This has probably been asked before

[New bp shooter]

This question has probably been asked Before ... And probably all kinds of answers...but here goes... How long should you leave your muzzleloader loaded? Tomorrow will be a week and a day for me and I plan on shooting it off after hunting tomorrow if I don't see a deer and shoot at it 1st... I reloaded last week when I shot my buck just got Incase I needed it but I did not so I was just wondering?.... I do not use real black powder I use 777 I don't think it's as corrosive

 

[Brokennock]

It is asked and discussed several times per year.....

I do not use real black powder I use 777 I don't think it's as corrosive

Black powder is not corrosive.

Black powder fouling (the residues left from burning black powder) is corrosive.

I've left a clean, but charged (semantics maybe, but in most places, legally, a muzzleloader is loaded when primed or capped) muzzleloader for weeks to a few months. No issues with corrosion. No issues going bang when needed.

Now enter a bunch of people to muddy the waters with tails of condensation, "only leave the gun outside once it has been out in the cold," and so much other voodoo I can't remember it all.
Despite the frequency of this topic being hashed out,,, expect a few pages,,,, with many people saying the same thing as someone else,,,, but differently.

 

[leadhoarder]

I would leave real BP loaded all season as long as precautions to prevent condensation as listed above are taken. People have left guns loaded for years with BP and they fired just fine.

I do not not know about the properties of 777. I would be more worried about the subs like that but if the barrel is kept tight so air cannot get in it will probably be OK.

 

[James Stella]

I have left my Lyman GPR charged from the middle of September to the beginning of December and it went off no problem and hit where I was aiming. I usually use Pyrodex.

I have not left one charged after firing it. Once fired, if I reload, I empty the gun when I get back to camp or the truck so I can clean it. So I do not know the outcome on that.

 

[TreeMan]

I load mine (real BP) at the beginning of the season and it stays loaded until it’s fired. That’s either the next day or next month. It doesn’t hurt anything as long as the gun was clean when you loaded it. I’m speaking of BP. I don’t know anything about 777.

 

[smo]

I thought the same thing, so I won’t say it ….

My gun has been loaded since November 5 th this year.
I’ll bet it will shoot!

 

[New bp shooter]

I load mine (real BP) at the beginning of the season and it stays loaded until it’s fired. That’s either the next day or next month. It doesn’t hurt anything as long as the gun was clean when you loaded it. I’m speaking of BP. I don’t know anything about 777.

I guess that was my concern I reloaded my gun immediately after shooting a deer last week and it stay loaded so it was not a clean barrel when reloaded.

 

[JohnL]

New BP Shooter, I have a double barrel Pedersoli shotgun currently loaded with ten 00 Buck pellets in one side and a patched .690” lrb in the other side. The last trip hunting was over two weeks ago. I will use it this coming weekend, hopefully. As others have said, it’ll work when you need it if you mind a few precautions. My load is sealed somewhat with overshot cards, and I have the uncapped nipples blocked with patches resting under the hammers at the moment.

For extra measures of safety, I normally unload mine at the end of each hunting trip; however, things have gotten chaotic in our lives recently as my father in law has been sick. That’s another story…. On my last outing, I uncapped and stored in a case for transport.

That having been said, adherence to safety rules is critical. I always uncap and store the shotgun during transport in a case accessible only by myself. I mind the firearms safety rules when I handle it in any configuration to include trigger and muzzle discipline. Then, it is securely locked for storage at home with multiple locks. We do not have children, and no children visit our household. For that matter, we never have visitors of any kind…

I do have a friend who says he left his rifle loaded during a week long hunt in the rain on an island off coastal Georgia (high humidity). He said he ended up with a rust ring in his barrel that he cannot remove. I’m uncertain of details, but I do not think he uses real black powder as I do in my shotgun and rifle.

Be safe whatever you decide.

 

[JohnL]

If I fire a shot out of mine, I’ll do a quick field clean until I get home for a proper cleaning. I wouldn’t shoot, reload and leave it loaded after the hunt. That might cause problems for you.

 

[TreeMan]

I guess that was my concern I reloaded my gun immediately after shooting a deer last week and it stay loaded so it was not a clean barrel when reloaded.

If you shot it and then reloaded I’d clean it as soon as possible. I’m not educated on 777 but if it was blackpowder It definitely needs cleaned.

 

[S.Kenton]

Your going to want to clean that barrel very soon. Not sure where your from or how long your season is, but my season is 4 days, if I take a shot on the first day.. I’ll reload then the day after the season I’m firing it off and cleaning it. I’d be comfortable with 5 days of not cleaning after I’ve fired it, but not much longer than that. If it was a constant dry climate, I may be inclined to go a little longer than 5 days.

 

[New bp shooter]

Your going to want to clean that barrel very soon. Not sure where your from or how long your season is, but my season is 4 days, if I take a shot on the first day.. I’ll reload then the day after the season I’m firing it off and cleaning it. I’d be comfortable with 5 days of not cleaning after I’ve fired it, but not much longer than that. If it was a constant dry climate, I may be inclined to go a little longer than 5 days.

I live in Tennessee... We have a two week muzzleloader season followed immediately buy a 2-month rifle season all I carry is my muzzleloader for all those seasons we are a week into rifle season now normally I would have had it unloaded by now and it's just the way things have worked out this time

 

[The Crisco Kid]

From what I've read the things have been loaded for decades and then fired off just fine by someone who didn't know it was loaded.

