Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Muzzleloader Hunting => Topic started by: bosshogg112 on January 25, 2013, 09:58:06 PM

Title: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: bosshogg112 on January 25, 2013, 09:58:06 PM: So i have the option to get a decent muzzy at a fantastic price with quite a few extras. My big concern is that this guy has had it sitting fr 3 years with a charge in it. Is this thing toast or worth checking out? Your opinions are greatly appreciated!!!

thanks
Matt
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: ellensburgpo on January 25, 2013, 09:59:23 PM: Get rid of the charge, clean it, and take a good look at the barrel.
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: washelkhunter on January 25, 2013, 10:07:58 PM: Just shoot it.
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: jackmaster on January 25, 2013, 10:14:21 PM: Hit will be just fine, my dad had a charge in his for over 2 years, he took the nipple out cleaned put a few grains of powder down the nipple hole screwed the nipple back in capped it and she shot just fine and he still uses every season and that was over 12 years ago :tup:
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: bobcat on January 25, 2013, 10:24:12 PM: As long as it was clean when it was loaded, it should be fine. Some people like to hunt with a fouled barrel, so if that was the case I'd be concerned.

I had a muzzleloader once that I left loaded for a year, then loaned it to my cousin and he killed an elk with his first shot.
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: KFhunter on January 25, 2013, 10:28:54 PM: I'd hesitate to shoot it not having seen 1st hand what some stranger dumped in there.
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: JLS on January 25, 2013, 10:34:02 PM: Quote from: KFhunter on January 25, 2013, 10:28:54 PM
I'd hesitate to shoot it not having seen 1st hand what some stranger dumped in there.

No kidding.

Me: You shoot it.
Dude: No, you shoot it.
Me: You loaded it, you shoot it.
Dude: No, you go.
Me: You're out of your mind.
Dude: Trust me, it'll be fine

:chuckle:
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: bobcat on January 25, 2013, 10:37:03 PM: Yeah I'd have the owner of the gun shoot it first.

Is it an inline?
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: bosshogg112 on January 26, 2013, 08:07:11 AM: yes it is an inline. its nothing special (entry level traditions i think), but all of the stuff that is coming along with it would run me in the $150 range. so $100 for the rifle and all the goodies seems to be a pretty sweet deal to me.
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: rb2506 on January 26, 2013, 08:11:41 AM: Buy the goodies, free rifle. Good deal

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Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: Heredoggydoggy on January 26, 2013, 08:35:55 AM: Most likely it's OK. I've left a charge in a gun for a year and it went off no problem. I have a 36 cal. Cap-and Ball revolver that's going on 3 years loaded. I need to shoot it out and clean it. I had a bunch of .54 cal. speed loaders that had charges in them for 2 years, and thinking they were getting old, I went to the range to shoot them. My shoulder hurt after the 4th one, so I decided the rest of them were OK. :chuckle: All were loaded with American Pioneer substitute BP. That being said, not knowing what the load in the gun is, I'd pull the bullet and dump the charge. :twocents:
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: TheFewTheProud on January 26, 2013, 09:06:41 AM: I had left a charge in mine when I left for the military. My dad noticed a couple years later. He put a cap on it and it went boom. I still hunt with it. I think you're fine.
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: Sabotloader on January 26, 2013, 09:34:05 AM: Quote from: bosshogg112 on January 25, 2013, 09:58:06 PM
So i have the option to get a decent muzzy at a fantastic price with quite a few extras. My big concern is that this guy has had it sitting fr 3 years with a charge in it. Is this thing toast or worth checking out? Your opinions are greatly appreciated!!!

thanks
Matt

I would bet a $ it would shoot out just fine... BUT if you didn't load it - you should not shoot it. Pull the BP and push it out or get a ball puller and pull the bullet and dump the charge.. even a CO2 discharger...
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: dawhunt on January 27, 2013, 05:04:20 AM: Quote from: Sabotloader on January 26, 2013, 09:34:05 AM
Quote from: bosshogg112 on January 25, 2013, 09:58:06 PM
So i have the option to get a decent muzzy at a fantastic price with quite a few extras. My big concern is that this guy has had it sitting fr 3 years with a charge in it. Is this thing toast or worth checking out? Your opinions are greatly appreciated!!!

thanks
Matt

I would bet a $ it would shoot out just fine... BUT if you didn't load you should not shoot it. Pull the BP and push it out or get a ball puller and pull the bullet and dump the charge.. even a CO2 discharger...

:yeah: :yeah: :yeah: !!!!!
Bob
Title: Re: how long can you leave a charge in???
Post by: RG on January 27, 2013, 07:53:54 AM: I used to own a sporting goods store. Quite frequently guys brought blackpowder guns in that had been loaded for a "long time". I had a CO2 gadget to push the ball out but, most of the time a non-stainless barrel would be rusted bad since the black powder products are corrosive even in atmospheric water. Your gun may not be but you should check. If you take a cleaning jag on a rod and wrap a wet patch around it so it makes a snug, not real tight, fit, you should be able to slide it smoothly up and down inside the barrel. If it's rusty it will drag hard, or even get totally stuck, when you slide it back and forth in the barrel. You can try this even with the charge still in it if you need to. If it's rusty you can't fix it satisfactorily. Time for a new barrel. I agree that I'd remove the breech plug and pull the powder or pull the bullet out, not shoot it. Who knows what is in there.