Bad Luck

[jbeaumont21]

I was able to take a day off from work today and go hunting.  I was slowly walking along a creek bottom when all of a sudden I look up and there is a huge 6x6 laying next to the stream at about 50 yards away.  I had a couple branches in the way so crept about 10 yards closer to a clearing when all of a sudden another elk jumps up in front of me and boogies out there.  This alerted the big 6x6 that was laying down and caused him to stand up for a perfect broad side shot.  I put the sights of my beautiful Thompson Centerfire Hawkins muzzle loader right on his chest, pull the trigger, the cap goes pop and nothing happens.  After all the time spent scouting, driving, hiking, hunting, etc I finally get the opportunity and my gun fails me.  I guess that's muzzle loader hunting.  I was able to back out of the area without spooking them too much so I am going to give it a couple days and see if I can't find them again.  I spent 3 hours tonight cleaning every inch of my Hawkins inside and out.  Wish me luck!

[Coastal_native]

I will wish you luck...on being able to go to sleep after an encounter like that.

Those are the moments that haunt you forever...sorry.  You'll get 'em though.

[jbeaumont21]

Yeah tell me about it.  I am sucking back my second glass of whisky right now trying to shut by brain off. I thought about retiring the gun and hanging it on the wall cause it is kinda pretty, but I don't think I could stand the look of it.  It's really too bad because I killed my first deer with the same gun about 18 years ago.  I guess we will have a love hate relationship now.

[bobcat]

That really sucks! Sorry to hear that. Any ideas on what might have caused it? What kind of powder and what kind of caps are you using? Hopefully not pellets? Was it raining?

If you really want to make sure it goes off next time, after you load it, take off the nipple and pour a little powder in there, and screw the nipple back on. 

[jbeaumont21]

I was using Pyrex and CCI #11 caps. It wasn't raining at all and I even fired off a couple caps to dry out the nipple before loading it in the morning.  I am thinking that the caps that I fired off must have left some residue that may have blocked the powder from igniting.  I like the idea of taking the nipple off and pouring some powder under it.  I think I will try that next time out.  I cleaned the sh_ t out of my gun last night.  I just hope and pray that I have the opportunity again.

[Pathfinder101]

I thought about retiring the gun and hanging it on the wall cause it is kinda pretty, but I don't think I could stand the look of it.

 
See the real purdy Hawkins-type muzzeloader hanging as decoration on the wall behind PathfinderJR?

...guess why it's hanging there...?

[lokidog]

Sorry to hear about your misfire.  At least you had an opportunity....  I retired my TC Hawken to go to an underhammer.  Legal as a ML here but the nipple fires directly into the powder, which is faster and more reliable in my experience.  It is also a lighter gun and easier to carry around all day.

Good luck on your follow-up hunt.

[400out]

Man pathfinder! Why don't you just steal the guys thunder and run to the pawn shop with it 

[GHETTO GUIDE]

I think this same storry could be told by manny a muzzleloader hunter.  The Highs and Lowes of hunting says Tred.

[jackmaster]

I was able to take a day off from work today and go hunting.  I was slowly walking along a creek bottom when all of a sudden I look up and there is a huge 6x6 laying next to the stream at about 50 yards away.  I had a couple branches in the way so crept about 10 yards closer to a clearing when all of a sudden another elk jumps up in front of me and boogies out there.  This alerted the big 6x6 that was laying down and caused him to stand up for a perfect broad side shot.  I put the sights of my beautiful Thompson Centerfire Hawkins muzzle loader right on his chest, pull the trigger, the cap goes pop and nothing happens.  After all the time spent scouting, driving, hiking, hunting, etc I finally get the opportunity and my gun fails me.  I guess that's muzzle loader hunting.  I was able to back out of the area without spooking them too much so I am going to give it a couple days and see if I can't find them again.  I spent 3 hours tonight cleaning every inch of my Hawkins inside and out.  Wish me luck!

hey man dont give up the ole hawkin its an easy solution as i have had that happen also .. so i started taking the nipple off every morning runnin a piece of wire through it which i also carry in my pocket and i also put a tiny pinch of blackpowder in the nipple hole and screw the nipple back in dont worry it aint enough to mess with the accuracy

[jackmaster]

one more thing that i forgot to mention dont unload your muskett at the days end leave it loaded and just clean the nipple in the mornin before you leave and put the powder behind it and no more miss fires chief

[carver52]

I feel your pain on that missed opp.  Seems a lot of us using muzzy's have had that happen.  Highs and lows?  2 years ago got a big wide 3X3 mulie in the Snake river breaks at about 15 feet in it's bed.  Was just praying that a repeat of the year before didn't happen that time.  The year before had a HUGE 6X6 whitetail standing broadside in a cheatgrass field watch me as I raised up, centered his chest and heard that sickening sound of a "pop" and no Boom.  All I could do is watch him walk away.

[Pathfinder101]

Man pathfinder! Why don't you just steal the guys thunder and run to the pawn shop with it 

Yeah, sorry about that... It's the only picture I have on my work computer that shows the muzzy on the wall...
(Not my buck BTW, PathfinderJR is showing off grandpa's buck from the 80's. )

[6x6rack]

Yikes,

I remember a similar situation years ago on a spike. I feel for you!

One more tip...leave it loaded and don't bring your muzzleloader inside before going out into the cold. Leave it in the truck outside if possible. A warm muzzleloader barrell will sweat when it gets cold quickly and dampen the main charge or paper covering the charge in the cap.

I hope you get him in a few days!

[jbeaumont21]

Thank you all for the tips.  I went out this morning and totally redeemed myself!  He wasn't the 6x6 that I saw on Monday but a great bull by my standards.  I am posting a new thread with story and pics.  The link below.  Thanks again!
Beaumont
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,63833.0.html