Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders How Long will Powder keep in the Barrel?

So I have a load of BH209 in my new Rem Ultimate and I won't be hunting again until this coming weekend. Being new to the ML scene, is there any harm in leaving it loaded? of course I did remove the brass/primer from the chamber.

Thx

As long as it is warm and dry, I don't see a problem with leaving the gun loaded. I have never left mine loaded for more than a few days, but I have never had a problem with it not firing, nor had any evidence of corrosion.

I did a test one year by putting my muzzleloader away loaded. Two weeks before the next season I fired it and everything was fine. The bullet hit the 100 yard target where it was supposed to. This was a TC Omega. I had done the same thing with a Renegade several years earlier and had just a bit of hang fire.

I've got a 100 gr. by weight of 209 and a Parker 300 gr on top of it. I could not believe how well it shot with this load. I figured it would be ok, just wasn't sure. Appreciate the feedback.

I know nothing about that powder, but I have left pyrodex loaded in a clean rifle from one year to the next, with no problem. In fact the deer that I killed this year was with a load left in the rifle from last year. I do take the cap off and put a small piece of leather over the nipple and let the striker down to seal it. I do not leave one that has been shot and reloaded, loaded for long. miles

Last year I hunted with an inline. Loaded it in Nov with BH 209, never say anything during the ML season, so I left it in the safe loaded, flagged, but loaded. I finally took it to the range in Apr and shot it. Went off just fine, hit right where it was supposed to. And I lived in far SE Alabama, so it was very humid.

I should point out that all that I have done and would do, are inlines and not a sidelocks. miles

I left my gun outside in well below freezing temps for 2 days. On the 3rd day I shot a buck.

That was this season, using 2 777 pellets...

To the OP - IMLE, leaving the loaded muzzleloader outside, instead of bringing it in and warming it up, is key for winter temps.

Putting some tape on the muzzle will help keep moisture out of the barrel and away from the powder charge.

FWIW, a loaded sabot is not 100% waterproof. It will fully expand and seal the bore when it's fired but not until. I've checked this in my ML.

Yep. Done the same thing for years. Keeps my scope from fogging when I pull it out also. Which may not sound like much, but I shot a buck 10 min. after I pulled the rifle out of my Jeep. Were it fogged, no buck.....

BH209 is not particularly moisture sensitive, meaning it doesn't draw moisture when left out. As the name implies, BH209 isn't intended to be used in a muzzleloader that doesn't use a 209 shotshell primer. I also tend to leave my inline muzzleloader outside so that it is at ambient temperature when I leave. The exception is when it is wet. I bring it inside to dry out, mostly to prevent rust and to clean my scope lenses.

Well been keeping my T/C northwest explorer out in the Minnesota cold weather loaded.(it has an semi exposed 11 cap so one cannot use blackhorn) Read this post so after hunting to-nite decided to fire weapon. SNAP! No discharge! Sure glad the turty pointer had not walked by!

Angus, what powder did you use?

triple 7 ffg or fffg.(I am not sure which one)
gonna use a 22 ga hypodermic needle to clean out nipple and try to fire it tomorrow.

ahhh. Get some Goex black powder and that problem will be a thing of the past.

Put a strip of leather between the hammer and nipple and plug the bore with something to keep moisture out.

I'm with milespatton, I've done the same thing with pyrodex-no problem. It was with my sidelock. I just added alittle fresh power below the nipple, shot fine.

777 shoots good, but doesn't last long. When my last can is gone, I'm going back to Goex for my sidelocks.

Pappy 348
When you say 777 doesn't last long do you mean in a loaded barrel

My questions have been answered