first time muzzleloading question

[waxworm09]

I am going deer hunting with a muzzleloader for the first time this year and have 1 question. I have everything I need and have shot the muzzloader before, but I was curious as to what you do after hunting if you dont shoot at a deer? Do you somehow remove the slug, shoot it off, or just leave the powder and slug in the gun and remove the primer until you go out again? I have all the info I need except they never mentioned anything about that where I bought the gun. Thanks

[Archerysniper]

I take the primer off mine a put it in the case till the next time I hunt that season unless it has been raining heavy then I shoot it to unload and clean it when I get home if i shoot a deer I reload till i'm done with that days hunt and then shoot it and clean it before my next time in the woods. Never store one for long periods of time loaded yes you could pull the ball out on a side lock or remove the breech plug on a inline and push it through but I found it easyer just to shoot it.

[wplatehunter]

I will leave mine loaded for a few days and just take the primer out. I do not take it inside when I leave it loaded to keep the moisture out. If it is raining I will shot it at the end of the day. I can remove the powder and bullet by unscrewing the back plug if you want to empty it and save the powder and bullet. My father in law left his loaded over the summer and forgot to empty it. The next season he shot it and it worked.

[TrophyEyes]

DO NOT LEAVE THE POWDER IN THE BARREL!! You can ruin your gun. If you are done for the year, either shoot it and clean it or push the projectile and powder out through the breach plug end, swab it and then put some borebutter down the barrel to protect it until next year.

[mtheis]

If I have not shot it I also will leave the sabot and powder (I use pellets), and remove the primer. I have done this for years in a number of stainless steel barrels with no ill affects at all. I have used both Pyrodex and Triple 7. No corrosion, no pitted barrels.

[wplatehunter]

We are not saying to leave it in all year, but for a few days it will be ok. I always clean it good at the end of the season.

[mtheis]

Exactly!

[mechanictim]

I have been shooting muzzle loaders for over 20 years. I change powder everyday I hunt and sometimes twice. Changes in temperature and humidity can turn powder to mush in a day.

I have seen the goo that once was three pyrodex pellets ooze out of a Knight disc rifle belonging to a fellow hunter after having tried six shotshell primers to fire it. Biggest deer he had seen in years was laying in front of us with my tag on it. He said he had loaded on friday night in his house and this was sunday morning. Saturday was cool, mid teens and dry in the morning and got upto mid forties and hazy by sunset. That sunday morning it was still in upper thirties, damp and a little foggy. He had left the rifle in the cab of his pickup overnight parked outside.

Powders cheap and can be kept for practice if still dry. It only takes a couple of minutes in most guns to clean out the old powder.

[mskyfshntchr]

This is a little extra than the initial questions....

Here is how I do it and have been doing it for 20 years now...

Gun goes into the garage on Turkey day. It is an unheated garage. Laid out in back of pick up to get good and cool- or whatever the temperature may be that particular year.

Opening morning- swab it out with a dry patch. Load it.

NEVER take it inside ANYTHING remotely warm. Keep it in the cold. The gun never goes into the back of a car, suv or the house. It stays in the case in the rear of the toppered pick up truck when not hunting.

No worries as the season unfolds. No need to shoot it daily or weekly. If I shoot during the season- I reload and follow the same procedures. No wiping of the barrel or anything.

End of season- shoot it off, clean it, grease the inside and outside of the barrel and store for the year.

Never had a gun not go off- regardless of the conditions.

Never had rust on the barrel either.

That is using sidehammers, inlines, blackpowder, pyrodex powder and pyrodex pellets.

It's pretty simple, actually.

Good luck--2 days to go!!

[EYES101]

I will leave it in my gun for a couple of days but if there is a big change in temp from day to night you will still get condensation in your barrel. Its not so much about whether it will shoot or not, its whether it will shoot how you sighted it in. Hypothetical- If you use 100gr of powder and 95% of it burns normally when it gets slightly damp now only 70% of it burns. Do you want to risk the accuracy when the deer of a lifetime is standing in front of you. I would rather shoot it and clean it then risk it over a couple dollars of powder and bullet.