Leaving Muzzleloaders Loaded or Not

[roundball]

Do you leave your muzzleloader(s) loaded?

 

[kopfjaeger]

Dang the story of my life 14%, :rotf: :rotf:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Have one loaded in the barn right now to head out with in the AM.

Refresh the prime twice a day.

 

[azmntman]

I once left a "buffalo" revolver loaded for about a year and when I fired it it when "poof fizzz pow" (kinda) and shot the load out about 15 feet. Likely the lube seeped into the powder. Now I unload as needed, but in a hunting situation I fire the gun at the end of the day, reload and fire again in the AM (away from my hunting area) and then reload as I believe a recently fired gun will rarly misfire. Has worked for me? As for the revolver issue I now never leave it loaded, have a unspeakable self defense weapon that has not been fired in like 10 years.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Have one loaded in the barn right now to head out with in the AM.
Refresh the prime twice a day.

Thee and me too! I usually clear the gun at the end of the day and leave it unloaded at home. No fear of the gun...but grandkids can unravel a cannon ball if you just leave them to it for a few minutes!

Also use the load the night before and leave it in a closed place to allow it to adjust to outside temp routine too. In the past I have left a muzzleloader loaded over some different periods with no problems or ill effects. Do what you're comfortable with folks...there's probably no right way for anyone but you! :thumbsup: :haha:

 

[George T.]

However I have changed now that I have CO2 un loader. I often left my flint lock loaded and picked the vent and recharged in the stand,

Geo. T.

 

[azmntman]

I have had too many misfires to leave loaded in a hunting situation. First time I was 17 and missed a dandy 6pt bull elk at 60 yds as I left the gun loaded all night in the tent (not wanting to snap a cap). As sated now I fire a round with a light load off then load for the day every morning!

 

[will5a1]

A week ago today I shot a doe with a rifle left loaded since Ohio's early deer season in October, worked fine. I did but a freah cap on it at the start of the regular deer season, maybe two weeks ago, and leave it in the garage. This has been my practice for years and has always worked for me with different rifles.

 

[will5a1]

A week ago today I shot a doe with a rifle left loaded since Ohio's early deer season in October, worked fine. I did put a freah cap on it at the start of the regular deer season, maybe two weeks ago, and leave it in the garage. This has been my practice for years and has always worked for me with different rifles.

 

[roundball]

Since a number of posts are being directed to me, I'll clarify the thread just as a matter of FYI:

1) I actually put the poll up at the suggestion of another member;
2) I always unload and reload fresh for the next hunt for higher odds of reliability;
3) I never left loaded centerfires around and I don't routinely leave loaded muzzleloaders around;
4) I don't care what anyone else does with their muzzleloaders;
5) I have no interest in getting anyone to adopt my practices;

The poll is simply a data collection effort on a topic being discussed.

 

[chuck-ia]

That other member might be me? Thanks for posting this, I sure didn't know how to do it. I am guessing it will be about 50, 50. flinch

 

[Kentuckywindage]

Other: Unload after I see what I am after :rotf:

Otherwise, it stays loaded until season ends or something else happens.

 

[10_point]

I have had too many misfires to leave loaded in a hunting situation. First time I was 17 and missed a dandy 6pt bull elk at 60 yds as I left the gun loaded all night in the tent (not wanting to snap a cap). As sated now I fire a round with a light load off then load for the day every morning!

I know that feeling , i was out hunting last night and had a nice doe about 40 yards eating bait, and i shot and had the cap go off, and she stood there so i recapped it and tried again, wouldnt you guess' it went snap again, this time it was strange cause the deer start walking towards me and stared , but i was in my blind and she couldnt figure it out, so i watched her and she turned around and went back eating so i put another cap on and tried again, same thing just a snap of the cap. this time she just got out of there.

So i took the nipple pick and stuck it in the nipple to see if it would clear it and tryed to get it to go off, it still did not go . so i said heck with it and pulled the maxiball and cleaned it again .

Went out this morning and hunted for a couple hours and decided to head home, so i shot it again, but just the cap went again and i had to pull that one to.

Upon cleaning it every thing looks fine. i think i will try a hot shot nipple, i was using remington caps and never had a problem prior to this.

 

[longcruise]

Would like to see a list of what the "other" do!

My .54 is loaded right now and has been since Oct 14th. Not my preference, but had no place to shoot it where I was at sundown and no puller to boot. It will go with me on my next range trip and be shot. Have done this many times and it always goes off.

 

[okawbow]

I have killed a deer with a 3 year old load in my 54 flintlock. I've killed several turkeys with 1 year old loads. These are loads in clean, dry, oil free barrels, with bore butter on the patch or wad. When loaded as described, I have never had a misfire or slowfire. I think gun oil causes most hunting misfires. Once you put oil in the barrel; it is almost impossible to get it all out, without hot, soapy water.

I also never have a rust problem with loaded guns. I check them periodically by running a patch down with a little bore butter.

 

[jamesthomas]

I checked the "other" column. When I go hunting I'm only going for 2 or 3 days. Before I leave to go home I'll shoot it and then clean my rifle. I have a 3 and or a 4 hour drive to go hunting . Plus I only have one rifle so I also take it target shooting. Also do you call "A Hunt" a "morning" or "evening" or just going for 2 or 3 days?. Roundball, You need to say what determines a "Hunt".

 

[roundball]

Roundball, You need to say what determines a "Hunt".

LOL...Polls can always be picked to death after they've been running for a while... :wink:

My view was/is that generally speaking, if you asked 100 people if they were going hunting I'm pretty sure the vast majority would be thinking / answering in terms of a morning hunt, or an afternoon hunt, or an all day hunt...not a several week or several month time period

 

[morehops]

My percussion I leave loaded until end of season unless I get caught in wet weather. Then I shoot it out and start over next day. For flint, I learned the hard way to start fresh every day. Missed a dandy deer at 30 yards when my flinter went "Pfffft" When I did get it to fire later back at the farm, it had a huge delay of about 3 seconds and acted like a fuse.
I had one perc. rifle that I intended to get back out with and didn't make it that year. Put it in the gun safe marked "loaded" with nipple and muzzle covered. Had to be in there 10 years or more yet fired like it was a fresh load. I wouldn't have taken it hunting though.

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

I goofed... :redface: If there was a "Never loaded", I would have picked that.

 

[tenngun]

Up until I moved to town kept at least one of my hunting guns, as opposed to my home defense guns,loaded all the time. Now just my bad guy stoppers are loaded.