Well this evenings hunt was a fun.....I had 2 Does come down the trail hauling ass and stop 15 feet right infront of me but behind a tree! I have my gun shouldered and all I need is for one of them to step out from behind the tree in between us and I have a PERFECT shot! She steps into my lane and is like 10 feet away from me and I aim and squeeze the trigger and pffft.... nothing, my Deerstalker misfires. She has no idea what just happened so I prime my pan, shoulder my gun and aim...pfft...misfire AGAIN!!!!!!!!! This time she trots off a bit. I get my pan primed again and fill it up this time, she is about 60 yards and I get her stopped, squeeze the trigger and BOOOM, I flinch and missed her!!!!!!! What a bummer! This was my first shot I have taken at a deer with the Flintlock! What a rush!
Only thing I can figure is that I had my gun loaded since Thursday! I kept it in the garage so it would stay cold. We did have a storm come thru on Saturday that dumped 5 inches of snow then Sunday it warmed up and rained all day so I think this is what caused the gun to not go off the first 2 times????
I picked the touch hole liner before the hunt and I thought everything would be fine...NOT. I brought the gun in the house cleaned it up a bit and changed the touch hole liner and replaced the original with a RMC touch hole liner. I hoping this will help!
All in all...what a great hunt I had today! I'll be back out in the AM!!!!!!!!!
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Big River Longbow 66" 52# @ 28"
Big River Longbow 66" 47# @ 28"
Big River Longbow 62" 52# @ 28"
Big River Recurve 56" 52# @ 28"
NewWood Longbow 58" 45# @ 28"
That makes it fun! I had a doe about 15 yds in front of me this year and the same thing happened (but with an inline), pop, not BOOM! I made the mistake of loading it the night before and leaving it outside. It was very, very foggy and it got just enough moisture in it to fire the cap but not ignite the powder. The deer turned around and left before i could put on another cap. Once I recapped and shot, it went off. I was already counting on deer meat in the freezer, lol. Good luck with the rest of the season, Greg
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Knight Wolverine w/ Simmons aetec 2.8-10x44
220 grain precision rifle dead center bullet
80 grains 777
Remington 700 in 7mm w/Simmons aetec 2.8-10x44
High Country Split Force bow/Gold Tip arrows/Vortex broadheads
I dont agree with leaving a muzzleloader out in the cold over night. For 5 years now, my rifles come back inside the house,camper, tent, whatever im sleeping in at the end of the days hunt. warm/cold weather do not affect my rifles over a period of time. First year with a flintlock i had to walk 20 minutes through a light rain back to the truck. A toothpick went into the vent hole and my waterproof stocking hat went over the frizzen/lock area until i got into the truck. I fired that load of the next day and it went off perfectly. Ive left rifles loaded for over 3 weeks and they've gone off perfectly and hit exactly where they should.
Thats a bummer that happened to you, That'd be enough to set me off lol. That RMC liner you put in, did it just screw right in or was there machine work needed? I just bought a .54 Great plains rifle flintlock and heard there were some issues with the stock liners.
Better luck to you next time out! A toothpick makes a nice plug to keep stuff out of the main charge.
That is the one reason why when people ask me about storing my rifles over night, I tell them "technically" how to do it, but then usually add, I do not do it myself. I unload the night before, clean the rifle, and reload fresh the next day. I've had three misfires in my life hunting. Each time it was caused because I left the rifle loaded and hunted on it the next day. Now some people do this and get away with it for days, even weeks on end. I just never got that lucky.
Another thing with flintlocks.. get some alcohol wipes from the dollar store and carry them with you. Every so often (each hour out in the woods), blow the pan clean of powder, then wipe the pan and flint off with one of the wipes. Then take a dry patch and make sure everything is nice and dry. Then add some nice fresh powder to the pan. It will help to make sure that when necessary the rifle will stand a better chance of going off.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
I dont agree with leaving a muzzleloader out in the cold over night. For 5 years now, my rifles come back inside the house,camper, tent, whatever im sleeping in at the end of the days hunt. warm/cold weather do not affect my rifles over a period of time. First year with a flintlock i had to walk 20 minutes through a light rain back to the truck. A toothpick went into the vent hole and my waterproof stocking hat went over the frizzen/lock area until i got into the truck. I fired that load of the next day and it went off perfectly. Ive left rifles loaded for over 3 weeks and they've gone off perfectly and hit exactly where they should.
