RE: Stayin Dry
 

Misseda huge buck in 2001. He had horns like a small elk. It was raining,myCVA Staghorn had a long hangfire, and the buck walked calmly into the thick brush. Had plastic over the muzzle but themusket capmust have gotten wet.Changed that gunover to209 primers.

RE: Stayin Dry
 

I'm real worried about this myself, the weather forecast for Saturday's opener is calling for a chance of rain. Actually it might rain everyday so far for the opening week. Last year I used my muzzleloader opening day because the weather was nice and I shot a doe. The second day it called for rain so I used my shotgun and shot a buck. This year I am determined to use the muzzleloader every time I go out rain or shine. I'm planning to cover the barrel with tape or with the tip of a latex glove and a rubber band. Should this be enough? How often should you unload the rifle to check and make sure the powder is dry when you hunt in wet conditions?

RE: Stayin Dry
 

This was my first year using a muzzle loader (TC encore) for the deer hunt. Opening morning I had 2 doe's come right up to me (20 yards). I reloaded after shooting one of the doe's. That charge stayed in my gun for the rest of the week monday morning to Saturday evening with rain and drizzle all week. All I had was a finger cot on the end of the barrell. Saturday night I was worried and wanted to see if the gun would go off after wet conditions and it did without any problem or hesitation.

RE: Stayin Dry
 

Anyone out there with a hunterbolt may want to try the following. Remove bolt, lay a 2 inch piece of tape in the breech opening with the ends sticking out to either side of the gun. Replace bolt and pull tape tight around the end of the bolt & breech plug after priming. Makes a nice tight seal. I went the whole ml % regular season and didn't catch this year but the gun fired at the end of it all with no problems. The weather over the course of my 16 day hunt was terrible. Only 1 & 1/2 days of sun, 14 & 1/2 of rain! If you can figure out what I mean, It really works. Good luck.

RE: Stayin Dry
 

Personally, I have never had a problem with rain and hang fires and such in 20+ years of ML Hunting. I used TC Hawkens (majority of those year), 700 ML and Encore (last 4 years). But I will preface that by saying that I never store a charge in my gun after coming in from the field when it has been raining. If it has been raining, I always fire it off, clean it up and reload for the next hunt. I'd much rather waste a few pellets and XTP/sabots then run a chance at missing my first 120 class deer. JMO though.

RE: Stayin Dry
 

alsaqr, Hang fires normally do not come from the cap or primer. Usually from oil or dampness in the touch hole or the powder on the inside edge of the touch hole.The main exception to this would be trying to use #11 caps with a powder like 777 which I believe has the highest ignition tempture of the subs but they all have a higher ignition tempture than black that has to do with how they get classified ashazards material instead of explosiveas far as shipping purposes are concerned.Lee

RE: Stayin Dry
 

With my Knight Disc, I just carry to the stand in the hard case and put a piece of duct tape over the breach...When I'm settled in the stand I just put a old boonie type hat over the breach and scope...

With my flinter I carry under my coat with the lock and butt under my arm, then put the hat over the lock area, and change prime every hour or so....