[whitewaterhunter]

Looking to hear what you do. When your hunting with the flinter and now the gun is cold, and still has a load in it. Do you leave it in the cold, ie. truck, porch, etc.. do you bring it in the house or cabin. Also how long do you leave your load in the barrel?
I know what has worked for me and I always bring my gun inside the house after the days hunt. I always leave it in the soft case to warm slowly so it does not condensate. I then take it out and wipe it down. I might even run a patch down the barrel. I don't like to leave mine out to draw moisture from the winter air.
I know some people that leave there loads in for a year. I try to only go a couple weeks or less if I was hunting in bad weather. I guess I like to know there is a fresh load in there. Plus it's fun to shoot and I don't mind cleaning it. Isn't the loaded blackpowder corrosive to the barrel?

 

[long hunter]

As long as you have a loaded clean barrel(not fired and loaded again) I see no problem with keeping it loaded.
I kept mine loaded for up to two weeks while hunting.I usually bring my gun indoors when i am done hunting for the day .I plug the touch hole with a tooth pick or feather and have never had problems with it going off when needed

 

[frontier gander]

yep i dont shoot it off until its pointed at the animal im shooting. At the end of the day, i either plug the touch hole on the flinter or if im using an inline, i use an ear plug and put it into the 209 primer area and close the rifle up.

 

[bob1961]

i'll keep it in the truck loaded when it's cold so it dont get condo on it..........bob

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[Loggy]

i'll keep it in the truck loaded when it's cold so it dont get condo on it..........bob

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Amen...I never bring in from cold to warm. Leave in unheated truck etc.

 

[quackmaster4]

Looks like I'm in the minority here. I shoot mine everytime I'm done hunting for the day, then I'll take it home and give it a quick clean.

Several years ago I tried leaving it loaded. I hunted the entire season without firing it, leaving it in my truck when not hunting. On the last day of the season I finally had an opportunity; 4 doe trotted past at about 20yds. I pulled the trigger and was rewarded with the longest hangfire I'd ever experienced, at least 3 seconds between the pan going off and the rifle discharging. I was actually starting to lower the rifle when it went off.
I know guys do it every year with no problems, but I'll stick with playing it safe.

 

[SpiritNugent]

I fire mine after every hunt.... and then clean it. I won't trust a powder charge... just not worth risking it IMO. That's me though. I know lots of guys will leave the charge in and the gun will go off weeks later, a year later.

But I have been known to be very different...

 

[TrapBob]

I'm with Quack and Nuge. It is more work, but it is part of my routine.

 

[Bunky]

Untill this year Id empty it with a CO2. This year I brought it in and kept it loaded so as not to use too many CO2s Went to unload by shooting the other day in order to give Elisabeth a cleaning and it HISSSSSSSSSSed like a firecracker before it went off! Im glad it wasnt while a 14 point buck was in front of me slapping his knee and laughing!! Never again will I take it in and out of doors in extreme temps. I think Id rather be safe like GBJ says and unload every time with kids in the house....They know never to touch the guns and they have been great all these years but it only takes on time! It may be a little hassel but one regret Ill never have to live with!

 

[Loggy]

I'm with Quack and Nuge. It is more work, but it is part of my routine.

On a 6-7 day hunt...thats a lot of smokin and needless cleaning!!

Absolutely unneccessary if hunting in dry conditions. Been using my program for 25 plus years & NEVER A MISFIRE. After a hunt & gun isnt gonna be used for a while...then i discharge but not every day when on consecutive day hunts. Just dont bring gun in from cold to warm & you will be AOK!

 

[mauser06]

loaded black powder isnt corrosive...but will draw moisture....if kept in a dry place, it'll be fine...

black powder residue really draws moisture...

i keep my rifle outside if i dont fire it and leave it charged...if you take it from cold to warm, its going to sweat something terrible...

if im at camp, we hang them in the wood shed or i'll leave it in my locked truck...

if im home, i leave it in the unheated garage or locked shed..

if i know i wont be hunting for a few days, i'll pull the ball and dump the charge...i rather pull a ball than clean a rifle...i dont mind cleaning it...but hate cleaning it just because i unloaded my gun by firing it...only time i fire it anymore is when ive shot that day...

 

[410-er]

Wet,damp,or foggy out,it gets fired at the end of the day.If its nice out,its good to go as long as it stays in the cold.

 

[Big Redneck]

I do the same as 410-er, any chance of moisture she gets fired and cleaned. I keep her in a locked unheated garage till the next days hunt if its been a nice day.

 

[mossie]

I fire every time and clean and oil. Start new next day.

 

[missedshot]

I leave mine in my unheated garage. Never had a problem. Do not take any of my firearms from cold to warm unless I'm finished hunting. My son in law put my Weatherby in a case after hunting in cold weather and brought it indoors. There was enough rust in spots to pit the barrel. I was not a happy camper. Leave it in the cold until you are sure to take it down and clean it.

 

[trapperzeke]

I PREFER to leave it cold and loaded thru the season, unless I've been out in wet precipitation, then I need to clean, dry, and oil the outside. But it all depends on various considerations. A couple extreme examples: 1). I stayed in a hotel one hunt and didn't trust my gun in the truck-cap, so I brought it in for the night. First thing next morning, nice fat doe in sights, Pffft. Second try, bad hangfire and a miss. #2). Didn't know it would be the last hunt of the season, left it loaded, then a multitiude of issues got in the way of taking a drive to the range (I lived in the city then). Eventually, it turned into an experiment to see how long I could neglect it. Almost 3 years later I took it out for the first time in a light snowstorm and shot a 7-point without so much as a hesitation. Not something I would recommend nor try on purpose, but it sure instills confidence in your gun!

 

[whitewaterhunter]

You shot a 7-point with a 3 year old load? That would be some very good luck. Nice job though.

 

[Sojourner48]

You shot a 7-point with a 3 year old load? That would be some very good luck. Nice job though.

That's not out of the ordinary. You ever find a real antique, or even a repo, you better check with the rammer to see if it's loaded. I heard numerous stories of real antiques going off, by some nitwit who didn't bother to check.
One advantage of unloading everytime though, is to practice your off-hand shooting. I ususally pick out a tree at about 50 yds, and aim for a spot.

 

[melsdad]

Wet,damp,or foggy out,it gets fired at the end of the day.If its nice out,its good to go as long as it stays in the cold.

I do the same.

If the weather is bad I fire the ball, or atleast try to in some cases

. If it is cold like it has been lately I will plug my touch hole with a little feather, and hang the gun up in the rafters of my coal cellar under my front porch. I will never bring my loaded gun in the warm house from the cold. I don't even put it in the cab of my truck to warm up on the way to my hunting spot.

 

[trapperzeke]

You shot a 7-point with a 3 year old load? That would be some very good luck. Nice job though.

There's always a bit of luck in any success of mine...but in this case, I was familiar with my gun, trusted my storage procedures, and had confidence that it would perform as it had many times before. Oh, and the shot was VERY close, too.
I spoke to an avid dealer in antique longarms who told me that 2 out of 3 "family guns" or "found in the attic" pieces brought to him had loads in the barrell. Assuming it's loaded wasn't just good practice, it was the most likely scenario.