A couple questions for you grizzled muzzleloaders

[huntingbg]

This is my first year hunting muzzleloader.  Musket Caps are legal correct?  Another question I have is what do you guys do to unload your powder and bullet when you are done hunting for the day? I have seen these Co2 things, which are said to unload them.  Anybody have one, are they worth the money?

Thanks for the replies.

[robodad]

Yep they are legal and no I don't have one of those co2 things, I just pick a knot on a stump and try to hit it, you have to clean your gun anyway and it makes good practice for you !!

[50CalJim]

I do the same as Robodad but I normally touch it off every 3rd day unless I'm in inclimate weather then I'll shoot it every evening.

[Opportunist]

Huntinbg, What are you shooting, in-line or sidelock? If it is an in-line you can pull the breech and push the load out the back.

[huntingbg]

I'm using an inline, thanks for the advice.

[edmondshunter]

GET THE CO2.  I had a missfire or a non-fire on a 3x4 burly buck year before last.  The following year I tripped while hiking in the snow, well the snow went down the barrel fouling the load.

Good reasons to have one.  And for you who like to put the patch down before the powder, blows those out too

[jdb]

Good reasons to have one.  And for you who like to put the patch down before the powder, blows those out too

that'll make ya say BAD words

[Opportunist]

Hunterbg, My remington 700 ml comes with a plastic tube you can screw in through the bolt into the breech. I always install this when I'm pushing out a load to keep powder from getting into my trigger mechanism. I don't know what gun you are using but if you push out your load through the breech rotate your rifle upside down so the powder dumps out on the ground not into your trigger mechanism. A buddy has used my plastic remington breech tube on his knight and it fit his breech. They are cheap $3-5 but you have to order them.

[wadu1]

I'm new to Hunt WA so here is my tail!  I hunt with a Thompson sidelock in .54 I have taken three elk and two deer and one total miss on a nice 4X3 mule. I clean my gun very carefully prior to the season and then load it at home. I have gone through early and late seasons on both the East side and West in all kinds of weather (snow, hot, rain) and have never had a missfire until I got someones cap off the dash to put down a nice bull on the side of a logging road. If I do not shoot it at something big and brown I touch it off on New Years Eve and have never had a problem.
I always use the same caps (RWS), powder (GODEX) and bullets (Buffalo) that I have found they give the best consistency (1.75" @ 100yd) if I'm in the groove.
I'm off on Friday to see if I can make it number 4 for elk,
Keep yer powder dry

[rasbo]

i always shoot mine  at the end of the day,dont need to but I just like to shoot.

[mailman]

I load my inline at home, put a piece of black tape over the muzzle and leave it for the season.  If I'm going through a lot of snow I take the cap off and close a piece of leather between the bolt and nipple to make sure the powder stays dry.  Once I'm done hiking through the snow I put the cap back on.  I've only hunted black powder four years so far but I haven't had a misfire so this method works for me so far.  I asked an old timer who has used this method for twenty plus years and figured if it worked for him it was good enough for me.  I use two triple seven pellets, cci musket caps, and power belt bullets. 

[ICEMAN]

I'm new to Hunt WA so here is my tail!  I hunt with a Thompson sidelock in .54 I have taken three elk and two deer and one total miss on a nice 4X3 mule. I clean my gun very carefully prior to the season and then load it at home. I have gone through early and late seasons on both the East side and West in all kinds of weather (snow, hot, rain) and have never had a missfire until I got someones cap off the dash to put down a nice bull on the side of a logging road. If I do not shoot it at something big and brown I touch it off on New Years Eve and have never had a problem.
I always use the same caps (RWS), powder (GODEX) and bullets (Buffalo) that I have found they give the best consistency (1.75" @ 100yd) if I'm in the groove.
I'm off on Friday to see if I can make it number 4 for elk,
Keep yer powder dry

Please tell my you are not firing your muzzle loader into the air in Tacoma proper on New years eve.....    Save the lead for the woods...

[Sagedawg]

 Call me paranoid, but I pull my load at the end of each day, swab the barrel with alcohol,run a nipple pick through the nipple and start with a fresh cap and load the next morning. Also I leave my gun outside in the cold, so no condensation builds up in the barrel when going from a warm area out into the cold. Cross my fingers, knock on wood no misfiresout in the field yet. Good luck to you.


  Sage