Leave loaded or unload for hunting?

[Pepe-lepew]

Actually I am interested in more than asked in the title. How do you manage your muzzle loader for multi day hunts? For example, leave loaded, unload everyday, special loading methods, different procedures for dry weather vs rain?

Back when I hunted deer this was not a problem. Always shot it same day to fill my tag. Now that I am hunting elk, it may be a few days or never before filling a tag.

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[Andy54Hawken]

Ifin' I have a loaded rifle in camp...
I'll thread a piece of red cloth between the ram rod and barrel near the muzzle.

Special loading....not really...
As for rain...I'll just keep the lock covered with my hand...or maybe ....a "Cows Knee "...of oil cloth or leather around the lock....
Usually don't worry 'bout , even with a flintlock in the rain.
Andy

 

[Yarome]

Interesting topic and I'm curious as well. I don't do much muzzleloader hunting, but always something I've wanted to get more into.

My grandfather was a big muzzleloader hunter. All I know on this topic was what he taught me... but no idea how sage his wisdom was on the subject. He always told me to unload your rifle at the end of the day.

Illustrating his point with one of his hunting experiences while Elk hunting. After days without success he finally had an opportunity to pull down on a large bull, perfect broadside still shot... pulled the trigger... then listened as his ball trickled down the barrel and dribbled to the dirt two feet out the end of his muzzle.

It was then that he remembered he hadn't emptied his rifle the night before, and with the low temperatures, snow and dense fog concluded his load had dampened during the night.

Muzzleloaders aren't in my wheelhouse enough to determine the truth of it or not, but it "sounded" reasonable(?)

 

[Andy54Hawken]

I have kept my rifle loaded at times , while in camp...
Haven't had the ball trickle down the barrel because of it.
Not saying it hasn't happened...just hasn't happened to me.

However....
I load with a looser patch and ball combo...and once I did have my load shift upwards from the breech when driving from one area to another.
No harm since I always check my loading.

Weather can affect powder..so it is wise to always check your powder be it in a loaded firearm , horn or flask.
By "affect"...weather / humidity can at times , cause your powder to clump together in a horn or flask.
Andy

 

[Mark W.]

I have done both. For in camp safety I removed the cap and placed a small plastic nipple cover from a carburetor over the nipple to seal up the charge. This prevented the hammer from even contacting the nipple. I do tend to use a slightly wet patch so not sure if sitting over night would damp more powder then the 9-10 hours it had been loaded during the day. I never had any trouble with the load the next day. I have also stopped on the way to a hunt area at 4:30 in the morning and dumped two loads into the ditch to foul the barrel before I loaded my actual hunt load. (My rifle has very deep rifling and a little crud in the barrel helps with a good seal) I did this once just as the sun was coming up and just as I dumped the first round into the ditch a BIG 4 point (Blacktail we only count one side here) jumped out and went out into a field next to the road. And promptly disappeared..... I now do my dumps well before legal hunting time.

 

[kelljp]

As long as I don't transition from cold outside to warm indoors it might be days. Usually leave it in the truck during hunting season.