to keep a muzzleloader loaded ?

[ColoradoElkhorn]

Hi guys i just got a muzzleloader. So i have a beginners question, i live in colorado and will be hunting biggame here. Do i have to shoot my gun at the end of each hunting day ? I realize that if it is rainy or ant prec that i should but what if it is dry out.

 

[Wmmichael20]

I don't own a black powder firearm but I know my friends and relatives that do hunt with them leave them loaded and just leave them in the garage or barn so there's no temp change to cause condensation in the metal to dampen the powder charge.

 

[tdhanses]

I only use BH209 powder, I leave it loaded.

 

[Yarak]

I've been using muzzle loader for 20+ years and have always left mine loaded for 2-3 days but not beyond that
You never know when a slight bit of moisture may get in the bbl and then to your powder. Now I always try to prevent this by putting a finger from a surgical glove over the bbl but when youre moving through the woods stalking deer or elk thos have a tendency to come off
one other thing I do is to store my ML bbl down for those couple days to prevent trickle down of moisture and lubricants
The worst feeling in the woods is when you have elk/deer in your sights and all you get is a primer pop when you squeeze the trigger

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

I wondered about this a few years back and decided to leave it loaded on my sons deer hunt. Well day five we get hammered with a big thunderstorm and when the lightning starts to hit off in the hills we make for the truck. We make it to the truck no prob but we are soaked and when I grab the rifle to put it back in the case I see my boys barrel condom has been lost somewhere and he had it on his shoulder soooo, After dumping an inch of rain out of it I put it away and drive back to camp. On the way back I of course explain the importance of not losing your barrel condom (wink wink). It was getting dark so we waited til the next morning and he shoots at 100 yards kneeling from camp and bam,,,,1 in high with dead on windage. I always leave it loaded now with no worries. (during the hunt anyways)

 

[ElkArcher918]

Assuming dry weather I never unload/discharge the muzzy after the days hunt. Just remove the primer and store in the truck or unheated garage. Avoid temperature extremes that will cause condensation. I use electrical tape to cover the muzzle in wet or snowy conditions. The only time I failed to heed my own advice I got the old "click, click" oh s___t hang fire that cost me a good Nebraska deer.

 

[wildwilderness]

Why risk it? Fresh powder is never a bad thing.

the first year I muzzy hunted I did not. That was before 209 primers and pellets. Of course the second day I snuck to 50 yards of a nice buck and “pop”-ugg. Deer ran off as I tried to re prime, which still misfired. Was especially bad since I was a new hunter and had only shot a couple deer. Now I will always shoot, or pull the plug and unload to check

 

[Garrett58]

Pa requires flint lock with touch hole on the side of the barrel for flash to ignite the charge. This provides more exposure of the barrel charge. However, simplicity of flintlock lets you clean the touch hole and flash pan with fresh powder through out the day. We get by with leaving the charge in the barrel if we were not hunting in rain or really damp snow. However - if in doubt we fire the charge to be sure.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Why risk it? Fresh powder is never a bad thing.

the first year I muzzy hunted I did not. That was before 209 primers and pellets. Of course the second day I snuck to 50 yards of a nice buck and “pop”-ugg. Deer ran off as I tried to re prime, which still misfired. Was especially bad since I was a new hunter and had only shot a couple deer. Now I will always shoot, or pull the plug and unload to check

Why risk it?
Because out west we have to use very dirty powders and completely cleaning your rifle for 2 weeks straight sucks.

 

[Jagger0502]

Hasnt anyone read the book “The Rifle?” Great book for both kids and adults.

I shoot a lot of flintlock and myself and guys I hunt with have had times one of us has not unloaded from a previous season and still go hunt with it without reloading without issues. Obviously not recommended. Last year my old man had his loaded from the year before and wanted to check his flint, we went out and pointed it into his shooting range and dropped the hammer with no power in the pan and it went off.

rule of thumb is simple. If it stays dry it will last forever. If you’re think it got moisture and in there fire it off.If I hunt a day in rain or moisture I will unload it before I hunt the next day.

