Whats the longest time you let Black Horn sit inside your bore of your muzzleloader?

The reason I ask, is that this is our shotgun week here in Ohio and I loaded the gun on Sunday night. Because I did not shoot the muzzy Monday, nor today, would that be to long before firing and cleaning?

When I loaded it Sunday I used a patch to make sure no excess oil was in the bore. Then I loaded the powder with xtp. Then I ran a patch of oil down to the sabot.

The reason I did not fire it today is because it was poring rain all day and I did not take the muzzy out in it.

I also made sure no moisture got in the barrel on day one.


D

Well, my personal experience is... Sunday before a Monday start to our gun hunt, I dry patched the barrel to remove excess oil, fired three fouling rounds, allowed the barrel to cool, loaded my hunting load and stuck a balloon over the muzzle to keep out moisture. Good to go. Tuesday morning shot a deer, reloaded, again stuck a balloon over the muzzle. Hunted until Sunday (rained most of the day), Monday inspected the barrel. No noticeable rust. EDIT: I didn't fire it off... pulled the breech plug, dumped the load and cleaned it. Looked the same as the day I first loaded it. So after more than a week with a fouled barrel, no issues.

I normally leave it loaded until I shoot it for our two week Muzzle loader season or even the 3 week modern gun season.

Doug100g

I have left BH loaded in a rifle for over 2 months. Granted that was unfired. Just a primer popped and then loaded. The barrel looked just like the day I loaded it after 2 months.

If I shoot it, I like to clean it within a few days. I have no fear that it's going to destroy the barrel if it isn't cleaned, but I really don't like my guns being dirty. I will say, last year I left one about 10 days after being shot. Cleaned up just like I had shot it that morning.

Hope this helps.

i load a few ML a day or two before season and they stay that way all season(5 weeks)unless i'm lucky enough to shoot.if the weather is real bad i'll use an allready fired primer in the breech to keep the charge sealed in the backup guns.on the last day i'll shoot-em all off at a target and again verify there first shot POI on a clean barrel.works for me.......karl

Thanks for all the info guys. But here is a question. I did not fire a primer to foul the bore before loading it. I just made sure to run a patch to remove excess oil and then loaded the gun. Then I ran an oil patch up to the sabot.

Should I have fired a primer first (using Black Horn 209) and then loaded?



D

It's not "required" by any means. Most just prefer to do it so that it blows out any oil buildup and clears out the BP flash hole.

I have great confidence that mine will go off whether I do it or not, but somewhere in the back of my mind there is always that 'what if' question if I don't.

Hope this helps

I never fire a cap before loading. I swab the clean bore with a fairly wet alcohol patch, pumping vigorously so "mist" blows out of the flash channel. Then I swab with a dry patch, also vigorously. Then I load and follow the load with a very light oil patch to the top of the bullet. I'll let the gun stay loaded like that for months.

Ok, I got ya now. I never pre-fired a cap before loading 777 and I guess it is not dogmatic that I do it with BH 209.

I do make sure that my breech plug is very clean and lightly lubed, and that any extra moisture or solvent is removed before loading.

But like some of you say...you just never know....lol



D