Unloading Muzzleloader at the end of the day?

Bucky · Aug 23, 2002

What do MOST people do at the end of the day if they didn't shoot at a deer? Last year was my first muzzleloader hunt, and my father and myself fired our Lyman rifles at the end of each day before heading back to camp. I know leaving it loaded is the "wrong" thing to do, because moisture could set in over-night and dampen the powder, not to mention it could be dangerous. However, there were "many" other hunters on the mountain, and I "NEVER" heard them fire to unload at the end of the day. Am I missing something? In addition, do in-lines with Pyrodex Pellets need to be fired at the end of the day just like percussion caps?
Bucky

Henry · Aug 23, 2002

What I do is, first make sure the gun is safe. Then I uncap the nipple and put a piece of electrical tape over the muzzle and leave it. The trick about moisture is, try not to heat or cool your gun with un-natural conditions (ie. hot camper at night, cold outside in the morning.) My powder seems to stay dry for ever if, I just expose it to natural air temps.
Oh, also I always toss the cap at the end of the days hunt just in case I get a drip of sweat or other water on it.

bluelk · Aug 23, 2002

Bucky: I do the same thing as Henry. I uncap the weapon and leave it in my truck outside over night, and recap it in the morning. Have never had a problem. As Henry said, the problem comes in if you take the rifle into a tent or trailer and let condensation form when you come back outside.

Pyrodex is a lot more susceptable to moisture than Blackpowder or Clear Shot, but if you leave it outside you shouldn't have a problem.

sheephunter · Aug 23, 2002

I've never had a problem either leaving the charge in, although if it has been a wet day, I will usually discharge it and start fresh the next morning. Not certain if they still make it but Thompson/Center had a nifty CO2 discharger that pushed the powder and bullet out silently. It works great if you have a load that won't fire too.

bluelk · Aug 24, 2002

sheephunter: That's good advise. I saw those a lot several years back, but like you, I don't know if T/C still makes them.

By the way, a fellow in Nevada sent me a co2 device that LOADS a muzzleloader. He wants me to test it before he markets it. I am going to do a extensive test; ballistics, cleaning, etc. with 777 next week and it might be a golden opportunity to test it.

shedcrazy · Aug 25, 2002

Maybe the wrong thing to say in here but i left a charge in once for several yrs (just spaced it i guess) I went out and fired it first cap. Not saying make this a practice but it did still fire.

Personall I would want to make as little of racket in the woods im hunting as possible. I would do as fellars before me stated and leave your charge in overnight.

Shed

eyeguard · Aug 28, 2002

LAST EDITED ON Aug-28-02 AT 05:18PM (MST)[p]Good post Bucky. I've always wondered about that too.

caryo15 · Sep 1, 2002

Very good question. I shoot an inline and have been woundering if I could remove the breech plug to remove the powder and bullet through the breech at the end of the day. Would this be safe and would it be necessary?
Cary

bluelk · Sep 2, 2002

Cary: Yes, you can unscrew the breechplug and remove the powder, but it makes a mess on the treads. You don't have to do it at the end of every day. In fact, if I go hunting and am unsuccessful I leave the charge in the whole time, and then unscrew the breechplug and empty the powder before I leave to go home.

Viking_Six · Sep 3, 2002

I know I'm in the minority on this one, but I always unload at the end of the day. I'm limited to hunting about 7 days a year and I like the peace of mind a fresh load at the beginning of the day brings me.

By firing off my load at the end of the day it does a couple of things for me. One is that I'm assured that my sights haven't been bumped during the days hunt. By the same token, we hunt is some pretty rough conditions and as good as my precautions are in keeping everything dry I can never be 100% sure that my load didn't pick up some moisture during the day. This ensures that I start the day with a dry load.