Thats a bummer that happened to you, That'd be enough to set me off lol. That RMC liner you put in, did it just screw right in or was there machine work needed? I just bought a .54 Great plains rifle flintlock and heard there were some issues with the stock liners.
Better luck to you next time out! A toothpick makes a nice plug to keep stuff out of the main charge.
I have a leather frizzen/lock cover that I use, works great! I like the toothpick idea!
The RMC liner just screwed in no problems. It came with an Allen wrench to snug it up! I like the way it is sort of funneled on the outside!
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Big River Longbow 66" 52# @ 28"
Big River Longbow 66" 47# @ 28"
Big River Longbow 62" 52# @ 28"
Big River Recurve 56" 52# @ 28"
NewWood Longbow 58" 45# @ 28"
An inline with 209 ignition is the only muzzleloader I leave loaded overnight! I've learned by experience it's best to unload (shoot it is the easiest) a flint or percussion sidelock and clean it each night, then load fresh in the morning. Even with the inline I put it in a case and bring it inside at night. By putting it in the cold case it won't sweat, but will warm gradually to room temp.
bowhuntingfool, Where did you get the rmc liner? I also need to replace the one on my traditions while im at it.
Anyone know what thread size the two rifles use?
That is the one reason why when people ask me about storing my rifles over night, I tell them "technically" how to do it, but then usually add, I do not do it myself.Â* I unload the night before, clean the rifle, and reload fresh the next day.Â* I've had three misfires in my life hunting. Each time it was caused because I left the rifle loaded and hunted on it the next day.Â* Now some people do this and get away with it for days, even weeks on end.Â* I just never got that lucky.
Another thing with flintlocks..Â* get some alcohol wipes from the dollar store and carry them with you.Â* Every so often (each hour out in the woods), blow the pan clean of powder, then wipe the pan and flint off with one of the wipes.Â* Then take a dry patch and make sure everything is nice and dry.Â* Then add some nice fresh powder to the pan.Â* It will help to make sure that when necessary the rifle will stand a better chance of going off.
I took you advice from another post and got some swabs the other day! Thanks!
Do you fire your gun off at the end of every hunt???
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Big River Longbow 66" 52# @ 28"
Big River Longbow 66" 47# @ 28"
Big River Longbow 62" 52# @ 28"
Big River Recurve 56" 52# @ 28"
NewWood Longbow 58" 45# @ 28"
bowhuntingfool, Where did you get the rmc liner? I also need to replace the one on my traditions while im at it.
Anyone know what thread size the two rifles use?
Scroll down a bit for the Lyman liner. I believe the lyman are the same, as in The Deerstalker and the GPR! If you want I'll check my GPR to see if the liner screws in easy.. let me know!
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Big River Longbow 66" 52# @ 28"
Big River Longbow 66" 47# @ 28"
Big River Longbow 62" 52# @ 28"
Big River Recurve 56" 52# @ 28"
NewWood Longbow 58" 45# @ 28"
A dozen or so years ago I hunted all day in a light drizzle with my .50 underhammer caplock. About three in the afternoon I had the biggest buck I've ever seen on the hoof about twenty yards from me. Lined up the sights -pulled the trigger - cap pops - nipple starts acting like a bottle rocket, hissing and sputtering with flame comeing out - buck does a quick about face and hauls ass- rifle fineally goes "boom" ( not BOOM ) while pointed at empty space.
I can replay that shot in myhead like a fine old black and white movie.
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My wife says I'm totally nuts, but I think I'm Semisane.
Things I've Learned: (1) It's not possible to please everyone, but quite easy to piss everyone off. (2) If you love animals as I do, then you're not a vegetarian. (3) There's no need to act stupid, even if you're very good at it. (4) If you eat right and exercise, don't smoke or drink, you're going to die anyway.
Pfft misfire, pfft misfire....pfft BOOOM
