Question on cleaning during a hunting trip.

[nate c]

Hey guys,

I haven't hunted with my BP for a few years. My old process was to load in the morning and if (usually) I struck out that day, I'd fire the round somewhere safe near base camp at the end of the day. In the pacific nw, its damp enough that if you try to fire a gun that's been loaded for more than 12~hrs it becomes less reliable (I shoot Goex FFF in my 54).

Reloading every morning means it's always going to fire

Question for the members - would you bother running a dry patch, slightly oiled patch, or other concoction down the barrel at night to protect against corrosion each evening while the barrel is in the tent between shootings? I should add my trip will be ~4 to 6 days.

I may be overthinking it..

 

[jamesthomas]

I would a patch with some Barricade on it myself. Then run an alcohol patch down an back before loading up in the morning. :2 .

 

[nchawkeye]

Not if I had properly cleaned it after firing...

I would run a dry one down the barrel in the morning to remove the oil I had run down it the night before..

 

[Vaino]

I've shot my .54 after 6 days of rain and didn't do a thing in between and the day the cow elk presented herself, she was dead.

Moisture doesn't penetrate through steel, nor a lubricated PRB, so the only other avenue for moisture to "dampen" the load, is through either the TH or the nipple. If the cap is left on the nipple, that precludes moisture entering the load, and a simple "block" of whatever mat'l is handy to plug the TH prevents moisture getting to the powder.

I think we're "over thinking" this supposed problem.....wars, skirmishes and plain old survival hunting occured in rainy weather and the guns went "boom".

Our "modern mindset" dreams up all sorts of "what ifs" and evidently some like the unnecessary complications of shooting BP judging from all the "problems" in many of the posts.

I've never had a load fail to ignite except when the flint was very dull.....which was my fault. Otherwise in rain or shine, my Mlers, both caplocks and flintlocks always did their job w/ a minimum of "fuss".....Fred

 

[coloradoclyde]

Well said Fred :thumbsup:

 

[nate c]

Dunno how it got there Fred, but on separate occasions I've been in camp with guys who tried to fire their BP rifles at the end of a 5 day trip and they did not go boom.

We hunt the olympic penninsula in WA and the western cascades in OR.

That's why I shoot mine every night.

 

[Archer 756]

Just wonder what was done 100 yrs ago, I don't thinks one shoot their guns every night. Powder and shot $$$

 

[roundball]

I unload mine after every hunt, and load fresh for every next hunt...but I never fire the load out...just makes unnecessary noise and an unnecessary cleaning job, increased potential for fouling corrosion, etc.
I use strong brass rods (ramrods & range rods) that I screw 2" ball handle into one end (could use a T-handle) for gripping power and pull my loads instead so there's no cleanup / potential fouling corrosion. Use a little worm attachment to ensure all the old powder is out...wipe / lube the bore...just takes 2-3 minutes.

 

[stinkyfeet]

leave it loaded just use a dry or spit patch mine sat for 6 weeks and still fired without issue.

 

[azmntman]

< in AZ we have VERY lil humidity and I have had mis fires and bad hangfires galore leaving guns loaded. Missed some dandy bulls an bucks and many meat critters till I started firing gun in the AM with a half load then loading up for the day and at the end of the day kept in car or tent. Next AM I fire it before the hunt (and about 1/3 the time it hang fire and occasionally misfires), then I load and hunt. Since I have began the needless (there, no need to comment) procedure I have not had a problem and have yet to not bring home the bacon cause of the gun. I had been using Hoppes # 9 patch lube but will be switching over to the Dutch system (dry patch)

 

[Patocazador]

I loaded my SxS shotgun the day before turkey season started (March 15). I hunted 8 days of the season, 2 days at a time then a break. The season ended on the 20th of April but I didn't shoot the gun until April 25th. Both barrels went bang-bang with no hesitation.
During that time it rained several times but never caught me while hunting.

If I hunted in western Wash. or Oregon, I would do the same but take the precaution of putting rubber fingers over the barrel ends and seals around the capped nipples.

It's always wet on the Olympic peninsula. :td:

 

[George]

My experience exactly, Fred. If there were as many real problems associated with shooting black powder guns as some people talk about, I'd hang up my guns.