 

[menhaden_man]

Why risk it? Fresh powder is never a bad thing.

the first year I muzzy hunted I did not. That was before 209 primers and pellets. Of course the second day I snuck to 50 yards of a nice buck and “pop”-ugg. Deer ran off as I tried to re prime, which still misfired. Was especially bad since I was a new hunter and had only shot a couple deer. Now I will always shoot, or pull the plug and unload to check

I blew it in this kind of situation... bad weather and wound up missing a 40 yd chip shot on an elk with a misfire. I won’t risk it again myself.

 

[FrontierGander]

Flintlock or percussion, my guns stay loaded for up to 9 days unless I hit a pouring mess with the flintlock, then I may decide to shoot it and clean it at the camper... MAYBE... Sometimes cleaning them during poor weather will cause more issues than good. Its all how you care for your gun while in the field that is the deciding factor.

 

[FrontierGander]

I blew it in this kind of situation... bad weather and wound up missing a 40 yd chip shot on an elk with a misfire. I won’t risk it again myself.

chances are you were using the fake black powder too.

 

[menhaden_man]

chances are you were using the fake black powder too.

I was using pellets if that's what you mean by fake... are you suggesting that the risk of a misfire due to moisture is greater with pellets? It was in eastern WA so you've got to have NW compliant gun - not as strict as ID but definitely not as loose as other states.

 

[FrontierGander]

I was using pellets if that's what you mean by fake... are you suggesting that the risk of a misfire due to moisture is greater with pellets? It was in eastern WA so you've got to have NW compliant gun - not as strict as ID but definitely not as loose as other states.

My point exactly!

#1 you were using a pellet powder is in general is much harder to ignite than loose black sub powder.

If you actually want a bang that goes bang when you pull the trigger and doesnt such up moisture like the sub black powders ( fake ) go with real black powder.

i've had pellets hang fire or not fire at all on a dry day. Add in high moisture and its a gamble. Never understood the use of pellets simply due to their cost and how they suck up moisture.

I love pyrodex but even I know when I go hunting with it I am taking a chance of a misfire. That's why I use an old supply of Gearhart - Owen black powder strictly for hunting purpose. I know she'll go bang every time. I also use a sidelock with #11 ignition.

 

[HntnFsh]

I load my muzzy the night before season and leave it loaded until I take a shot at an animal or season is over. I dont use barrel condoms for no reason in particular. Just havent seen the need I guess. I have muzzy hunted the pissin down rain of southwest Washington for about 25 years and The only misfire I had wasnt because of wet powder. It was the only bad cap Ive ever had. I also run RWS #11s. and Triple 7 3f.

As said before. Dont take a cold muzzy into a hot house at night. I leave mine in my rig.

 

[Rich M]

We'd leave our MLs loaded and if we did unload them, we'd push the powder thru the breech as opposed to shooting it. Run a rag thru it and night before a hunt we'd fire a primer thru it, then load her up.

Been shooting 209 primers since about 1980. The little percussion caps cost us a few deer so my father got some 209 primer holders. Shooting H&R .58 break action MLs. Still have em.

 

[txhunter581]

I always hunt with an dirty barrel. In other words, I fire a shot, then load for the hunt.

Chances are the “misfire” on day 2 of the hunt would have been a misfire in day 1 as well. For guys who hunt with a clean barrel there has to always be that worry and a little oil or material from cleaning will gum up the works.

That happened yesterday with a friend. He was using real black and when we got to the range he loaded up and had a hang fire (actually worse than a misfire). His second shot was instantaneous.

Because of things like that I always pop of a couple of caps, load a reduced load and fire it into the ground, then load for the hunt.

Because of that I hunt for multiple days without reloading

 

[HntnFsh]

I usually foul my barrel by popping off 2 or 3 caps before loading. Works great!

 

[morphetm]

I fire off at least two primers to dirty the barrel the night before hunting leaving the last fired primer in it. I load everything for hunting and put a finger cut off a rubber glove on the end of the barrel. When ready to hunt remove the spent primer, put it in my pocket and put the fresh one in, I also take the condom off the barrel unless it is damp or rainy. When done for the day I replace the condom and spent primer for storage and leave it in a area that maintains the same as outdoor temp (truck or garage). I leave it loaded the few weeks of season or until i shoot it with out a problem. I am using BH209 with the proper breech plug and primers.