Best Practices For Hunting Season

[e.estern]

It it advisable to keep the gun loaded during hunting season? If that's the recommended way to go, any tips to ensure a reliable ignition? I've been target shooting for years, but up to now have always used the unmentionable style for hunting.

 

[e.estern]

Looks like a posted this to the wrong forum. Sorry about that!

 

[appalichian hunter]

i will for a maximum of two or three days then unload it clean and re-load, this is the weather is nice, no rain or snow. If the weather is a bit nasty I will pull the load and clean every evening after the hunt.

 

[pab1]

If I don't encounter rain or wet, heavy snow when I'm out I leave my gun loaded. A couple years ago I did a post here on a flintlock, which due to unusual circumstances, I left loaded for 5 years. It fired without issue when I took it to the range. A similar situation happened with my percussion Crockett being loaded for two years. It also fired without issue. I should add that I live in a fairly dry climate.

If I'm going to leave a gun loaded I always mark it clearly so its obvious that its loaded. During season I keep a length of flagging tape in my case with "loaded" written on it. Every evening I attach it to the trigger guard. I also remove the cap from a percussion gun or remove the powder from the pan and use a frizzen stall on a flintlock.

 

[chorizo]

Loaded unless fouled by water/rain. Blow out load with compressed air, scrape out powder, swab down, dry, pop a cap to clear the passages, then load.

Mostly I will leave it loaded.

 

[pab1]

It it advisable to keep the gun loaded during hunting season? If that's the recommended way to go, any tips to ensure a reliable ignition? I've been target shooting for years, but up to now have always used the unmentionable style for hunting.

I know it wasn't your question but if you haven't already been doing it, once you have a load worked up and your guns sighted in, do all of your practice loading out of your shooting bag (and shooting from field positions). Loading off the bench at the range with all your materials set out in front of you isn't the same as loading out of your shooting bag. It takes a little getting used to.

I would also recommend only have items in your shooting bag that are required to make your next shot. In the event that you have to make a follow up shot you want to be able to load efficiently/quickly. You don't want to be digging through items to find what you're looking for, especially when you're excited and your heart is racing.

 

[hanshi]

I only unloaded and cleaned a rifle during hunting season for two reasons; the rifle was fired or it got wet while in the field. otherwise it stayed loaded for the duration. It has been my practice ever since I can remember to alternate guns for each trip. For instance. If I used rifle "A" on opening day and got no shot I would take rifle "B" on the next day out and so on until I got a shot. Seldom did I ever not get the shot by rifle "B" at least and frequently rifle "A". No urchins (kids) at our house so it's copacetic.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Remember to not take a loaded gun from the cold to a warmer environment. I leave my deer rifle in the barn for up to a week with no problems. If out in the rain I will discharge and reload the next day.

 

[nick_1]

if is cold and dry no problem. Living in the north east summertime i can only go a few days before the humidity either causes a hangfire or missfire...

 

[SOLANCO]

End of any day that I have loaded the gun I fire off the load. Clean the gun. Put it away without a care.

 

[nick_1]

This was a common issue back in the day. Reading Rojers rangers journals they would often pull their balls, clean their guns and recharge fresh before an ambush . several times they did this and the folks chasing them had lots of missfires while their first volley was devastating due to having fresh charges in their muskets. .

 

[user 48679]

My cap guns have fired every time I shot one, after a looooong storage (5 years, after open heart surgery).

The lubed conical or PRB seals the bore from the muzzle end, and a 1"x1" leather patch held fast to the nipple by a dropped hammer sealed the ignition channel.

When such are placed in my gun safe, a bright red "Loaded" flag is attached to a pencil and flown from the muzzle(s), to activate my dim memory.

( I use Holy Black only)

 

[S.Kenton]

As long as it’s in a dry climate, there is no reason to unload. Like Ohio Ramrod said, I keep my rifle outside in my truck if it’s really cold.
I’ve kept my rifle loaded for a couple months at a time, loaded during shotgun season, (the first weekend after turkey day) up until January 15th or so. It fired right off and have done this quite a few times in the past.

 

[e.estern]

Pretty consistent advice here, leave loaded unless things get wet. It's pretty dry in the fall and winter where I live. This year in fact, it has barely rained at all. I do have a problem with condensation bringing a cold gun into my relatively warm basement. I usually leave a gun in it's soft case for a few hours until it comes up to temp. Leaving it in a vehicle would work too.

 

[smoothshooter]

i will for a maximum of two or three days then unload it clean and re-load, this is the weather is nice, no rain or snow. If the weather is a bit nasty I will pull the load and clean every evening after the hunt.

I would not pull the load every day. You would be introducing another variable.
Make sure the breech area is absolutely clean and dry by squirting a little lighter fluid or something similar after taking the nipple out. Flush the nipple as well. Stand the barrel up someplace with the breech end on the floor. Leave it alone for an hour or so. A little while before you go hunting install the nipple ( not too tight! ) and load the gun as normal. When you put the cap on, smear a little nail polish, vaseline, silicone around the edges of the cap, and stop worrying about it. If you need to remove the cap for safety purposes, use the sealer again.
If you remove the cap for any length of time, let the hammer down on a piece of leather pinched between it and the top of the nipple.
If you don’t fire the gun, the powder should stay dry for weeks, if not years.
Most people wrongfully focus on water running down the inside the barrer if it rains, which is usually a mistake.

 

[NorthFork]

I leave loaded until either I discharge on a deer or discharge into the target butt the day after the last gun season ends here in IL. I keep the flash hole or nipple plugged with a tooth pick and I use a muzzle mitt on the muzzle (a muzzle condom for all intents and purposes). Never an issue with firing or rust.

 

[nick_1]

I never have had a problem with fall rain or winter slush but summertime NE humidity will turn my paper cartridges into mush and absolutely cause hang fires and complete misfires if I leave the gun loaded for more than a day or so.. If I leave her alone untill fall with the same load in it she will fire no problem. Same thing with my paper cartridges. the ones that were wet and mushy in july have a funny consistency when they dry out but they still work in november.

 

[Ballshooter]

I kept my flintlock loaded for early muzzleloader season for two weeks was even in the rain for two day's it went boom without any problems.

 

[TDM]

When I started hunting with my Renegade I would fire and clean it at the end of the day if it hadn’t taken something already. Now, 40+ years later it stays loaded until needed or the end of the season. Unless I get caught in the rain.