quick question for you guys

[rudedawg1085]

So I went elk muzzy hunting this year down by Randle without anyluck..dident even see any elk in three (3) days, just a couple of BT doe. But my question is i still have m powder and bullet in gun...how long should I wait before I shoot or get it out?? or does it even matter??

Oh hey did anybody have any luck down in Randle? we hunted up in petterman hill. anyone els up there?

[rudedawg1085]

oh wait my bad....I ment to say Petterman hill just outside Morton, Not randle....anyone have any luck up there?

[Slenk]

Thats not the way to take care of you muzzleloader you should have cleaned it when you got home.
Slenk

[bobcat]

I forgot one time and left mine loaded until the following season. It was only when my cousin decided to go muzzleloader hunting for elk and borrowed it from me that we realized it was still loaded from the year before. He took it hunting and killed a big cow the first morning. The powder and bullet from a year ago worked just fine. Not saying you should make a practice of that, but I doubt it will hurt anything. As long as you keep the gun in a dry place.

Now that I think about it, I better go check and make sure mine isn't still loaded from the late elk season! Thanks for the reminder, rudedawg!

[rasbo]

I would shoot it and clean it..Ive left one in for 3 days this year.In the back of my head I some doubt it might not fire..I usally look for anyreason to shoot any way..Good luck next year

[robodad]

Get it outta there, I have 2 ruined rifles cause the powder is so corrosive, now when I load one of them the bullet goes down so far then just drops to the bottom cause of the rust over the years. inherited guns, wished he had taken better care of them !!

[OneHorn]

you should have shot it the night of the last day or the next day and cleaned it right after. You really gotta take care of muzzle loaders

[TopOfTheFoodChain]

Man, get that thing unloaded and clean it! I ruined one before. Shot it off on New Years and forgot about it until early summer. The barrel was so pitted I never got consistent patterns after that, unless you think a 20" group at 100yds is consistent! 

[bobcat]

Hey guys, don't stress him out too much. Like I said, I left mine loaded for an entire year. It didn't hurt it. The powder is not corrosive until it has been fired! Dry black powder in the barrel will not cause it to corrode.

[TopOfTheFoodChain]

Hey guys, don't stress him out too much. Like I said, I left mine loaded for an entire year. It didn't hurt it. The powder is not corrosive until it has been fired! Dry black powder in the barrel will not cause it to corrode.

  True, if he hadn't shot it but was only loaded it won't be bad. Maybe just a little scale rust down the barrel that will clean easy and not pit much, if at all.

[robodad]

Hey guys, don't stress him out too much. Like I said, I left mine loaded for an entire year. It didn't hurt it. The powder is not corrosive until it has been fired! Dry black powder in the barrel will not cause it to corrode.

  True, if he hadn't shot it but was only loaded it won't be bad. Maybe just a little scale rust down the barrel that will clean easy and not pit much, if at all.

Yeah nevermind what I said too, I don't know what I was thinking !! Sorry

[bobcat]

Of course I am only saying to not worry about it if the powder is dry. It could be that he hunted in the rain for three days. If so, I'd be thinking pretty hard about getting it unloaded and cleaned up ASAP. If there's any chance the powder could have picked up any moisture, then it could already have begun rusting. So rudedawg, maybe you SHOULD be stressed out about it.   

[robodad]

Of course I am only saying to not worry about it if the powder is dry. It could be that he hunted in the rain for three days. If so, I'd be thinking pretty hard about getting it unloaded and cleaned up ASAP. If there's any chance the powder could have picked up any moisture, then it could already have begun rusting. So rudedawg, maybe you SHOULD be stressed out about it.   

I would think that as soon as that powder leaves the confines of the dry environment it was packaged in it begins to draw moisture, the air is humid especially in the PNW and even the steel of the barrel will sweat a certain amount given the different temperature changes and humidity levels over the course of a year.

I think I would error on the side of caution if it were me and unload before I leave the field each time (or maybe every other time) just to be safe and clean it when I got home for the next hunt !!

[ICEMAN]

.... Shot it off on New Years and forgot about it until early summer.

You are kidding I hope.

Or what I should say is, I hope you shot it on new years day out in the woods....and not at midnight from your front porch in city limits....

[TopOfTheFoodChain]

.... Shot it off on New Years and forgot about it until early summer.

You are kidding I hope.

Or what I should say is, I hope you shot it on new years day out in the woods....and not at midnight from your front porch in city limits....

It was in the country and without a bullet, only a patch packed tightly.