How long do you leave a bullet and powder in your gun?

[duckmen1]

Mine always goes off reliable. But always keep mine clean in any weather. If it stays dry I will keep it loaded during the general early season and clean at the end of the early season. But if it gets wet I undo breach, clean and reload. If I shoot at anything and for some reason still have a tag I clean and reload for next outing. Muzzleloaders can have a tendency to foul if left dirty and I have heard it time and time again. Someones gun didn't go off when needed. I am also careful about storing during a trip. Not to get it from dry to moist and or store it from hot to cold to hot environments causing sweat moisture. Try to keep environment storage stable. With proper precaution you will have a reliable gun every time. They are pretty quick to clean in comparison to thorough cleaning of a rifle getting all copper fouling and such out so they are not as much work as some people think.

[wadu1]

I've kept a charge and bullet in all year without a problem, change cap daily. I've got on loaded in the safe  that I loaded for a friend three years ago. Never got around to pulling the bullet or shooting it on New Years eve. I shoot Thompson Hawkins side locks, none of that fancy stuff. I read an article back in the late 60's where someone found a loaded Civil War musket in good shape and still loaded, they replaced the nipple and put on  a cap "Ka-boom"

[LDennis24]

Yeah I'm willing to bet all this other talk is from people who use the "improved" newer in-lines and I'll bet they shoot pellets. Pellets are the reason for hangfires and misfires in almost every situation I know of when a gun doesn't go off. That and using old primers or those CCI brand ones. They suck. Use only RWS caps and you should be good. Changing temps allows moisture to collect between the pellets or down the core of them and then you might be screwed and have to use one of those fancy CO2 discharging kits. I don't even own one cuz I don't need one. I have had one or two misfires when I was crawling through the wet brush and grass and completely soaked my gun. With that I usually carry a film canister full of FFFF and I take out my nipple and pack some in behind it and into it and boom goes the dynamite. 

[duckmen1]

Yeah I'm willing to bet all this other talk is from people who use the "improved" newer in-lines and I'll bet they shoot pellets. Pellets are the reason for hangfires and misfires in almost every situation I know of when a gun doesn't go off. That and using old primers or those CCI brand ones. They suck. Use only RWS caps and you should be good. Changing temps allows moisture to collect between the pellets or down the core of them and then you might be screwed and have to use one of those fancy CO2 discharging kits. I don't even own one cuz I don't need one. I have had one or two misfires when I was crawling through the wet brush and grass and completely soaked my gun. With that I usually carry a film canister full of FFFF and I take out my nipple and pack some in behind it and into it and boom goes the dynamite. 

I personally use Pyrodex rs loose powder. German musket caps. Follow my own judgment in conditions that I feel my gun has encountered and keep gun clean and dry accordingly. Again. Never any issues for me. But yeah you are right on some of those thoughts for sure on others.

[phildobaggins]

Yeah I'm willing to bet all this other talk is from people who use the "improved" newer in-lines and I'll bet they shoot pellets. Pellets are the reason for hangfires and misfires in almost every situation I know of when a gun doesn't go off. That and using old primers or those CCI brand ones. They suck. Use only RWS caps and you should be good. Changing temps allows moisture to collect between the pellets or down the core of them and then you might be screwed and have to use one of those fancy CO2 discharging kits. I don't even own one cuz I don't need one. I have had one or two misfires when I was crawling through the wet brush and grass and completely soaked my gun. With that I usually carry a film canister full of FFFF and I take out my nipple and pack some in behind it and into it and boom goes the dynamite. 

I'm those people LOL

I've never had a hang fire with CCI primers/pellets haha. The trick is to remember to put the pellets in the correct direction, and to not touch them with your fingers.

[JakeLand]

I run blackhorn and 209 primers, but I also hunt some of the wetter conditions this state has to offer now i swab and swap every night but again just for my piece of mind
Heading to muzzy elk camp ! Good luck every one

[Scruffy]

Not an issue to leave loaded, (unprimed) but DON'T FORGET IT IS LOADED AND DUMP ANOTHER CHARGE AND BALL IN THE BARREL.  They don't like dbl loads.....

