer to shoot, the pad will fall away and hang from the lace for next time. Works perfect for me and my son in law and I wish I could give credit where it is due. Just cannot remember who posted it. Thanks anonymous ! BTW, the glove idea was all mine, but it is not patented yet so jump on it before I decide to get rich. SW

 

[user 48679]

I use a commercial set of weather guards on my capguns, a small rubber finger guard for the muzzle, and a collar that goes onto the seated cap, both sealing it and holding it on until it gets blown off when the gun is fired. ( google: percussion rifle cap rain guard )

 

[kyron4]

I use a commercial set of weather guards on my capguns, a small rubber finger guard for the muzzle, and a collar that goes onto the seated cap, both sealing it and holding it on until it gets blown off when the gun is fired. ( google: percussion rifle cap rain guard )

View attachment 187632

I have some of the muzzle guards, is accuracy effected when shot off ? I have always pulled mine off when I see a deer approach.

 

[ORBushman]

I always go off half cocked!



To the woods that is.

 

[DuncNZ]

On a properly set up caplock the hammer should be so far over the cap when on half cock so it cant come off . Lowering the hammer onto the cap can push priming compound into the nipple , which can stay there and go off if some time later the hammer is dropped on the now capless nipple , it has happened .

 

[ETipp]

Out of all my years I have never kept my ML on half cocked while hunting. I often hunt thick and/or steep rugged terrain. I have never had an issue with it. But that's just me. Everyone should do as they see best.

If anyone is concerned about the amount of force required to hit the hammer hard enough to ignite the cap when the hammer is all the way down, just put a cap on an unloaded ML and hit the hammer with the heel of your fist.

It would be darn near impossible to fall and/or drop the rifle in a fashion to shoot oneself.

 

[SamTex1949]

When fired the column of air being pushed out the muzzle ahead of the projectile will blow the muzzle guard or tape that has been placed over it.

 

[Rancocas]

When I'm sitting still in a blind I keep my rifle on half-cock. However, I frequently sneak through some thick underbrush and with my gun on half cock I have lost the percussion cap more times than I like to think about. That cost me a nice buck one time when I snapped on an uncapped nipple. So, when on the move, I have the hammer down on the cap.
Like ETipp said above, it would take quite a whallop to set it off. But, with that said, always, always keep the weapon pointed in a safe direction.

 

[chorizo]

I do the same as @Rancocas, except when transiting and not hunting, moving as a group or moving about on some type of conveyance, no cap, hammer down.

 

[Okie Hog]

My rifle is at half cock while hunting. Never had a cap come off.

 

[Billywfe]

I use a tire valve stem cap over my capped nipple with the hammer down. Protects from rain, cap loss and accidental discharge. the cap removes easily at half cock.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

I always have a capper handy somehow, either on a thong around my neck, tied to my bag strap, or in my fromt jacket pocket. I charge the gun before I go to the woods. If Im traveling to a blind, I have the cap off the nipple, hammer down. the moment I suspect I might be coming in contact with game, I put the gun on half-cock and cap it, it takes 5 seconds with not much motion if Im careful. If I am stil-hunting and expect to see game, I'll have the cap on and hammer at half-cock but then I am basically not moving but a step at a time, very slowly and carefully. Same condition if Im sitting in a blind.

 

[Howard Pippin]

Welcome Wolf, I am pretty new to this game too, but I saw this question asked elsewhere [on this forum, I believe] and someone posted some really good advice: Take a thick piece of leather [1/8" or more], maybe 1" square, burn a hole in one corner to tie a shoelace through and tie off to the back of your trigger guard. Make the lace long enough to allow the leather to reach the nipple and pinch the leather between capped nipple and hammer while hunting. On the TC Hawken I am hunting with, the half cock position is so close to the cap that the hammer still pinches the leather in place while in half cock. This is doubly safe but if your rifle's half cock is a bit too far away, you could release the hammer onto the leather. If the leather is thick enough it should still take a heck of a wallop for the gun to go off. Better experts here can chime in as to the safety of this option. It is not my idea, it was in the thread I saw. I would opt for enough layers of leather to be thick enough to stay put w the hammer in half cock. I used about 1" off the end of an old, yellow leather work glove finger [2 layers], saturated it w waterproof boot dressing and heated it to absorb all greasy residue. I then burnt a hole w an 8 penny nail and tied her off. The water proofing makes your new 'safety' double as a rain cap in wet weather and, should you choose, when trying to navigate a really wet, brushy area [like where I live in NW MT] where you know a soaking is coming, you could remove your cap and let it seal the nipple keeping it dry. I used some super glue to laminate the cut end of the glove finger. Do this before the waterproofing or it won't work. You can also add a filler first to get the thickness you want as discussed above. At any rate, when you cock your hammer to shoot, the pad will fall away and hang from the lace for next time. Works perfect for me and my son in law and I wish I could give credit where it is due. Just cannot remember who posted it. Thanks anonymous ! BTW, the glove idea was all mine, but it is not patented yet so jump on it before I decide to get rich. SW

Hi Steve. I've done the same thing for some time, except I've been using fishing hook line that is made for leaders to tie the leather on and I generally take a lead weight like one of those small fishing split balls and fasten into the line for weight and it helps pull the leather off as the hammer setting on the leather seems to make it want to stick a little bit, for me. I used this method for a long time even when I was in a blind, but I'm generally hunting alone so the biggest danger is just to myself.
Squint