Just my 2 cents.

muzzle · Sep 3, 2002

bluelk, what about first shot fouling? I have this dilema alot. I usualy leave my load in, but I have found that my first shot on a super clean barrel doesn't shoot as well as follow up shots. Would it make sense to shoot a shot before you get to your hunting area and then leave it in the rest of the time?

Horniac · Sep 3, 2002

Muzzle:

I have experienced the same thing with the first shot and that is exactly what I do. I fire a fouling shot before I get to my hunt area and then leave my charge in for the rest of the hunt. My only concern is corrosion. So far, it has not been a problem but then all my hunts have been in September/October. I know pyrodex is considered corrosive but I have a stainless steel barrel on my MK85 and have treated my barrel with bore butter and corrosion has not been an issue on the 5-7 day hunts I have been on. If I suspected that my charge was not completely dry due to rain, fog, etc. and I was not completely confident then I would discharge it at the end of the day. Hate to do that though in my hunting area! Just my thoughts and what has seemed to work for me.

bluelk · Sep 3, 2002

muzzle: The decision to have a fouled barrel on one shot boils down to one thing. When you sighted in your rifle and got your optimum hunting load did you do it with a fouled barrel, or a clean barrel? If you cleaned between every shot when you were sighting in, then load your rifle with a clean barrel on hunting day. If you sighted in AND DID NOT clean after every shot then load your rifle with a fouled barrel on hunting day.

Solve the problem?

Bucky · Sep 4, 2002

BlueElk,
What do you recommend for the end of the day? Shoot and re-load the next day? or Leave it in?
Bucky

bluelk · Sep 4, 2002

Bucky: I always leave my loads in overnight unless for some reason it got around some moisture. Make sure you leave your rifle outside in a truck, trailer, whatever so that it doesn't undergo any temperature changes.

caryo15 · Sep 29, 2002

Thanks for the info bluelk,
I will be using pellets, will this still make a mess of the breech plug threads? I would assume it would because I would think that the pellets would get broken loose into a partial loose powder form from packing it around all day.
Cary

bluelk · Sep 29, 2002

Cary: I wouldn't think that you'd have a problem.

Bucky · Oct 14, 2002

Bluelk,
Another quick question. Where I'll be hunting, it gets to near 70 degrees during the day, then it can get down to 18-20 at night. Is it still o.k. to leave the gun loaded in the truck in those conditions? Should I leave it in the case?
Bucky

bluelk · Oct 14, 2002

LAST EDITED ON Oct-14-02 AT 09:43AM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-14-02 AT 09:41?AM (MST)

Bucky: You very definitely want to leave it in your truck overnight so that it doesn't go through the temperature changes of being in your tent/camper/RV and then brought outside in the morning. Putting it in your case won't make a difference as long as the case is the same temperature as the ambient when you put the rifle in it.

Leave the cap/primer on at the end of the day, but make sure you put a fresh one on in the morning, and put a balloon over the muzzle. I like to store mine in the truck with the muzzle pointing downward so that if any moisture does accumulate it won't roll down into the powder.

elknut · Oct 23, 2002

Sorry bluelk I disagree - leaving a loaded caped MZ in the truck is asking for trouble. I'd suggest taking the cap off and deal with the moisture or using a cotton ball or cleaning patch instead.

bluelk · Oct 24, 2002

elknut: It is only a problem if someone is messing around inside your truck at night, and playing with the rifle when they shouldn't be. I have yet to have a muzzleloader go off unless some fool pulled the trigger. They don't go off just for the heck of it! In order to work, mechanical things have to have a impetus from a source in order to operate. You can't start your car or truck unless you turn it on. It won't start on it's own.

The reason I gave the advise is because the cap will keep moisture from entering the breech area through the nipple.

elknut · Oct 25, 2002

bluelk - I understand the reason for your advice. I also agree that covering the nipple will lesson your chance of moisture (usually not necessary). However, for safety sake, options are available other than a live primer.

I can't believe you're defending keeping a live loaded gun in a truck lock, or not - come on man - Hunter Safety 101.