Kentucky Long Rifle giving me a beating.

[dennishoddy]

Speaking of changing the rules for hunting... I wish I could hunt with my muzzle loader during modern firearm season too. .

You most certainly can hunt with your MZ during the modern rifle season. You can have both of them with you in the blind during modern rifle season. You can't have a modern rifle with you during MZ season though.

For the hang fires, etc, make sure you have a nipple pick to clean out the passage and fire a few caps before loading to clear any residual oil, etc from the nipple/chamber.

 

[walker]

I hunted with the same rifle you have for a few years. I found the 490 RB in a TC lubed patch loaded with 70gr of FFG real black powder shot best for me. The higher 70gr load helped me get the ball a little past 100 yards accurately. I killed probably 9 deer with it and all had an exit wound over 1" wide. Slow and big bullet put the hurt on them.
I never had any hangfire issues after switching to real BP and using RWS primers, but I have pulled the screw in the side of the nipple drum and dropped just a pinch of powder down on the first load when hunting just in case. Or you can get a nipple primer but you need to buy a can of 4F powder just for that.
Oh yeah, nipple pick Like Dennis said.

 

[Shadowrider]

Got another question... Hang fires and miss fires have cost me a couple of deer. What steps can I take to prevent this. I know it can be humid during Muzzle loader season I didn't know if that was a contributing factor. I'm using a stainless steel #11 nipple.

Used to drive me nuts. After the 2nd time, I said fuggit and started spraying out the barrel with brake cleaner making sure I was getting it out of the nipple. Then I'd turn it over, dump it out and make sure it was dry before I loaded. Might want to remove the barrel from your stock because it will jack your finish over hard. Never had a firing problem after that. If you don't want to fire it at night and are going back out the next morning, take off the percussion cap and get a rubber vacuum cap from the auto parts store that fits your nipple tightly to keep moisture out. You can use a balloon, among other things, over the muzzle.

 

[Lurker66]

Hate to keep harpin on the fake powder. Thats most likely problem with your hang fires as well. The fake stuff isnt as combustible and it degrades.

There is hope tho. Use CCI mini mag caps. Thats bout the hottest cap out there. The Remington caps aint as hot btw.

 

[dlbleak]

JEEPr, I hunted with ML for years during modern season. In fact,I didn't start using a rifle until around 2000. You can rub it in to your hunting buddies and their $1000+ rigs when you get the big un!

 

[ldp4570]

I've only got two percussion guns, 1860 Colt replica, and a .58 Enfield, the caps for the latter are fantastic, and as long as I shoot 70 to 75 grains of FFg, she just rocks!!

I have a Penn replica .50cal flinter that shoots great with around 65grs of FFg.

 

[JEEPr]

What brand of BP you use? I took one of the nipples and I drilled out the hole with a tiny drill bit. That helped a lot, but it also sent a bit of fire back thru the nipple. I'm using the CCI #11 magnum caps. Thanks for the info on using ML during modern season. Guess I miss that part in the regs. I got a replica 1851 Confederate Navy in .44 that I play with. Last time I shot it the cylinder moved around quite a bit. It normally took a couple of strikes from the hammer to send a round off. The Cylinder pin has gotten really loose on the pistol. Don't know how to fix that. I'm also putting together a .50 cal Kentucky pistol. I had a lot of fun putting the rifle together so I bought the pistol kit too. It's a work in progress. I found a guy in town that does hot bluing so I take the barrels to him. Do any of y'all have a backup BP firearm when you hunt?

 

[Okie4570]

New nipples take care of the majority of cap firing problems. Lot's of use and they become flattened. Aways used Elephant BP when using BP..............can't remember what brand of powder my ffffg powder is, I've had it forever.

 

[Lurker66]

What brand of BP you use? I took one of the nipples and I drilled out the hole with a tiny drill bit. That helped a lot, but it also sent a bit of fire back thru the nipple. I'm using the CCI #11 magnum caps. Thanks for the info on using ML during modern season. Guess I miss that part in the regs. I got a replica 1851 Confederate Navy in .44 that I play with. Last time I shot it the cylinder moved around quite a bit. It normally took a couple of strikes from the hammer to send a round off. The Cylinder pin has gotten really loose on the pistol. Don't know how to fix that. I'm also putting together a .50 cal Kentucky pistol. I had a lot of fun putting the rifle together so I bought the pistol kit too. It's a work in progress. I found a guy in town that does hot bluing so I take the barrels to him. Do any of y'all have a backup BP firearm when you hunt?

Dang rookies. While at first it makes sense to drill out a nipple, that actually compounds the problem. The hole in a nipple is coned. They actually slowly burn the hole larger and need to be replaced. Old timers used to replace nipples after a 200 or so shots because the hole gets too big.

As to the "cone" in the nipple. Its shape and hole size actually force the heat from a fired "cap" thru a small hole making the flame hotter......its a lil more technical than that but thats the gist.

Now what you need to do is get a couple of new nipples. CCI mag Caps, 60-70gr of real BP and id bet ur problems would go away.

As to BP brands....IMO Swiss is the best buts its more expensive. GOEX brand is the standard. Buy Elephant at your own peril(imo). Thats the nastiest least consistant ive tried.

Warning.....do not use 4f as a main charge in your rifle. 4f is a starting powder, pan powder, flash powder. Besides ya dont need it for cap guns. 2F or 3F works fine.

Now im kinda parroting what Ive heard about 4F powder. I dunno if its dangerous or not. Ive always been warned that it shouldnt be used for a main charge so Ive stuck with 2 or 3f

 

[Okie4570]

Lurker just likes to say the opposite of what I say............