Stainless

After sitting in the house all day Sunday and wasting the second day of black powder due to the rain, I was curious if anyone had any secrets to rain proofing their muzzle loaders. I had a bad experience a few years ago while hunting in the rain and a nice deer lived another day because of it it. There is nothing worse than having your sights on a nice deer and pulling the trigger only to hear a click. I have upgraded this year to the CVA Stainless breakover, I figure this will be a little better in the rain since it shoots the 209 and the cap is sealed and covered unlike the no 11's. I have heard of people putting balloons or condoms over their barrel but that wasn't the problem I had, it was the cap getting wet. Even after I reloaded and the deer had run off, I noticed that night when cleaning the gun that it would have never fired anyways because the cap had pushed up in the nipple and stopped it up. Anyone care to share any of their secrets to fighting the rain durring black powder?

cayugad

Finger cots, balloons, electrical tape, handi wrap, all of that will seal the muzzle end of your rifle. You can shoot right through that stuff. With your new break open rifle shooting a 209 primer, I do not really think you have much to worry about as far as the rifle going off. Something you can do if you are concerned is to change the primer every hour with a fresh one. Also it would not hurt to keep some plastic tarp or water proof leather material over the breech/lock area of the rifle, but if it is a good tight lock up, I really think you have little to worry about.

Criggster

If you're referring to the CVA Optima or Wolf you should not have to worry much about the weather. I have hunted in some pretty good storms and a couple days later the gun fired fine. However, when sitting on stand I simply cover the action with my gloved hand to prevent water from entering the breech area.

Whitehair

I do the same as Criggster, only with a balloon over the muzzle when its really pouring, and electric tape over my Knight's FPJ (Wolverine) when Im still hunting/stalking. My Revolution, and my buddies Vision are fine in the rain, so I dont think you have too much to worry about...

Maybe you could try a piece of tape over the action (where it breaks)...
Good Luck!

eldeguello

Take a piece of clear plastic wrap, double it, and cover the muzzle with it, folding the ends back to an inch or sopast the muzzle, but short of the front sight so you don't obscure the sight. Then use a rubber band or strip of electrician's tape to hold it in place. After loading up and capping (or priming the flash pan), wrap a 6" long section of that same plastic wrap stuff around the lock section.

The strip around the lock will have to be moved out of the way when you cock and fire the piece, but you can shoot right through the membrane that's covinging the muzzle (don't put anything IN the muzzle, just over it. The buildup of air pressure in front of the bullet will blow the muzzle covering off before the bullet gets to the muzzle. For covering the muzzle, you can use electrician's tape, a condom, or a baloon instead of plastic wrap.....)


In addition, some ML suppliers sell a powder that, when mixed with BP, waterproofs it. (Dry Pan, by RMC, waterproofs blackpowder, makes dry flys float. #ML002 14oz Price $3.95) I use this stuff in my FFFFg flintlock priming powder. Seems to work OK.

Not too long ago, I hunted for a week in the rain in the Adirondacks, and at the end of the week (no deer!), I shot my gun (caplock) at a target at 100 yards and it was dead on the target - 120 grains of FFg CleanShot and a 295-grain Power Belt. The gun had a muzzle and lock wrap on it all week, which obviously prevented any moisture from gettinmg in.....

ronrobb

If you really want to get fancy try these at Bass Pro

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=19942&hvarDept=400&a mp;hvarEvent=&hvarClassCode=3&hvarSubCode= 6&hvarTarget=browse

txhunter58

Here is a great product that works great on the cap end of a sidelock/percussion cap rifle: http://octobercountry.com/products3.php?productid=539 It uses a special nipple with an "O" ring that seals to outside moisture when you slide the brass cover over it. I have used them on my T/C renegade and never had a hangfire/missfire in the rain. It serves as a safety too!

As stated, I don't think you will have a problem with the 209 inline. I hunted this September in the rain for 4 days and my Omega with nothing but a"muzzle mitt" over the barrel and itwent off with no problem.

However, also remember to never bring the gun in a warm cabin at night, that can cause condensation inside the barrel. Leave it in the truck or tent.

rem 700

Use some cling-wrap(or whatever they're calling that stuff now ) over the muzzle. It will blow off with the expanding gases. Also electrical tape works; even if muzzle water isn't your problem it's just a good idea, especially when walking. Now for the breech: your gun should be fairly waterproof, but just in case put your hand over the action when sitting, and when moving put more plastic wrap over the action and put a couple pieces of tape on the end of it(I don't like to use plain tape on the breech...pet peeve? orwill it bedifficult to wash any stickiness off...lol)

cayugad

Even though this threadis about an inline rifle.. since hunting season is near or currently on us, for those with a traditional rifle that want to protect the #11 cap on the nipple and have an extra safety to boot...

Take a tire valve stem cap. A leather needle and some cat gut works real good if you want to poke a hole through it. Or you can hot glue some old shoe lace to it, and then with a good length, tie that other end off to the trigger guard. Put the valve stem cap over the #11 cap on the nipple and lower the hammer down on it. You have now weatherized that #11 cap, and there is no chance for a misfire. When you are ready to shoot, cock the sidelock and just lift the stem cap off and drop it... now shoot that big buck..

Gotbuck

Cayugad, that's a neat trick. I would have never thought of that one. If we can only get him to write a book on all the little tricks and bullet combos he knows about.