Loaded

[CapPopper]

What is a reasonable time period to leave a rifle loaded? Since id rather not clean for just one shot if I am only unloading. I would also rather not pull a load right now since im not allowed to cast in the house and its too cold for my set up to do a very good job keeping lead liquid right now. So I don't want to waste the few minies I have left pulling them. Season starts Saturday here.

 

[oldude]

Well I have a CO2 discharger or unloader and if at the end of a day hunting I want to unload my rifle without firing I use the discharger. The mini will exit at a pretty good clip so muzzle control is a must as the mini COULD pass through drywall but a good pile of rags or leaves in a large trash can would catch it. However if you haven't been rained on and feel sure you charge is good you can keep it loaded all season BUT YOU TAKE A CHANCE OF MISFIRE if the powder is damp. So it boils down to DO YOU FEEL LUCKY?. Good luck huntin Jim

 

[CapPopper]

Well its just colder than Pluto right now or id just pull them and re-cast them.... I know a few days is ok so long as you don't take the thing inside lol id just like to hunt with it more.. Coyotes and such and would rather not be constantly pulling and casting all the rime if I don't shoot. Since im usually in the woods pretty much every day it could add up quick... I just really want to take it hunting more. So saying it doesn't rain and is not horribly humid would a week at a time be reasonable?

 

[coloradoclyde]

You can leave it loaded....just re-prime or re-cap every day.. Now the secret when it is "colder than pluto" is to leave the gun in the cold...bringing it into a warm house will cause massive condensation, and could foul the powder, casing as miss or hang fire.
Given a few days in dry heat all should be fine again....

Do not leave the gun loaded if it has been fired.....Leave only a clean gun loaded and make sure no oil is in the barrel. I've left guns loaded for months without issue.

 

[RUDY MR]

This worked for me. Bring it in, stand it with barrel down droplets of water don't run up hill

 

[No Deer]

I have a heavy padded gun case, so when I bring the gun in, it will warm up slowly, no condensation. I have regularly left it loaded for a week or so and never had an issue. The key is to avoid condensation. As stated above, do this only with an unfired gun, if you have fired and reloaded it, unload (fire or pull) at the end of the day and clean it.

 

[Feltwad]

What is a reasonable time period to leave a rifle loaded? Since id rather not clean for just one shot if I am only unloading. I would also rather not pull a load right now since im not allowed to cast in the house and its too cold for my set up to do a very good job keeping lead liquid right now. So I don't want to waste the few minies I have left pulling them. Season starts Saturday here.

Well I think this question of leaving a gun loaded was well discussed some time ago Personally I think it is dangerous practice and should always be unloaded a loaded gun left after a days shooting is a accident waiting to happen .
Feltwad

 

[fleener]

I actively leave a rifle loaded during hunting season. In fact within 10 feet of me right now are two loaded ML rifles.

At times the rifle will stay loaded for up to a year. I know I have to be careful with my hunting rifles when I pick them up that they could be loaded from the prior season and to be sure to check them.

The downside of leaving them loaded for a long period of time I have noticed when I shoot one of these at a target my point of impact will be higher. I am assuming that the load sits long enough that it sticks a little more to the barrel.

Fleener

 

[TerryK]

I leave mine loaded during hunting season. I put a rag in the flash pan area for a "safety". If I fire itduring the hunt, naturally I will shoot it before coming home than clean it. I never had issues in 30+ years with a charge getting wet.

 

[dledinger]

Assuming you're shooting Black Powder, loaded is fine as long as it hasn't been RELOADED.

I tend to unload if I hunt in the wet, and not if I don't. As other posters said, leave in the cold or in a case to mitigate condensation.

If it stays dry it will still shoot 100+ years from now.

 

[CapPopper]

Thanks everyone this is all stuff I thought I knew I just wanted the voice of experience.

 

[Ames]

I leave mine loaded in the barn or unheated attic overnights in hunting season. No warming/ condensation issues. Dump out the pan and stick a feather in the hole for flint. For a cap lock I toss the cap, cover the nipple with a small square of leather and lower the hammer.
Either way you can tell at a glance its still loaded.

 

[smo]

The downside of leaving them loaded for a long period of time I have noticed when I shoot one of these at a target my point of impact will be higher. I am assuming that the load sits long enough that it sticks a little more to the barrel.

Fleener

It looks as if it were sticking to the barrel more it would create more drag causing it to shot lower... :idunno:

 

[CapPopper]

Nah higher initial pressure before the load moves would make it hit lower potentially but a degradation in charge would result in lower velocity and under 50 yards should actually throw higher I would imagine... Lower velocity is usually higher impact up to the point it starts to drop

 

[CapPopper]

Of course a little farther out the higher initial pressure could make it hit higher since more velocity equals less drop

 

[hanshi]

As long as they haven't been fired, I've left them loaded for months.

 

[CapPopper]

I would never not clean a fired one lol so as long as I don't do extreme temp changes and it isn't rusting at all after cleaning it can stay loaded until I decide to shoot it which is good :thumbsup:

 

[S.Kenton]

I've left both flinter and cap locks loaded for months on end...just as others have said, you shoot it once it will need cleaned, even a fouling shot. If you don't shoot it off igniting the corrosive powder, that causes rust in your barrel, your fine to keep it loaded as long as you want. If it's really really cold out, like it is now, I leave mine in the garage, truck or any other cold place, as to not draw condensation in the barrel.
a buddy of mine passed away a few years ago. We hunted together a few times, and he had 2 or 3 cap locks. Well his widow asked me if I could sell his muzzleloaders for the estate, so I said yes. I remembered he had a custom full stock Southern rifle, it was his favorite. I also remembered that he had went hunting a couple of years ago with it and had told me when he left his rifles loaded he left a orange tipped dowl rod in the barrel to remind him...the custom SMR had a dowl rod in it when I picked it up and it had been loaded since two hunting seasons ago..I took it home and capped it, it went off like a champ with no hang fire. The bore was still perfect.