Unloading a Rifle

[robinsroost]

To the OP, if you go to the auto parts store they have little rubber caps used to plug unused vacuum ports on car engines. Just push one over the nipple. . you can let the hammer down on it or leave it at half cock. I do it not as a safety factor, but to seal the breech area off from weather and humidity. Also handy if you are caught in the rain or snow.

I do the same thing. Other sources of caps are the end caps for wire shelves and covers for air valves. You can also cut a 1/8" section of plastic air hose from a fish tank or oxygen concentrator. Keep yer powder dry...……..robin

 

[Rat]

Right...check your own local laws. In my state, (Wa.) the gun is legally unloaded when you remove the cap, or dump the pan. But again, flintlocks can go off with no powder in the pan, so use caution there.

 

[Adui]

Me personally. I fire it into a tree or hill at the end of the day. But I have a caplock and haven't ever hunted in a non wet environment. Keep your powder dry and no matter how long its "loaded" it will go bang when you pop the cap or fire flint with powder in the pan. I just always figured the lost money in the load and time in the cleaning to be cost of doing business.

 

[fleener]

I always put the rifle in the back of the truck, with the ML pointing away from me, with no cap.

I got home one day from hunting, grabbed my ML from the back, pulled it towards me, checked the nipple to make sure no cap, and I was stunned that there was a cap under the hammer on the nipple.

I am a sticker for safety and checking a gun every time you pick it up. I am a hunter safety instructor and also I am the coach that teaches safety for our youth trap shooting team. It is always the unloaded gun that shoots someone.

I could not believe that I did that, but I did.

Fleener

 

[Okie Hog]

If I don't get one, what do I do at the end of the day?

Remove the percussion cap. leave the gun loaded and hunt with same the next day.

 

[MinnesotaChuck]

Thanks all! Gonna have to try the rubber cap ideas. This weekend, I put a wadded up piece of orange flagging tape in between the lowered hammer and nipple. I also put a piece of scotch tape over the muzzle. Hunt is over. Sat all day Saturday and saw three does running at about 75 yards through thick timber. No shot. It was cold Sunday (13 degrees at LST with a 16 mph favorable wind) and tough to get out of bed but I drug my but out there seeing it was only a two day hunt.

The plan was to stay until 1 pm as 98 of 100 trail cam pics were taken before this time in this spot. Approximately 1 hour after LST began, three does snuck over the rise in front of me and surprised me 10 yards away. I slowly reached for the gun, brought it up, aimed, fired...and nada. Hadn't fully cocked the hammer I realized as the does all bounded away. I don't know if you guys have it fully cocked all the time when in blind or stand but made me nervous if I wasn't holding and aiming it.

Anyway, that was it for the day. My consolation was that I knew I had did a good job scouting and setting up and put myself in the right position with a well dialed in gun. Plus I got to go home to my family and close out the week spending time with them. So not bad in all. Just frustrating. I made a lot of mistakes at the start of bowhunting too though.

 

[MinnesotaChuck]

Also, I did see a bunch of deer last night skirting our woods so plenty of time as our ML season ends Dec. 9 and bow season on Dec. 15. I've only really bow hunted the past 15 years and so this new ML thing has my blood pumping especially after a missed opportunity due to operator error like that.

 

[Boomerang]

Also, I did see a bunch of deer last night skirting our woods so plenty of time as our ML season ends Dec. 9 and bow season on Dec. 15. I've only really bow hunted the past 15 years and so this new ML thing has my blood pumping especially after a missed opportunity due to operator error like that.

Well at least you got to see some action. On a muzzleloader, half cock is the same as the safety on a modern gun. You can bring it to full cock silently if you keep your thumb on the hammer, pull the trigger back , fully cock the hammer and let the trigger out.

 

[Mad Professor]

I seal the end of barrel after loading with a round patch of duct tape when I go hunting to keep moisture out of barrel.

If I don't shoot it, when I decap, I place a small patch of scrap motorcycle inner tube on the nipple then lower the hammer. Others have similar methods that work well.

If you don't seal the end of the barrel and it was wet conditions, I'd fire it. Then clean it and start out fresh the next day.

