I'm no muzzle loader shooter, but I was just curious as to what you guys do when you get back from a hunt without having fired a shot to unload the rifle?

If I have not fired a shot I leave it loaded, seperate the barrel from the stock and case them. I have left my rifle loaded like this for 2 weeks and it still shot fine. If the weather is cold I leave it locked in the truck, so condensation does not become a problem. If it was fired, I just shoot it off in the back yard. I live out in the country with no close neighbours.

Same thing or use a ball puller. derf

If the hunt is over, I fire the load into a safe backstop, then thoroughly clean the gun when I get home (same day!!) I have used a ball screw on the cleaning rod to draw the charge, but then I found that Pyrodex has to be removed with the screw also, because it became compacted, and then the gun required a good cleaning anyway!!

They have a device that blows a compressed charge of co2 through the nipple or in the case of a flintlock through the touch hole. It uses a co2 cylinder such as used in air rifles. It is considered safer as when you use the ball puller method you at some point have to put your hand or body in front of a loaded rifle.

My owner's manual says shoot, so if I haven't shot, I shoot it. I leave it loaded if I'm hunting in the next couple of days, leaving the gun cased outdoors like hawky said.

I understand there's some risk of the gun going off when pulling a ball off a powder charge, so I try to avoid that. I don't want that cleaning rod to get bent or lost or something, eh?

H. C.

SHOOT IT!!!