Let's List: Muzzle Loading Tips

[decoy]

Many Tips are out there.

I recently heard a great one I'll pass along. Let's put together some good pointers... Of course to you long timers, some of these will be old news. Please add your favorites.

1. If conditions are wet... put a small piece of electric tape over your muzzle. This keeps moisture out and you can fire trough unaffected.

2. Mark your ramrod at the muzzle somehow so you know for sure (instantly) when your powder and bullet are seated.

next????

decoy

[walleye_dan]

I've also heard of putting a white or black balloon over the end of the muzzle to keep moisture out. You can shoot right through it just like the tape. I've never tried either, but if your barrel is cold I don't think the tape would stick to it.

[Canuck]

I have used the fingers cut off of rubber gloves to put over the end of the barrell to prevent snow for plugging the barrel. I used them on my rifle as well and NO problem. I have heard of guys using condums but I figure they have better uses and the fingers off of a glove are cheap.

I used old 35 mm film cannisters to hold my measured out powder rather than buy those plastic tubes. Sure the film cannisters don't hold the bullet but I just put them in my shirt pocket.

I only started muzzle huntin this fall and would love to pick you brains on this one. Spread the wealth PLEASE

[RussDaBuss]

Good ideas! I will use these. I do not have any new ideas as of now. This is my first year. I have marked my ramrod so I know when everything is packed correctly everytime. That idea works good. Now, just so the deer cooperate

[bigbucks]

My best advice isn't so much about gun operation, but how to approach the hunt. If you've ever bowhunted this will be easier for you, if you haven't this is where you need to be adjust your mindset a little. Think like you are bowhunting when on stand instead of gun hunting. After doing all three I really feel like ml hunting is closer to bowhunting, other than that you have a lot more range on your bow.

You will most like only get one shot & it has to be lethal. Also in my experience included with that of friends who ml hunt, they don't tend to leave much of a blood trail, so watch the deer as closely & as far as you possibly can & be sure of what kind of a hit you have. Some people who've only gun hunted tend to whip the gun up & start blazing, which you can often get away with when using a repeating weapon, that won't be very effective with the ml, be patient. Generally the deer you're hunting aren't pressured, they don't know you're there, & they'll move naturally, take your time, there's no hurry. You still need to anticipate when your best shot will come & be ready, but if the deer's not alarmed & you haven't alerted them to your presence, they won't just "know" you're there. Anybody who's spent a lot of time on stand & passed on deer knows this already, but some newer hunters may not realize this.

Sorry I'm so long winded, just trying to explain my line of thought.

[decoy]

Russ,

You absolutely hit my line of thinking. I always approach ML as if bowhunting. Wait for the closest and best shot. You usually only get one chance. Make it count.

decoy

[lawdog]

Bigbucks, I'm surprised to read your comment on no blood trail. I've not had that experience. I shot an 8 pointer with the smoke pole last year and I think a blind man could have followed that blood trailer. I've not noticed a big difference in blood trails from guns to ml's. I think that's more of a shot placement thing than a weapon thing, although you may have a little less expansion with some of the ML's and that MAY be what you've experienced... I don't know, just a curiousity I guess.

[bigbucks]

I'm not basing it on many ml kills, so maybe it's been bad luck. I can think of at least two deer that were lung shot at 30 yards or less that didn't leave a drop of blood in snow that we could find. One went about 100 yards, the other about 30. Neither bullet went through. We knew we'd definitely killed both deer by the impact & range, but there was no blood trail.

[decoy]

Rodd,

Were you shooting 40 caliber?