AS mentioned keep a cold gun cold or it will condense moisture when brought inside. If outsides are wet, Wipe it down, then hit it with some rust preventive oil. Leave it in the trunk or the barn overnight.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I also pull the ramrod and put it in the barrel if leaving the rifle uncapped and loaded. I put a piece of tape on the end of the ramrod with "loaded" on it to remind me and others it is loaded. One never knows if something will come up and it gets left for more than a few days and I'll forget or if something would happen to me others will know they are dealing with a loaded gun.

 

[Rat]

Well at least you got to see some action. On a muzzleloader, half cock is the same as the safety on a modern gun. You can bring it to full cock silently if you keep your thumb on the hammer, pull the trigger back , fully cock the hammer and let the trigger out.

On safety, some don't realize that by nature, any hammer gun is a little more dangerous than other types, such as modern guns. We always have to be aware of that, and always try to stress that fact to those using hammer-guns (be they cartridge or ML's) for the first time. That was a public service announcement!!!

 

[Le Loup]

Hello! New member and new to muzzleloading. I've been practicing with my .54 caliber Cabela's (Investarms) Hawken style percussion gun. I shoot patched roundballs and target practice has been going well. Going on a special State Park hunt tomorrow and Sunday where I can take up to two does. My dilemna is this. If I don't get one, what do I do at the end of the day? I've read you can leave the gun loaded but without a primer cap. It makes me nervous transporting it like that in my trunk. But perhaps I shouldn't worry if put some leather in between the hammer and nipple or take some extra precautions. My only other option I guess would be discharging the gun into the ground or side of a hill on the way out I guess. Not a huge fan of that either. Thanks for any input from you veterans.

P.S. I bought this gun 10 years ago with giftcards and never got around to using it because I became enamored with bowhunting. I tried to sell it last year and the most anyone would give me for this brand new gun (purchased for nearly $400 many moons ago) was $75. So glad I kept it. Because this thing is fun and awesome to shoot. I can't wait. I will shoot a fawn I think if I get the chance just to say I was successful my first year. Those northern corn fed fawns can be pretty big this time of year. lol

I suggest you either pull the load or fire it off. I don't know what the laws are concerning the carrying of loaded rifles in vehicles over there, but it is an offence over here.
Keith.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Just unload the darn thing, it's not complicated. That's a basic skill that EVERY muzzle loader needs to have.
If you don't have a ball screw, get one, they are cheap.

 

[Black Hand]

Hello! New member and new to muzzleloading. I've been practicing with my .54 caliber Cabela's (Investarms) Hawken style percussion gun. I shoot patched roundballs and target practice has been going well. Going on a special State Park hunt tomorrow and Sunday where I can take up to two does. My dilemna is this. If I don't get one, what do I do at the end of the day? I've read you can leave the gun loaded but without a primer cap. It makes me nervous transporting it like that in my trunk. But perhaps I shouldn't worry if put some leather in between the hammer and nipple or take some extra precautions. My only other option I guess would be discharging the gun into the ground or side of a hill on the way out I guess. Not a huge fan of that either. Thanks for any input from you veterans.

Pull the ball and save for future casting. Put the patch back in the tin and powder back in the horn.
If you will be hunting within the next few days, remove the cap and drop the hammer onto the nipple.

 

[Adui]

I always put the rifle in the back of the truck, with the ML pointing away from me, with no cap.

I got home one day from hunting, grabbed my ML from the back, pulled it towards me, checked the nipple to make sure no cap, and I was stunned that there was a cap under the hammer on the nipple.

I am a sticker for safety and checking a gun every time you pick it up. I am a hunter safety instructor and also I am the coach that teaches safety for our youth trap shooting team. It is always the unloaded gun that shoots someone.

I could not believe that I did that, but I did.

Fleener

I wont go into detail other than to say I am extremely embarrassed to admit to a worse mistake. No one got hurt, I hope to someday use it to teach others.. We are none of us perfect and we all make mistakes... Learn from it and be better!

 

[azmntman]

I'm with Audi, I will shoot it into a tree after legal light and clean. Next morning I load 1/2 a charge and shoot it into a tree then load for the day with a guaranteed dry rifle. Since then I have not lost an animal due to the dreaded pop of the cap, before a had several hunts where I popped a cap on a deer or elk and was a very unhappy hunter.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Starting about 10 years of so ago, one of us brings a pancake compressor to rondies.
Pops them out so fast, they have time to get another one stuck.