when to charge the pan when hunting?

[Smokin' Joe]

Just curious, when do you flintlock hunters charge the pan when hunting?  I would like to hear from some of you experienced experts out there.  Common sense tells me that there are a few do's and don'ts.  But just wanted to hear from others.

Thanks

 

[BrownBear]

First of all, I have to assume you have a good fit between pan and cover, pan and barrel.  If the pan leaks you'll easily end up with an empty pan if you fill it to start the hunt, then don't check it before shooting.  I have one rifle with a poorly fit pan, and short of doing some major work on the inletting and the pan, it's going to be a leaker forever more.  That one only gets filled right before the shot. It's a PITA for hunting, so until I make time to fix it, the poor thing is just a range rifle. And I don't spend much time on the range.

Assuming a good fit and no leaks, I always start my hunt with a full pan and the gun on half cock, ready for immediate action.  If you worry about accidental discharge (as I do) you can use a "hammer stall," though it's actually a little leather sleeve that fits over the frizzen.

But with powder in the pan, you have to keep checking it to make sure it's dry.  That's a problem in my climate.  The humidity can fairly quickly foul the prime. So as a matter of course I'm changing the prime every half hour or so- more often on rainy days.  Easy check is to lift the frizzen, rotate the rifle left and right and watch the prime. If it shifts back and forth freely as you move the rifle, it's still plenty dry. If it wants to sit and not move- even just part of the prime- time to change it.

After you shoot, be sure to get the pan and cover and vent/barrel dryer than dry before you reprime.  The tiniest bit of moisture quickly fouls your prime.

 

[patocazador]

I thought my .45 had a good fit between the cover and pan and always filled the pan with 4F before a hunt. The only shot I got at a deer was at a 5 point (7pt. if he had brow tines) at 45 yards. I got a hang-fire and the ball hit under the deer as my arm sagged under the weight of the long barrel before the main charge ignited. 
The gun hadn't played that trick on me before so the next time I checked the pan after I got in my stand and it was half empty.

I'm still upset about missing that deer and it was 4 years ago.

 

[BrownBear]

...filled the pan with 4F....

That !#$% leaky rifle taught me another lesson. I couldn't take 10 steps without losing a pan full of 4f. Tried 3f and it cut the leaks, yet I couldn't tell any difference in ignition compared to 4f.  Then I tried 2f, since that was my main charge.  Same, same, with even less leakage. 

Then I watched a video of a guy using paper cartridges with a Bess, simply tearing off the teat and pouring a little of the course powder into the pan before pouring the remainder down the bore.  Soooo, I tried my 1f main charge in the big ole pan of my own Bess. Worked like a charm with no misfires and no slow fire that I could detect.

Might say a lot about me and my geezerly old brain, but I simply can't tell the difference between 4f and courser powders in the pan.

Only reason I recite all that, in our wet climate the courser powders are lots less susceptible than 4f to humidity in the air. I don' t have to change it nearly so often.  I had a full can of 4f and 3/4 of another when all that went down.  Gave them both to a buddy who prefers 4f, and we're both happy.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

I just went over and looked at the pans on all 3 of my flinters and they "look" nice and tight.  

Thanks for the tips.

 

[BrownBear]

Fillem and givem a good shaking at different angles for a few minutes, more or less like they will get on a hunt.

 

[BrownBear]

BTW- If one turns out to be a leaker, there is a good short-term Rx. Rub beeswax into the gap between barrel and lock, then rub a little more around the rim of the pan.  That does double duty of helping keep water out on rainy days- not just the water falling straight down, but also the water that tends to run down your barrel and stock when you lift your muzzle.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

I'm working on a couple of them but I will try the "shake 'n' bake" leak test.

 

[Kentucky Colonel]

And, carry a cow's knee in case it gets wetter than you thought it would. 
That will fit over the whole lock to try to protect it from the rain.

If it rains too hard, I take the percussion cap, but one never knows.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

I got that covered Colonel.  I bought one from Cutfingers.  It's nice!

 

[Gramps]

My flintlock won't leak and water can't get in the pan.

CAN'T get in. Why is that? Because it's a handmade rifle with a custom fitted lock.

This one:
http://www.custommuzzleloaders.com/buckscounty.html

He also build my .58 jeager.

They always goes ka-boom. I use Swiss 4 fg pan powder.

I use Goex for starting camp fires. Just sayin'.

The bees was trick is a good idea I think but Vaseline would be much easier to work with

in cold weather. Bees Wax hardens up quick when cold but whatever.

I bought 8 one pound blocks of bees wax 20 + years ago. Whatever was I thinking?

I have many muzzle loaders, modern firearms, ammo,
outdoor equipment,.........................

I don't drink, chase women, ( one caught ME! ) smoke
dope, I just buy guns, ammo, and such.