Do you just always have that doubt?

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deerslayer303

New member
Sitting in the stand this breezy evening with the Kentucky rifle in my lap, I got to wondering. Will this thing go boom when the time comes? It's been charged since last Saturday right after the hammer fell on that deer. There was no cleaning involved just a quick reload while sitting in the stand after the shot. How many of you wonder the same? I guess that's part of the fun and challenge of toting the smoke poles to woods. [emoji3] I mean I guess I could kick the back door open and fire it, clean it up, and reload it. But then there are no guarantees doing that either. Anyone ever have your rifle not go off with game in your sights? If so what was the cause?

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TXAZ

New member
I thought there was one in the pipe. Was wrong. By the time I said .... and cycled the bolt, game gone.
 
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Sure Shot Mc Gee

New member
Hawken 50 Flintlock; once misfired while deer hunting. Easy shot on a spike >click !! Not enough spark.
That was the last time I took it afield hunting. Percussion cap rifles from then on taken afield became my preference.. Haven't encountered another misfire since.
"I cannot afford to take a rifle afield that isn't 100 % reliable. My T/c Flintlock has shown its not 100% reliable So its been a safe queen for quite some time.
 
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Poodleshooter

New member
I don't really wonder. The only thing that has ever made my GPR flintlock hangfire or FTF, has been wet swabbing the bore and getting gunk stuck in the patent breech during long range sessions. Loading afresh from a cleaned state, or even dry patched only, it's quite reliable.
 
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noelf2

New member
I had a hangfire with my TC Hawken once. It had been loaded for about a week, and the third day of me sitting in the stand. I missed the deer completely. After that, I never leave a sidelock loaded after the hunt. A fresh load every time, religiously. Hardly worth getting up early and sitting in the stand without knowing that she's gonna go bang. I haven't had the same problem with an inline using T7 pellets and sabots. I'll leave that loaded all season if I don't get an opportunity to shoot it.
 
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Pahoo

New member
The mind can play these kind of tricks !!!

I try not think about these things but do understand that there are times when your mind can play tricks on you. We have all had more than our share of Hang and MisFires. I have never had one while hunting. They do make weather shields for #11 caps on open breech rifles but never used them. ... :cool:

I recall shooting a real nice buck, one cold winter morning and watched as he took his last breath. I actually looked around to see that perhaps someone else might have shot it. ....... :confused:

Be Safe !!!
 
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deerslayer303

New member
Well, I decided to fire off the rifle this a.m. and clean it. I'm glad I did. The cap went off but that's it. I had to cap it a second time to light the charge. Hmm I guess I may adopt noelf2's SOP.

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Blindstitch

New member
Been there done that.

I was given a kit rifle that was assembled and taken out to the woods quite a few times. Nobody ever shot anything with it. So somehow it was given to me back when I was 14 with all the stuff to make it go bang. My grandpa showed me how to load, shoot, and clean it. Once that Northern Michigan December day came that I could carry it in the woods I loaded it and set out.

I usually hunt over bait but nothing was coming in so I found some big deer tracks and followed them. Eventually I came up on a bigfooted spike. Cocked the hammer and pop. The deer stood there. Cocked again and pop. Then the deer started walking away. I recapped and cocked again and pop.

I have never trusted that gun to go bang since. Yes I have shot it since but it has only been about half reliable where as my CVA Optima V2 goes bang every time. If i'm in doubt I can screw out the breech plug and push everything out and start over.
 
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Hawg

New member
Haven't had a side lock fail to fire since the 80's unless it was from a bad cap. Never had one fail to fire in the woods. I fire an unpacked blank charge before I load to go hunting. Maybe it's where I live but I don't have to worry about cleaning for a few days. I never wonder if it's going to fire when I need it to. I know it is.
 
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Hawg

New member
Yes. After I clean I run a bore mop saturated with Bore Butter down the bore. It's easier to burn it out than to clean it out. First I pop a cap to clear the nipple and then I just dump 30-40 grains down and set it off. I don't shake it or bump it to get it to the bottom. I just leave it where it sticks and keep the muzzle up.
 
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Old Stony

New member
If a guy pops a couple caps before he loads it and makes sure the flash channel is clear, there should be no problem. I do this, dump in the powder, put in a paper wad to protect the powder from lube contamination and then load a prb with bore butter on the patch.
Never had a problem this way..
I only keep one loaded that has been cleaned before being loaded. If I load a second round after firing it, I always clear the barrel before coming home and clean it up before loading again.
 
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noelf2

New member
I don't pop caps to clear the nipple, or set off a fouling load. I don't use bore butter either, so there's none of that to worry about in the nipple or flash channel. I will run a dry patched jag down the bore with some authority to force air through the nipple before loading. I sight in with a clean bore, and run a patch with either bore cleaner or spit down the bore then another dry patch to dry the bore and clear the nipple. I do that every shot while sighting in. When I hunt I need that clean bore so I know exactly where I hit on the first shot. If I have time between shots, I'll just spit patch. There's nothing wrong with fouling the bore first if that's how you sighted in, just not the way I do it and I don't have any misfires or hangfire anymore.
 
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Hawg

New member
With bp there's a lot of ways to do just about every aspect of it and none of them are wrong, just different.
 
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g.willikers

New member
If flintlocks and percussion ignition had been 100% reliable, there would have been no enthusiasm to invent the cartridge.
So, it's a good thing they are contrary.
Wild Bill Hickok had it right - if you want to be able to bet your life on them, shoot and clean 'em every day.
At least the deer aren't shooting back.
 
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2damnold4this

New member
I was hunting in the 90s in Georgia's first muzzleloader season in modern times. I had popped a few caps then loaded the cheap CVA inline. I failed to push the fresh cap on all the way and got a click when the bolt pushed the cap further onto the nipple. I quickly recocked the bolt and took the safety off and harvested the largest buck I've ever taken with a muzzleloader. Eight points with a seventeen inch inside spread with a story to go with it.
 
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Model12Win

Moderator
If Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord in Heaven wish it, my piece will discharge when God blesses me with a game animal.

Actually, I just make sure the nipple is dry and clear and it almost always "does the bangings" as it were. :D
 
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