Powder or no powder?

[Hawkins54]

And one last question. Of course "last" is a relative term.
If I don't take a shot during the hunt it sounds like I can leave my barrel charged (no cap of course). How long is it ok to leave that way? There are times it might be a couple of weeks before I hunt again.

 

[SgtSchutzen]

If you pop a cap befor you load you have now fouled the flash channel and breech with cap residue and are going to have to clean your gun or risk having corrosion causing a misfire when you do get around to shooting it later. I wouldn`t pop caps befor loading if I intended to leave the gun loaded for awhile.

I sometimes leave my guns loaded for several weeks at a time during hunting season and don`t have issues getting them to fire later. Just make sure everything inside the breech is clean and dry before you load and don`t bring a cold gun into a warm house or vehicle where it will form condensation and wet the powder. My guns stay outside in my garage if they are loaded.

 

[Britsmoothy]

If you pop a cap befor you load you have now fouled the flash channel and breech with cap residue and are going to have to clean your gun or risk having corrosion causing a misfire when you do get around to shooting it later. I wouldn`t pop caps befor loading if I intended to leave the gun loaded for awhile.

I sometimes leave my guns loaded for several weeks at a time during hunting season and don`t have issues getting them to fire later. Just make sure everything inside the breech is clean and dry before you load and don`t bring a cold gun into a warm house or vehicle where it will form condensation and wet the powder. My guns stay outside in my garage if they are loaded.

Why will the cap residue rust? Or cause rusting?

Brits.

 

[SgtSchutzen]

For the same reason powder fouling will. It`ll attract moisture.

Popping caps isn`t needed if your gun is clean and dry befor you load it.

 

[Britsmoothy]

For the same reason powder fouling will. It`ll attract moisture.

Popping caps isn`t needed if your gun is clean and dry befor you load it.

I understand BP foul is hygroscopic but was unaware primer foul was....got any references?

B. :hatsoff: