ORIGINAL: Mike Hill
I know there are two schools of thought on this subject but I have to tell you. I am lazy by nature and I used to never unload my gun at the end of the day unless I thought mosture got in. Well while hunting one day a real nice buck messed up and actualy stopped 60 yards in the open from me. I put the cross hairs on him and took the chip shot (pop) was all I got the deer got real ansey and I put another cap one and (pop) again well the deer took off and I yell (somthing I can't print here) but it must have sceared the Buck and he turned and ran back toward me I coulden't belive it I put on anther cap and of course (pop) well that was that The buck was really gone this time. I walked out of the woods and went by my buddy and he said he herad 3 pops whats up so I told him and said this darn powder must have gotten damp and I capped the gun and said see aimed at a tree and (of course) BANG. it went off. So every day I unload my gun either by shooting it or taking out the breech plub out and pushing the charge out. I hope this helps some one who reads this to never have what happened to me happen to them it feels real bad. Mike
Last year I hunted 2 1/2 days with the same load. The weather was windy and dry. That hunt ended with a beautiful 80 yd shot and went right where I wanted it. The next time I hunted I huntedtwo -1/2 days with the same load, 1 evening, 1 morning. I took both deer in the morning. The last time I hunted last year I removed the first load because of wet snow falling and hunted with that second load the other 2 days of the season. I ate my tag that season. This spring while hog hunting in TN I discharged my rifle after the first day of hunting because of wet/humid conditions. It was an off hand shot and I was about an inch off of my POI. I hunted the next day with a fresh load and killed my pig.
I guess the moral is "if in doubt get it out". If it's raining or snowing or I drop my rifle in a puddle I will pull the load. For those that prefer to pull a load every day, good for you. You always know you have a good load in your rifle. Some of us just prefer to accept the slight risk in good weather. If you do decide to leave a load in, make sure you keep the gun at the same temperature as it is outside. If hunting in cool weather keep it locked in your trunk or outdoor lockup and if hot weather the same since being in Air conditioning can have the same effect but in reverse.
And for the record I have had 1 shot not go off when I was hunting. It was pouring rain that day and I was using an open breech inline. That was the first day of hunting too. It's not happened since.