Kerrdog

What is the general consensus about how long you can store your charged muzzleloader before you should discharge and reload it? My neighbor says that if you didn't shoot, you should not go longer than 2 days! Seems a waste to me...

I'm shooting a CVA inline .50
Using Hodgdon's 777
Loaded with a Hornady Sabot

Thanks

Breechplug

You'll get a-lot of Different answers on this one. It depends on a-lot of things. Do you load your ML on a Clean or Fouled Barrel for Hunting? If Fouled I'd go about 3 Days befor Cleaning it. On a Clean Barrel and having the end of the Muzzle Covered with Tape or whatever you use, then it could go for a-long time. I've left mine loaded from the End of the Hunting Season (Mid Dec) untill the next Fall (Nov) and it fired with no Problems, that was loaded on a Clean (Lightly Oiled and Dry Patched) Barrel.
Now that I use a Fouled Barrel for Hunting I go about 3 Days unless I get a Shot. Even through Snow, Rain, Heat and Cold as long as I have the end of My Barrel Covered with Tape I have no Problems with it Firing after a Few Days of being Loaded. But even Hunting with a Fouled Barrel I still will run a Lightly Oiled Patch down it to keep it Corrosion Free, then re-tape the end.
So it all depends on weather or not your ML is Loaded on a Clean or Fouled Barrel, but if you take the right percautions and keep and eye on it and keep the Barrel Dry and Lightly Oiled if necessary there's no telling how long you could go.
(BP)

ADVWannabee

I load mine the first day of season which is the first weekend in Nov. and don't unload it until I shoot a deer or the season ends on the first weekend in Jan. I do this on a clean gun. I run a dry patch to get rid of the excess bore butter and load up. My gun fires like the day I loaded it.

I do use pellets instead of loose powder though, not sure if that makes a difference.

cayugad

There are a lot of people with a lot of opinions on this. I personally unload mine every evening, clean it, and load it fresh the next day. Is that a waste of ammo and powder? Depends on what you call waste. Do I want to take a chance on say a deer of a life time with a rifle load I have no confidence in, because I wanted to save a dollar.. not me.

Cleaning mine every night, I know my rifle is not rusting. I know my rifle will go off the next day. I know that my rifle will shoot the same each day. I know the weather did not effect the load for the next day. The peace of mind is to me... worth the trouble of cleaning them at night and the cost of a new projectile. With inlines you can at least save the projectile.

Besides, you fire out one shot.. and they are not all that hard to clean.

Colorado Cajun

I have never gone longer then 3 weeks without cleaning. My season is one week so that is the longest I have left it loaded. If I'm hunting in wet weather, I'll shoot it off and reload if I feel my load may have gotten damp.

jhamilt

I will leave mine loaded for the duration of the hunting season as long as it stays dry and has not been fired. I just run a lube patch down the barrel after loading to help prevent rusting. As long as the powder stays dry i have no worries about it going off.

steve25

I just got my muzzleloader out today it has been loaded since Dec of last year. When I shot it was dead on.

I always do a clean load no fouling on my Winchester Apex and it has always hit where I aim. I can get alot of shots out of it without even running a dry patch down it since I got rid of the sabots with plastic and the plastic skirted powerbelts. I currently shoot Hornady FPB 350gr with 90gr of 777. The bullets don't have any plastic on them and you don't have to deal with the plastic residue. They are copper plated and they are the best grouping bullet I have ever tried in the Apex and also in my sons Remington.

With that bullet in the Apex if I go over 110gr 777 the groups really get big. I can go all the way down to 80gr of 777 and shoot really good groups but if I take 5 more grs out it get wild again. So really I shot just 90gr of 777 because of the reduced recoil campared to the 110gr load and my accuracy out to 150 yrds is only about 3" lower than my 50yrd shot, I also use my drop compensater scope if they are 150yrds or farther, best scope I have ever shot.

Kerrdog

Thanks, Guys. That's a lot of good info. This load is on a barrel fouled from one shot. It has been in for a couple of weeks. I have never had any problems in the past, but then we are shooting ML! I had not thought about running an oiled patch down the barrel. However, it has not been in any damp weather, and I have stored it indoors. Our ML season ended this evening. I will unload it tomorrow. I appreciate the input.

Breechplug

2 Weeks is Pushing it on a Barrel that has been shot and not having run a oiled patch down it, I'd get it cleaned right away tomorrow. In the future as you become more and more accustomed to your ML you'll find out what and what not to do.
It's all a learning process and your Young and have a Lifetime of learning ahead of you.
Best of Luck!
(BP)

Kerrdog

LO!! Thanks, Breechplug! Hate to say it but I turned 50 last Wednesday. I have "fooled around" with ML for the last 10 years without ever getting into it in a serious manner... perhaps because I haven't had a learning resource until finding you guys on this forum. Maybe that will change. I do promise to take better care of my ML in the future. I just didn't know!

Am I protecting against rust? Is that why an oiled patch down the barrel is recommended?

Will rust affect the flight of the bullet/sabot?

Thanks