How long can you leave a Inline Muzzleloader loaded?

[usmarine0352_2005]

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A friend said they damaged their Inline Muzzleloader by leaving it loaded with pellets too long and said the pellets corroded the barrel.


Is that possible?




I basically leave my Inline loaded until I shoot a deer or the end of the season which is about a month.



Is that too long to leave it loaded?





Also, if I go up Muzzleloader hunting and there is a break of time when I come home from the cabin. I usually shoot my muzzleloader then pack it up, go home and then come back hunting without cleaning it. (I then clean it at the end of the season.)



Is it ok to fire it that once and not clean it until the end of the season?





Or if I shoot 4-6 deer and never clean it until the end of the season, is that ok too? (Not all me shooting deer.)

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[junkman_01]

Clean it. A clean gun is a happy gun.

I'm quite sure you were taught in the Corps to clean your weapon!

 

[arcticap]

A friend said they damaged their Inline Muzzleloader by leaving it loaded with pellets too long and said the pellets corroded the barrel.


Is that possible?

I believe it. It sounds like they were Pyrodex pellets that maybe came into contact with moisture. That may happen with any powder or pellets that absorb moisture depending on the conditions. Or maybe the barrel wasn't cleaned well to begin with.

I basically leave my Inline loaded until I shoot a deer or the end of the season which is about a month.



Is that too long to leave it loaded?

I've never had a problem during a 2 week winter season by storing the gun cold and keeping the muzzle covered with a balloon, and then another week or two until the gun is fired. But anything is possible if moisture gets in the barrel. That's why I keep the muzzle covered.

Also, if I go up Muzzleloader hunting and there is a break of time when I come home from the cabin. I usually shoot my muzzleloader then pack it up, go home and then come back hunting without cleaning it. (I then clean it at the end of the season.)

Is it ok to fire it that once and not clean it until the end of the season?

I don't think so, at least not with my gun. If your climate is arid and warm enough, then maybe it won't do much harm to the gun or accuracy. It may depend on the powder, barrel metal and such. At the least the barrel should be swabbed out really good.

Or if I shoot 4-6 deer and never clean it until the end of the season, is that ok too? (Not all me shooting deer.)

The same answer as above. It may or may not be okay. The more shots, the more residue which increases the chances to attract moisture, and the tougher it gets to remove the breech plug and to load. At least swab the barrel out. You only get one chance to not screw up the gun so make the best of it.

 

[GCBurner]

Black powder has sulfur in it, and potassium nitrate, both of which can produce acids in a humid environment.

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

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Articap, what do you mean by "swab the barrel"?



I suppose everyone has their own definition for what that is.



Also, I use Triple Seven pellets, which may or may not be not be as corrosive as others.
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[alsaqr]

My muzzleloaders are routinely left loaded for weeks or months at a time. The bores were clean at loading and there has never been any problem with rust. BTW: My guns always go bang when they are supposed to.

 

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Ohhh, I'm not sure. If it's a good CVA or Traditions, and the bore (inside of the barrel) is clean and dry, and you load it with loose Triple Seven 3fff, and a good 180 grain sabot, and you place a good clean and dry 209 in place and close the bolt securely, (no oil on the face of the bolt), and pull a balloon over the muzzle, awwww, probably somewhere in the neighborhood of a thousand years, maybe two thousand, just all depend's on where you live at and all....

 

[arcticap]

what do you mean by "swab the barrel"?

Using some wet & dry patches with a cleaning jag between shots to perform a quick back & forth cleaning from the muzzle end of the barrel as a way to effectively remove a majority of the powder residue from the bore.

Also, I use Triple Seven pellets, which may or may not be not be as corrosive as others.

That's true, it may not be as corrosive but sometimes its residue can be more stubborn to remove too, especially if a crud ring forms down in the breech. TC makes the T-17 solvent to help remove that. And Winchester makes the less hot 777 primers to help keep a crud ring from forming in the first place, especially if shooting with 777 pellets.

https://secure.tcarms.com/store/t-17-black-powder-bore-solvent-no-7488-and-7486.html

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

articap:

"Wet & dry patches"......wet with what?



And your saying you go forward and then backward down the bore from the action with the same patch?





I clean my muzzleloaders with CVA Foam and to clean the breech plugs I just spray some CVA foam into a ziploc bag and then let them soak in there for awhile and it cleans them right up.


I had the special muzzleloader primers but when back to the standard 209's since they burn hotter and it gets extremely cold in MN and I want a guaranteed shot.

