How long do you leave your muzzleloader charged during season?

[Tracker12]

With BH till I kill something or season is over.

 

[mckbcat2000]

IL has a 3 day season, a 4 day season, and a 3 day muzzleloader. I load fresh at the beginning of each and on Sunday if I haven't shot when I get back to the house I discharge it. Do I need to....probably not. Just what I do and it works for me.

 

[eekjellander]

Funny you ask Jan 1st /22 was last day using my CVA 50 cal /70 gr weight BH 209 with a light blue Harvester and a 45 cal maxi pure lead lit up with a CCI 209 back in Nov 18 21 of rifle . Carried in rifle season in a pile of rain /fog the last week of our late muzzy season . Not a lot of legal horns and no does per club rules but dark last day got lit up like lightning strike !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'/ Ed

 

[GregK]

I start deer hunting on November 15. I condition the barrel and have it loaded for opening day. I switch between my 45 caliber Knight, my 350 legend, and my 450 bushmaster depending on where I’m hunting and what the weather conditions are. All guns to stay in my garage Or in the bed of my truck so that there is no temperature change to dry any kind of moisture. I hunting till mid December or possibly late December depending on the season dates and I have yet to ever have Blackhorn 209 not ignite properly

Greg

 

[gman57]

From opening of muzzle season till end of rifle season unless I have a shot between. It’s kept in the garage in between hunts no problem with BH.

 

[Makinsmoke]

I loaded my smokeless for the late season ( h4198 ), hunted 2 days, no opportunity. Left if loaded in a un heated building for 3 days, till I got a chance to go out again.( spent module on plug to keep it sealed ). Long story short I didn't get a shot. So I figured I'd shoot over my crony, to get a velocity of my loads before I cleaned it up and put it away. Checked to make sure bullet was tight on the charge,Gun went right off, velocity 1968 fps, next 3 fresh loads adv 2398 all within 25 fps.
A one time test proves really nothing, but if I'm going a couple days I think I'll just dump the charge and reload. Probably wouldn't notice at close range, but out there a ways I'm sure it would/ could

 

[eekjellander]

I loaded my smokeless for the late season ( h4198 ), hunted 2 days, no opportunity. Left if loaded in a un heated building for 3 days, till I got a chance to go out again.( spent module on plug to keep it sealed ). Long story short I didn't get a shot. So I figured I'd shoot over my crony, to get a velocity of my loads before I cleaned it up and put it away. Checked to make sure bullet was tight on the charge,Gun went right off, velocity 1968 fps, next 3 fresh loads adv 2398 all within 25 fps.
A one time test proves really nothing, but if I'm going a couple days I think I'll just dump the charge and reload. Probably wouldn't notice at close range, but out there a ways I'm sure it would/ could

I guess that would not work in my state , BP or subs /smokeless is a no go and 1 1/2 months later @ 102 yds (ranged) same stump I killed one last year I put the end of season boom 2 inch from the one fired back in August . Could be a fluke but last yrs deer would argue ,if it weren't in the freezer just sayin /Ed

 

[Makinsmoke]

I guess that would not work in my state , BP or subs /smokeless is a no go and 1 1/2 months later @ 102 yds (ranged) same stump I killed one last year I put the end of season boom 2 inch from the one fired back in August . Could be a fluke but last yrs deer would argue ,if it weren't in the freezer just sayin /Ed

Like I said a 1 time test doesn't mean a thing. I think I'll try it with my knight with 777, ill post the results. The gun has been loaded in my garage since Christmas. I'll check tomorrow, weather permitting.

 

[Far Sighted]

This past fall I loaded it October 15th for ML season then unloaded it by shooting into target to check accuracy December 30th after a hunt. It was still on.
Interesting how well deer hide out in December when I wanted to take a doe with ML. Nocturnal creatures!

 

[10acres]

Our “Alternative Season“ as they call it, is normally after Christmas. The last 3 years I have only been able to hunt 1 day of that season each year, so I load in the morning and fire it off in the evening if nothing was killed. This year my son shot a doe with a half hour of light left, so only my gun had to be discharged at the end of the day.

 

[J2SHORTT]

I've had two revolvers and a Diablo shotgun pistol loaded for close to 6 months now. Hoping to get to the range this weekend to see if they've still fire. We shall see. In the past on my revolvers it's taken a few percussion caps to get certain cylinders to fire. A few weeks ago I took the revolvers cylinders and put them in a sandwich bag with a couple of desiccant packs. I'd like to think that the desiccant back made a difference. But we shall see

 

[MTY]

Season ended 12/14/21. I loaded the LK-93 a week prior to season end, and when the season ended I left it loaded. Last year I had only been able to find lubed wads to place between the powder and bullet. I was concerned about lube contaminating the powder so I left it loaded for 2 months to see. 02/11/22 I pulled the trigger. CCI mag #11 and 85gr t7 3f. It went bang with no indindication of trouble.

 

[bronko220002]

All season. Never need to refresh unless i suspect carge got damp.