Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Muzzleloader Hunting => Topic started by: huntnfmly on November 24, 2014, 05:18:49 PM

Title: muzzy condensation?
Post by: huntnfmly on November 24, 2014, 05:18:49 PM: I will be puting my daughters muzzy in gun case while its still cold from the days hunt.I know to keep it in truck and not bring into warm room will the gun case keep it from getting warm and causing condensation because we will be in a suv so that will heat up on ride back.I hope this question makes some sense.
Thank you
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: elkboy on November 24, 2014, 05:48:49 PM: I have always had decent luck (i.e., muzzy will fire next day) with storing in a nice insulated gun case. If the gun is wet from rain or mist, I like to dry it off with a dry cloth in the vehicle before putting it away. Even if we blast the heat in the vehicle, the gun has always been relatively protected from condensation. It does help to throw a sleeping bag or thick blanket over the gun case for an additional layer of insulation.

One extra thought: after a few bad experiences with wet powder, my hunting buddies and I always discharge our muzzleloaders after a wet day in the field (that is, more than 3-4 hours of rain through the course of the day). We then clean and dry out the muzzleloaders indoors, and pop a cap through and reload to ensure a dry powder charge for the next day's hunt.

Good luck!
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: Damnimissed on November 24, 2014, 07:41:30 PM: I've heard of people pressing a piece of leather onto the nipple with the action. I was actually was really busy/lazy and didn't get to a place to get rid of my load/charge from early muzzy elk. It has been kept in the safe in my garage which has no dehumidifier for almost a month and a half without anything over the nipple. I shoot RWS 1075s and it went off on the second shot which wasn't a hang fire.
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: RG on November 24, 2014, 09:19:51 PM: Don't worry it will shoot just fine. I've been muzzleloading since 1975. Never had condensation during a hunt. If it doesn't shoot it's because there was oil in the breach when it was loaded. I leave it loaded for 10 days at a time, it always shoots, even the flintlocks.
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: plugger on November 25, 2014, 06:52:08 AM: I discharge mine at the end of every day regardless of the weather. Fire a few caps through it each morning and reload. I and the guys that I hunt with have all had miss fires before we started doing this, none since. A few bullets wasted is better than a miss fire or worse, a delayed fire.
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: floatinghat on November 25, 2014, 06:18:27 PM: I didn't fire a shot during early elk. It fired fine late modern deer. It had been in and out of cars,tents, hotels etc
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: coachcw on November 25, 2014, 06:23:13 PM: Quote from: plugger on November 25, 2014, 06:52:08 AM
I discharge mine at the end of every day regardless of the weather. Fire a few caps through it each morning and reload. I and the guys that I hunt with have all had miss fires before we started doing this, none since. A few bullets wasted is better than a miss fire or worse, a delayed fire.
I agree with this no sense in missing a animal over such a small thing . my dad And I had 92 knights and he let his sit overnight after a damp day , the next morning we got on deer he pulled up and shot , snap ! so he held on or so he thought about five seconds later boom ! blew both front legs of the deer next to the one he shot . not a pretty sight right there lucky the deer couldn't run away.
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: elkboy on November 25, 2014, 06:27:27 PM: For what it's worth, it rained so hard on me this afternoon that I shot the charge after dark, even though I was only out for two hours. Coachcw is right- no sense in taking chances! Shots at game are valuable opportunities.

Good luck all!
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: whacker1 on November 25, 2014, 07:23:55 PM: Quote from: coachcw on November 25, 2014, 06:23:13 PM
Quote from: plugger on November 25, 2014, 06:52:08 AM
I discharge mine at the end of every day regardless of the weather. Fire a few caps through it each morning and reload. I and the guys that I hunt with have all had miss fires before we started doing this, none since. A few bullets wasted is better than a miss fire or worse, a delayed fire.
I agree with this no sense in missing a animal over such a small thing . my dad And I had 92 knights and he let his sit overnight after a damp day , the next morning we got on deer he pulled up and shot , snap ! so he held on or so he thought about five seconds later boom ! blew both front legs of the deer next to the one he shot . not a pretty sight right there lucky the deer couldn't run away.

If damp day and getting in and out of warm truck, I pull the breach plug and dump the powder out. run a couple of patches and then reload in the morning. Too much risk of "no" bang.
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: ghosthunter on November 25, 2014, 07:43:35 PM: Quote from: whacker1 on November 25, 2014, 07:23:55 PM
Quote from: coachcw on November 25, 2014, 06:23:13 PM
Quote from: plugger on November 25, 2014, 06:52:08 AM
I discharge mine at the end of every day regardless of the weather. Fire a few caps through it each morning and reload. I and the guys that I hunt with have all had miss fires before we started doing this, none since. A few bullets wasted is better than a miss fire or worse, a delayed fire.
I agree with this no sense in missing a animal over such a small thing . my dad And I had 92 knights and he let his sit overnight after a damp day , the next morning we got on deer he pulled up and shot , snap ! so he held on or so he thought about five seconds later boom ! blew both front legs of the deer next to the one he shot . not a pretty sight right there lucky the deer couldn't run away.

If damp day and getting in and out of warm truck, I pull the breach plug and dump the powder out. run a couple of patches and then reload in the morning. Too much risk of "no" bang.

:yeah:
I will do that if I hunt in heavy rain. But no rain I just leave it in the truck. Five years no problem.
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: kerrdog on November 25, 2014, 10:04:18 PM: My opinion......muzzleloaders don't always go off. I've had powder and cap that's hunted in the rain for days go boom.....and a fresh load at the range go snap. :dunno: Although much less since I got a Disc Extreme.

But I do like those Traditions barrel rubbers. Those are pretty good.
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: kenzmad on November 25, 2014, 10:26:07 PM: Not doable with the inlines, but with old Hawken. Electrical tape over the end of the barrel and nail polish around the #11 cap. Never a misfire or hangfire in 20 +years of hunting the westside in November.
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: elkboy on November 26, 2014, 10:18:24 AM: I do the electrical tape thing as well. One strip lengthwise over the barrel, then a strip around the barrel to lock it on. I haven't tried the nail polish yet, but I may have to raid the girlfriend's stash if this weather keeps up!
Title: Re: muzzy condensation?
Post by: Soady on November 28, 2014, 10:26:09 PM: My sidelocks when I had them got wax dripped over the cap and nipple. I later upgraded to a small 3/16 surgical tubing sleeve leaving the cap exposed. Both worked and the barrel was always carried pointed down and an occasional patch was used to move any excess moisture out.

Today the inline gets loaded beginning of early season when it is dry and stays that way until after late season, a strip of electrical tape over the end of the barrel if it is really raining. Today it went bang with no problems on a nice tasty deer and we have had some rains here of late. I just finished cleaning and reloading it for elk tomorrow. I think the biggest problems are over oiling the barrel as I have seen some real sludge come out of those who use too much oil.