Hunting question

[brewer12345]

I am looking at next year for deer and elk and it looks like my best chance for tags will be with a muzzleloader. As we all know, many days end without shooting at game. What do most hunters do before heading home for the day? Just shoot the load into dirt? Can't imagine it would be a good idea to just pull the cap and leave the powder and bullet in the barrel, but maybe I am misunderstanding things.

[Omega]

I am looking at next year for deer and elk and it looks like my best chance for tags will be with a muzzleloader. As we all know, many days end without shooting at game. What do most hunters do before heading home for the day? Just shoot the load into dirt? Can't imagine it would be a good idea to just pull the cap and leave the powder and bullet in the barrel, but maybe I am misunderstanding things.I do just that, pull the cap or primer and go home. The only time I'll fire it into the dirt is if it had been raining or am done hunting for the season, and I've hunted some very humid areas without an issue. But, I have only used modern BP rifles, not the older style rifles, so they may be more of an issue, but I doubt it as I have read many a story of these rifles still shooting after years of being stored loaded.

[Camper64]

I just pull the cap off and leave the bullet and power in the gun. If it is cold out, the gun stays in the vehicle as bringing it in and out of cold weather could cause some condensation issues. The only time I shoot the gun empty is if I'm done hunting for the season or have shot a few rounds and it needs to be cleaned again.

[brewer12345]

Ah, much obliged. I have a lot to learn with respect to black powder.

[rodwha]

Some people will put something such as tape across the nipple hole to help keep moisture out while it sits. Seems prudent to me.

[trapper9260]

I use a side hammer and put a cut inner tube over the nipple and it works.But keep the gun outside in what ever you use to go hunting.Like stated about the moisture to keep it out. Not bring it in the house because it will happened.

[Shawlerbrook]

Our muzzleloader season is 9 days long. I shoot a couple primers before loading my inline the first day and keep it loaded until I shoot a deer or the season ends. Never had a problem.

[koger]

I would add that I put a oily patch over the nipple and ease the hammer down on it, no moisture can get thru the oily patch. And like said previously, I leave my gun in the truck or my unheated shop, to avoid sweating on the scope or inside the barrel.

[dave951]

Well in my state, it's legal to use percussion breech loaders for black powder season. 1863 Sharps or 1858 Smith- remove cap, open action, use dowel rod to tap the round back out of the chamber for later.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

Pull the cap, put an ear plug over the nipple and set the hammer down. No reason to shoot it off at the end of each day.
https://www.frontiermuzzleloading.com/t10236-weather-proofing-your-sidelock-muzzleloader#89637

[Moleman-]

Always just put the cap or primer and put a piece of neoprene from a 1/8" sheet over the nipple (my buddy uses leather) to seal it a little better than just the hammer down on the nipple. Never an issue. If I put one away loaded I put tape over the muzzle. Always and it can't be stressed enough check to see if your gun is loaded before loading it. I taught my kids to check even if they just shot the ML. On my inlines the ramrod is as long as the barrels when empty. My sidelock ramrod extends out a bit. It helps to know where your ramrod is for an empty barrel and mark it for a standard load to keep you from double loading it.

[hc18flyer]

I just pull the cap off and leave the bullet and power in the gun. If it is cold out, the gun stays in the vehicle as bringing it in and out of cold weather could cause some condensation issues. The only time I shoot the gun empty is if I'm done hunting for the season or have shot a few rounds and it needs to be cleaned again.

This is what I do when I have the first loading of a previously cleaned rifle. If it has been fired after cleaning, I empty and clean it, particularly the flash channel. Additionally I put a patch over the nipple and lower the hammer.
hc18flyer

[pietro]

.

After using inlines for a few years, I returned to the Dark Side & side hammer capguns - As stated above, I leave it loaded & seal the un-capped nipple with a small piece of leather tied to the gun with a thong.


https://i.imgur.com/nvRWMg5l.jpg


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[reivertom]

I am looking at next year for deer and elk and it looks like my best chance for tags will be with a muzzleloader. As we all know, many days end without shooting at game. What do most hunters do before heading home for the day? Just shoot the load into dirt? Can't imagine it would be a good idea to just pull the cap and leave the powder and bullet in the barrel, but maybe I am misunderstanding things.

I keep it loaded and pull the cap. I usually put a piece of a rubber band under the hammer to lock out moisture from the nipple. If it is a flintlock, I put a tooth pick in the touch hole for the same reason. BP loads will last 100 years if they are kept dry. Try to not carry your rifle in and out of heat and cold extremes because it can cause condensation. If I am not going back out for a long time, or the season is over, I have a ball puller to unload my longrifle. They also make CO2 unloaders that you hold against the nipple or touch hole to do push the load out if you can't, or don't want to, shoot it out. You need to be careful with them though because the bullet/ball can come out with some deadly force in many cases. A rubber tip on a air hose chuck as in a garage will work if there is enough pressure, but it's not 100%.

[dondiego]

I left a TC Hawken loaded all year and it went off fine the next season. I had loaded a clean gun with a patch and ball coated in bore butter. NO rust. I was a little concerned about the 2 caps that I popped on it prior to loading but was assured that the Remington caps were non corrosive. It was kept in a safe with desiccant bags all year.

[sharps4590]

Percussion, what others have said.. A piece of leather under the hammer. I haven't used a percussion rifle in a couple decades as I prefer flinters. With a flintlock knock, blow, wipe the prime out of the pan and insert a toothpick, feather or anything else that will plug the touch hole. Let the hammer down and you're done.

During the season I'll leave them outside for reasons stated. Once the season is over I usually fire off the round and follow it with a few more. No sense in not taking advantage of an already fouled barrel!! I have left them loaded and in the safe for a year and used that load the next season with no difficulties. If you take of the rifle it will take care of you.

[str8wal]

I left a TC Hawken loaded all year and it went off fine the next season.

Funny related story, or perhaps not so funny depending on who you ask. Back when I was 15 I got a muzzle loader kit for my birthday, one of those that you build the gun from provided parts. I took it hunting when I was seventeen just for the heck of it. I had planned to go out the next morning (last day of season) with it so I left the bullet and powder in the gun and removed the cap as said, but it rained and I never went out. Life got busy and I forgot the powder and bullet in the rifle and tucked it away in the back of my closet. I went off to basic training the following summer where I got a letter from my Dad. Apparently my little brother wanted to make some noise so he stuck a cap on the gun and pulled the trigger. It went bang alright. More than he bargained for. Thankfully he had the gun pointed at the floor of my bedroom but the bullet cut a swath in the carpet the length of the room and lodged in the base on the far wall. Lesson learned.

[dondiego]

He learned the lesson that all guns are ALWAYS loaded!