[BugBuilder]

While muzzleloader hunting, what is the recommended thing to do with a loaded gun at night? With a modern rifle it is easy you just unload it at the end of the day. What do most of you do with your muzzleloader when camping and hunting for multiple days?
Thanks,
BugBuilder

 

[Huge29]

I shoot an inline; so I simply remove the primer (each and every time that I am in a car and) at night. The primer is, of course, equivalent to taking half of your modern bullet in half, so I believe it to be pretty safe. I guess the only other option would be to ruin a sabot each time or remove the breech and push the sabot out the breach, correct?

 

[sagebrush]

pretty much like what huge29 says will do.

 

[ClintW]

Ditto on the last 2.

 

[Bears Butt]

Just uncap it and put it away. I always give mine a little snuggle and a kiss before I put it to bed. If you treat them right, they will do the same.

 

[muzzlehutn]

if theres no cap theres less chance of bang why waste a good load

 

[weatherby25]

Shoot it.

 

[BugBuilder]

I am not worried about it going off without a cap. I'm wondering if you ever have problems with the powder if it's in there for several days. Any condensation from going from a warm cabin to cold outside or vice versa. Thanks for your reply's.
BugBuilder

 

[Farmboy]

There was a large group that used to hunt together back when the in-lines started to get popular. We would just replace the caps and not bother unloading the muzzleloaders. However, if it was a rainy/snowy day we always replaced the load the next day before hunting and we were always sure to leave the guns in the truck for the night to help keep them acclimated vs. bringing them into the cabin and warming them up, we felt this might allow the powder to become wet?
With the new in-lines and the Pyrodex pellets we had very good luck with not having mis-fires.

 

[elk22hunter]

When we went muzzle loader hunting this year, I grabbed my boys gun as a back up incase I had any unforseen problems with mine. I noticed that I had put a peice of tape on the stock when putting it away two years earlier that said "loaded". I shot it while on the hunt at a target and Ka-Boom. It went off perfectly. It also hit right where we wanted. As long as you don't have oils or moisture in the barrel, it should keep a long, long time. I never shoot it or pull it during the hunt until it's time of either the hunt over or maybe a monster critter standing in front of me screaming my name.