New to BP hunting, if you are going on a week long hunt, do you discharge your gun daily and clean it or keep it loaded all week and just take off the cap? I have a in-line.

I clean out or do not clean out the load depending on the hunting conditions I am hunting in. But I never go more than two days at a time without cleaning the rifle. And normally I will clean every day. With an inline it is easy. Just take out the breechplug and clean the rifle without shooting it.

The more moisture or humidity-the more often you need to clean. Moisture is the enemy here. I normally put my rifle in the back of the truck a day or two before the opener. Then I load my rifle under the hunting conditions, and I leave my rifle outside all the time. I never put my rifle in the hot cab of the truck, or the house. If you do that then you will get moisture with the change in temperature. Tom.

I use blackhorn 209, do a fouling shot before I load for a hunt, then normally don't discharge it or clean it until I shoot at game. I also leave it outside in a truck, garage, tent, etc, so it doesn't change temp rapidly and get condensation on it. If I am hunting in wet conditions, I usually clean it about every 2nd or 3rd day. Last year in Colorado, we packed in and hunted for 4 days in mist and rain. After 4 days, we changed locations and discharged our guns and reloaded. No problem with the guns firing (Omega and a Knight LRH). I would probably be more careful if I were shooting an open breech rifle. We use muzzle mitts over the muzzle to keep the rain out.

I was always more concerned with actually cleaning the rifle often when I used the other powders. But with BH 209 I simply run a couple of dry patches down the barrel and reload. BH 209 CAN attract mositure just as any powder can, but it is not corrosive in itself, so I have gone as much as 7-10 days with the rifle loaded/fired, etc without a thorough cleaning.

i would rather fire off or use a co2 air tool. if you push the load through the back the threads get all dirty from the loose powder and the breech plug grease sticks to the grains. i hate cleaning threads. also ive been warned that taking a breach plug out can cause a spark i guess because its metal to metal contact. id care to say if you keep the gun during your hunt dry and your not dealing with extreme temperature swings i would leave it loaded all week.

I often leave mine loaded until a buck comes by. If you use a muzzle sealer like muzzle mitts or thumb cots it closes off the muzzle and I made a rubber copy of a 209 to seal the breach when not hunting, I shot the best buck I ever got in a downpour with a carefully sealed up Hawken and a round ball. with a good gun careful preparation the weather or time as long as its reasonable does not seem to be a difficulty to me.
The only thing I would add to that is that if I was using a hygroscopic powder [attracts moisture] like APP made powders or 777 I would be a lot more concerned.

My two cents... your on a week long hunt, so this is not your run of the mill hunt. You have an inline so you can pull the breech plug and push the load out every day with little effort. If it were me, I would push the load out at the end of the day, then dry patch the bore of the rifle, and load new powder and projectile the next day. Take a good quality range rod with you to make all of this easier. Why risk a special hunt and the maybe shot of a life time because you did not want to unload a rifle.

i leave mine loaded until i fire it at game or at the end of the hunting season. Normally if i get caught in rain, i'll go ahead and shoot the rifle off and clean it good and reload it.

During a week long hunt I will load up and as long as its dry I dont unload but will stick a spent cap or a piece of foam across nipple to keep load dry. If its wet outside I will unload each day and do a quick cleaning so my gun doesnt rust or stink too bad.

Buy one of these brushes.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=221408

Best thing I ever used to clean breach area. And it needs cleaned anyway. I just hold the rifle at 90 degrees if their is a scope and upside down if their is no scope. It takes no more than a few seconds and you get a clean chamber and breach threads. Tom.

As long as the conditions are dry, I will shoot the load at about the halfway point.

This year my dad and I will be on a 12 day hunt (including travel days) for deer and elk, so I am hoping that we will have plenty of opportunities to "unload."

Later,

Marcial