How long do you leave your muzzleloader loaded?
12-14-2011, 08:12 AM
#11
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 360
From the BH 209 site.
We always recommend that you start with a fresh powder charge every day. Although Blackhorn 209 is far less hygroscopic than any other black powder substitutes, barrel “sweating” can put moisture directly in contact with the powder and may affect powder performance. Why take the chance of missing the next mornings great shot?
We always recommend that you start with a fresh powder charge every day. Although Blackhorn 209 is far less hygroscopic than any other black powder substitutes, barrel “sweating” can put moisture directly in contact with the powder and may affect powder performance. Why take the chance of missing the next mornings great shot?
Hell yeah they do, you use more powder, therefore buying more.
12-14-2011, 08:43 AM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 1,482
I usually will load on a clean barrel (after popping a couple of primers) and leave it loaded from Day 1 of gun/muzzy season until I shoot it (now this is normally only a few days of it being loaded). I'm sure I could do it longer, but I prefer it this way. The only way I will unload and load a fresh charge is if I was hunting in the rain/snow and have reason to suspect some moisture might have got in....
12-14-2011, 09:13 AM
#14
Typical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Lake Saint Louis MO
Posts: 723
I used to fire it off after each day, but this year had the opportunity to have an extended hunt for 4 days. I was using loose powder, kept gun loaded with powder and bullet and just removed the primer at days end. Fired it on the last day and right as rain where I was aiming. Once thing to remember is if you are hunting where it is cold and come inside to a hot room ( the old guys I hunt with have a blazing fire hot as hell itself) the gun will sweat it happened to me and all I do is unprime the gun first then wipe the outside and then run a patch down until it hits the bullet and it makes sure it is dry inside, then wait a while before placing back into a gun case. All was fine and no issues with rust. I used to fire it off with pellets and I used to push them out as well. I use loose and just keep it loaded until I need to shoot, if I remember to prime it. Went click a few times with deer in front of me, luck was with me as they watched me prime and shoot, amazing.
12-14-2011, 12:44 PM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Virginia
Posts: 1,473
Mine stays loaded until I shoot an animal. At that point, it is immediately reloaded (even if I think the animal is toast). Once the animal is recovered, that load will be fired at the close of that hunting day so the gun can be cleaned. Once cleaned, it is loaded again after a few primers are fired off.
12-14-2011, 01:27 PM
#16
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: VA, USA
Posts: 3,116
Mine stays loaded until I shoot an animal. At that point, it is immediately reloaded (even if I think the animal is toast). Once the animal is recovered, that load will be fired at the close of that hunting day so the gun can be cleaned. Once cleaned, it is loaded again after a few primers are fired off.
12-14-2011, 05:34 PM
#18
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Northern Chautauqua Co. N.Y.
Posts: 2,976
I Hunt in some Extreme Cold, USUALLY during our Late MLing Season and sometimes during our Gun Season, but I also ONLY use a MLer through our Rifle/Gun Season.
I think it mostly boils down to what Kind of a Barrel your MLer has (Stainless or Blued Steel) and also what you treat your Barrel with. I have a stainless Steel Barrel and I use Montana Extreme Bore Conditioner in it. The No1 Thing I do to prevent Moisture getting into the Barrel is I cut a Piece of Masking Tape about the size of a Quarter and seal the end of the Muzzle with it after I Load. This Does'nt come off in Rain or Snow and works Great.
Now If I have a Load on a Clean Barrel and Hunt in the COLD (0-10 Degreese) I dont Worry. I Come to My Truck from the Cold and get Heated up with the Trucks Heater drive Home and put My MLer away for the Night. Then go back into the Cold and Heat again and again with it and it still Fires Fine, no Mositure....I also do this in the Rain and Heavy Wet Snow, it still Fires Fine. My MLer will go from Cold to Hot to Rain to Snow and work just fine. And I have been in the Pouring Rain with it for Hours, no Problem.
I think Most of the Problem everyone has with Moisture is there Not Covering the End of there Barrel with something, weather it be Tape a Finger Cot or whatever. Now to having a Barrel that has been Shot, and I use Pyrodox and that's the Worst. I have gone Hunting with a Fouled/Shot Barrel for over a week or longer, and Yes I still cover the end of the Barrel with masking Tape after I shot it. I dont have any Problems with Rust or Corrosion. I clean it and it comes out as New as could be. I give most of the Credit to this from the Stainless Steel Barrel, the rest to the Montana Extreme BC and My Masking Tape.
I did get a little Worried this past week as our Hunting Season has been Nothing but Rain and Warm Weather, I figured I'd better check out My MLer's Barrel, I took it apart. I removed the Masking Tape off the end of the Barrel, took out the Breech Plug, Pushed out the Load and what did I find after Hunting with it for 3 Straight Days in the Pouring Rain, A Clean, Dry Spotless Barrel. The more and more I think about it I give al the Credit to that little Piece of Masking Tape at the end of the Barrel.
