Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

I am pretty new at muzzleloading, so have some questions that may seem simple to many of you. This one deals with unloading after each hunt. By this, I mean taking the 209 primer out and simply repriming with a new primer after an unsuccessful hunt.
I am not talking long times between hunts, but rather a single day or night. What I have been doing is loading two pellets of 777 under a 295 grn powerbelt. Priming with a 209 on the way to the stand. At the end of a mornings hunt, depriming and leaving the rifle as is until the evening hunt and simply reprime (with a new primer). If the first hunt of that load was an evening hunt, doing the same thing over night. After two hunts, remove the breechplug and unload (or shoot the load). I haven't extended the process past this limit of about 24 hours and wouldn't try it at all when the weather was wet etc.
Am I messing up, should I unload and reload after each hunt? Or perhaps should I or could I go longer?
Thanks
Hank

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

Sounds like you're ok with that. It would depend on the weather. In wet or rainy weather, you'd want to empty it after each hunt. Why take the chance on wet powder messing up an opportunity. I followed that advice and had no problems.

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

Not me! I shoot mine after every hunt! You never know when something could go wrong (accident, illness, or worse yet death) and you have a loaded weapon in your house that no one else knows has powder and ball in it! Besides, I just like burning powder and enjoy shooting my front stuffers every time I take them out!;)

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

I keep mine loaded the entire season unless I shoot at something. Then I throughly clean it before reloading.I have a Knight Disc with the Extreme Bolt.I didn't do it last season but I learned. My pellets got saturated in the rain after I unprimed it.As soon as I took the disc out I put it in my rifle case on the 4 wheeler.The dampness was enough to saturated my pellets.Plus the rain that had gotten in the where the bolt rides. From now on I'm going to use another disc with a fired primer in it to seal it when I deprime it.I never had a problem with my Traditional muzzleloaders. I remove the #11 cap and put a folded paper towel over the nipple and lightly let the hammer down on it.
Ruger Redhawk

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

I have left my inline loaded minus the cap for up to 5 days with no problems, but up here we don't have rain only a possible snow storm. After 2-3 days unfired, I lube the barrel with gun oil. As far as firing it off after each days hunt, I don't enjoy cleaning it that much.lol. Just remove the breech plug + push bullet, sabot,powder out the back.

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

we have a 9 day B/P season,so if I don't shoot mine or unload it untill I shoot at something or the end of the season.
most of the time (every year since I go it , I have taken at least one deer).so It get unloaded durning that 9 days and cleaned.
if not I clean it when I am finished with the hunt,be it 1 day or 9 days.

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

Only wet weather, excessive dust, extreme cold or after shooting mine do I worry about cleaning it during hunting season. I have hunting pals that don't worry unless it is really wet and leave it loaded all season (which is a month here!) with no problems. Same token I have one pal who shoots his after each hunt, cleans & then reloads. Really personal preference.

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

Like they said, it depends on the weather. If its wet out, I unload and clean. Same w/ really high humidity. Other than that, I'll leave it loaded since I hunt all the time.

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

I load it the day before opening day and if it is not raining it will stay loaded untill I get a shot at deer.But if I sit in the rain I clean it that night and put in a fresh load.If I am hunting out of my camper I leave it in the truck at night.I put a piece of tape over the muzzle to keep out anything.The only time I have had one to not fire is with a side lock and been sitting in a downpoor all day tried it when I got back to camp and it wouldn't fire.

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

best thing I ever did was switch to a breech action ML. No worries about unloading. Can shoot it if you want to unload, but I just simply open action, unscrew nipple and push bullet and pellets out. Simple, quick, & easy. Love the breech action. (now I just need to get it to shoot some groups!!!)

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

well i keep mine loaded the hole season unless rain gets in the barrel. and u can keep using the same primer just be sure to take it out when in ur car or at the house

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

everyone mentioned the rain a lot but don't forget the cold. If it is really cold, your barrel will sweat when you bring it back in the house, this will cause dampness in your powder and may prevent it from firing. So don't forget the cold.

RE: Unload Inline after each hunt?
 

There are always differences in opinion on this topic. Personally I unload the rifle every night, clean it and start with a fresh load. I just feel better sitting out in the stand knowing that the rifle is clean and has a new charge in it.

There are friends of mine that are opposite. They will load the rifle and keep it out in the wood shed or garage the entire season. They claim they have never had a problem doing this, although one friend of mine missed a real nice deer because of a misfire. He said he did not blame the storing overnight in the shed as the cause. Although after he got it fired off, he never left them over night.

I like to shoot mine off for a couple of reasons. First it gives me a chance to learn more about the rifle and how it behaves. I know which rifles are moisture sensative. I also know which ones will weather proof well and what I have to do to make them that way. The biggest is the fact I am more comfortable with the rifle knowing it is fresh.

If you are going to store it over a few day period, never fowl the barrel before you load it. Also if it is fired it has to be cleaned. Black Powder is nasty stuff. Pyrodex is the worst. After you have it loaded it must stay in temps the same as what you hunt in. That means no back rooms, or places where it will pick up moisture. Take the cap off at the end of the day and be sure to store the rifle muzzle end down. That way if any moisture does form in the barrel it will not go backward onto the charge, but instead work its way out of the rifle down the muzzle....