Speaking of Safety
10-21-2016, 09:37 AM
#21
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Virginia / West Virginia
Posts: 4,906
I did it ONE time in an MK85 and honestly, I will never do it again unless I have no choice. Total pain in the butt.... certainly not 60seconds, and I ended up having to do a little cleanup afterwards anyhow due to powder getting into the bp threads. Packed tight powder doesn't come out as easy as one would think. And I was using a hollow point bullet that I pulled easily to make the job easier. I can imagine it being much tougher with a SST type bullet.
I could see it being much easier if you used pellets and a break open. Then, yes...it would probably be 60 seconds. As it is, I'll stick to leaving my rifles loaded. Been doing it for 20+yrs with no issues.
I don't see a downside to leaving it loaded, or an upside to unloading really. If it makes not difference, and can be stored safely...why unload. To each their own, obviously.
I could see it being much easier if you used pellets and a break open. Then, yes...it would probably be 60 seconds. As it is, I'll stick to leaving my rifles loaded. Been doing it for 20+yrs with no issues.
I don't see a downside to leaving it loaded, or an upside to unloading really. If it makes not difference, and can be stored safely...why unload. To each their own, obviously.
10-21-2016, 10:02 AM
#22
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Illinois
Posts: 3,695
For one, temperature variances and condensation over a longer period of time can and will cause powder degradation. Even if just a small part of the powder gets degraded it will cause POI shift. And yes I know keeping your rifles outside or in the garage or whatever will keep the temp variance at a minimum but most people nowadays cant really do that because of all the damn thieves out there in today's world.
I sight my rifles up for hunting on a cold clean barrel with a couple primers popped in the morning. They both seem to like that. While I do like to see how my MLers group, it's that 1rst shot that counts the most. I did a test a while back, shot, cleaned just like I do after finishing, pop a couple caps, load shoot, repeat. Found that all important first shot group was pretty dang sporty. I think this winter I'm going to try to overcome my OCD cleaning rituals for a test using BH209. It will take a few weeks but what I will do is shoot, clean like I do after finishing a shoot, pop a couple caps, reload and let it sit for 3 days, then shoot again and see if there is any shift in POI. I'll do this 4 or 5 times to see if there are any real variances in POI. I'll also do it with the Hawken using Swiss 2F for a comparison. Both, rifles with their favorite pet loads, group well under an inch at 100 in 5 shot groups so they are both normally deadly accurate.
I sight my rifles up for hunting on a cold clean barrel with a couple primers popped in the morning. They both seem to like that. While I do like to see how my MLers group, it's that 1rst shot that counts the most. I did a test a while back, shot, cleaned just like I do after finishing, pop a couple caps, load shoot, repeat. Found that all important first shot group was pretty dang sporty. I think this winter I'm going to try to overcome my OCD cleaning rituals for a test using BH209. It will take a few weeks but what I will do is shoot, clean like I do after finishing a shoot, pop a couple caps, reload and let it sit for 3 days, then shoot again and see if there is any shift in POI. I'll do this 4 or 5 times to see if there are any real variances in POI. I'll also do it with the Hawken using Swiss 2F for a comparison. Both, rifles with their favorite pet loads, group well under an inch at 100 in 5 shot groups so they are both normally deadly accurate.
10-21-2016, 12:34 PM
#23
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Colorado
Posts: 9,557
Muley, you really are a cantankerous old goat. But we love you anyway. 
