Flintlock on a Rainy Day

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SammyIamToday

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I've recently gotten a Lyman Deerstalker Leftie Flintlock and have been practicing with it. I think I've gotten the reliability down and definitely have it shooting well.

Anyways, Saturday is opening day of Muzzleloader here in KY. The weather forecast is predicting random showers. Any tips on keeping the flash pan dry?

I've read plastic wrap and a rubber band on the end of the muzzle can keep moisture out of the barrel. I've gotten a leather cover for the lock. I'm not sure the leather cover would be waterproof for long though.

A guy at work mentioned changing the pan's powder out every hour.

Any other tips? I've put a lot of effort and time into this and want it to be a success.
 
Not sure of what caliber your shooting but perhaps something like the tompions that fit in the end of the barrel. Like what they used during the war of northern aggression ;)
 
I like the beeswax trick. I bought a block of beeswax from hobby lobby. It seems as hard as parafin wax. Where are you getting beeswax from?

A small ballon slipped over the end of the barrel will keep out water and you can shoot through it.
 
How well the lock stock and barrel are fitted has a big role. On the higher end Jaegers and long rifles you'll notice they have very tight and water-resistant locks. You can also put a dollop of grease a few inches in front of the action to act as a gutter spout for any drops working their way down the stock and barrel. It's also customary to keep the barrel pointed groundward.

You can waterproof your cow's knee with wax to help keep the water out. I used a pine tar boot grease on mine that works fantastic.

Where are you getting beeswax from?

I picked up several big bricks of it from a natural food place. Apparently it's used for some fru-fru business. But it's genuine beeswax.
 
'Where are you getting beeswax from?'

Try the health food store or look up a bee keeper. Whatever you do don't try to get it from the bees. They hate that.:uhoh: Waxing up the knee is a good thing to do anyway to protect the leather and keep it soft. Sticking the quill end of a feather in the touch hole will help keep the charge dry if you load the pan just before firing.
 
Priming the pan just before the shot is a bad idea. It won't keep the pan dry and it will be of no use to add dry powder to a wet pan. You need to keep the pan dry, and once you've solved that, there's no reason not to have the pan primed. In addition, it's one more action for the deer to trigger on.

Wax or otherwise waterproof the cow's knee; waterproofing materials can be had at any decent shoe store. Beeswax can be found at most craft stores, such as Michael's, albeit at outrageous prices. The Log Cabin shop, Dixie Gun Works and other outfitters sell it via mail order. Damming the joint between the barrel and the stock with grease/beeswax and carrying muzzle down are good practice as well.
 
Thanks for all the tips folks. Leaving for my uncle's farm in a bit. Tomorrow is opening day. Freezer is empty. Now hopefully the rain won't stop that.
 
Good luck on the hunt.

As for weatherproofing the rifle, forget the tompion. Unless it is a real tight fit it will leak and you must remove it before the shot. Electrical tape or the rubber ballons, condoms, finger tips all work well and you can shoot through them.

The tips on using the cows knees will work also. When going out in rain, I use all those tips and also wear a poncho. I keep my longarm under the poncho until I present it for the shot. Everything helps to keep a flintlock dry.

Also remember to wipe the flint and the frizzen, less sparks when they are wet.
 
I always stick a feather quill in the flash hole and don`t prime the pan untill I`m ready to make a shot ....keep a dry rag handy also to wipe the pan before you prime ...
I know others that put tape over the muzzle , I just keep my muzzle down , useing a patched round ball ..the patch will keep things dry on the muzzle end .
 
I use a loose wrap of saran wrap around the lock, and a latex glove on the muzzle - you can fire without removing either...and the glove can be used five times.

Its not a pretty picture, but i've never heard a whitetail complain.
 
I have to admit I'm puzzled by how anyone has time to:
1) remove the feather from the touch hole, then
2) wipe the flint and frizzen dry, then
3) prime the pan, then
4) close the frizzen, then
5) bring the gun up to aim, and then finally
6) fire.

What do you do with the feather, the cloth and the primer charger - put them in the possible bag or just drop them on the ground?

Do the deer just stand there and watch all that motion?
 
Some guns had two loops beneath the cheekpiece to stow the feather in when it was not in use. Soldiers carried an iron vent pick which could be attached to their belt or carried in the pouch of their cartridge box.
 
Go to a site called "Bob's Blackpowder Notebook.com". He has some real good stuff in there for you flinters including how to make a cover for the pan. Just some good reading all the way around....I couldn't make the site come up on Yahoo but got it easily on the 'Ask' toolbar and on 'Google' toolbar....
 
TWIMC:

Ok, I'll try one more time, and maybe this time we can take a minute to provide a serious answer instead of a flippant wisecrack.

How does one perform a six step maneuver that includes discarding three objects without triggering both of a whitetail's two flight alert triggers?

If that's too difficult, or beneath you, just ignore it. But if you're going to take the time to respond, at least have the courtesy to be serious.

And GotC is right - a cow's knee is the answer.
 
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