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[Zeke/PA]

I don't like leaving a Muzzleloader "loaded " for any length of time.
With my T/C Hawkin, during deer season, I like to fresh the charge every couple if days.
In the interim, I hang the loaded rifle(minus cap of course) muzzle down in an outbuilding to minimize any condensation problems.
Every second day or so, when the days hunting is over, I shoot the charge into a stump and reload prior to the next hunt.
With my T/C Omega, I remove the breech plug, push out the bullet and the pellets and reload prior to the next hunt.
THIS is what works for me, no problems so far.

 

[clancy12]

"Wet & dry patches"......wet with what?

This usually refers to a gun cleaning patch wet with gun cleaner (cleaning oil). You then use a cleaning rod to run the patch down the barrel from the muzzle (unless you have a break action muzzleloader). You run the rod all the way down and back up and repeat a few times to clean off powder residue. Then use a dry patch to dry off the gun cleaner so it doesn't leave an oily residue on the inside of the barrel.

 

[arcticap]

"Wet & dry patches"......wet with what?

Wet the patches with whatever solvent or concoction that works on the 777 residue that you shoot with. That's why I mentioned the T-17 cleaner as an example of a product that's known to work.

TC makes the T-17 solvent to help remove that.

https://secure.tcarms.com/store/t-17-black-powder-bore-solvent-no-7488-and-7486.html

And your saying you go forward and then backward down the bore from the action with the same patch?

No, not usually from the action or breech end unless you feel like removing the breech plug.
In the field it's usualy swabbed out through the muzzle.

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

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articap, have you ever heard of spitting on a patch and using that instead of something like T-77?




Someone told me that's where the name "spit patch" came from and that it is ok to do when your shooting at the range.




Would that hurt the weapon at all?

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[pabst_20]

If you are hunting in alot of snow or rain i would unload it every night i do mine anyways i dont leave it loaded more than 2 or 3 days under normal conditions. everyone is different but i would not recommend going all season without cleaning it or firing it.

 

[arcticap]

articap, have you ever heard of spitting on a patch and using that instead of something like T-77?

Someone told me that's where the name "spit patch" came from and that it is ok to do when your shooting at the range.

Would that hurt the weapon at all?

I don't think that swabbing with a spit patch would hurt a weapon, but it may not effectively remove stubborn 777 residue, especially if there's a 777 crud ring that consists of super hard fouling.
Alcohol is often used for range swabbing but that does not effectively remove 777 residue either.
Generally, folks who shoot with small to moderate loads of 777 don't need to swab as much, but larger loads of 777 can produce a sticky and/or encrusted residue. It's a good idea to be prepared by having a solvent that works. Then swabbing won't take as much time or effort to accomplish.

 

[PRM]

Can't comment on pellets ~ all I use is black powder. How long will it last??? Indefinitely, guess you could ask, how long will the powder last in the can...

I mostly use C&B revolvers. Unfired black powder is not corrosive to a cylinder. I've been keeping my BP revolvers loaded for varying periods of time for over 30 years now, and except for wear on the outside bluing from use, they still look as good as the day I bought them.

Agree with other post, look at the originals. Many were not cleaned properly, possibly due to conditions the user was in. Yep, they are not pristine, but, still functional.

 

[andrewstorm]

alcohol then oil then dry patch

then reload every day afield ,and rotate pellets to a old pellet storage jar,as your gun changes temp,sweat accumulates,and can cause some corrosion,as happened to my friend on this years 2 week muzzleloader season,actually what corroded like a cheap battery was the so called platinum bullet,after missing a large buck,cause of clic ssssss...boom,i always reload every day afield,and save used pellets for summer range trips,any pellets that are damaged by moisture can hang fire and mess up your hunt

 

[Turlington Tom]

I leave my CVA Optima ML loaded during the season. Our muzzle loader deer season lasts from Dec 1st to December 31st. I loaded it the 2nd day of the season and shot a deer on the 15th. Cleaned the barrel and reloaded for my grandson to use and he didn't get a shot so I just unloaded it today (Jan 1st) by pulling out the breech plug and shoving the load out. If I had taken a shot with it after the 15th I still would have cleaned it rather than just reload and leave it. A clean gun has never failed me. When in doubt clean it.

 

[HiWayMan]

Well...last thursday night I fired off my Knight that has been left loaded for a year in the garage with cap in place. Went boom on the first trigger pull, so they will work if left loaded for at least a year. Load was 90gr. Pyrodex RS and a SPG lubed Lyman 375gr Maxi-Ball.