Muzzle loader, Question?

I've left them in a few days. Just take out the primer so you're safe.

If you have been out hunting in the cold, I would empty the gun. Once you bring the gun in, it will "sweat" and the condensation can get into the powder and deaden the shot or just sit there and rust from being previously fired.

I use an air blaster and empty it when I get back to the cabin from hunting. Yes, you lose a cap, bullet and powder and it does cost a bit but we have a rule about loaded guns in camp and I just don't want to deal with rust or a dead round when I really want that big buck.

If there hasn't been a big temperature difference, you can get by with it and some antiques have been found loaded after 200 years and the powder still ignited. However, if it is more than a day or so, I'd empty it since I would likely forget until next season if I didn't.

I've had a traditions muzzle loader for a few years now, i use the pyrodex black powder pellets and the longest i left them in there with the bullet was a week (stored in a dry place). A day or two i have never had any problems from, but i left it in there a full week and took it hunting and shot at a large doe and all that went off was the primer, i took out my breech plug that night and the powder had corroded and clogged my nipple. Mine is a bolt action and it only takes a few minutes to take it apart and push the pellets and bullet out of it, hopefully you get something out of this.

I leave the charge and bullet in until I shoot in the woods or the end of hunting season, I do not store it "loaded" during the off season.

I leave the gun in my truck or the garage when I am not hunting, this prevents any chance of barrel condensation by taking it in a warm house, then again I have friends that take theirs in and have never had a problem. Its just goes back to personal preferance.

Leave it loaded. One word of advice, if you store your gun inside, put it muzzle-down. If there is any moisture in the barrel, it will not foul your powder. I only shoot my mzzle loader while hunting or at the end of the season to clear the bore and have never had a problem.

I was wondering the same thing. I think as long as the primer is out and the gun is in a dry place you could leave it in for a season and not have a lot of troubles.

You can leave it loaded as long as you remove the primer and replace it with a small piece of leather to seal the nipple to keep moisture from getting in to the powder.

Leave it there. It's good for days/weeks/months in most cases. Hell, I've left guns loaded literally for years. They all go boom when asked to.

Addendum Paul: Yeah, I tend to think different from most folks. That's called "experience" and not "I think I'm an instant expert because I read about it five minutes on wikipedia".

Flintlocks and caplocks have been used for literally hundreds of years. In all those hundreds of years, you'll not find ONE person who ever had to rely on his weapon who unloaded it religiously every night. The people who *used* them all their lives knew what worked and what didn't. What was right and what was wrong. Which one do you think I'll trust for info....someone who used one all their lives, or some amateur who bought his first blackpowder rifle last month at the pawnshop and who now thinks of himself as an expert?

I make my own lube from bear grease, bacon drippings, the pork chops I fried last week etc and a bit of beeswax. I use Lee REAL bullets and good old Pyrodex. I clean my weapon whenever it happens to be empty and I'm at home. I don't do it when I'm in the field, when I'm in the cabin, or when I'm on the range....and I have NEVER emptied a gun to clean it. Funny thing is, I have also never had a gun rust on me nor do I suffer from misfires.

All you have to do is listen to 95% of these folks and you'll quickly realize that the majority of them shouldn't be listened to.

Black powder is pretty hygroscopic. Overnight once is fine, but don't push your luck. If you're using one of the substitutes, they tend to be a bit more forgiving.

Best to store it empty. Just find a safe place to shoot the round and you'll be set.