yeoman

Ouch.... no my experiments were with a Remington Inline...

The key for me is not to warm up the barrel to fast if you see condensation forming on the out side then it is probably forming on the inside. When we come in from hunting, even in 20 below weather the gun, either inline or sidehammer goes in the truck with for the drive home. But, the truck cab is 20 below also or there about, then as we drive the gun warms slowly (never really heat the cab up - just take the chill off) - from the truck it comes in and stands in the back room. I take all waether protection off and 1/2 cock the hammer - then the gun can breath... The other thing with sidelocks I have given up on 2f powder @ 20 below and using a cap it is hard to get T7 started. So we now use T7-3f and we take a lot of care in pouring in just a bit then tapping it over under the nipple - the 3f moves over really easy, the 2f not so easy... We have found out if we have a dead air space between the nipple and the main charge (other words) the flash channel we do not always get a positive ignition in really cold weather, warmer weather 25 and above above the 2f works pretty good.

I don't have a gradual warm up opportunity since I'm frequently coming from the stand to the house, but I've never seen condensation on the outside of the gun. Then, I might be coming from +20 degrees into the house, but that's about as cold as is likely. What has tipped me off is when I pull a bullet, almost no powder falls from the barrel when turned upside down. I have to send a ramrod down with puller to break up the powder, several times, before most of it will pour out. There's just enough mositure to form a slight crust which I suspect is more difficult to ignite, almost like a pellet. So, now do you think Goex would solve that under the Pyrodex?

yeoman

Powder compacts... even when I pull the breech plug on a rifle I can not get the powder to pour out....

When I was doing those experiments - I brought the rifle into an unheated garage for a couple of hours before coming in the house... The one pic I saw of your gun you had a scope on it - check and see if a fog layer forms on the scope when you come in - it is even more sensitive than the barrel. Do you cover your muzzle? when in the cold, wet, damp weather? If your gun has the deep lands and grooves that doesn't help either.

Just throwing out thoughts - not that any of them will help... I think cayugad said it best - if in doubt get it out...

That I am not sure of because I have never duplexed any loads.

Another thought that just jumped up from the depths... When i put Pyro in water it wen imediately to a black sludge - when I dropped T7 in water it retained it's shape and the water did not turn black... is it coated with something - I do not know... and do not get me wrong the T7 was ruined but it did not go to sluged until you stirred it...

Not this year.

No, no, no and no. This problem was occuring in cool, damp to dry weather. Although, our "dry" is similar to your most humid days in Idaho.

I think if I get the GM barrel for the gun I'm looking at I may go to 777.

thanks

Ihave never once had a gun misfire-even in the worst conditions. Furthermore, my room in the basement is very humid and it still didn't affect it.

I don't think you need to worry about it one bit.

Outdoors - read the posts again. The gun failed to fire on a big 8 pointer this year, and that was not the first time. I don't need to worry about it if I don't mind "catch and release" deer hunting. Of greater concern to me is the potential for a poor shot resulting from incomplete combustion and altered point of impact. Worse than a misfire.

yeoman

All of these are possible - that would concern me also... it took me 3/4 years to figure this traditional hunting thing out and now I think I know when I had better clear the load... but, someday i know it might bite me in the _ _ _, then I'll be mad and the only person I can blame is myself...

Here in western OK the daily extremes in temperature are not that great in winter. Humidity, however is high.Unless the gun has been fired or has gotten really soaked, i don't unload it at the end of the day.It is carried in a hard case to and from hunting-i bring it in the house and take it out of the case. Sometimes it stays loaded for weeks.

What you could do to feel a little more comfortable is upgrade to a mustket nipple/cap. I did that on my first Mler that wasnt very reliable with #11's. You can even buy these little pink rubber slips that go over a #11 cap, put that on the 11 nipple and a musket cap slides over it snuggly. Its works like a charm and you'll never have to change nipples. Its worth a shot.

I dont see how putting 10-20 grains of real BP down the bore would be better seeing how BP is a lot more sensitive to humidity and attracts it. I'd just try my lil tip and leave it loaded for a few days and see how it goes off when you're ready.
My dad went home empty lastyear when his cabelas hawken misfired due to no powder being in the nipple drum area. That was a disapointment.