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January 1, 2016, 07:58 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: April 3, 2013
Location: North Central PA
Posts: 59
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What to do after the days hunt?
If you have been hunting all day and haven't taken a shot, what do you do to take the gun home - do you shoot the ball or do you pull it?
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January 1, 2016, 08:42 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: May 31, 2013
Location: East Texas
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My .58 ca. Hawken is sitting in a corner loaded and has been for weeks. I just haul it home and wait for the next outing. Deer season ends here this weekend, so I'll probably fire it off and clean it up. Leaving a clean muzzleloader loaded for some time doesn't hurt anything.
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January 1, 2016, 09:21 PM | #3 |
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Join Date: December 19, 2012
Location: Treasure Coast, Florida
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Pull the cap or dump the pan and leave it until next time.
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January 1, 2016, 09:41 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: September 8, 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 16,190
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Wipe it down and put it away.
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January 1, 2016, 10:47 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: October 20, 2012
Posts: 5,854
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Really?
I am a bit surprised that people are recommending you leave the rifle loaded. I would personally just pull the ball and rinse the powder down the sink, and get rid of the old cap or pan powder. |
January 1, 2016, 11:29 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: February 24, 2013
Posts: 584
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They are just "charged", not loaded till primed.
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January 2, 2016, 12:08 AM | #7 |
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Join Date: December 17, 2007
Location: SOUTHEAST, OHIO
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Our m/l season in Ohio is always in Jan.
It's usually cold and stays that way the duration of the HUGE four day season. . When I come in at the end of the day, the rifle is uncapped, charge left in it and it goes in the garage. My possibles bag with loaded speed loaders stay there as well. It doesn't come back in the warm house till season end. Don't want it sweating anymore than possible. |
January 2, 2016, 01:45 AM | #8 | |
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Join Date: December 19, 2012
Location: Treasure Coast, Florida
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Quote:
Same as before, unloaded guns are but clubs and they are the ones that go off accidently all the time. If you loaded your rifle without spit or with relatively dry lubricant, which will not foul the powder charge, it can be left loaded for hundreds of years. Great great grandson Alan can cap it or prime the pan and shoot it long after you've gone on to your reward. Such of course assumes you used real black powder!
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“Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.” - Job 38:3
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January 2, 2016, 01:57 AM | #9 |
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Join Date: January 30, 2009
Location: Boncarbo,Colorado
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no reason to unload your rifle every day unless you've been in a pouring rain or fell into a river.
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January 2, 2016, 02:19 AM | #10 |
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Join Date: October 20, 2012
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Wow, for some reason I was under the impression that the powder could draw moisture and be corrupted. Interesting!
I might have to leave my Hawken rifle loaded when I get one. Maybe keep a tin of caps on the nightstand if you know what I mean! Imagine the police report! |
January 2, 2016, 07:48 AM | #11 |
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Join Date: October 9, 2015
Location: Croatia
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I leave my revolver loaded between range sessions. The only thing which sometimes goes bad are the caps, oil tends to just eat them away. Powder is always fine (use hard grease so it won't melt). If you insure there is no oil residue near the nipples, could load it, seal the caps and leave it loaded and ready to go for years and decades.
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January 2, 2016, 08:43 PM | #12 |
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Join Date: August 7, 2000
Location: Floating down the James River in VA
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Unless there's been inclement weather, I dump my pan or remove the cap at the end of the day, and put my rifle back up on the wall hangers, Pa Ingalls style.
I'll leave it charged for the entire season (only two weeks of MZ deer here), then pull the ball at the end of the season. |
January 3, 2016, 11:56 AM | #13 | ||
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Join Date: February 16, 2006
Location: IOWA
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Yes Sir !!
Quote:
Quote:
Be Safe !!!
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January 3, 2016, 12:17 PM | #14 |
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Join Date: December 27, 2008
Posts: 555
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Mine stay loaded most of the year.
I shoot flinters only but go two steps further after blowing out the pan. I wrap the muzzle with a piece of patch lube soaked cloth and tie it over the muzzle to keep the occasional bug out. I also leave a spare lube soaked leather frizzen cover (flinter safety) in place. Figure it can't hurt, even though none of my guns self prime. JT |
January 3, 2016, 10:02 PM | #15 |
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Join Date: November 2, 1998
Location: Colorado
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Ned Roberts in The Muzzle Loading Cap Lock Rifle has some things to say about it.
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January 4, 2016, 01:53 AM | #16 | |
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Quote:
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January 5, 2016, 04:44 AM | #17 |
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Join Date: May 31, 2013
Location: East Texas
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I load my hunting rifles a little differently than when target shooting, as they might be loaded for some time. I lube with bore butter instead of my normal wet lube, and put a card wad over the powder before seating the patch and ball. I think this keeps the lube from migrating down into the powder and the patch will stay lubed and not dry out.
Might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it seems to work for me. |
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