Will Patch Harm Powder If Kept Loaded For Weeks?

[Fiddler]

I'll be hunting Florida's upcoming muzzleloader season, and since I'll probably hunt the entire season, I plan on camping onsite. Florida's weather isn't particularly inclement that time of year, so there shouldn't be much condensation in my barrel.
Here's what's bothering me. I recently read somewhere that one should unload every night by pulling the ball and dumping the powder, then reload the next morning while camping out. This person said that the grease on the patch will adversely affect the black powder if the rifle is kept loaded for a week or so.
While I'd certainly hate wasting a ball and holy black every day, I'd also hate having some sort of malfunction if and when one of those rare public land bucks shows up.
I'm confused! Opinions, please!

 

[Fyrstyk]

First off, cover the muzzleof your gun with tape,balloon or finger cot to keep moisture and debris from entering the barrel. At the end of the day, if no shot is fired, take a foam ear plug and put over the nipple, or in the pan of a flint lock, and drop the hammer or close the frizzen. When i initially load for hunting, and when the load will be in the barrel for a few days or longer, I usually put either a dry ball patch over the powder, or an unlubed felt bore button and then the patched ball. In over 30 years of hunting, I have never had the powder get contaminated with lub using this procedure. Sometimes my load will remain in the gun for close to two months if I an unlucky enough to not get a shot at game.

 

[Muley Hunter]

Personally, I shoot out the load at the end of the day. It may not be needed but it makes me feel better. You really don't know if the powder sucked up moisture until it's shot. Even then you won't know unless you chrono'd it. I don't take unneeded risks of wounding game.

 

[mark1945]

I agree with you old mtn man why take a chance.

 

[Buck Conner1]

Having bought, sold and traded muzzleloaders for over 50 years we would get one once in a while that was still loaded. The biggest issue was moisture from the lube on the patch in some cases would "ring" the barrel at the location where the ball was seated. If possible we would remove the breech plug to drive the ball out and look at the condition of the barrel. We use value grinding compound (auto product) and would lap the barrel (the easiest and fastest way was use a ramrod mounted in an electric drill to smooth the bore). There where different ways we used to cleanup a dirty bore, anything from soaking in mercury to what was mentioned and everything in between.

.

 

[Renegadehunter]

I should just copy and paste Grimord's answer...it is exactly how I do it.
Just use a very lightly lubed patch with some kind of "hunting" lube and you'll be fine, especially with a buffer between the powder and lubed patch. I leave mine loaded from Oct 9th clear until the end of November sometimes...just depends on when I decide to take a shot...and it has always gone off fine.
If I hunt in rain or snow, then I will swap out the load for a fresh one.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

I agree with Pete, why take a chance? You don't get many great opportunities during the season and it may be the trophy of your life time.

 

[Buck Conner1]

Agreed with Smokin Joe and Pete....

 

[Okie Hog]

During hunting season my conventional muzzleloaders stay loaded until game is sighted. When loading for hunting i always remove the nipple and force a few grains of powder into the flash channel. The gun will fire when it's supposed to. Sometimes they stay loaded for a month or two.

At the end of the day a small piece of leather is placed between the hammer and nipple.

 

[Hanshi]

For decades I've hunted with patches lubed with a grease lube. Usually, although not always, I'll put an op wad under the prb. Often my rifle will stay loaded for months if not fired at game early on. Over nearly 55 years never has there been any hesitation of the gun to fire. I believe powder contamination from a lubed patch is a very rare event and basically a non-issue. Even patches wet with a liquid lube never seem to affect the powders performance.

 

[Buck Conner1]

The wet lubes (liquid types) if left for any length of time can "ring" the barrel. If that happens and won't cleanup you just upped the amount of the charge like the old timers did to stay off that ring in the barrel. That was the way the military forces on the frontier handled that problem in their muskets with the lack of parts.

 

[Muley Hunter]

You guys need to shoot more.

 

[Hanshi]

Also, if a liquid lube is used that contains any water it can leave a rust ring when left in the bore very long. Besides that liquids often dry out over time.

