Sealing pan in inclement weather when hunting

[Bushfire]

How do people do it?

My style of hunting would be what you call still hunting through country similar to your Western regions.

I plan on doing my whole season with a muzzleloader and as much as I can with a flintlock. Inevitably there will be some rain amongst that. How do folks seal their pans in rainy conditions?

And how do you reload in the rain?

[Jerry]

I have always uses a fabric lock cover sealed with bees wax and neats foot oil. Very efficient and quick to remove. Jerry

[smylee grouch]

I and many others use a concoction I will call pan greese, and I make mine with Bees wax/bear lard mixed to peanut butter consistency or maybe a little stiffer. Put this stuff all around pan, top edge of frizzen and on the bolster right below the pan where it goes against the barrel. Clean off any excess and dont plug the vent.

[smylee grouch]

Yes, as Jerry does, a cows knee also. My cows knee is made of brain tan elk and sealed  up very well with bear oil/bees wax.

[Daniel Coats]

Roll up the window on the truck.

Actually only one time in Colorado have l been rained out. Pretty rare in the late fall or winter months.

[Austin]

Do you need to roll down all the windows after you shoot? Asking for a friend….

[Dave Marsh]

Maybe.




robin hood foundation

[smylee grouch]

Kinda blurry but hope it shows what it looks like before you remove the excess

[EC121]

I put a round toothpick in the vent and don't prime until I see game.  The rifle can stay loaded for weeks.
   As far as reloading in the rain, I'm no help.  Because our deer season is 2.5mos., I don't hunt in the rain or in temps below 40deg. 

[Brokennock]

Chapstick consistency patch lube (beeswax and fat blend, fat could be olive or coconut oil or mink or neatsfoot oil) smeared around the edges of the closed pan. Then a greased leather lock cover (cow's knee) with a thick smear of the same lube around the barrel where the leading edge of the cover lies. A blob of same in the corner formed by the verticle side flat of the barrel and the horizontal top flat edge of the stock just forward of the lock . These last two are meant to help prevent water from running back down the outside of the barrel, especially down the "rain gutter" formed by that corner, and into the lock.

I see many people doing some or all of this, but then "frequently check/change the prime." I do not do this. If everything went in dry and was sealed while dry,,, why risk exposing it to wet weather?

[mgbruch]

I also use a well greased leather lock cover.  And I'll carry the gun with the lock under my armpit, with the barrel at a downward angle.  I'll also refresh my priming every hour or so... depending.  If it's very rainy I go home, make a pot of tea, and play my guitar.

[David R. Pennington]

Submitted for AJ. He can elaborate.

[alyce-james]

In more active hunting days, I came up with this idea to protect my flintlock pan during a damp and inclement hunting day during deer season. This small, 2 1/2, with plunger open  1/2 inch (3 inch total) syringe was used to lay a small bead of grease around the pan. Close frizzed, winterized. The syringe worked fine for me. Y'all have a great week end. AJ.

[smylee grouch]

Neat idea AJ and the dispenser is self lubricating! 

[Jeff Murray]

Like EC121 I use a tooth pick that has been lacquered to plug the touchhole and a cows knee to keep the lock area as dry as possible.  I have also put a piece of cleaning patch in the pan to keep the surface dry.  This has always worked well when still hunting as well as hunting from a stand.  Curious question, has anyone who uses a grease concoction to seal the pan noticed a slow down in lock time due to the pressure of breaking the grease seal?

[alyce-james]

Good evening Jeff. I'm so busy concentrating on the deer and the shot location that I do not notice firing time lag. Next step is track the deer, field dress, haul home and hang. After cooling skin, cut up, package and store in freezer. Game over. Have a deluxe day. AJ.
 

[smylee grouch]

Like alyce-james I have never noticed any lag for the same reasons and I have hunted in some pretty cold conditions ( below zero F temps )

[Brokennock]

..... Curious question, has anyone who uses a grease concoction to seal the pan noticed a slow down in lock time due to the pressure of breaking the grease seal?

Nope.
The only time I've had an ignition issue from efforts to protect my powder charge was when the tip of the toothpick I was using to plug the vent during transport and storage between outings,,,, broke off in the vent. I got most of it out but apparently not all of it.

[john bohan]

Believe it or not I've wrapped saran wrap around the whole lock ,trigger and stock, you can cock the rifle ,and fire it too without removing it.

[Daryl]

Still see the sights through the tunnel?

[Jeff Murray]

I carry a forged, tapered vent pick that will push a toothpick through the vent hole if necessary.  Quicker and less aggravating than trying to pick it out of the touchhole.  Also trim the toothpick so it does not stick out beyond the edge of the pan to try and minimize disaster.  Seems like the Saran Wrap approach might leave a burned plastic mess in the pan area? 

[Mike from OK]

Lots of good advice here...

In addition to a cow's knee I have heard it recommended to use wax on the barrel ahead of the lock. It doesn't take much... A mark with a crayon will intercept any errant runs of moisture and channel it down the side before it reaches the lock. You start on the top flat of the barrel and angle the crayon mark back towards the lock as you move down the side flats. It won't stop a deluge but it will channel away that bead of water that could run down the barrel and under the edge of the cow's knee.

A dab of grease or Vaseline swiped on would probably work as well. But I would end up smearing it off and wearing it at some point... The crayon stays put but can be removed without too much effort.

Mike

[Dphariss]

Only thing I trust. 


Treat with Sno-Seal and it will come off pretty easy. And its traditional.

[WadePatton]

I grease up around the pan with the mixture of fat from the taller hole.

[Dphariss]

A cover also keeps snow and ice off the sights.