doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Anyone Hunt with a muzzle loading shotgun?

The main reason they are poping caps and loads is because they are scared their gun won't go off....

Properly cleaned and loaded there is no reason to pop a cap or a load or reason to unload unless you shoot it during the hunt.

Jeff:

You burn the oil out because it can potentially "oil soak" your powder charge. Same reason not to use spit as a lube while hunting.

I pop a cap to make sure the vents are clear. Have never had a problem, either on the target range or in the field.

Regards

GKT

If you know for sure you are going to shoot poping a cap is fine. At the range anything goes.
If I'm loading a gun for hunting I'd rather not have to clean it if I don't shoot that day...poping a cap insures you will.

Another tip a fellow gave me years ago was to circle the muzzle with your hand after each shot and give the barrels a good blow...the wisp of smoke exiting the nipple hole will let you know all is clear and it will deffinatly fire the next shot.

Would you put your mouth over the muzzle of any other gun? I hope not! Don't do it with a muzzleloader either, please. Not allowed at NMLRA matches and for damn good reason. It's a terrible bad safety habit.

Jim I guess the fellow that I learned muzzleloading from wasn't too safe in your opinion, in mine he was. Actually he was a Range officer at a public range with a clear safety record.
I also learned from him that I can load and shoot my muzzleloader with reliability without popping caps.
Jim are you sure blowing through your gun is not allowed in NMLRA matches...I thought the rules stated no sucking on your muzzle.

I do agree it takes common sense to know when it's safe or not safe to blow through your muzzle loader barrel.

Come on Homeless! What part of putting the muzzle of a gun in your mouth or pointed at your head don't you understand is a poor safety practice. If you want to blow through the barrel get a tube and blow from the percussion nipple or from the flash hole and keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. By the way, I can cite authority better than your range officer friend having years of experience on military range operations from small arms through mortars and tanks and now as a NMLRA Trainer responsible to teach instructors. It is simply a bad idea and violates the most basic firearms safe handling rules (Treat every firearm as if it were loaded, Always point the muzzle in a safe direction, Be sure of your target and beyond).

Putting the muzzle of any gun in your mouth is against all safety practices and is stupid, besides. You can call it blowing or sucking as you desire. It's a stupid and dangerous habit and your range officer was very poorly trained.

Jerry give me a break.

What in the heck would most any military range officer know abour a muzzle loader...Did he train in the Revolutionary or Cival War ?
Jerry were not talking M-16's here...it's M u z z l e l o a d e r s..101 not for idiots or the faint of heart.

Jim it's sad and true that most people that put a muzzle of a gun in their mouths blow their heads off. I'm not talking about putting a loaded gun in my mouth who could stand to leave this place.

I was talking about very shortly 'after' firing the shot.....bOOm.

Empty gun...da.

Circling my hand around the muzzle (making a fist) then putting my mouth on top of my hand and giving a stout blow....puff out comes a small wift of smoke from the nipple hole...Like a magic Genie letting me know my muzzle loader is ready for action.


I hope you or any kids at home don't try blowing through a loaded muzzleloader...
Shoot it before you blow.

HjO,
Blowing down gun barrels is not allowed at NMLRA matches. It is in the range rule book.
Another fear to the practice is exciting any embers that may be in the barrel... Pour the next powder charge, ram a nitro and Boom!.... It has happened at Friendship.

Homeless, Range safety is universal. If you can run a moving tank range you can certainly run a simple rifle range. But to answer your question about muzzleloading experience, I build them, shoot them, hunt elk with them, and trained in them by NMLRA - certified to train instructors for them. I only cited the experience because that seemed important to your earlier statement. The combined extensive knowledge of the NMLRA in the safe handling of muzzleloading firearms far exceeds a range officer or two and led to the rule against the practice.

Your "not for idiots" remark is not appreciated because it presents such a temptation for a non-constructive response. We are trying to help a brother refrain from a dangerous practice. I suggested alternative methods for you to accomplish the same objective safely by using a tube to blow from the breech. A short piece of clear plastic tubing from ACE hardware will work perfectly on a percussion nipple.

I have only pursued the topic this far because I would hate to see this dangerous practice spread through failure to respond. Are you absolutely certain the rifle is empty everytime you blow in the muzzle - just as certain as you are when you were distracted while loading and failed to add powder before putting a patched ball down the bore? Most every muzzleloader I know with any significant experience will admit to that oversight at least once. Would the same level of error be acceptable to you when blowing in the muzzle?

Once you are comfortable putting your head in front of the muzzle will you eventually forget the rifle is loaded and place your hands or head over the loaded muzzle while talking to someone on the line or while waiting to shoot? If nothing else the practice promotes further dangerous handling.