# leaving muzzle loader loaded



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

i posted this yesterday apparently shortly before the board died and had to be restored from a backup 

but i loaded my muzzle loader for the christmas hunt i didn't see anything, got busy and , it is still loaded i have let it go for the entire season with no ill affect before basicaly hollaween to christmas and i plan to get out next week to discharge it then bring it home to clean it ,it was clean before loading

yes cap is removed- this allows for legal transport in wisconsin

how long have you left yours loaded and was there any ill affect 


i have left powder in speed loadeds for a year didn't seem to affect it they are the tight plasic type

i use 777 90 gr with a 395 gr hornady great plains bullet


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

I have never left mine charged. I either fired it, or used a bullet puller (after soaking it) or I've used a TC CO2 system that pops the ball out without having to fire the piece. I would think that it wouldn't be so good to leave a charge in the breech without firing it (condensation)...


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

As I understand it the powder itself is pretty bad for the barrel...plastic isn't going to be affected the same way that metal would by a corrosive.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Leaving them loaded will cause rusting, especially if youre using REAL Black Powder, which is hygroscopic (attracts moisture)


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## deaconjim (Oct 31, 2005)

What is the best way (other than firing) to unload it?


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## MELOC (Sep 26, 2005)

ball puller


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

i don't have a ball puller i should probably get one , you said after you soak it , in what water i have heard of the co2 thing before i wondered if the air compressor would work -or if that was considered dangerouse for some reason


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

I always soaked the ball and patch with some Thompson Center "spit". Let it soak a good twenty minutes or so. I'd then turn the gun muzzle down (over the sink for a second) and take the nipple out and squirt some in there, as well...to get the charge wet. Then attach your ball puller to your ramrod and screw it in, and pull it out. The TC CO2 thing I have only uses Thompson Center CO2 cartridges (unfortunately). Works great though. Simply fit the small fitting with the O ring over the nipple (no percussion cap of course). Push the thing down, with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and the ball, patch and powder all come zooming out of the barrel, without having to fire, and then consequently clean. (I'd alsays run a bit of bore butter down through the barrel anyway, a time or two, followed by a dry patch). Getting the load wet before pulling the ball always made me feel more comfortable doing that.


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## YuccaFlatsRanch (May 3, 2004)

If you are going to ruin the powder and patch and ball by wetting and pulling, wouldn't it just be so much easier to fire the charge?? Doesn't make sense to me to do otherwise. Why go through all the trouble??


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

I either shoot mine or use a blow snoozle with a rubber tip, and my air compressor. Works much better than a bullet puller for me and I don't have to wet the powder. Years ago the first one I had, i had trouble getting it to fire. Put it down pointed in a safe direction for an hour or so. The dern bullet puller pulled out of the soft lead ball, I got pizzed and took my door vice and fastened it to a sawhorse ,set it out inna yard, removed my barrel and fastened it in the vice aimed at the ground, held propane torch to the nipple and directly she said, "kaboom", (warning do not try this at home), i wuz lucky i didn't get hurt. From then on I started using air pressure if I couldn't shoot it out..


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

A friend used an air compressor and shot the ball out of the vise and broke the wheel on his grinder. The ball comes out kinda fast. 

I had a customer bring in an original Harpers Ferry musket once. The ramrod hung out 6" when in the barrel. I ran in a worm and pulled about 4 different loads out. The powder was all green or gray cake and there was floral wallpaper and muslin and pillow ticking and lead oxide balls. I felt like an archaeologist. If that first charge had ever fired, somebody would have been surprised shooting all those loads at once.


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

I carry mine with a charge in it for a couple of days, with the nipple off of course.
Any longer, I fire the charge before packing it up, for cleaning.

Don't like to keep it in any longer as I have had loads that wouldn't fire right away, needed a couple of caps to get it to go? damp/wet etc?

Really be a pain to finally get a good shot, and not have it fire.

Yes I do fire several caps thru it to make sure it's dry befor loading.

Have used compressed air and a ball puller, but prefer just to fire it.


