C0cked or Unc0cked?
 

In the "anything stupid" thread, Pluckit asked Popeandyoungchaser why he had his gun c0cked and the trigger set while sitting in a blind.

It may be interesting to hear what others do when hunting with a sidelock. There are two situations - still hunting and stand sitting.

Here's mine.

Still Hunting: I leave the hammer down on a folded up patch.

Stand Sitting: Same thing - hammer down on a folded up patch.

In both cases, the minute I see any sign of game I pull the trigger back and c0ck the hammer silently. If the gun has a set trigger I don't set it until I'm ready to take the shot.

That sounds a helluva lot safer to me. I only have the one sidelock and haven't hunted with it yet so I am all ears here.

Well just as a correction I asked pluckit the question. LOL Just bustin your balls, semisane. I haven't hunted with a sidelock in a few years, but the way you do it is the way that my Granddad taught me to do it.

So what are you going to do when the biggest deer of your life walks up to you and you didn't here it coming,your hammer on your Hawkins is not pulled back and your set trigger has not been pulled?Now the deer is close and will certainly hear any click of the hammer.But if you avoid that by pulling the trigger back,which by the way doesn't seem all that safe either but I do it,you can not avoid the CLICK of the set trigger when pulled.

I allow him to move past just a little/wait for his attention to be averted, pull the hammer back, BOOOMM! He may hear the "click" from 20 or 30, but probably not any farther than that if there is wind and other interference. By the time he turns his head to look its too late at that range. No need for a set trigger if he is 20 yards away, or even 50. I just never got into the habit of using it, and learned to shoot the gun without it.

Pull that set trigger now and I bet you'll be shooting at a deer on it's heels with it's tail in the air getting the hell out of there.

So don't pull the set trigger, there is no need to at short range.

With the hammer down, if you pull the trigger fully to the rear, ease the hammer back, release the trigger, then slowly release the hammer, there will be no sound. If the deer is so close as to hear the set trigger c0ck use the front trigger only.

I often get things backasswards P&Y. Just ask my wife. (Or is that assbackwards?)

I use that trigger procedure with all my hammer guns, and it works great. I was explaining how I would do it without, since it is "dangerous".

LOL no worries man.

I keep my flinter hammer 1/2 position on the lock:I also use a frizzen boot to cover the frizzen at all times.
I also will keep the leather boot on even if the primer powder has been removed from the lock pan.
I would say a small spark is all it takes:confused0024:

This is how I've always done it. Entirely silent.

Guns are by nature dangerous.And modern guns have been developed with safety features not invented when muzzleloaders were the only thing available.So of course replica muzzleloaders are more dangerous no matter how they are handled.After over 25 years that was the only situation that ever occured with my Hawkins.The gun was pointed in a safe direction as it always is and I attribute the misshap to hunting in a new situation,the ground blind,and it being darker in the blind than outside of it in the dark.To each his own and I don't believe I've asked any of you to put your lives in danger hunting by my side.

Hell, I don't even load my ML until I see one I want to shoot. Make things a might more sporting! Just kiddin. both my flinters and percussion rifles are carried at 1/2 c0ck. Everything else is as Semi said.

You are right, replica muzzleloaders don't have today's safety features. But what I was trying to get at is; why take an un-needed risk? I'm not saying that we all aren't prone to making a mistake, because anyone can. But why make a habit of something that makes the odds of a mistake go up? That one time in 25 years could have been your last.

Just my thoughts.

popeandyoungchaser

Just to add my 2 cents... with any hammer gun sidelock-inline-30-30... I use the trigger manipulation that i think you all are talking about. Where and when possible the hammer is pulled back to 1/2 kock and when necessary the trigger is pulled and the hammer is pulled full back - release the trigger and ease the hammer forward till it catches the sear. The gun is already capped - primed - loaded.

And I agree at close range who bothers with the set trigger...

OK did I make a mess of that????

To the Pope.Well,because that's the way I've done it for possibly longer than you've been alive,unless you were born before 1986.

Pluckit,
In my opinion you have demonstrated exactly why a person should not have it ****ed the hammer and set the trigger. Despite the fact that you had been using the gun for 25 years and were very familiar with it you had an accidental discharge. An accidental discharge is not haha funny like dryballing or forgetting a primer. I don't know why you are so darn defensive everytime somebody has a better idea. If you miss a deer that is not a big deal at all, if you have an accident that is huge.

Directed at no-one

I am trying to figure out why you would ever the pull the set trigger prior to knowing what range you might be shooting at and how much time you have to settle on a target.

For myself only... if the set trigger is set it is way to sensitive for me to grab the rifle get on target and not set the darn thing off just putting my trigger finger in the hole. I use the set trigger on the bench for sure and for longer range ambush shots where I have time to settle and work the target.

just me thinking out loud - probably did not do a good job explaining it either... but I think I know what I am talking about

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.