Spence

 

[sidelock]

Never fired or unloaded mine until the season is over or until I shoot at game ----- sometimes months after the hunt. Always had a BOOM upon firing.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Make safe and run damp patches down to the ball or card until clean. Now run dry patches to dry the bore and lastly a patch with some olive oil....go sleep.
No wait...put a small piece of leather betwixt hammer and nipple or a small pick in the flash hole....now go sleep.
B.

 

[nwtradegun]

if no shot at game was possible. I bull the ball, dump the powder and save both. I am am a cheap scotts jew. run a patch to clean out dust. reload next day. I shoot a rock stricker.

 

[elkslayer]

I have left mine loaded for a couple weeks and it went boom.

However 2 years ago I popped a cap on a black bear after leaving it loaded for 2 weeks. I had initially loaded it and after 2 or 3 days I noticed that the clean-out screw on the drum was missing. I replaced the screw and should have fired it and loaded new but I didn't.

When the cinnamon phase black bear was standing 20 yards away and the cap went snap I really regretted not refreshing the load. I was lucky in that my friend was sitting beside me behind the fallen tree that was our blind. He handed me some new fangled, infernal looking rifle that fires strange metallic cartridges, I was able to shoot the bear with his rifle. I placed a new cap my rifle and the second time was the charm, I fired it into a nearby stump.

I am certain that if moisture hadn't gotten into the drum through the clean-out hole it would have fired no problem. Nowadays I just don't risk it, I load new every day.

 

[gunner69skmc]

Normally, at the end of the hunting day I go ahead and safely shoot the rifle at the end of the day. I clean the rifle and run a patch with barricade down the barrel. In the morning I dry patch the bore and load for the days hunt.

This year I left one loaded for 5 days, no rain during the time, and when I shot at a deer I had a misfire! For the rest of the season I went back to the "daily fresh load" but had no more opportunities to shoot. Each and every evening I did my "unload" shot the rifle went bang. :stir:

 

[Wes/Tex]

I'm like Jack...always clear the gun each evening. Why, not sure...mostly old habit! :wink: :thumbsup:

 

[VEARL]

I always fire off the rifle at the end of each day. I clean the rifle and dry it. leaving the weapon in my truck over night.
Next morning I run a dry patch down the bore and fire a couple of caps. Load it up for the days hunt. Put a small amount of 4 F under the nipple.
If it is raining I will put melted wax around the cap and nipple. Put a rubber baloon over the muzzle.
Works for me. :thumbsup:

 

[Luke MacGillie]

I've shot my .54 after 6 days of rain and didn't do a thing in between and the day the cow elk presented herself, she was dead.

Moisture doesn't penetrate through steel, nor a lubricated PRB, so the only other avenue for moisture to "dampen" the load, is through either the TH or the nipple. If the cap is left on the nipple, that precludes moisture entering the load, and a simple "block" of whatever mat'l is handy to plug the TH prevents moisture getting to the powder.

I think we're "over thinking" this supposed problem.....wars, skirmishes and plain old survival hunting occured in rainy weather and the guns went "boom".

Our "modern mindset" dreams up all sorts of "what ifs" and evidently some like the unnecessary complications of shooting BP judging from all the "problems" in many of the posts.

I've never had a load fail to ignite except when the flint was very dull.....which was my fault. Otherwise in rain or shine, my Mlers, both caplocks and flintlocks always did their job w/ a minimum of "fuss".....Fred

JJ Henry disagrees with your assessment of what it was like back then....From his memoirs on the Quebec Campaign with Morgan.....

"Powder and ball, particularly the first, to us riflemen was of the first consequence. At Cainbridge the horns belonging to the men, were filled with an excellent rifle powder””which, when
expended, could not be replaced in Canada by
any powder of an equal quality. The men had
got into a habit of throwing it away at every
inning object. Upon our return from the Chaudiere,
this circumstance raised disgust in us for we had been studiously careful of our ammunition,
never firing but at some object which would give us the means of subsistence. Though we drew our loads every morning, from a fear of the dampness of the atmosphere, yet the ball and powder were never lost. Our bullet screws brought the first out with ease, and it was recast”” the latter was carefully returned to the horn, where, if moist, it soon became dry." pps 53-54