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How long can i leave muzzleloader loaded?

Wooden Arrow said:
i always pushed a patch on my cleaning rod all the way in and then popped a cap. if you don't see a burn mark on the patch when you pull the rod out, trouble ahead.
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Tony Knight may not have been the first to invent this idea but he was the first person to show me this back with the original MK-85 Muzzleloader I purchased from him. To this day after I clean I MZ and get ready to head to the field this is the first thing I do before I load it.
 
sharpshooter said:
I am planning on hunting with my muzzleloader through the rest of deer season. If it hasn't been shot, how long can I leave it loaded before I need to worry about corrosion? I have a CVA Optima and I'm using triple 7. I am also concerned about condensation causing a misfire, but not as much as corrosion starting at the breach where the powder sits. I have left them loaded over the 2 weeks of muzzleloader before and have not had an issue, I'm just concerned leaving it loaded for longer.
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From personal experience with a family gun, at least 90 years…
1870s or 1880s Moore and Harris double barrel caplock 12g, owner died in 1921. Father in law had it leaning in a bedroom corner of his, now our, 1840 built home. Barrels were full of spiderwebs and egg cases. So me being me, took it outside, capped it, and hit the trigger… My beagle headed for the orchard, twigs and leaves rained down on the driveway. I don't know what Tom used way back when, but in 2011, his powder was still dry.
Gun belonged to TN state senator TJ Watkins of Covington. My wife's great great grandfather. It is now in the county museum for conservation and eventual display.
 
SeaBee133 said:
From personal experience with a family gun, at least 90 years…
1870s or 1880s Moore and Harris double barrel caplock 12g, owner died in 1921. Father in law had it leaning in a bedroom corner of his, now our, 1840 built home. Barrels were full of spiderwebs and egg cases. So me being me, took it outside, capped it, and hit the trigger… My beagle headed for the orchard, twigs and leaves rained down on the driveway. I don't know what Tom used way back when, but in 2011, his powder was still dry.
Gun belonged to TN state senator TJ Watkins of Covington. My wife's great great grandfather. It is now in the county museum for conservation and eventual display.
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I would have probably used a 25ft string, pulled from behind cover.
 
Carlos said:
I'd recommend unloading and reloading after hunting in rainy weather for sure.

You never know if your next shot will be at the buck of a lifetime or not.
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This for me!!! I've left mine loaded for a few years now, not ideal, but it's an old raggedy ML that Won't ever be worth much money. I will take it out clean it and fire it next month to make sure everything is on the up and up and I'm confident in her ability before ML season starts.

I'm cool leaving mine loaded for a week or 3 as long as she hasn't been exposed to rain or high moisture. I typically pile up deer like cord wood as soon as ML starts. I've gotten many same trip doubles (buck and doe) with a ML those first two weeks of November. Deer better not look back, I'm sending lead and smoke!
 
swampbadger said:
This for me!!! I've left mine loaded for a few years now, not ideal, but it's an old raggedy ML that Won't ever be worth much money. I will take it out clean it and fire it next month to make sure everything is on the up and up and I'm confident in her ability before ML season starts.

I'm cool leaving mine loaded for a week or 3 as long as she hasn't been exposed to rain or high moisture. I typically pile up deer like cord wood as soon as ML starts. I've gotten many same trip doubles (buck and doe) with a ML those first two weeks of November. Deer better not look back, I'm sending lead and smoke!
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I need to test a pair I inherited last year. T/C .50 Hawken, Lyman .54 Great Plains. I know the Lyman is dead on. Have not shot the T/C, generally do cap and ball with a Ruger Old Army, deepened cylinder, .457 ball over 35-40gr of Fffg or Ffffg, Triple 7 or Goex.
Can find ,490 and .457 all day long. But caps and .530 are elusive this time of year locally. Neither Memphis Bass Pro had had them in at least a year.
 
Well well... LOL I just cleaned my CVA Kodiak Magnum to get ready to shoot some with it, and decided to take the CVA Wolf as well, upon checking the breech plugs I found that I had left the Wolf loaded from last season. Went ahead and shot that load first, and had a FTF first try, then with the 2nd primer it fired, dead center of the bull at 50 yards. That was ok, kinda, the good zero that is, but the next couple shots were 2" left. Made the adjustment and back to center. So, at least with BH 209, no, I wouldn't trust leaving it loaded from one season to the next. Dang, getting old and forgetting things sucks. 😒
 
Carlos said:
I'd recommend unloading and reloading after hunting in rainy weather for sure.

You never know if your next shot will be at the buck of a lifetime or not.
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I can attest to this. I have had 2 misfires on two bucks with a muzzleloader due to wet powder, and let me tell you it does NOT take much for that powder to get too wet to fire. Heck just the moisture in the air here alone can get the powder wet... I always fire it after every hunt (away from the spot of course)
 
If you leave your gun loaded and have to bring it in, leave it in the case for a few hours to allow it to warm up slowly and do NOT open the case until you know it's up to room temp . This will greatly reduce the chances of condensation on cold metal. Doing this I've been able to leave a modern inline loaded for a few weeks without incident.

I also put my gun out in the vehicle the evening before a morning hunt so it will acclimate slowly to the colder temperatures.
 

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