Muzzleloading .50 TC Hawken

I have a nipple I ordered from Warren Custom Outdoor that has a screw-on cap with a floating pin in it for 209 primers. I absolutely love it. It does add another step to loading, as you have to unscrew the cap and screw it back on over the primer, but the primer is much more protected from the elements than a simple #11 cap, and the ignition power is much better than a musket cap. I bought it to see if it would cure my dad's .54 Renegade ignition problems, and I liked it enough to buy one for my Hawken. They can be found at http://www.warrencustomoutdoor.com/. It installs with a simple allen wrench. The socket for the wrench is machined into the top of the flash hole in the nipple. A little anti-sieze grease, and it's simple to remove during cleaning. Around here, 209 primers are roughly 66% to 1/2 the cost of #11 caps. Plus, around here, #11 caps seem to be pretty seasonally offered. 209's are available 365. I like the storage of the 209s better as well. My dad also had a #11 cap fall off somewhere on his hunt last year. That won't happen with the screwed-on 209.
 
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^^^ THAT SIR, is a WHOLE JAR OF AWESOME SAUCE!!!!!!;) That is probably a very good idea if hunting in harsh elements with a sidelock. OR because the wise old MAN of the woods rarely shows himself and when he does we sure don't need to hear................................click! Thanks for sharing
 
As an aside on this topic, I've been using olive oil down the bore as an experiment. Thus far, I love it. I carry a small bag of oil-treated patches with me to swab the bore if loading becomes hard and follow that up with a shooting patch. It makes life easier. I haven't found any material for shooting patches around here, so I haven't shot any rounds with olive oil as the shooting lube, but I've heard it does work just fine.
 
I'm loving these recent comments about alternative primers for muskets.

But from what I'm seeing, 209 primers cost about $9-$10 per hundred.

I can get RWS 4-wing musket caps for $7.3/hundred from Back Creek Gun Shop.

http://www.blackpowderva.com/

There doesn't seem to be a cost difference over standard musket caps.

Steve
 
But from what I'm seeing, 209 primers cost about $9-$10 per hundred.
I was in Cabelas the other day and they had CCI 209 primers in stock of about $4.95 or so per hundred if I remember correctly.
These were not muzzle loading specific.

Hint, when the first 209 primer muzzleloaders came out, there was no such thing as a "muzzle loading" 209 primer. Everybody just used regular shotshell reloading 209 primers. I kind of suspect they still work well today and they only cost about half as much.
 
Too much work negates the Fun-Factor

I kind of suspect they still work well today and they only cost about half as much.
This is true and when I do use 209's in my In-Lines they are standard shotgun primers that I had left over from some reloading supplies I bought. Keep in mind that the reason they came out with these M/L rated ones, was to correct a problem they had not predicted. In my traditionals and the last In-Line I own, I only use #11's or Musket primers. ... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
I'm using regular 209s. I figure with loose pyrodex, the little bit of gunk from the "dirty" 209 primers isn't going to matter much in the grand scheme of things. I figure that's what I shoot out of my shotgun, and it stays relatively clean, so it must be the granulated pig manure that I still shoot because it's cheap and consistent. Shooting a ML loses its fun at $2 a shot.
 
I use regular ole 209's in my inline. It always goes BOOM and hits what I aim at. :D So I use them! You guys are gonna make me bust out the inline with all this 209 talk. The poor thing takes a back seat to the side cockers.
 
I have heard that 209 primer residue slowly builds up in the flash hole with a fouling that doesn't rinse out with water, you got to use a drill bit or something similar.
Naturally, that's not a problem with shotgun shells.

I only got two inlines, one is a target pistol and the other is a target rifle with a slow twist patched roundball barrel, neither are hunting guns, no provision for a field ramrod. They both use #11 caps.
I only shoot them in matches and dread cleaning them afterwards.
 
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