Leaving Muzzleloader Loaded for a week?
 

I plan to go up opening weekend and if I want to leave the gun loaded for the next week, Can I do this without any problems, or should I just removed the bullet and pellets? The gun is a TC Omega with two pellet charges.

You can leave it loaded for a year if it was loaded on a clean barrel. If the bore was fouled before loading, I wouldn't leave it loaded for more that two or three days in dry weather, or one day in damp weather.

If you can keep the rifle where there will be no temperature changes it should be ok, however, if the temp changes from warm to cold or vise versa there is a good chance the barrel will sweat, making your powder wet and making a problem to unload and reload. I just saw this happen with a guy who had left a load in his percussion rifle, we were on a hunt and the day before he went out to make sure it was still on target and all he got was caps going off. He removed the nipple and he had mush in the barrel. Better to shoot it, clean it and reload the day you hunt than to take a chance.

I usually sight in, clean thoroughly and shoot a primer then load and leave it for the whole 9 day season unless I have to shoot it. It has never given me any problems.

I use BH209, leave it loaded all season, but I leave it in the truck so there is no temp fluctuation. Never had a problem.

Thanks for the tip guys. The only temp change will be from outside to inside, but then once left in the house for a week the temperature will be fairly steady.

let you gun acclimate to the out side temp run a patch down the barrel then load it and don't bring it back into the warm house or even car leave it where it will stay a consistent temperature or it will get condensation in it and the barrel will probably rust. if your not sure it's best to unload and clean it.

All it would take to have a problem is what you mentioned. I have an older percussion cap 50 caliber rifle and once I load it to go hunting the gun stays loaded in my unheated garage since MI considers it unloaded as long as the cap is removed before transport in a vehicle. I've left it loaded for a month in the garage and have had no problem with it firing. I use 95 grains of loose Triple 7. Taking yours into your heated house while it's loaded is just asking for trouble the next time you take it out.

If you take that gun from the cold outside to the warm inside it will sweat and you may just end up wet powder. What is the big deal about shooting out the load and cleaning it so you start with a fresh load? It isn't like it is strenuous work. But then if you want to take the chance, it is your call.

My loaded and unprimed ML stays in an unheated garage or cellar between hunting trips. I have never had a misfire other than once with an old TC 54 with #11 caps that I didn't run a cap through after a field cleaning on the range.