Went Hunting and Left my .54 loaded for 3 days

[nchawkeye]

Blow through the bore and watch smoke emit from nipple! Flash hole will do same thing! About 3 blows will soften fouling! Use a blowtube if you’re fearful of not knowing if you’ve just fired a shot!

Now you done gone and done it, mentioning blowing down the barrel, that should be good for a few more pages...Some shoots prohibit such behavior...

 

[Thomas.bill92]

It may have already been stated but I didn't want to go through all the responses but I always store my muzzleloaders muzzle down. It's amazing how much liquid will gather against the breech.

 

[nchawkeye]

It may have already been stated but I didn't want to go through all the responses but I always store my muzzleloaders muzzle down. It's amazing how much liquid will gather against the breech.

If you don't use so much oil, this isn't necessary...I store mine with the cleaning rod and jag, with 2 lightly oiled patches in them, seems too many put too much oil or lube in their guns...Once they are clean, you can lightly oil them, doesn't take a lot...

 

[TreeRat91]

I’ve always been told that cold guns “sweat” similar to a glass of ice water when being brought into a warm house from a cold environment. I’ve always brought my guns in, let them warm up for a few hours, then wipe them down in clean them. Never left any muzzleloader loaded because I figured that the condensation from the cold barrel could wet the powder. But, after seeing how many people leave theirs loaded, I could have been doing it unnecessarily all this time.

 

[Thomas.bill92]

If you don't use so much oil, this isn't necessary...I store mine with the cleaning rod and jag, with 2 lightly oiled patches in them, seems too many put too much oil or lube in their guns...Once they are clean, you can lightly oil them, doesn't take a lot...

I would normally agree but I have seen way too much rust show up in my bores to skimp on the oil. I used to use Ballistol for that but switched to a patch sopping with wd40 (which I leave stuffed in the muzzle with a tag to pull it out) and have had much better results. I tell ya what, those little bore lights are nice but I wouldn't recommend getting a bore scope, it will drive ya nuts and make you lose sleep over whats happening in your barrels!

 

[stikshooter]

Here is something I have never experienced before. I went hunting Thursday afternoon and did not shoot anything. I left my .54 cal John Bergmann loaded until Sunday afternoon. Decided to shoot out the charge since I was not going to be able to hunt again in the foreseeable future. A friend of mine was visiting and he has never shot a muzzleloader so I gave him a lesson and let him feel the trigger pull so he wouldn't be startled when the rifle went off. He fired but only the cap went off. This happened 3 times so I decided to get my pan primer with null B powder and put a small amount under the nipple. Percussion cap goes off but not the main charge. I put a bit more null B under the nipple and had the same results as previous. Finally I decided to put a bit more null B than the last time so I could at least get the ball out but it only pushed it about have way out. I decided it was time to pull the ball with a screw jag. This worked fine and had no trouble pulling it out.

My only conclusion was that the mink oil patch probably contaminated the powder or it absorbed moisture from somewhere. It is pretty dry in my gunroom and have a dehumidifier going 24/7 so what are you alls thoughts. I have never had this happen before but then I never have left a rifle loaded overnight either.

My Renegades can be left the (months) whole season ,only happened once and went BANG/QUIK to unload ! Done with electrical tape on muzzle and a Magspark 209 sealed ignition (like Ned Roberts used ) and left in the detached garage (no heat) ! /Ed

 

[J. David]

I often leave mine loaded for months. I recently had a Hawken loaded for over a year. Even moved from Michigan to Wisconsin with it loaded. Went off just fine. bullseye. Use Mink oil as well for patch lube. I do use musket caps however.

 

[Mtman725]

I just unloaded my 50 CVA mountain rifle after 2 weeks with a load down the barrel, went bang first time. But I prepped it by firing two caps, then swabbing it out with -30 WWF, then dry patch, then the load. My own patch lube. Weather was bad during our Dec MLZ season, DOWN TO -18 never got above 20F in the daylight, left the rifle in the truck cased at night,so as not to get the condensation on the rifle, then after season left it set for a week before unloading her this past Saturday. Happy with it going bang but missed my target !!

 

[Okie Hog]

My rifles come into the house every evening. A piece of leather is placed over the nipple and the hammer let down.

 

[Art Caputo]

I have not had an issue with my rifles loaded for as much as two weeks(ML season). Before loading, I will remove any residual lubricants from the breach, bore, and flash channel with alcohol and dry. I use a PLRB wit Mink Oil.

 

[1BadDart]

Years ago, when I hunted with my Lyman percussion GPR I'd leave it loaded for months. I used store bought pre lubed patches, so I have no idea what was on them. 3-1 oil was used to wipe the barrel after hot water cleaning. Before it was loaded a dry patch was ran through the barrel and three caps fired. The gun never failed to go off.

