RedAllison

lazyness does not a target shooter make...

The folks "cleanin em once a year whether they need it or not" are only fooling themselves and ruining any chance of their guns staying extremely accurate for decades. Blackpowder and ALL of her substitutes (save for smokeless) are acidic and also attract/draw moisture (whats the word for that... hygroscopic or sumpin like dat?). Your typical 30/06 case laying around is worry free because of several factors but the biggest is that the mixture is weatherproof. The same CANNOT be said for a loaded muzzleloader.

The only way you could be completely "moistureless" would be to load the gun in an extremely dry location. Then immediately place a waterproof plug over the muzzle and nipple areas. But why do even that? How much is the compenents of a load vs the damage using your gun as a big speed loader? Just unload it/ shoot it, reclean it and the load it up prior too her next use.

As was said, are we talking about keeping an already fired gun loaded or a clean one? The benefits of an inline is the removal of the breechplug and being able to unload the gun without firing and cleaning. THAT is the simpleist solution. But its not simple if you are shooting loose powder and cant remove the breechplug with the gun pointed muzzle down. That loose powder is a MESS to clean from the breechplug area because of all the lube in that area. If its already dirty then why worry about saving a load? You will more than likely just end up with a destroyed barrel and a frozen breechplug if you take the lazy road.

And for those REALLY opposed to cleanin em (twould be me in this group), theres the SAVAGE smokeless hehehe! Lastnight after hunting I fired the gun into the ground, threw her into the backseat and went home. Shes only had 10 shots fired through her. It still got 90 more before the breechplug needs to be removed and relubed!!!
RA

quigleysharps4570

If we're talking already fired...mine gets cleaned right off. I shoot Swiss and Goex, wouldn't dream of leaving them that long with a fouled barrel or cylinders. When mine have set loaded, they were clean before hand.

jdslacy

Call me stupid but yesterday I shot my 50 cal CVA Apollo which has been loaded with 90 grains of pyrodex and a patch and ball for a little less than 2 years. I loaded it in 2002 to go hunting one day. Did not shoot it and did not get to hunt last year. My son and I were shooting his new gun yesterday so I took my CVA laid it on the bench wrapped it with carpet and shot it. It shot great just like it does every load. No rust or damage apparent. Loaded and shot it five more times then cleaned it real well. Ready to hunt again. I will not leave it loaded again though. Seems to be pushing my luck!

skeeter 7MM

If shot, moisture hunts or won't be using it in the near future it is cleaned. If unshot, dry and will be using it the next day I keep it loaded. If ever unsure I error on the side of caution and clean it, this way their is no doubt it will be ok.

There really is no reason to keep your ML loaded during the off season, minimally you should do a tear down clean once a year to ensure rust or pitting does not form in area's you can't clean or protect with casual cleaning procedure's.

oneshot/one kill

I usually keep a load in for about a week, but again depends on moisture. Also I change it every week because that bullet wasnt very lucky if it was in there that long

Bobby5

I left mine in a whole year once, never did get around to unloading and cleaning it, and it went off like a charm when i shot it.

Pauly

Last year was my first year hunting with the ML. I have a Knight Wolverine and used it for 5 days hunting over our ML season last December that last for 9 or 10 days. I left the load in and just took the disc/primer out and had no problems when I took the rifle to the range another week later to fire off some rounds. That's the longest I ever left it loaded. The days I did hunt were quite cold and snowy. I left the gun in the garage so it didn't get fully heated in the house.

I'll be hunting for 4 or 5 days this coming week and will leave the load in til I hopefully get a shot and see how these ML's do on whitetails. Can't wait.

Paul L Mohr

I load mine on the day before gun season (today) and leave it loaded until I shoot something, or until the season is over. Like said above, if I shoot something it gets cleaned. I normally only take one deer a year during gun season, so I'm pretty much done after I shoot it any way. I may load it again for a follow up shot after shooting at something, but not always.

My muzzle loader never comes inside again either until it gets shot and I have to clean it. I just take the cap out and leave it in my locked blind or keep it in my trunk. In MI it is not considered loaded unless it has a cap in it. Powder and a bullet or ok, as long as there is no primer it's legally safe. I don't however leave any of my guns loaded while they are in the house muzzle loader or not.

One year I did accidently leave mine loaded for about six month though, things got hectic and I just forgot about it. I know it's not a good excuse, but it happened. When I did get around to firing it and cleaning it it functioned perfect and nothing was wrong with the barrel that I can tell.

I have also not had time to clean my rifle right after shooting it and forgot about it for a month or so. With 777 or clean shot there doesn't seem to be a problem. It didn't seem to effect my rifle at all. Everything broke down just fine and cleaned right up easy as pie with no damage to the barrel that I can see with my eye. And it still shoots just as well as it always has. Not that I advise doing however.

I would check your local laws before transporting one with a charge in it though. Not all states may be like MI, it might be considered a loaded fire arm in another state.

Paul

UIU_hunter

At the risk of sounding to preachy. I would be careful when shooting a muzzle loader that has been loaded for a while. I hunt late muzzle loader season in Iowa, the weather is terrible, I consider 20 degree days a heat wave. A few years ago I didn't unload my Knight muzzle loader like I normally would. I just put in my closet, intending to unload it the next day. I forgot about it for asix months, untill one night I hit me like a bolt out of the blue, I forgot to unload my muzzle loader. The next morning I totaly dissasembled the gun, remove the breach plug and tried to push the bullet out with my ram rod. It wouldn't badge. I squirted ungodly amounts of PB blaster penertrating oil down the barrel and let is sit muzzle up over night. The next day it still wouln't budge. After trying everything that I could possible think of I wraped a towel around my barrel and put it in a vice. I then beat the bullet out with a 3/8" steel rod and a ballpen hammer. Even with a hammer it was a struggle. I thank god that I did not follow my first instinct and try to shoot the bullet out. A muzzle loader can be left loaded for long periods of time and be fired without a problem but belive me I wont be pulling the trigger or even standing next to the person that is. Saveing yourself a few minutes or a little powder is not worth the risk of haveing a gun explode in your face.

Paul L Mohr

I should have mentioned I use sabots. I can think of no logical reason why one would get stuck in a barrel unless there was some sort of blockage in front of it. Teflon or plastic doesn't bond to metal. I don't know if lead does or not, it could I guess.

Paul