[dispatch55126]

Well, no joy during shotgun season and I promised my grandmother a few roasts so I'm heading back out for ML season. I have a .50 cal Hawkens which is extremely accurate with patch/ball so that isn't in question.

My question is the weather. When I first load the rifle, the powder, ball and rifle will be warm. Being Minnesota, it will definitely be below freezing. If I bring the rifle back inside, condensation could foul the powder.

Would it be better to empty the rifle before coming in or leave it outside with the original shot?

[mykeal]

Either will work ok. Neither is 'better'.

[arcticap]

During the winter hunting season I leave mine loaded in a cool/cold place, and keep the muzzle covered with a balloon until it's fired.

[bigbore442001]

Ideally you don't want the gun to go from rapid temperature extremes such as a warm truck to a cold hunt back to a warm truck or cabin. I will confess that I tend to violate that rule when muzzleloader season is upon us. I leave the gun in the truck most of the season with a charge in it. What I do is load my gun and then tape over the muzzle end with some electrical tape. Then I make sure there is a seal of some type for the percussion cap to make a closed system for a lack of a better term. I never had a problem in spite of some horrid weather.

[alsaqr]

My guns are always brought into the house. My inline rifles often stay loaded for weeks at a time. They have always gone boom when they were supposed to. A CVA gun of mine was loaded in early June and fired on 8 October. Right on target.

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I would leave it outside. Suppose you unload (hassle), then load up in the morning when the gun is warm - you can STILL get the same condensation because you're moving from warm to cold. Keep the gun cold (oustide) I say, whether loaded or not.

[whosyrdaddy]

you can STILL get the same condensation because you're moving from warm to cold.

Bull****.