mistakes
 

Anyone have any mistakes to share that you learned from involving hunting scenarios and blackpowder? Might save us all some of the same headaches someday.

RE: mistakes
 

With flintlocks.. change the powder in the pan often.

With a cap lock, put a tire valve stem cover over the cap and lower the hammer on to it. It will keep water off it, and acts as a second safety.

With all rifles, know how to store them properly if you are going to not unload them during the night for the next days hunt. I never had a lot of luck with that, but a lot of people do.

RE: mistakes
 

sidelock / Pull the nipple to make SURE there is powder in the drum.

Inline / Invest in a good scope. Mine went bad the day before hunting season [:'(]

RE: mistakes
 

good eye relief scope, or have the blood running or break a scope on your forehead.

have back up scope, if they crap out on you, you have something to fall back on[:@] found that out the first you I started

RE: mistakes
 

If you leave you gun loaded an extended period of time, make sure you put an old rag down the barrel to identify it quickly as loaded. This also keeps moisture from getting in.

Always keep extra 209 primers in your truck and the little orange discs.

Alwayskeep all your daily hunting stuff all together all season, always put it back in the same place.

Always clean and sharpen your knife the day you use it.

Buy 100 packs of disposable latex gloves from Walmart and use them for gutting/cleaning and always keep extra in your knap sack.

Alway empty your pee bottle every night back at your truck (you MUST have a truck for loading deer easily).

I say always a lot in these things above, since I don't do it always and that produces the fumble and frustration.

Very bad to double load your gun or forget it loaded.

Very bad to pull out your knife and it is dull and dirty.

Very bad to get all the way up in your tree stand pull your gun up and NO primers in your pocket and none back at the truck.

Very bad to have to take a pee and your pee bottle is full AND frozen.

Very bad to start to gut a deer and realize your don't have any latex gloves.

Been there done all of them, try to minimize the fumbles.

Chap

RE: mistakes
 

- Never shoot a 10-pt buck on an 80-degree day without first planning what you are going to do to save the meat

- Never try to cram a 10-pt buck stinky in full rut into the trunk of a sedan to drive it 2/.5 hours to the nearest butcher you can trust

- If stupid enough to do both of the above, never continue to show your stupidity by convincing your wife she should go with you to make a weekend trip out of it.

- If you are really stupid enough to do all 3 of the above, at least be smart enough to have bought her Christmas present early and give it to her immediately as that is all that will save your hide.

Don't ask me how I know about such things...

I do not miss living in the city and not owning a truck. Things are so much easier now.

RE: mistakes
 

I don't always use the truck, so I made a carrier that fits in the Reese hitch on the Jeep and the van; it is quite easy to load and carry two deer in it,just keep a tarp handy to keep the road dust off. Lee

RE: mistakes
 

When you have a 30 yard chip shot at an unmoving deer, make sure that you cleared your flash hole before loading the rifle- otherwise you get a "pop" instead of a "boom", and you get to watch a white tail bounding away:)

If you're going to shoot a deer and you're a 1 mile uphill hike from the nearest road, make sure you have a plan to haul your deer out (ideally a someone younger and fitter than you to do all the work;)).

RE: mistakes
 

make sure you have all your tools you are going to need.:eek:

RE: mistakes
 

Don't forget to oil your bore after you clean your rifle...

Don't forget to remove all the oil in the bore before you load the rifle!

Don't buy a gun that needs the little red/orange disks, because you will forget them at home or run out, and no store within 30 miles will have any in stock.

Shooting black powder without a bullet seated make a nice deep boom, shooting smokeless (only in a 10ML) without a bullet makes a pretty fireworks show. Unfortunately neither impress deer very much!

If you remember your powder measure, you'll forget the powder can... and visa versa!

Pistol bullets need sabots. If you buy them separately, put them together as soon as you have both or you'll leave one at home![:@]

Mike

RE: mistakes
 

If walking in the woods with another hunter be sure to stagger the direction of your muzzles or better yet leave de-capped until you reach your stand.

Try a sharp blow with a gloved hand against the back of the hammer (in a safe direction) to test that your trigger mechanism works.

RE: mistakes
 

I'd have to say my own mistakes that cost me a deer were, first, not shootinga primer through to get rid of some oil residue ona really cold day...cost me a nice buck and then this year, just blanked out and after shooting a nice spike buck I cleaned the gun at the truck on lunch and got some water in the breech plug when cleaning it....and didn't shoot anything through to blow it out and wow...what happens to water in the cold...freezes...even a little bit of water...that dripped off the patches...and caused two misfires on a nice doe....live and learn...to be thinking all the time with blackpowder...the smallest things make big differences in outcome.

