Shooting in the rain. What a wonderful feeling.

[Ray Settanta]

Now I have had first hand experience with that old saying of "keep your powder dry". At the start of the shoot the other day, the felt recoil was the same exact way as it was at the range when I sighted the rifle in. After it started to rain, I noticed that the recoil was starting to lessen. After two more shots, I couldn't tell if the main charge went off or only the cap. Only after checking the ramrod in the barrel could I tell that the charge went off. I increased the charge by a third and that sounded good and recoiled satisfactorily. But after two more stations, the rifle started to act the same way. Someone at the shoot told me that Goex was prone to absorbing moisture from the air but that Swiss powder did not. Can anyone confirm that?

[smokinbuck]

All black powder will absorb moisture from the humidity or rainfall. Soof the finer powders may be more suseptable to absorbing more moisture than coarser powder. I don't think any powder is moisture resistant.
Mark

[rich pierce]

How is a powder charge exposed to the air except at the touchhole?  Or are you thinking your horn lets moisture in?

[walks with gun]

   I learned years ago that no matter how much I like the looks of a tri-corn  they are a pain when shooting in the rain.   I looked down to check my priming and woosh  Like pouring water from a pitcher, and right into the pan.

[Daryl]

I have never noticed any difference in recoil when shooting in the rain, snow or any other atmospheric condition, other than the more clothing layers one wears, the less the felt recoil becomes.

This of course is due to recoil distribution & absorption by the added "padding".

[EC121]

Once powder is burnt the fouling will really pick up the moisture.  If you were on a woods walk with a fouled barrel in the rain, I wouldn't be surprised at all if you had a wet barrel. 

[Mike Brooks]

That's why I bought a house. I have somewhere to go when it rains.

[Joe S.]

A sunshine patriot

[Ray Settanta]

How is a powder charge exposed to the air except at the touchhole?  Or are you thinking your horn lets moisture in?

I tested the horn before loading it with powder by blowing into it. I could not detect any leaks. I have really no experience at all in shooting during a rainstorm. I have not seen any info about this problem.  I wondered if anyone had experienced this before.

[Ray Settanta]

Once powder is burnt the fouling will really pick up the moisture.  If you were on a woods walk with a fouled barrel in the rain, I wouldn't be surprised at all if you had a wet barrel.

I noticed that it was easy to load even at the end of the walk. I quess the fouling was very soft. I used a .310 ball and a .015 patch for the .32 caliber.

[EC121]

If it was allowed, I would put a dry patch in the barrel between stations.

[Curt Lyles]

Some of the powder in the measure might have stayed there and you not knowing it fired a half charge. I had it happen to me twice this year and it wasn't humid or raining.

[bgf]

Some of the powder in the measure might have stayed there and you not knowing it fired a half charge. I had it happen to me twice this year and it wasn't humid or raining.

This can happen very easily.  I tap the measure with short starter or something and check it after pouring.  I was measuring/weighing powder for a chunk shoot and found a very light one.  Half the powder was still in the measure.  That happened in the house, so in rain or humidity, bound to be even more common.  Narrow measure and coarser, irregular grain size is probably cause.  Swiss is more uniform and smooth, so might not do it as often?

[Micah2]

Joe S.  made me laugh.