musket vs #11 caps

[BrownBear]

If the cap pops, I have no problem igniting Pyro or 777 with any of my Lymans when they are clean. Only cap we can buy over the counter around here is the CCI mag.

In your practice sessions, keep track of how long you can go before a misfire, doing nothing but loading and firing. One of my Lymans will go at least six shots and the other will go eight.

That's only relavent for the range, because I never shoot that much when hunting. It's a simple matter on the range to remove and clean the nipple inside and out, then pop a cap on an empty gun. For hunting I carry an extra clean nipple, but have never needed it. The snowshoe hare population is cycling back up to high right now, so I hope to change that this year!

 

[halfdan]

If the cap pops, I have no problem igniting Pyro or 777 with any of my Lymans when they are clean. Only cap we can buy over the counter around here is the CCI mag.

In your practice sessions, keep track of how long you can go before a misfire, doing nothing but loading and firing. One of my Lymans will go at least six shots and the other will go eight.

My last shooting session was a woods walk in cool, VERY damp weather. Using 50 gr 3FFF goex/440 ball/linen patch/spit for lube/ Remington #11 cap in a late 70's era CVA mountain rifle. I went 23 rounds without cleaning the barrel or the nipple. At that point I swabbed one damp patch and two dry patches because loading was getting tight down near the breech. Never did have a misfire. In fact I rarely do have misfires, and when I do I have always traced it to damp powder from oil or cleaning solvent left in the breech, not the cap.

Of course, I've never tried to shoot any of the substitute powders or pellets.

Regards,

 

[BrownBear]

Yeah, a couple of my rifles are the same too. Don't know what it is about the Lymans, but mine are the same with Pyro, 777, Goex, and some older DuPont I have around.

No need to beat the true blue black is better drum with me. But lots of folks simply can't get it where they live, so it's time for the rest of us to buck up and help them out with their substitutes rather than beating them about the ears for being lesser citizens.

 

[Zonie]

I don't consider them to be "lesser citizens".

I can identify with those who cannot easily get real black powder and I count myself fortunate because there is a source for it here in Phoenix. Actually, there are two sources if you count the National Muzzleloader Shoot held 25 miles North of here.

My reason for identifying with these folks is because most Gun Shops here only carry the new powders and I can't see spending the extra money to order black powder from out of State.

Yes, they are told about the goodness of real black powder, and someone always mentions that the new black powder replacements require a higher temperature to ignite, and all of that is true but that is not bashing those who use it.

My big complaint with the new powders is their cost. The last time I looked, Pyrodex was going for over $16 and the others were over $24 for loose powder.

The last time I tried the acid based powder was a long time ago and it truly was crappy but I understand the newer acid based powders are better?

Pellets of course are out of the question for sidelock guns because, as we all know, they will only occasionally work and they really cost a fortune.

zonie

 

[faw3]

Zonie, let's see...true,true, true, true ,true, true and true! Some years back I would of belived the musket cap was the way to go on hard to shoot rifles till some guy winning at Friendship told me about unneeded pressure from the big cap and a bunch of other stuff, it came down to fix the problem not work around it and go off not fixed shooting. :thumbsup: FRED :hatsoff:

 

[Runner]

This is where a lot of arguments come from also.
At one point I bought a nipple that had a screw on cap with a firing pin. You put a small rifle primer inside the nipple and then put the cap back on. I would not recommend it for target work, but if the hammer fell, the cap would blow a ball out of the barrel! It never failed to ignite anything I put under it!
I shot nothing but Pyrodex P for over 20 years. The loads I use, the methods of loading and cleaning, and even the lubes I use are based on things learned with Pyrodex. They are not always the same when used with BP.
Nothing wrong with Pyrodex except that it is more expensive, more potentially damaging to the barrel, harder to clean, and harder to ignite! I still use it because I can get a can over the counter anywhere just about. I tend to stock up when Wally world does their after season clearances to keep costs down. The BS about it not being as accurate is just that. P is the most accurate powder over all that I ever used.

 

[Zonie]

As I see it, there are several problems with using the Musket Cap nipple and the following is just my opinion.

As was mentioned, the cap is much larger in diameter as well as length. If the hammer is not lined up dead center to the new Musket nipple, it will often hit the cap off center which can prevent it from delivering its full blow to the priming compound inside the cap. This can create misfires.

Because the amount of gas created when the cap is fired using a Musket cap, as runner pointed out, is much greater, the ball can be moved down the barrel.
This will change the compression of the powder charge making it ignite differently each time a charge is fired.
The larger gas release of the Musket cap will have a greater effect on the main charges' compression than a #11 cap will have.
Because the powder ignition is different each time the gun is fired, accuracy will vary from shot to shot.
IMO, this is why some of the better target shooters stick with the #11 caps.
In this sport, consistency is the name of the game.

zonie

 

[Rat Trapper]

I like the Hot shot nipple and CCI #11 mag caps with Triple Seven in my TC Hawken 50 & 54 cal rifles. If a TC Hawken is properly cleaned and loaded it will fire everytime with the above combination.