RE: mistakes
 

watch what you eat in morning or your hunt will be going to the pot at first light.

never hurry.if someone is ahead of you, take your time.

never take a shot over 100 yds with muzzleloader,just is not fun and chance of bad hit on buck.let buck walk.

mount a RMC v- peep next to the frizzen,better there than down barrel.

get a good gun sling.OKLAHOMA LEATHER PRODUCTS and case too.

use .50 power reading glasses if you cant see sights very good,you can still see deer very well too.

RE: mistakes
 

Now lets hear what your mistakes were Sproulman, what did ya eat? What didyou hurry doing? What sling is junk? Why RMC V-peep next to frizzen? Why 1/2 power readin' glasses.
Chap

RE: mistakes
 

A mistake I seem to make over and over - a quick turn of the head when I hearsomething move to the left or right of where I happen to be looking.Busted AGAIN!

RE: mistakes
 

One thing I've seen at least twice in this thread, that is worth highlighting:

REMOVE THE BORE OIL BEFORE YOU LOAD!!!

Back when I shot only a sidelock, I spent a couple seasons having a few frustrating misfires on game. It was ALL my fault, I did not swab the oil before I loaded with Pyrodex. I learned my lesson, and never had another misfire in the field.

This was also because some well-meaning old-timer on an old ML email list told me to use only Murphy's Oil Soap to clean my ML, and I did....turns out that stuff CAUSES rust and I had to oil the crap out of my barrel to keep it from rusting. I took my lumps and learned from it, no more Murphy's, a fraction the oil, and problem solved.

RE: mistakes
 

Step #1, Measure and pour powder down bore.
Step #2, Load rifle with projectile.

***DO NOT REVERSE STEP ONE AND TWO***

RE: mistakes
 

Keep the power turn down on your scope so you can see some thing of a 40 yard deer beside brown hairs. Ya I had a buck walk out of the shooting lane into the brush when I tried finding the aiming point thru 9 power.

Carry a large size freezer bag good place to put a heart and liver from a deer), great for holding a couple sheets of paper toweling( ever need TP), matches/lighter, (Ya Icarry both since those bic's will fail when needed.) some pre moistened baby wipes (In a sealed bag of their own use as TP or cleaning hands and such.), extra compass (ever find yourself second guessing a compass), Waxed paper towels(fire starters) 8 feet of 1/4 nylon cord (as a drag cord). I keep about 6 inches of (red)thread on my front sling swivel as a wind direction indacator and to tie offthe bowel end when dressing a deer.
I also carry a 6'x6' plastic sheet(folds small), makes dragging a deer a lot easier,8 inch folding saw, a 5 inch lock blade knife.


:) Al

RE: mistakes
 

A range rod will shoot downfield approximately 50 yards. Always remove the rod.A true bonehead mistake.

RE: mistakes
 

BACON/CEREAL WITH RAISINS GET ME.:)

HUNTERS TRY TO OUTRUN ME TO GET AHEAD TO THEIR SPOT, SOME WERE 65 YRS OLD,1 FELL WHILE RUSHING UP HIS TREE WITH A SUMMIT CLIMBER, I SPENT THE WHOLE MORNING WITH AMBULANCE GETTING HIM OUT OF WOODS.

OKLAHOMA LEATHER SLING IS ONE I LIKE, IT GOES OVER BUTT OF STOCK,SOME DONT AND YOUR MUZZLELOADER CAN FALL OUT OF TREE OR OUT YOUR BACK TO GROUND.

RMC V-PEEPIS MOUNTED ABOUT 8 INCHS DOWN BARREL.DRILLING A HOLE NEXT TO FRIZZEN AND MOUNTING IT THERE IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE,CLOSER TO YOUR EYE.

OVER 50 YOUR EYES ARE NOT GOING TO SHOW THINGS ,DEER/FRONT SIGHT/REAR ALL CLEAR.
WITH PEEP, ITS NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE REAR SIGHT CLEAR BUT A LOT OF US CANT SEE FRONT SIGHT CLEAR.

.50 READING GLASSES YOU CANUSUALLY SEE FRONT/REAR CLEAR AND DEER OR TARGET IS JUST SLIGHTLY FUZZY,ALMOST YOU CANT NOTICE IT.
IF YOU CAN TAKE YOUR GUN TO EYE DOCTOR.

HE WILL BE ABLE TO ADJUST MAYBE YOUR PRESCRIPTION, IT COULD BE THAT TO,IF NOT HAVE HIM PUT A .50 AND I BET IT CORRECTS PROBLEM.

IF NOT JUST ORDER A .50 READING GLASSES IN BIGGEST SIZE LENSE AND TRY IT OUT.

IF IT DOES NOT WORK ,YOU ARE NOT OUT MUCH MONEY.

RE: mistakes
 

you will only get RUST if you use HOT water.

use nothing but WARM water to clean your bore and you will be fine.;)

RE: mistakes
 

I feel inexperienced since I don't have a mishap to post. :(