Sabotloader,
No that made sense, and was a good description of how the trigger/hammer manipulation works.

pluckit,
Yes you have been doing it that way for longer than I have been alive.
I commend you for going this long without having an accident and there is no doubt in my mind that you will continue doing it this way. I thought just maybe you would like to hear a different point of view after an accident such as yours.

That is the only time i have used the set trigger. Off the bench and on a couple of longer shots that just happened to occur. In those situations I was able to take my time and settle in behind the gun. To be honest the set-trigger puts me on edge when I use it. Something that I should work on, if for nothing else than to become more comfortable with the old Hawkin. I'm glad we are having this discussion! Hahahaha ;-)

Flintlocks.. I have a frizzen boot over the frizzen and the lock on half ****. When I see one coming or hear something that might be interesting, I start by removing the frizzen boot and let it fall to the thong. When I SEE what I want to shoot, I hold the front trigger and **** the rifle. If the deer is real close then there is no need for the set trigger. If the deer is further out, I take my time, get a good rest, pull the set trigger and then take the shot.

Percussion locks... I have the rifle capped. Over the cap is a tire valve stem cover. Resting on that tire valve stem cover is the hammer. When I SEE something I want to shoot, I hold the front trigger and silently **** the rifle. I then flick the tire valve stem cover off the cap. If the animal is close, no set trigger. It it is far away, I take my rest, set the trigger and take the shot.

With me there is no snap shooting. Not with a muzzle loader. Now I have taken running shots, but that is after I have had time to get a good sight picture and know my shot.

Good description cayugad. I like your idea of the valve stem cap.

I carry my flinters when hunting at half c0ck and primed...When I pull them up in a tree, I empty and brush out the pan and put a frizzen boot over the frizzen and put the hammer down...Once up in the tree, I remove the boot, reprime and bring the hammer back to half c0ck...

Semi, I only have one with a Set trigger, My 50Cal Dixie Gun Works. That Set Trigger is a Hair Trigger and to breath on it, it will go off. But if you just pull the trigger hard enough it will stll go off without setting the set trigger, are they all like this?
But yea I have had a-lot of Deer hear the Set Trigger being set and take off. So when I did use it I would set the set trigger and be careful as hell with it. If I saw nothing I'd put my finger under the Hammer and pull the trigger so it would release the hammer and then jently let it down. Safe, I thought so and was as safe as I could be when doing it. But I had no other choice as that dang Set Trigger was LOUD, it was Impossible to set it and still get a Deer without it hearing you.
(BP)

Well my hearing is shot, so my set triggers don't seem all that loud to me. So I can't understand why deer get so excited when I set them. :s2:

I've learned two things:

If a deer is within 75 yards or so and the wind is calm, use the front trigger. The set won't always spook them, but sometimes will.

If there a steady breeze and the deer is upwind, the set will not likely spook them even if it's as close as 50 yards .

Half ****.

I dont **** the hammer nor set the trigger until something is in range.

My hearing is shot from being in comercial drywall construction for over 12 years.It is not unusuall for deer to walk up on me without me knowing it.I can't tell you how mant times I have turned to see a deer standing close to me.So I like to be prepared ahead of time.And you have to be EXTRA carefull hunting this way.Like I said,I believe the reason for my slip was the new hunting situation I was in.I have also stated in other threads that I have moved on to inlines for the safety in them as apposed to sidelocks.And although in my second purchase of an inline,the Wolf,there is little difference in safety,the other two have very effective safety's.My favorite being the cross block trigger safety on the Traditions Pursuit.I can't understand why all manufacturers don't utilize them.

I've never really thought about the sound of the hammer ****ing on my T/C 50 cal. Hawken. I've killed quite a few deer by just using the way I've learned to **** the hammer even during sighting in. By using this method all the time, it has become automatic when hunting.

1) My left hand, usually gloved, goes over the lock, thumb over the nipple.
2) Trigger finger squeezes the front trigger.
3) Thumb pulls back the hammer while my trigger finger releases the trigger.
4) Aim and kill the deer.

BTW: It's a Hawken not a Hawkin.