 

[Overdue Bill]

I've hunted with a traditional cap and ball for many years. I used to always load the first day and leave the load in for the entire season. No problem at all UNTILL few years ago I did the exact same thing and the results were disastrous. To double the trouble I had lent my son one of my cap and ball rifles so I ended up with two severly rusted barrels. Someone on this site told me to use a mixture of 50/50 molasses and water. Most ridicules thing I ever heard but guess what; both of my barrels are now just like new.

 

[Squint]

I'll be hunting Florida's upcoming muzzleloader season, and since I'll probably hunt the entire season, I plan on camping onsite. Florida's weather isn't particularly inclement that time of year, so there shouldn't be much condensation in my barrel.
Here's what's bothering me. I recently read somewhere that one should unload every night by pulling the ball and dumping the powder, then reload the next morning while camping out. This person said that the grease on the patch will adversely affect the black powder if the rifle is kept loaded for a week or so.
While I'd certainly hate wasting a ball and holy black every day, I'd also hate having some sort of malfunction if and when one of those rare public land bucks shows up.
I'm confused! Opinions, please!

+Some years ago, probably 20, while muzzleloader hunting with a caplock 50 caliber for white tail bucks. A friend had made up some patch lube with mutton fat, olive oil, and I think a little beeswax. He wanted me to try it, so I lubed some patches, not to generously but damp, and loaded up. Being the barrel was clean before I started, I left it loaded for perhaps a week. Sneaking up on a known hotspot, I raised up as a large white tail buck stood up at about 50 yards and when I pulled the trigger only the cap went off. Of course that made enough noise or whatever and away when the buck. Disgusted I tried 2 or 3 more caps with no avail. I didn't have a nipple wrench with me, So I trudged back through 6 inches of snow about a mile to my pickup where my possible Possible bag was. Removing the nipple and putting a small amount of powder in first, I then put on a cap and discharged the gun. Apparently, even though the gun had been Kept where it was cool, the patch lube had migrated into the powder and it took an extra charge to Ignite it. Now I hunt with a Flintlock, and of course I went to a much different patch lube. I just got done experimenting with moose milk, which, while target practicing I had a patch catch on fire so it makes me a little hesitant to use it. For hunting loads, I will probably return to factory lubed patches done with wonder lube. It seems they are less apt to burn and the accuracy is more than adequate. I do have a supply of home made patches lubed with wonder lube, but I think they might be over lubed for leaving any length of time after loading. I hate to find out on another big buck.
Squint

 

[Buck Conner1]

I've hunted with a traditional cap and ball for many years. I used to always load the first day and leave the load in for the entire season. No problem at all UNTILL few years ago I did the exact same thing and the results were disastrous. To double the trouble I had lent my son one of my cap and ball rifles so I ended up with two severly rusted barrels. Someone on this site told me to use a mixture of 50/50 molasses and water. Most ridicules thing I ever heard but guess what; both of my barrels are now just like new.

That's interesting has anyone else tried this mixture?

.

 

[heelerau]

I use mink oil on my patches when hunting, I have left a firelock over the mantlepiece for several months loaded with a toothpick in the touch hole and it has gone off with no fuss. I was battling a mob of rabbits in our garden at that stage, and no children in the house. I might add, I live in a dry climate.

 

[Mad Irish Jack ODonnell]

I have a small, empty drop bottle from Eye drops. I put rubbing alchohol in it and keep it my pouch. When loading in cold to freezing temps, I charge powder and then center the DRY patch (Precuts) on the muzzle and place the ball and thumb it into the muzzle. I take the dropper and place 3 or 4 drops of the rubbing Alchohol around the ball, on the patch. Then I short start and then seat the ball. Easy with wet patch. Rubbing Alchohol doesn't freeze until around -127 degrees. And it will still evaporate, letting the patch go dry. I've never noticed a change in recoil, charge velocity or drop difference down range.

 

[afishhunter]

Personally, I've always shot out the load at the end of the day, cleaned the barrel, and reloaded the next time I took that arm afield.

Historically, I know a lot of the boys back in the day (the mountain man and military troops for example) considered an empty rifle a big "no-no" and never unloaded at the end of the day or battle/skirmish. (of course they were always subject to attack by man or beast.)