Would you clean or wait?

[Rick]

Fired my Elkhorn 3 times on Friday. Once to foul the barrel and twice to check zero before hunting yesterday. Hunted yesterday and today,the fired the rifle to unload it.

We're hunting again next weekend. Would you clean it,or wait and clean it next weekend when done for the season?

[PolarBear]

Clean it!

[huntitup]

 

[dawhunt]

Clean it !!
Bob

[bobcat]

I would not let it sit overnight without cleaning it. That's why I always hunt with an unfired muzzleloader. It gets old having to take apart and clean the muzzleloader every evening after hunting all day.

[funkster]

Clean it! During the spring bear season I loaded in the morning and hunted all day, shot it to unload that evening and thought it would be ok. I went out two days later and loaded it and hunted the day. When I went to unload all I had was a cap gun. Good thing I didn't see a bear that day. Keep them clean and dry and it will fire!

[dscubame]

Clean it but keep it very very dry in doing so.

[JColony]

I would not let it sit overnight without cleaning it. That's why I always hunt with an unfired muzzleloader. It gets old having to take apart and clean the muzzleloader every evening after hunting all day.

You beat me to it Bobcat.  Quickest way to ruin your smokepole is to not keep it clean!

[shorthair-on-point]

I'm with everyone else. Clean it.

[Rick]

I'm going to buck the system. I'm not going to clean it until next weekend. I may wind up kicking myself when I open the safe and find a pile of rust where an Elkhorn used to be.

I'm pretty sure it'll survive the next 4 days just fine though.

[bobcat]

Are you using Triple 7? If so, it might be ok for that long. As long as there's not been any moisture in it. But real black powder or pyrodex? You're gonna have a rusty gun. I'll be curious to hear how it fares.

[Skillet]

I'm going to buck the system. I'm not going to clean it until next weekend. I may wind up kicking myself when I open the safe and find a pile of rust where an Elkhorn used to be.

I'm pretty sure it'll survive the next 4 days just fine though.

That's not when you'll be kicking yourself - it's going to be when you have a buck or bear in the sights and it goes "pop..." instead of "pop-BOOM".
If you insist on doing this in spite of all the good advice, I'd suspect there are others out there that don't clean every time, too.  That just means I need to buy me some stock in CVA - they must have a healthy replacement barrel business.

~Signed,
Guy who found that pile of rust once himself

[Rick]

Are you using Triple 7? If so, it might be ok for that long. As long as there's not been any moisture in it. But real black powder or pyrodex? You're gonna have a rusty gun. I'll be curious to hear how it fares.

Yep, T7

[Rick]

I'm going to buck the system. I'm not going to clean it until next weekend. I may wind up kicking myself when I open the safe and find a pile of rust where an Elkhorn used to be.

I'm pretty sure it'll survive the next 4 days just fine though.

That's not when you'll be kicking yourself - it's going to be when you have a buck or bear in the sights and it goes "pop..." instead of "pop-BOOM".
If you insist on doing this in spite of all the good advice, I'd suspect there are others out there that don't clean every time, too.  That just means I need to buy me some stock in CVA - they must have a healthy replacement barrel business.

~Signed,
Guy who found that pile of rust once himself

There is only one way to find out whats gonna happen. Think about where we'd be as a society if everyone was afraid to experiment or think outside the box.

We'd still be throwing spears at our dinner and dragging our wives to bed by their hair.

[Skillet]

Touche.  In the interest of science, please do share the result.

For what it's worth, had I not left my gun uncleaned over a winter, I would never have made the best investment I've ever made in my muzzleloader - a Green Mountain LRH barrel. 

That's www.gmriflebarrel.com

Tell 'em Skillet sent ya. 

[shorthair15]

i would clean it i have 6 muzzleloaders. i always clean them. if the powder is triple seven you may be able to get away with leaving it loaded for a few days. but i fire mine  after two days and clean it as long as it has not been raining. better off to clean it and keep the parts clean or it will rust even if it is stainless.

[hillbilli]

with corrosive powder.. if I shoot it, I clean it that day or the next.. I waited 2 days once, and paid the price with a pitted barrel...

[wapiti hunter2]

Define clean.   I always run a patch through the bore between every shot.  I dampen it with spit, run it through, hit the bore with a dry patch and then reload.  My Bighorn shoots great with the bore cleaned this way and this is the way I carry it all season long.  Tape over the end of the barrel, German musket caps.  I only remove the cap if I am carrying the gun in a vehicle.  After season, I shoot it and clean it thoroughly.  To me, the gun is "fouled" but what say you?

[bobcat]

wapiti hunter- if that's all you do to clean it, and then leave it that way all season, I'm surprised your barrel isn't rusted out. What powder do you use?

[wapiti hunter2]

777 loose.  I shot the other day and then cleaned the gun.  Barrel shinny and perfect.  Tonight I will foul it for next week.

[Rick]

You guys can all sleep easy tonight. I hadn't even looked at my ML since I put it in the safe last Sunday. Pulled it out tonight and there isn't a hint of rust or corrosion to be found.

Not even from my sweaty hands packing it around in the 80° heat last weekend.

Pulled the nipple and found it to be totally clear. I have aboslutely no doubt it'll fire if needed this weekend.

I'm going to continue this experiment and I'm not going to clean it until I see something that makes me want to clean it or after the late season,whichever comes first.

[cjensen]

I've had a cap gun twice on elk now.  Always error on the side of caution cause you spend hundreds of dollars and lots of time for one or two opportunities a year.   Pretty lame to have them ruined by laziness.  I've learned the hard way....twice.  I clean my gun every time it's shot.

[Lcl 66 Tinner]

I've left my ML "uncleaned" for about 2 wks and cleaned it and was just fine,no rust or pitting. I have a Lyman .54 Great Plains not one of these inlines. The season was intended for a traditional hunt not for modernized equipment that can shoot 300yds. back to the subject though, I use GOEX FFF and have had no problems and only use Dawn dish soap and hot water to clean. Dry the barrel with a dry patch and another patch with Bore Butter. 15min. if that and I'm done.

[kenzmad]

clean it! a couple years back, I put mt Black Diamond in the safe for the year. Pulled it out before next season and found it was still loaded.   Lots of pitting about 3" above the bullet. I am still using it and it works just fine but I am still mad at myself for it. It is easy to forget to clean it once you put it away. now mine stays in the living room until I clean it. no more outa sight outa mind. the wife is the on that gets on me now, she don't like it sitting on the couch too long.

[goldenhtr]

I have a Lyman .54 Great Plains not one of these inlines. The season was intended for a traditional hunt not for modernized equipment that can shoot 300yds.

[dscubame]

Inlines are the down fall of the traditionalist.  Inlines to muzzle loaders as illuminocks to bowhunters.  hehehe

Even I do not believe what i just said.