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

YuccaFlatsRanch said:


> If you are going to ruin the powder and patch and ball by wetting and pulling, wouldn't it just be so much easier to fire the charge?? Doesn't make sense to me to do otherwise. Why go through all the trouble??


Not really...yes you do ruin the ball, patch and powder, but cleaning after firing takes a lot more time, and patches...


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

thanks i have a blow gun on the compressor with a rubber nipple i will just do that 

yeah i would love to be able to step out the back door and just fire it , but i am in town even if only by 3 blocks , probelm is i don't have a place to shoot very near by , there are public hunting grounds close a few miles but i am not sure if the dnr would get bent out of shape for shooting at one out of season.

realy it's about the only thing this town is missing is a range we have a grocery , post office , farm store with stihl dealership , a napa and a gas station schools are good 
and there is a good cheese dairy just outside of town to get what ever cheese you like at good prices.
you can never underestamate good cheese in the wisconsin diet.


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

Plus...let's say you are out mz hunting...don't see anything and it's getting dark. You don't want to fire your round cause it's just that much more noise for other hunters (including yourself) that might be out tomorrow. Why add to the deer's "spookiness" if you don't have to?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Didn't read any where that it was a rock lock. Remove the breech plug and push it out if an inline.

 Al


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

alleyyooper said:


> Didn't read any where that it was a rock lock. Remove the breech plug and push it out if an inline.
> 
> Al


break action inline NEF huntsman ,as long as it is safe to remove the breech plug and push it out i can do that, i once started a bullet with no powder distractions are dangerous , at the range did just that 

now i have the ram rod marked for powder and bullet if i am not at the line i know i have a problem 

great little gun very acurate 2 minor complaints ram rod could be better and so could the breach plug tool other than that i love it, for 99 dollars it's hard to beat


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## Homesteadwi5 (Mar 16, 2008)

I have left mine loaded for as long as 3-4 months with no ill effect.I load it at the start of mz season and if dont see anything i don't shoot it off until the last day at quitting time.


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## mj1angier (Jan 3, 2006)

Homesteadwi5 said:


> I have left mine loaded for as long as 3-4 months with no ill effect.I load it at the start of mz season and if dont see anything i don't shoot it off until the last day at quitting time.


I have done the same. 3-4 months and it shot like a fresh load.


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## woodsrunner (Nov 28, 2003)

About twenty years ago I had a friend that worked for the phone company as a installer/repair man. He gave out my phone number to an elderly lady that had an old Manton shotgun. She had it since her father had passed away in WWII. She called I bought it, it was still loaded after 40+ years. I took a worm to the wads and unloaded it. I put the powder in an old pan, took it out in the back yard and threw a match in it. If that powder had deteriorated or absorbed moisture I couldn't tell. The bores were still shiny and I even took it out loaded it up and shot it several times over the ten years I owned it.

After that experience I would have no trouble loading a gun with a clean, dry bore and leaving it long term. Reloading a dirty barrel though I don't think I would attempt. I also have half a can of Dupont 2f here that is in it's origional can. The can is so old it has a $2.10 price stamped on it with the old purple ink price stampers. But, there's no rust in that can even after being partially used for many years. Last year I shot a couple rounds out of it comparing it against a fresh can of GOEX. I couldn't tell the difference.


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## farmerjon (Jan 7, 2009)

My father in law left his loaded a whole year. He said it was my fault I didnt clean it for him, but I loaded a cap and fired it. It shot fine. Dead on actually. He is one of those guys who loads up the oil too. Triple 7. I use a TC Pro. I have pushed loads out before by taking out the breach. Makes me kinda nervous tho.


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## tamarackreg (Mar 13, 2006)

I left mine loaded in my polebarn all year last year. Hit a milk jug at 100 yards with the stored charge when I fired it prior to season this year. There was no visible damage to the bore. It is stainless / synthetic.


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## unioncreek (Jun 18, 2002)

I would just shoot it out and not soak it and pull the ball. It's easier to clean the barrel after one shot than to try and get all that powder out. I've left my flintlock loaded for over six months and then taken it out and shot the load out of it. 

Just shoot it.

Bob


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