Now I do the same with My Blued/Steel Barrels and I get the same Results, but the Outside of the Blued Barrels do Rust, but I just wipe off the Rust with some Birchwood Casey Barricade and Im back in action.
Befor I used the Masking Tape on the end of the Muzzle, the Inside of My barrels would be full or Moisture, Rain and Snow, and in the Blued Steel barrels there'd be Rust, the Stainless Barrels would have a slight amount of Rust to, but the outsides would be fine.
It all Boils down to Knowing Your MLer and it's Barrel, Taking the right steps to Prevent Moisture and Rust and Just Hunt and quit Worrying! If I Hunted with My Stainless Barrel in the Pouring Rain with the Muzzle Uncovered with something I'd be Worried too and Clean it as soon as I got Home, I'd also be Worried if it would even Fire..........I LOVE My Masking Tape, something so Little and So Cheap can do Wonders.
(BP)
I think it mostly boils down to what Kind of a Barrel your MLer has (Stainless or Blued Steel) and also what you treat your Barrel with. I have a stainless Steel Barrel and I use Montana Extreme Bore Conditioner in it. The No1 Thing I do to prevent Moisture getting into the Barrel is I cut a Piece of Masking Tape about the size of a Quarter and seal the end of the Muzzle with it after I Load. This Does'nt come off in Rain or Snow and works Great.
Now If I have a Load on a Clean Barrel and Hunt in the COLD (0-10 Degreese) I dont Worry. I Come to My Truck from the Cold and get Heated up with the Trucks Heater drive Home and put My MLer away for the Night. Then go back into the Cold and Heat again and again with it and it still Fires Fine, no Mositure....I also do this in the Rain and Heavy Wet Snow, it still Fires Fine. My MLer will go from Cold to Hot to Rain to Snow and work just fine. And I have been in the Pouring Rain with it for Hours, no Problem.
I think Most of the Problem everyone has with Moisture is there Not Covering the End of there Barrel with something, weather it be Tape a Finger Cot or whatever. Now to having a Barrel that has been Shot, and I use Pyrodox and that's the Worst. I have gone Hunting with a Fouled/Shot Barrel for over a week or longer, and Yes I still cover the end of the Barrel with masking Tape after I shot it. I dont have any Problems with Rust or Corrosion. I clean it and it comes out as New as could be. I give most of the Credit to this from the Stainless Steel Barrel, the rest to the Montana Extreme BC and My Masking Tape.
I did get a little Worried this past week as our Hunting Season has been Nothing but Rain and Warm Weather, I figured I'd better check out My MLer's Barrel, I took it apart. I removed the Masking Tape off the end of the Barrel, took out the Breech Plug, Pushed out the Load and what did I find after Hunting with it for 3 Straight Days in the Pouring Rain, A Clean, Dry Spotless Barrel. The more and more I think about it I give al the Credit to that little Piece of Masking Tape at the end of the Barrel.
Now I do the same with My Blued/Steel Barrels and I get the same Results, but the Outside of the Blued Barrels do Rust, but I just wipe off the Rust with some Birchwood Casey Barricade and Im back in action.
Befor I used the Masking Tape on the end of the Muzzle, the Inside of My barrels would be full or Moisture, Rain and Snow, and in the Blued Steel barrels there'd be Rust, the Stainless Barrels would have a slight amount of Rust to, but the outsides would be fine.
It all Boils down to Knowing Your MLer and it's Barrel, Taking the right steps to Prevent Moisture and Rust and Just Hunt and quit Worrying! If I Hunted with My Stainless Barrel in the Pouring Rain with the Muzzle Uncovered with something I'd be Worried too and Clean it as soon as I got Home, I'd also be Worried if it would even Fire..........I LOVE My Masking Tape, something so Little and So Cheap can do Wonders.
(BP)
12-14-2011, 06:43 PM
#19
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,585
If it has not been fired I do not worry about it. My Endeavor was loaded in the middle of Oct after it was cleaned when I got a deer. It was just shot last Friday because I decided to have a practice session getting ready for the 3 day Dec. season. It was loaded with Blackhorn. I always clean when I shoot them but don't worry much about it other wise it had a thumb cot over the barrel and had been out in two rains.
12-14-2011, 06:44 PM
#20
Spike
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 10
I use these plumbing washers as nipple protecters and load indicaters, black for unloaded and orange for loaded. As for how long to leave a load in depends on the weather and the type powder. For dry weathe and black powder from year to year works. For RS or 777 or if I were out in the rain I will empty at the end of the day.
Last edited by AZyogi; 12-14-2011 at 07:06 PM.