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hunting with a flintlock

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tenn
how long do you leave your gun loaded?? mines been loaded about a week should i unload it?? been hunting with my lyman
 
I've heard it helps if you use a non-metallic touch-hole prick and leave it in place when you come in from the field. I also think it is smart to wipe the pan and flint with a dry patch or cloth before priming and also to re-prick the powder through the touch-hole. If the powder did get "clumpy" the pricking can loosen it and help it ignite. I recently had one loaded for 10-days both in and out of the house. This was because I could not get it to fire due to some malfunctions at the range. In this case, I had put a variety of liquid down the barrel to loosed the patched ball so I could pull it. That did not work and I was about sure the powder would be contaminated. No, Sir. Back at the range I pricked the powder, primed the pan and got an instant discharge!
 
I unload when I'm done for the day. Clean out the rifle, and load up again if I go out the next day. I have special stumps that I've selected in various hunting areas..., and I shoot into the stumps. After a couple of years I go harvest the lead, and recast the ball...I pick out another stump after that.

LD
 
It depends. If I plan to go out again within a few days I'll leave it loaded. If I had been out in rain or snow I will shoot and clean it after hunting. Once, I left one loaded for six months at the end of the season. There was no problem with ignition when I got around to emptying it.
 
I keep the gun loaded until it gets fired; that is often through an entire season if more than one gun is used. If it gets wet or damp It gets fired and cleaned up. Mink oil is the hunting lube I use.
 
I leave it alone. Don't care about rain or snow or damp. Use a cows knee! Change out the prime every day. The rest I leave to fate. Or faith.
Turn around 8 weeks later and point it at a paper target. Still goes boom. That's in the years I don't get a deer. Not often, but it can happen.
 
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had bad luck with the traditions deer hunter had a flash in the pan on a nice 8 pointer had to take it the gun apart got water all over the pan and vent hole.. 2 hrs later he came back look for 2 hours that day and 2 hours the next never found any sign that i hit him... shot at a doe missed it and hit a vine on a tree ...
 

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I leave it loaded indefinitely unless it's been raining hard or steady while I've been out. I bring the gun inside with the touch hole plugged with a thick toothpick that I've colored red to indicate the gun's loaded. I've Never had a problem with "condensation" magically penetrating the steel barrel or breech to foul the powder charge. Gun always goes off when called upon to do so.
 
I leave it loaded indefinitely unless it's been raining hard or steady while I've been out. I bring the gun inside with the touch hole plugged with a thick toothpick that I've colored red to indicate the gun's loaded. I've Never had a problem with "condensation" magically penetrating the steel barrel or breech to foul the powder charge. Gun always goes off when called upon to do so.



I do the same thing.
 
I had a toothpick break off in my touch hole one time and block it somewhere between the truck and where I was deer hunting. I had a buck chasing a doe all around me but never got a shot. I didn't notice the plugged touch hole until I blew the prime out to go home.

To prevent this from happening again I put some superglue on the tip of the toothpick to harden it and then color the back end of the toothpick with a red sharpie to let me know its one of my "treated" toothpicks.
 
I have mine just a little longer than the length of the pan so I can get my fingertips on them. Sometimes I close the frizzen on the toothpick and just break it off. Sometimes I get neat and clip off the excess with a wire cutter.
 
While I prefer to NOT keep a gun loaded beyond the season, it has happened. My .62 was still loaded from the January late season (if not before) and I took it to the range prior to the November opener. The 1st shot hit right on top of my front sight at 50 yards and the follow up cut the top of the 1st. I DO use the round toothpick in the touchhole "safety" when bringing the gun into the house. Mink oil doesn't dry out, so no worries there. I carry a pick in my shooting bag, so no worries about a broken toothpick. Remove the toothpick, pick the charge, prime the pan, and EXPECT it to fire.

edit: push the round toothpick into the vent, close the frizzen, and break off the toothpick sticking out past the pan/frizzen
 
I use the round toothpicks at home, just a little longer than the pan, colored red if there is a charge. When headed out to the woods I use either the heavy "toothpicks" that a deli uses to hold sandwiches together, or cut off bamboo barbecue skewers. Again, red ends for "hot" gun.
 
Fellas , here’s a tip from Forum Member Wattlebuster.

I don’t think he’ll mind sharing.

Roll up a small piece of leather, about the width of the pan .

Just a couple rounds will do....

Tie it with a string, I prefer waxed.

Now lay it in the pan against the touch and close the frizzen.

It keeps the moisture (other than condensation) out.

For what it's worth,I can't say that I've ever had problems with condensation...

But I can see how it could happen..

I use the rolled leather in the pan for moisture protection and as a reminder that the gun is loaded.

Thanks again Allen , for the great tip.
 
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