Wet Weather Hunting

[Tom A Hawk]

Its late muzzle loader season here for a few more days. I was out yesterday and the weather was foul. Snow in the morning followed by a light mist that wetted everything. Upon checking my prime I discovered the water had drizzled down the barrel, under the cows knee and turned the Siler's pan into mush. It took three re-primes and poking some into the flash hole to clear the main charge. Any tips on keeping the pan dry would be appreciated.

 

[TerryK]

I hunted in the wet snow yesterday, and around noon tried to ignite that pan while pointing at some deer. Click, click, click.
I kept the pan closed all day because the lock was pretty snowy. Anyway the pan was filled with water, and so was the charge.
I pulled the ball, and scraped out the wet charge. I have a Siler too.
I hear guys put chapstick as a seal. But I usually dump and dry often myself.
Still got my hunt in, and did not need to make sausage.

 

[Ballshooter]

I hunt in the Pacific North West, Washington state and my hunting season is usually cold and wet. I seal the pan with beeswax and put a leather cows knee over the lock. I used my homemade black powder this year to take a small buck in the pouring rain. My powder is in-between 2F and 3F I would use 3F in the pan not 4F to help fight moisture.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

The problem area seems to be where the frizzen meets the barrel. Its hard to effectively grease that gully and the water runs right in.

 

[Flintlock]

I try to wrap myself, bag, horn and especially lock under a wool blanket while sitting and while moving I try to drape blanket over it as well So my orange clothing is visable on the move. I also stopped using FFFFG as a primer while hunting (un-coated and seems to turn to mush faster). I missed a heck of a nice buck several years ago that kept walking further up to me each time my rifle (Clatched) I reprimed two or three times until he was 35 yards from me then trotted off. After 9 hours sitting in the rain and fog no matter how many precationsI took my powder even in the chamber got damp. Thrill of the chase and further experamentaion I guess is needed. I also changed prime several times.

 

[Dave Marsh]

The problem area seems to be where the frizzen meets the barrel. Its hard to effectively grease that gully and the water runs right in.

This is what I use. Trade Blanket (cdlyles.com)
Scroll down to wet weather gun cover.

 

[Daveboone]

Holding off on priming until on stand, removing priming between potential shots, Frequent priming changes...way back when, if it was crappy out...you stayed in. Battles were delayed for better weather conditions (but certainly not 12-25 1776 in NJ!)

 

[Rató:rats]

I just obstruct the gutter effect with some wax/lube mix. Plus a cows knee. Never had an issue with wet priming. Never had to reprime. even walking around in a drizzle for 5+ hours. My big beefy lock likes 3F. Never used 4F in my life but I hear it sucks in damp weather.
I like to keep it simple.

 

[Flintlock]

Holding off on priming until on stand, removing priming between potential shots, Frequent priming changes...way back when, if it was crappy out...you stayed in. Battles were delayed for better weather conditions (but certainly not 12-25 1776 in NJ!)

I for one have walked up on many deer on my wat to and from stand, my rifle stays primed.

 

[JamesT]

I keep the lock tucked up under my armpit with the muzzle angled down. Never lean your rifle against a tree. The water will run down the barrel and seep into the pan. Have never a bad prime by using these two techniques.
James

 

[hanshi]

I'm another flint shooter that has been hunting in all kinds of weather from misty to downpours. I always prime with 4F unless I happen to be out of it. To keep the prime dry I will place the lock under my armpit or keep it under my jacket. In past hunts in wet stuff the gun has always fired when the trigger was pulled. This doesn't work, of course, once the piece has been fired since fouling sucks moisture out of the air. Generally, hunting in the rain is something I try and avoid; but there are times when the sky will open up on the hunter during an otherwise nice day. And sometimes there is no choice but to get out there if you want to hunt. Mostly I've simply stayed in bed in that kind of weather.

 

[Ponderosaman]

Thinking outside of the box, probably wouldn't be period, but you could do like the guys supposedly did in Nam and put a condom over the barrel. I believe that intestine condoms were available back in the 1800s.

 

[FishDFly]

Electrical tape over the end of the barrel.

If you could find a weather proof poncho, that would cover up your rifle and keep you warm..

 

[oldwood]

Always use a cow's knee , never tilt the muzzle up , put thin tape over the muzzle using slugs,water goes around the bullet into the main charge. Carry the gun w/ the lock area under your arm pit. Like another guy said , put a tiny dam of wax , or whatever , ahead of the lock to divert water away from lock bolster/ frizzen cover area. Change FFFFG hourly , even on sunny , but humid days. Have killed far more deer , on foul weather days , than blue bird weather days ,here in the Pa. woods ..........oldwood

 

[jackpine54]

I have used beeswax or even chapstick to block the water from getting in the pan. Also keep muzzle down and lock under my armpit with a mulesknee cover. FFFg in pan when wet, just in case it helps, I'm not sure but can't hurt. Change prime every so often. It's worked so far. But if it's pouring rain I'll probably stay indoors.

 

[Brokennock]

I do similar to @Rató:rats with a big glob of my slightly stiffer than chapstick beeswax/oil patch/wad lube. But I put it right under where the leading edge of my cowsknee wraps tightly around barrel and stock. And I seal the edges of the pan with some after I prime and close it.
Also I try to keep the lock under my arm and as much of the gun as I can tucked under my matchcoat.

A cover similar to the c.lyles cover that @58 Caliber linked to is on my list of things to make or get.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Going out again tomorrow as Rudolph is still showing up on my trail cam. If things get wet I will try rolling some bees wax mixture into spaghetti strands as caulking around the pan and use the armpit shield. Thanks.

 

[Brokennock]

Going out again tomorrow as Rudolph is still showing up on my trail cam. If things get wet I will try rolling some bees wax mixture into spaghetti strands as caulking around the pan and use the armpit shield. Thanks.

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Throw a wool blanket over your shoulders and keep yourself, your bag/horn, and gun dry.

 

[M. De Land]

Its late muzzle loader season here for a few more days. I was out yesterday and the weather was foul. Snow in the morning followed by a light mist that wetted everything. Upon checking my prime I discovered the water had drizzled down the barrel, under the cows knee and turned the Siler's pan into mush. It took three re-primes and poking some into the flash hole to clear the main charge. Any tips on keeping the pan dry would be appreciated.

I think that is the single best reason to have a cap lock of the same size and caliber . Even at that I understand that through the civil war battles were often postponed for dryer weather.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I think that is the single best reason to have a cap lock of the same size and caliber . Even at that I understand that through the civil war battles were often postponed for dryer weather.

I recall reading the historical comments from about the time that percussion locks were coming on the hunting scene. In response to the claim that "percussion gun shoot harder" the writers response was " why do you need to?" In response to the claim that "Percussion guns let you hunt in the rain." The writers response was, "Why would you want to?"