 

[oldwood]

Somewhere around 1974, I regressed backward , from Percussion rifles / shotguns back to flint ignition. Tried to use percussion guns for hunting , and ran into the same common problem , of poor unpredictable ignition. I even went out and bought a Paper ctg. Sharps rifle , using musket caps , AAAAHHHH!!! , same result , so got rid of all non-musket cap rifles........oldwood

 

[Dutch7]

I have left my flintlock(s) loaded from early muzzy season in October until I kill a deer, some times not until January and have had zero issues with it firing when needed. It is not an issue to leave a charge in the barrel, keep it dry.

 

[Relic shooter]

I & my vintage hunting buddy's have left our BP front-stuffers loaded with lubed patched round balls or slugs for two + seasons for well over 50 years with zero miss-fires by taking the following simple precautions. When bringing our loaded guns home after a failed hunt & avoid condensation we gradually introduce them to the temperatures of our heated homes .

- Never bring your loaded rifle or pistol into a heated enclosure during a hunt in frigid weather, it will very likely create condensation & fowl your
powder charge.
PRIOR TO HUNTING;
- Fire a lightly loaded round in your rifle or pistol to clear the nipple passage or touch-hole & condition the bore 'or' swab bore with alcohol &
follow- up by firing a few caps or flash the pan on your flinter with a light load to clear & condition the bore before loading with your hunting load. --Place a wool or card wad over the powder charge before seating your lubed patched round ball or projectile hunting load.
- Conditioning the bore prior to loading your hunting load assures that your shot will hit where your firearm was zeroed-in on at the range.
If buck fever kicks in all sure-fire accuracy efforts are voided
relic shooter

 

[Urban Coyote]

We've probably all heard warnings about checking to make sure a muzzleloader taken from an unknown source is unloaded, antiques included. Just last year a friend took up muzzleloaders borrowing his father's gun. He checked, it was loaded and had been for over 20 years. He was able to fire the load, no problem. I can't speak to the wisdom of leaving a muzzleloader loaded when leaving the range or field but apparently it happens.

 

[Coinneach]

Funny, I just returned home from unloading my flintlock, I loaded it the first week in December and haven't shot it since, I have left it locked up in my storage shed...I primed it, set the trigger and she went off with no problem...I do not believe your patch contaminated the powder...I lube with SnoSeal, no over the powder wad, no problems...

Now, I am going to open up a can of worms...This is where a flintlock has an advantage over a percussion gun, no nicks and crannies for oil, grease to gum up the works and cause a barrier between your flash channel and powder...The powder in the barrel is just a few thousandths of an inch from the powder in the pan...If you have dry powder and a sharp flint, your gun will go off...

My bet is the problem is in how you are cleaning your rifle and leaving something in the barrel or drum causing the problem...

Ok, let's see if we can get 8 pages of discussion on this one!!!

btw....Of course I use a .54 as my deer caliber and of course I mold my own balls and of course I have enough flints, powder, lube and patching to last me the rest of our life, doesn't everyone???

We Muzzle Loader gentry are natural hoarders, I like being a Hoarder.

 

[Coinneach]

Now you done gone and done it, mentioning blowing down the barrel, that should be good for a few more pages...Some shoots prohibit such behavior...

Maybe its prohibited just in case an ember flies up the barrel and ignites a Shooters beard or mustache......

 

[Steveoko922]

Took an Enfield hunting on the Washington coast for 3 days. Pouring rain, damp as hell. Changed the cap once and protected the muzzle. When I shot at a deer, had a slight hang fire. Still went bang.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I never bring a loaded rifle into a warm place after having it out in the cold. Think about glasses when you go from the cold into a heated area, they fog up!. Moisture from warm air will condense onto a cold surface. Cold steel and powder will draw moisture from hot air! When hunting and not firing I leave the rifle in the barn until the next day and have no problems even after several days. I also always use a dry over powder wad to prevent my mini's lube from damping the powder.

 

[GregK]

Just got back from the range this morning Jan 4. I loaded my TC Seneca 45 on Dec. 11 in preparation for NY ML season, our last day was Jan 1.
Never fired a shot during the season, set up a target at 45 yds and fired off a shot, gun went boom and I hit my mark. My process in loading is to clean the bore with an alcohol soaked patch, followed with 1 or 2 dry patches, I fire off 2 caps, remove nipple and clean with a pin and pipe cleaner, replace nipple. I load my charge and use a powerbelt bullet for hunting. I cover the muzzle with electrical tape mostly to remind me there is a charge in it.