Gun still charged from last year, What now?

[wapiti hunter2]

I forgot to clean my muzzleloader after last season. I want to do it now to get ready for the opener on Oct. 1. It is a Knight Bighorn stainless. Should I just shoot it or pull the breach plug and empty it? Would there be any damage from leaving it?

[fishngamereaper]

Pull the breach. Make sure you don't have corrosion starting. Powder/ pellets are tough on barrels. Even stainless.

[WAPatriot]

Just shoot it

[Timberstalker]

I highly doubt it is corroded, unless somehow moisture was introduced into the barrel.

I would take it apart, clean it as normal and see what you have.

Let us know what you find out.

[cumminsbassguy]

shoot it and count how long it takes to fire. then use some good kroil on the lower portion on the barrel

[carpsniperg2]

If it was clean when it was loaded and you did not fire it and reload it. Then there should be nothing for corrosion. Just go fire it off.

[HntnFsh]

I bet it drew moisture and you will have a little corrosion but not too bad. No way I would shoot it. Pull the breach soak it in water for a bit so the powder can't go off. Pull the breach plug and knock the bullet and powder out. Then clean like crazy!

[Dan-o]

I'd shoot it.

[BULLBLASTER]

Can't hurt to try and shoot it. If it doesn't go off then take it apart and push through.

Update is if it goes off.

[Goex2Fwithroundball]

I forgot to clean my muzzleloader after last season. I want to do it now to get ready for the opener on Oct. 1. It is a Knight Bighorn stainless. Should I just shoot it or pull the breach plug and empty it? Would there be any damage from leaving it?

I've done it many times. Just shoot it!

[CamoRambo]

I just did this. I purchased a back up knight bighorn from my brother and it had the powder and bullet in for a couple years probably. I pulled it apart and it was better than I was expecting, especially because it isn't stainless. I ran hot water over everything then soaked the plug and nipple with a little T.C muzzleloader solvent. After that I got to cleaning the barrel and oh boy that was a job. Make sure you have plenty of cleaning patches. From reading on here a few guys like to use original Windex as a cleaner, seems like a good low cost choice. Just make sure your nipple and pug are clean and the hole is not clogged.

[wapiti hunter2]

So what I did was shoot it. I figured that it would either go off or not. It fired just fine. Then I cleaned it and reloaded it for this year. I will not do that again though.

[johnny b]

FYI On a barrel that did not have a removable breech plug and a slug that would not come out I removed the nipple and replaced it with a zerk grease fitting.  I then used a grease gun to push the charge and slug out.  It was kinda messy but it worked.  I've done it twice on two different rifles that belonged to friends.  I got it out but they cleaned up the grease.

[jackmaster]

Just shoot it

thats what I did, fired no sweat