Tomorrow will be my first time hunting with a ML. I bought my ML in the spring and can't wait to get out with it. Is it common practice to discharge the weapon into the ground at the end of the day (if you don't get anything), or do you just remove the primer if you are going again soon?
You don't have to fire as long as primer, cap or flash pan charge is empty. You mentioned primer so I assume you have an inline. Just make sure your powder chg is keep dry.
BTW, if you have a removable breech plug you can save the bullet by just pushing the load out the breech...bullets are costly.
i shoot my off when done at the end of the day but mine is a flinter. to be perfectly safe, i would do the same with an inline. when you get home, pull the plug and run a couple patches of bore cleaner and then dry patches until dry. that way you're sure of your shot next day too.
You don't have to fire as long as primer, cap or flash pan charge is empty. You mentioned primer so I assume you have an inline. Just make sure your powder chg is keep dry.
BTW, if you have a removable breech plug you can save the bullet by just pushing the load out the breech...bullets are costly.
If I'm not going back out in the near future I usually shoot my flintlock at the end of the day. I usually look for a rotted stump rather than the ground. Gotta be careful if its cold out and you bring it inside a warm building with the charge still in it though.
Yes,if your not gonna discharge it leave it in it,s case in an unheated locked safe storage area.I have a friend who is an older gentleman who doesn,t have to worry about kids etc.,and he hunts everyday in the flinty season.If he doesn,t shoot it during the season he won,t shoot it off till the last day.He keeps it locked up in his unheated garage.If you take precautions to keep your powder dry and keep your rifle tuned it won,t let you down.It hasn,t let me or my friend down yet.
I keep mine loaded. But, as a precaution I write" This Gun is Loaded" on a Styrofoam Plate and push it over the end of the Ramrod. Just in case I have one of those Senior Moments that everyone talk about.....
I like to shoot mine out, well...just because I like shooting, and like just having it in my hands while I'm cleaning it, you know, I like to think of it as bonding time.
I also like to unload my flintlock after hunting for the day. But I don't shoot it. I bought a CO2 discharger which is, for me, an indispensible tool. I remove the powder from the pan, put the adapter in the touch hole and press the handle on the CO2 discharger. The CO2 gentlly pushes the powder, patch and ball out the muzzle. Then I run a few patches of my lube of choice down the barrel and I am done. I don't have to worry about cleaning the barrel and lock like I do if I fire the gun. This method also lets you look at your patched ball ( as long as you follow it with your eye) just to be sure the patch has not been cut when loading. This method also has eliminated my need for a ball puller in case I didn't put any powder in for my main charge. The CO2 discharger is about 20 bucks from Cabela's and the small cannisters are pretty inexpensive. I've never tried it on a maxi-ball or mini-ball so I couldn't tell you if it works with them. There may be too much friction. But the compressed CO2 works great with a patched round ball.
I keep mine loaded all the time. Right now it is still loaded from last winter, sitting upside down in my gun safe in the basement. Would I want it loaded in the basement pointing up? No way.
I like to discharge. Careful though, last year I discharged with my Dad and nephew present, and some grumpy old codger accused me of shooting at beaver!?!
I like Satche,s way.I didn,t know they were that cheap.I do all of my huntin on the home farm so I don,t have to travel so I keep mine loaded durin the season untill I have a shot present itself.I keep it inside a case locked in an outside garage.I don,t see any reason though to keep it loaded from the previous year like TusseyMtman.
I loaded mine Saturday morning with 777 and only pulled the primer at the end of the day. I used the same load Monday morning and again pulled the primer when leaving the woods. I used the same load the doe I shot Tuesday morning and it went off just fine.
I shoot at end of hunt. I have two little ones at home. While I have taught them safe gun rules, kids will be kids. I have many other kids running around our house and I don't leave a loaded weapon in the house. I have taught many how to shoot with arhcery and our various air rifles. It seems when we are out back the local kids all find thier way over. I enjoy teaching them.
if you hunt in the rain i'd recommend shooting it off at noon and the end of the day. i've seen many balls having to be pulled because the powder got wet through out the day of hunting. if it doesn't discharge at noon or the end of the day chance are it wouldn't have gone off at the deer when you wanted it to. on cold crisp days (non rainy days) i just empty the pan. if you have to take the ml inside just swab the barrel for any moisture and store it upside down.
i also stick a pick through the touch hole to see of the powder is dry. you can feel the crunch of the powder if its dry. no cruch if its wet.
Those of us that hunt in the slop have our own ways to keep our charge and primer dry.I never unload at the end of the day no matter what the weather but I prepare for it.Do what works best for you.
On my small bores, if I place a plastic shopping bag over the muzzle before I CO2 it out, I get back the ball,patch and powder...it's all there in the bag.
The powder I pour out into a special can and use it for plinking ect.
On my 54 cal, the ball will go through the bag. Need something heavier. Always wondered why someone didn't sell a device to capture the "ingredients".
I leave mine loaded for the season. If it is still that way at the end I pull it with a bullet puller. I save the damaged bullet for the next go around fouling shot.
I use the CO2 load remover at the end of the day. It works with my flinters and inlines and easily removes a MaxiBall. Different adapters are needed for different guns.
i leave my inline loaded until its fired or gets rained on. At least one of my inlines is loaded all the time, uncapped, of course. Loaded muzzleloaders get a red tag on the ramrod.
While it is legal to leave the barrel charge in I never have been comfortable doing it. I will leave it charged if I can leave it in a locked shed or garage overnight but I still tape a sign on it that it is loaded. I much prefer to shoot it and start with a clean rifle every day. There is just too much that could happen with a charge in the barrel if someone handles it and doesn't know it's charged. I don't take chances with stuff like that.
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