[dilleytech]

If I don’t shoot at a animal It stays loaded until fall when I go out and check zero. Never had a problem. Keep the barrel taped.

[wadu1]

Not an issue to leave loaded, (unprimed) but DON'T FORGET IT IS LOADED AND DUMP ANOTHER CHARGE AND BALL IN THE BARREL.  They don't like dbl loads.....

You got that right, no double loads. I mark my ramrods to indicate loaded. Watching a Aquachigger U-tube on finding civil war relics, he has a barrel that he had x-rayed it has 7 or 8 charges. 

[haftard]

Not an issue to leave loaded, (unprimed) but DON'T FORGET IT IS LOADED AND DUMP ANOTHER CHARGE AND BALL IN THE BARREL.  They don't like dbl loads.....

Not an issue you just have more projectiles coming out the barrel. I will admit it the shot sounds funny and you'll know something is wrong. But didn't hurt the gun at all

[HntnFsh]

Leave my Bighorn loaded all season no matter the weather. I also leave it in my rig at night. 

[LDennis24]

Yeah I'm willing to bet all this other talk is from people who use the "improved" newer in-lines and I'll bet they shoot pellets. Pellets are the reason for hangfires and misfires in almost every situation I know of when a gun doesn't go off. That and using old primers or those CCI brand ones. They suck. Use only RWS caps and you should be good. Changing temps allows moisture to collect between the pellets or down the core of them and then you might be screwed and have to use one of those fancy CO2 discharging kits. I don't even own one cuz I don't need one. I have had one or two misfires when I was crawling through the wet brush and grass and completely soaked my gun. With that I usually carry a film canister full of FFFF and I take out my nipple and pack some in behind it and into it and boom goes the dynamite. 

I'm those people LOL

I've never had a hang fire with CCI primers/pellets haha. The trick is to remember to put the pellets in the correct direction, and to not touch them with your fingers.

No trick to loading them the right way, they collect moisture regardless of how you load them. An open cavity is still there inside the pellets unlike a packed loose powder round. I know plenty of competition muzzleloader shooters and have used a muzzleloader for hunting almost every year in every environment. They all agree pellets suck. Wet environments and pellets will cause misfires and leave alot of residue in your gun. And CCI primers foul easily in the rain. This I know.

[Dan-o]

Not an issue to leave loaded, (unprimed) but DON'T FORGET IT IS LOADED AND DUMP ANOTHER CHARGE AND BALL IN THE BARREL.  They don't like dbl loads.....

You got that right, no double loads. I mark my ramrods to indicate loaded. Watching a Aquachigger U-tube on finding civil war relics, he has a barrel that he had x-rayed it has 7 or 8 charges.

I saw that!

That poor guy must have been scared out of his mind to just keep packing loads down the barrel.

[Scruffy]

Not an issue to leave loaded, (unprimed) but DON'T FORGET IT IS LOADED AND DUMP ANOTHER CHARGE AND BALL IN THE BARREL.  They don't like dbl loads.....

Not an issue you just have more projectiles coming out the barrel. I will admit it the shot sounds funny and you'll know something is wrong. But didn't hurt the gun at all

You may have gotten away with it but certainly not a recommended thing to do.  There are plenty of exploded barrels out there to prove to consequences.  I personally shoot my muzzleloaders after the season is over.  Hate taking that shot, just means I am in for a good cleaning after.....

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Just remember if you are hunting in freezing conditions, you can end up with moisture inside your barrel which can affect your powder.  Especially if you bring your gun inside at night. Frozen metal in a warm space will cause condensation.  Think of your car window after a cold night. you will have condensation on the inside.  It can happen from the barrel getting cold then bringing it inside a warm vehicle too. Some times many times in a day.