How long can you leave load in BP Shotgun ???

[jeffdrown]

When hunting and you don't shoot off your BP loaded rifle/shotgun ...how long can you leave load in gun??? overnight ? day ? days ? Thanks Guys Newbe , Jeff

 

[rabjr]

Unless I'm out in the rain where its really damp out, I load up and it stays loaded until I get a shot in our 3 week muzzleloader season here. Or our shorter shotgun season. If its damp out I'll discharge the gun and start over otherwise I leave it a lone. I've gone anywhere from one day to almost 3 weeks before getting a shot and never had a problem.

 

[BrownBear]

I just "tested" that. I finished my last duck hunt without firing a shot, and simply wiped down the exterior of my SxS because I planned to hunt the next day. Didn't happen. That was on November 6, and there it's sat ever since.

If I'm going to leave a gun loaded a day or two, I always remove the cap and lower the hammer onto a tab of waxed leather placed over the nipple.

I realized what I had done yesterday when I faced the fact that I'm unlikely to get out again between now and the end of the season on January 22.

I have always had poor luck pulling loads from shotguns, so I drove down to the beach, capped the gun and let fly. Boom! Boom! No misfire and no hesitation. Loads were 80 grains of Goex 2f, 1/8" nitro card, lubed fiber wad, 1 1/4 oz ITX shot, and an overshot card.

 

[George]

I've left my flintlock smoothbore loaded with ball for several months, almost a year. Loaded with shot, it and a double flint SxS shotgun have been left for up to 6 weeks. I never make any attempt to "seal out the humidity" by putting anything in the vent, have never had a single shot to fail after setting that long, regardless of the humidity, and in Kentucky we have plenty of it.

Of course it goes without saying that I would never do that if the guns had been fired even once before that last load was put in.

After my fairly extensive experience of doing it that way I've decided it's a non-problem.

Spemce

 

[roundball]

Can't answer because I don't do that. After the first time I tried it back in the '93 deer season, 2-3 days later I had a hang fire and missed a good wide 6 pointer at only 50yds...vowed I'd never do it again and haven't.

Speaking only for myself...hunting is too important to me. I plan, prepare, and practice all year just to go hunting a few times and as hard as it is to get a long beard or a good buck in my sights, I'll never risk it again...it's too simple, easy, and cheap to pull a load and go out fresh every time.

 

[silly goose]

Roundball has valid points, but I am guilty of leaving my bp guns loaded for up to two months. I had a load ready for turkey in early Nov, never had an opportunity and then deer season came and gun got parked with leather over the nipple. Went off about 3 days ago like it was just loaded. During deer season, my Renegade was loaded for about 26 days before I got a shot and she went right off. Doesn't make it right, but that's my experience.

 

[tg]

I have left gun loaded for several months if I am certain that no moisture enters the vent or barrel and they have always fired when shot later and hunting is also important to me. I just only leave a gun loaded if I have confidence that it is OK to do so at that particular time/ circumstance. This is something that each has to weight for themselves as to whether the load has been compromised or not. Any doubt that might occur is probably a good indicator to remove the load, as I do not think it is ever a good idea to hunt without confidence in your outfit for whatever the reason.