Monster Whitetails

Hey guys Im new to the muzzleloader scene and I was wondering if it was okay to leave my ML loaded overnight (no cap obviously)? If not what should I do about unloading b/c I dont want to shoot it and scare the deer off.

Thanks!

falcon

Unless it rainedon the day you hunted, leaving it loaded over night is not a problem. At least one one of my muzzleloaders is always loaded, sometimes for as long as a month.They are always kept in the house.Despitebeing loaded for a long time, my muzzleloaders have alwaysgone bang when they were supposed to.

Your mileage may vary.

sabotloader

Monster Whitetails

If you look through these threads you can see that I leave mine loaded most often for extended times..

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1911153&mpage=1&key=remington%2c humidity&#1915128

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=1911153&mpage=1&key=Remington%2c humidity&#1911153

Can remember if there are significant differences in these two posts...

Raider2000

I've Left My Hawken loaded for almost a year once "kinda forgot about it when Moma had our first child & all" & it still went bang...

But if you were in the rain during the hunt you may want to shoot that load off or at least pull it so that you know that it's not moisture contaminated...

On a side note, I've had a Repro Colt 1851 Navy loaded for almost 9 years "I used to keep one loaded as a alternative Home Deffence weapon" but had it in it's case CAPPED!
It also shot quite well.

cayugad

Depending on the conditions you hunted in, you have to be careful about leaving them loaded. If you were hunting in rain, snow, fog, or very humid conditions, pay special attention to your rifle. You might want to unload it and start fresh.

Try and maintain the same temperatures you hunted in, in the location you store the rifle for the night. I know some people take them in the house and claim they have no problems. I have done that twice and both times, had misfires the next morning. So if I hunted in 20º temps, I store in that. I do not want to subject the rifle to any sudden temperature changes. What happens to glasses when you come into a house from being outside in the cold? They fog up. They develop condensation. Well your rifle barrel will do the same. I store my rifles after being out in the cold, in my unheated wood shop. They are out of sight, and mind then.

Next is, remove any source of ignition. Primers, #11 caps, musket caps, cartridges, pan primer powder, and batteries, all have to go. Remember, a flintlock can fire even without the pan primed. I like to put a clean dry white cotton sock with a little gun oil in it, over the frizzen. This will stop the flint from striking and sparking when the mysterious happens.

Also remove all muzzle mitts, finger cots, tape, condoms, balloons, what ever off the muzzle of the rifle. It will rust under those things and very fast I might add from experience. Then I take a oil cloth and wipe the rifle down very good to remove any moisture that might have accumulated on the outside of the rifle. I also then swab the inside of the barrel with dry patches to remove anything down there. Some people even put a light oil in the bore. I personally do not.

Next, I tie a red bandanna through the trigger guard of the rifle. This is a signal to anyone, friends, family, especially children that the rifle is loaded and must not be tampered with. Make sure they all know what the bandanna means. I had a nephew I really trusted. He knew what the bandanna meant. Yet like all young men loves to handle his uncles rifles. Well after dinner he was outside doing something. I walked outside for other reasons and noticed him in the wood shop shouldering my loaded bandanna ties rifles. He did regret he was already in the wood shop. Believe me.

With the rifle treated, and everyone warned,I then place the rifle, muzzle end down on some cotton cloth in a corner. This is to allow any moisture that might form to run down hill, away from the powder charge. Also take some Q-tips and wipe the inside of the 209 area or around the breech and nipple of the rifles to make sure that is all nice and dry.

In the morning I use a dry patch and swab the barrel. And never use the same cap over the next day. That goes in the future range session caps.

Personally I have had misfires and it frustrated me. I am so careful, I follow all the rules of storage. But it is one of those things. The next day, when sitting on the stand, try not to think about the water that damaged the powder charge and the fact that when that monster buck does step out, the gun will not fire...

Buckhunter46755

I have also left mine loaded for a few days at a time for the same reason as you were asking. If you have a safe place to keep it where it is cool and dry, that is the best.
Like in yourvehicle or unheated garage, shed etc.
That way there's less of a chance of the powder getting damp from condensation forming.
The condensation thing can happen if you take it from one extreme temp to the other.
So far I've not had a "no-fire" or "hang-fire".

But like others said. If it's raining or extremely damp, you may want to pull the charge if possible. I realize this can be pain if you are not shooting an inline. But if the powder gets too damp, you may miss the "BIG ONE" if it goes"pop" instead of "BOOM" !!!!

Hope this helps...

chris

gleason.chapman

You can leave it sometime for a long time if it is not too wet, but it is no big deal to just take the breech plug out and push the bullet back thru the breech. The load comes out and you have a clean gun. Put some anti-seeze on the plug and your good to go. Chap Gleason

Rock Lock

I've left my guns both flint and cap loaded for a month or more with no trouble. On the flinters I use a leather stall on the frizzen having seen one go off with no prime and the cock being dropped on the frizzen and on the caps I remove the cap and place a piece of lightly oiled leather on the nipple before lowering the hammer. The flinters will have a small feather in the vent hole which will swell with humidity and shows it's loaded. Before I try to shoot either type I run a small Brasswire through the vent and pull the nipple on the cap to loosen the powder charge with the Brass wire. Note that is a Brass wire.Charges will pack down tight if left for some time. Hope this helps.
Rock Lock

bronko22000

I hunt with a flinter during PAs late season (late Dec into Jan). The weather is usually damp and cold. Rain, Snow, etc.. I usually have my lock protected with a silicon treated cloth if its raining or snowing. At the end of the day I just empty the pan and place a piece of folder paper towel between the frizzen and hammer/flint and keep it in my vehicle if I'm going out the next day to avoid condensation by taking into a warm house.
If it rains too bad or is extremely humid or foggy, I usually discharge it at the end of the day. There is nothing worse than a damp charge in a flinter. Especially when you have to remove the barrel, take out the flash hole and pour some FFFFg in, reassemble and hopefully fire it off.
No lower feeling then drawing down on a deer and getting a little puff of smoke and a Ffffffftttt. Use your own judgement. If its damp or wet, discharge your load and when you get home, swab your bore and dry it out. If its nice dry weather, keep it loaded, without an ignition source of course and block your flash hole or nipple with a cloth or paper towel to prevent an accidental firing.