Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Which Percussion caps?

Newer T/C Renegade 50cal
What are the pros and cons and recommendations for size/style percussion caps?
11's, 209's, musketcaps?
Will be used for hunting, anticipating 90-100grs ffg

11's...RWS if you can get them.

Advantage to 11's ?

Can't use 209s, never tried musket caps. Started off with CCI #11s and they worked fine. Tried RWS #11s and 30 years later still use them. Stocked up a lifetime supply.

#10 caps will fit the nipple tighter & are easier to remove after firing.

A flash "cup" will keep the tang & stock from powder residue.

Musket nipples are available for an alternative ignition option...but accuracy will suffer in my experiences.

TrackoftheWolf.com

This! Best percussion cap made!

They are a ribbed cap and they fit and stay on.

Sounds like a condom ad .

I knew someone was gonna say that!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.

Other thing about RWS caps is the fired ones generally come off real easy cause they split up from being so hot. But do not come apart and throw crap in your eyes.

These days, whatever you can find. Get nipples for #11 & musket caps, then grab a bunch when you see them.

Be aware that there are some caps meant for re-enactors that are weak; CCI makes such for muskets, at least. Magnum 11s are good, as are standard musket caps. I bought 1000 RWS from my local BP supplier for my 1858.

Anyone seen the RWS online lately?

Nope. 😊

CCI #11 caps fit tight enough that they need to be pried off the nipple with a knife/screwdriver to remove if not fired. They never give trouble after firing as they always split open. I have used nothing but hot shot nipples so fit/performance may be dependent on what brand nipple is used. I have yet to have a misfire or hangfire with them after using them to ignite 10-12 pounds of Goex FFFG in my T/C Hawken and I get excellent accuracy. I have used RWS caps in the past and saw no advantage over CCI.

Thanks BH. Glad to hear that about the CCI’’s! 👍

Muskets or #11 for the 1858?

I have had a few misfires from CCI musket caps, very few but enough to make me learu of em.

It’s a Parker Hale 1858 Enfield musket, so musket caps. Just looked at the CCI site. They make #10, #11. #11 Magnum, and “Multi-use musket caps for re-enactors and live fire”. Those musket caps are what I’ve seen complaints about. I’d complain about the price too, $14 per hundred! I think I paid $80 or $90 for 1000 RWS a few years ago.

I still have a couple or three hundred #11s that I need for my new underhammer pistol. Hopefully, things will settle down by the time I need more.

I’ve only ever used CCI and Remington caps. I’ll have to try RWS, but it sounds like they are hard to find.

#11 CCI, RWS, Remington, what ever you can find. I've not noticed any difference in group size or poi between brands of capps. The Remington brand is a little smaller than the rest. If you are having ignition issues, the problem isn't the capp.

Remingtons are an easy pass.

Little bastards aren't hot enough to burn that little piece of paper and it clogs nipples about half the time.

I remember in the old days all we got were Remington caps. Or those crappy corrosive Dixie Gun Works Italian caps in the little plastic container. I remember the first CCI’s we got in at the shop. There were some ignition issues with the CCI’s then. They seemed then, no hotter than the Remingtons. Then the RWS caps started gaining popularity. You could pop a Rem or CCI, okay. Then pop an RWS and it would almost ring your ears.

I’m talking 40-50 year ago stuff. We sold the hell outta RWS caps. Instead of foil liked like the Remingtons they were laquered on the inside. I believe the CCI’s were laquered too. Happy tonhear CCI’s are hotter and less problematic now.

I use to have some delayed ignition issues with CCI #11 magnum caps, especially in 0 degree temps. One night, about 15 years ago, I compared them to RWS caps, while sitting in the dark. The RWS caps threw ALOT more fire out the muzzle, than the CCIs (Remington 700ml, 24" barrel).

The night before going to the range, I put 4 RWS caps in a cup of water.....14 hours later, 3 of them went off!!!

I've used RWS ever since. Ignition is almost instant, in all weather conditions.

Andy3

I've hunted all day in the rain using my Renegade .54 with a taped muzzle and RWS caps. End of the day I would shoot the gun off so that I could clean it and have a fresh load. Never failed to fire.

So far as change of impact, mine shot approx. 3-4 inches lower with CCI #11 primers.

I have had reliability with CCI 11s. Musket caps are hotter. 209 is hotter still

Digging through my dad's stuff after he passed I found approximately 2000 of those old Dixie caps. IIRC they're hot but very corrosive.

Remington's are all i have left or have been able to find as of lately, they do not work well for my little 32 cal. CCI worked well but ran out.

Remingtons are fine in my experience, especially the ones labeled "40% hotter." I've used Winchester Magnum, CCI, RWS and Remington No. 11s and never had a problem with any of them lighting real BP. I don't use BP substitutes in my sidelocks, though I've tried pyrodex in a Traditions Hawken Woodsman and it went off fine, too. Musket caps are unnecessary on a hunting sidelock, IMO.

If you want to go with musket caps, Schuetzen caps appear as hot as RWS and are usually readily available. I have about 1400 Schuetzen musket caps on hand and have used them in my Traditions Pursuit XT and they will light BP, loose Pyrodex and 777, and have not yet failed to light Pyrodex pellets and 777 pellets. They are good caps. Lots of compound in them. When I put them on the nipple, they won't go on as far as other caps I've tried due to all the compound in then. They stick out far enough off the nipple that they rub when closing the action. They make a helluva pop and will make a flame out of the muzzle. And they don't split wide open.

https://muzzle-loaders.com/collections/powder-primers/products/schuetzen-musket-caps

I agree about CCI musket caps. The ones marked "Multiple Use" pretty much are the weakest caps going. They'll light real BP and loose pyrodex in my inline, but won't light pyrodex pellets reliably, and I think those pellets are actually pretty easy to light. They also split right open and loose a lot of its already inadequate flame outside the nipple.

Navy Arms used to sell muisket caps in its own tins. They were either "made in Germany" RWS caps, or "Made in Brazil" caps. I am not sure who made the Brazilian caps for Navy Arms, but those were very good, very hot caps. Not sure if they are still sold or not. But they shot a very nice flame out of the muzzle of my T/C Black Diamond.

I haven't found any #11 caps in over a year. It's sad