Hunting in the rain.

[quilbilly]

Having hunted with a sidelock in the winter ML season on the west side of Washington State for the last 25+ years where an all day rain with a little sleet mixed in for 5+ inches of precip is a daily routine, the answers have been (1) vinyl coated nylon poncho's that covers you and the gun, and (2) plastic tube nipple and cap protectors that slide over the cap and nipple exposing just the end of the cap. Side benefits are (1) that dark green poncho with rain on it allows you to look just like a small evergreen three making it amazing camouflage that the deer or elk just can't figure out , and (2) the plastic slide on cap protector also helps focus the flame from the cap to the charge. Sorry about the run-on sentences.

[Boerrancher]

I am glad that some of you fellas have found what seems to be several ways to keep your cap lock functioning. I was never that lucky. Heck I can't even take my 32cal cap lock out squirrel hunting if there is a heavy dew on with out having troubles, and in any kind of a rain, forget it. It is a waste of time. I guess that is why I keep both cap locks and flinters. Though my cap locks seem to be loosing in the numbers game. I will try some of the suggestions posted here for keeping the cap lock running, spring is just around the corner and it won't be long before the squirrels will be jumping.

Best wishes,

Joe

[troy_mclure]

i grew up hunting with a hawken caplock in southern ohio.

a smear of bore butter over and around the cap seals it pretty good, ive actually had mine submerged in a 3' deep creek and still fire.

tape is worthless if you are a stalking type hunter as it falls off so easily. ive found a greased patch over the ball to work better.

[Rattus58]

Looking for suggestions on how to keep a cap lock working in wet weather. I got drawn for one of the public lands hunts here in TX. The first afternoon was nice weather then the rain started Tuesday morning. I had the lock wrapped in a plastic bag and the muzzle covered. Because the Park Rangers want to see the rifle was unloaded when they came to pick you up from your blind I chose to fire off the load instead of trying to pull the ball. On the morning hunt the rifle fired just fine when they came to pick me up but that afternoon there was some heavy rain and the rifle did not fire when they came around to pick us up after legal shooting hours. Since Wednesday was forecast to have heavy rain again I just headed home. Please share you suggestions on what I could do to increase the odds of my rifle firing, I was thinking of keeping the capper inside my rain suit till ready to shoot then put the cap on might help if you kept the nipple sealed someway. Thanks for any ideas.

Did you wipe your barrel thoroughly before reloading? Did you fire a squib load before loading to make sure that all oils and moisture are "burned out of the barrel and that you don't have any moisture in the nipple channel?

Cows knees work well to keep a frizzen dry maybe, but with a cap in the rain, unless its loose where moisture can through capillary action maybe cause it migrate upwards and interfere with ignition, something like chapstick over your cap or borrow some of the missuses nail polish... might even be a dear attractant.... might serve you more effectively in MY OPINION.... in the rain....

Me... Its football infront of the fireplace if its raining...

Aloha...