 

[S.Kenton]

I live in Tennessee... We have a two week muzzleloader season followed immediately buy a 2-month rifle season all I carry is my muzzleloader for all those seasons we are a week into rifle season now normally I would have had it unloaded by now and it's just the way things have worked out this time

I would then take a few moments and fire off the current load, clean it, then spray some brake clean down bore to dry it, or rubbing alcohol, then make sure it’s totally dry and reload it. I’m erroring on the side of caution, you might be ok, but I’d hate to see you ruin your barrel.

 

[Brokennock]

This question has probably been asked Before ... And probably all kinds of answers...but here goes... How long should you leave your muzzleloader loaded? Tomorrow will be a week and a day for me and I plan on shooting it off after hunting tomorrow if I don't see a deer and shoot at it 1st... I reloaded last week when I shot my buck just got Incase I needed it but I did not so I was just wondering?.... I do not use real black powder I use 777 I don't think it's as corrosive

@Britsmoothy has been known to shoot a pheasant or two, or maybe some rabbits or squirrels, or a few of each, and not clean for a few days if he is going back out in the field within a few days. Not sure if he has left the dirty gun loaded.

 

[Brokennock]

as long as precautions to prevent condensation as listed above are taken.

Mine is the only reply above.
I listed no such precautions.
No one has yet explained to me how this mysterious "condensation" gets inside a bore that was dry when it had dry powder introduced to it, dry when a dry lead ball was introduced to it using a greasy (not water based) lubed either on a patch to seal the bore or on a wad utilizing other bore sealing wads. Flash hole has been sealed, after brushing priming powder from the pan, with a feather quill or pointy end of a wooden/bamboo barbecue skewer.
Somehow this mysterious water vapor infiltrates some people's otherwise dry and sealed magic chamber.
Yet, I've had guns loaded for up to several months, often with trips from house to truck to woods (where temps might range from single digits although rare, to 10s and 20s up to 40s and low 50s Fahrenheit),,,,, and back again, several times. Never, had a failure to fire. Ever.

Well, once,,,,, when skewer tip broke off in touch hole during transit. Totally different problem than magic steel penetrating condensation.

 

[William Lincoln]

You can load real BP and not worry so much with stability over time. BUT
substitutes are not as stable. I reported in a prior post about a Rem NMA
loaded for years with Pyrodex. One chamber misfired and five were
minimal--almost squibs. If your Triple 7 was opened and stored--watch out.
You will get erratic results--at least I have. I love T-7 but it is not consistent
unless used timely. Now I am investigating Blackhorn as a revolver powder.
It will ignite with Rem #10 caps about half the shots. 100% with pre-charge
5grs 4f BP. It is similar to T-7 in power but cleaner-almost like smokeless.
If you want the best in reliability and stability over time, say if your piece is
used for personal defense, or in dangerous places,
like Alaska, then high-quality real Black Powder is the only way.

 

[S.Kenton]

Mine is the only reply above.
I listed no such precautions.
No one has yet explained to me how this mysterious "condensation" gets inside a bore that was dry when it had dry powder introduced to it, dry when a dry lead ball was introduced to it using a greasy (not water based) lubed either on a patch to seal the bore or on a wad utilizing other bore sealing wads. Flash hole has been sealed, after brushing priming powder from the pan, with a feather quill or pointy end of a wooden/bamboo barbecue skewer.
Somehow this mysterious water vapor infiltrates some people's otherwise dry and sealed magic chamber.
Yet, I've had guns loaded for up to several months, often with trips from house to truck to woods (where temps might range from single digits although rare, to 10s and 20s up to 40s and low 50s Fahrenheit),,,,, and back again, several times. Never, had a failure to fire. Ever.

Well, once,,,,, when skewer tip broke off in touch hole during transit. Totally different problem than magic steel penetrating condensation.

I’ve had it happen before, I’m not 100 percent sure why or how, but it was a really cold January during the Ohio’s muzzleoading season, I loaded as normal and went on out to the woods. The temps were tipping the scale at 10 degrees above zero, windy and very cold. I had a blind set up with a small heater in it and that’s where I headed. Well day after day and eve after eve I saw no deer, rifle came into my house with me day after day and eve after eve. When the season was over I hadn’t fired it off. I went out behind my house, put cap on nipple and carefully aimed. Cap went off, but main charge did not. I tried three times to no avail. On the final time it went off, with a nasty hang fire. I’ve always been told to keep a loaded rifle the same ambient temp the whole time it’s loaded. I’ve made that a habit ever since and never had that issue again. I don’t know about the science of the practice, but I do believe it works.

 

[Brokennock]

I’ve had it happen before, I’m not 100 percent sure why or how,

Exactly. So, we don't really know that it was condensation that fouled your powder. Did moisture get in through the flash hole? Was it maybe not plugged as well as you thought?
Was the bore not as clean/dry/oil free, as you though when you loaded.
Not criticizing you or trying to find fault with you. Just emphasize that this condensation thing seems far fetched and unsubstantiated. Have you ever brought a gun inside, back outside, then inside again, back out,,,,, and at any point had moisture run out of the barrel?
Not off, the barrel, out, of the barrel?
I haven't.

 

[pwbsmokey]

I would unload it and clean it