What to do after the days hunt?

A

alancac98

New member
If you have been hunting all day and haven't taken a shot, what do you do to take the gun home - do you shoot the ball or do you pull it?
 
My .58 ca. Hawken is sitting in a corner loaded and has been for weeks. I just haul it home and wait for the next outing. Deer season ends here this weekend, so I'll probably fire it off and clean it up. Leaving a clean muzzleloader loaded for some time doesn't hurt anything.
 
Really?

I am a bit surprised that people are recommending you leave the rifle loaded. I would personally just pull the ball and rinse the powder down the sink, and get rid of the old cap or pan powder.
 
Our m/l season in Ohio is always in Jan.

It's usually cold and stays that way the duration of the HUGE four day season. :(. When I come in at the end of the day, the rifle is uncapped, charge left in it and it goes in the garage. My possibles bag with loaded speed loaders stay there as well.
It doesn't come back in the warm house till season end. Don't want it sweating anymore than possible.
 
I am a bit surprised that people are recommending you leave the rifle loaded.
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Why? Unloading a muzzleloader is a recent phenomenon. Leaving them charged and ready to go is the way it's been done since they were invented.

Same as before, unloaded guns are but clubs and they are the ones that go off accidently all the time.

If you loaded your rifle without spit or with relatively dry lubricant, which will not foul the powder charge, it can be left loaded for hundreds of years. Great great grandson Alan can cap it or prime the pan and shoot it long after you've gone on to your reward. Such of course assumes you used real black powder!
 
Wow, for some reason I was under the impression that the powder could draw moisture and be corrupted. Interesting!

I might have to leave my Hawken rifle loaded when I get one. Maybe keep a tin of caps on the nightstand if you know what I mean!

Imagine the police report! :eek: :D
 
I leave my revolver loaded between range sessions. The only thing which sometimes goes bad are the caps, oil tends to just eat them away. Powder is always fine (use hard grease so it won't melt). If you insure there is no oil residue near the nipples, could load it, seal the caps and leave it loaded and ready to go for years and decades.
 
Unless there's been inclement weather, I dump my pan or remove the cap at the end of the day, and put my rifle back up on the wall hangers, Pa Ingalls style.
I'll leave it charged for the entire season (only two weeks of MZ deer here), then pull the ball at the end of the season.
 
Yes Sir !!

Pull the cap or dump the pan and leave it until next time.
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Good response to your question and hopefully, you will fill your tag and then have a reason clean your rifle. .... ;)

I am a bit surprised that people are recommending you leave the rifle loaded.
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I do understand what folks mean by "Loaded". Perhaps charged might be a better word. I Iowa, as long as you do not have the rifle primed or capped,, it's "legally" unloaded and can be transported ands stored. ...... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Mine stay loaded most of the year.
I shoot flinters only but go two steps further after blowing out the pan.

I wrap the muzzle with a piece of patch lube soaked
cloth and tie it over the muzzle to keep the occasional bug out.

I also leave a spare lube soaked leather frizzen cover (flinter safety) in place.
Figure it can't hurt, even though none of my guns self prime.

JT
 
Ned Roberts in The Muzzle Loading Cap Lock Rifle has some things to say about it.
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After reading this comment, I decided to order this book off Amazon. I have been looking for a good book on the subject and all the reviews were good, and the price was not bad.
 
I load my hunting rifles a little differently than when target shooting, as they might be loaded for some time. I lube with bore butter instead of my normal wet lube, and put a card wad over the powder before seating the patch and ball. I think this keeps the lube from migrating down into the powder and the patch will stay lubed and not dry out.
Might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it seems to work for me.
 
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