# Unloading a muzzleloader-Doug Leier Q



## Scraper (Apr 1, 2002)

This question came up at hunter ed with my son last night. Unfortunately Marty Egeland had already left for the night.

When transporting a muzzleloader can you simply pull the primer or cap out and transport the weapon, or do you need to fire it or pull the breach plug and clear the barrel?

It seems extreme that you would need to fire it every time or dink around with pushing out or on hawken style guns use an extractor to pull the bullet out.

Doug can you help with this question?


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## Ron Gilmore (Jan 7, 2003)

Doug is not needed on this! Yes removing the primer is all that is needed. One tip though is moisture is your enemy with a ML. Hence I have made a holder for my hard gun case and leave the ML in the vehicle while on a hunt if conditions will cause it to sweat by bringing it inside.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Ron Gilmore said:


> Doug is not needed on this! Yes removing the primer is all that is needed. One tip though is moisture is your enemy with a ML. Hence I have made a holder for my hard gun case and leave the ML in the vehicle while on a hunt if conditions will cause it to sweat by bringing it inside.


All of the above. Also, drop the hammer on a piece of rubber (tire tube works) to seal from moisture. If your using a round-ball, or conical with any kind of lube then you should also isolate the bullet from the powder. The best thing for that is still the old trick of using wasp nest. Be careful not to use anything flammable. I know one guy that used paper towel between bullet and powder and he started a fire. Wasp nest totally disintegrates. I hunted in Montana for a week and a week after I got back the loaded muzzleloader that I didn't use still fired.


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

Like both have stated previously. Moisture is not your friend.

If you are using an in-line or modern day muzzleloader you will want to keep your gun in the vehicle if it is cold out....ie: below freezing. I never bring my muzzleloader in and out of the vehicle during the season. My dad made this mistake and it cost him a nice big buck with a drop tine. He pulled the trigger and it went... FZZZZZZZZZ and the bullet only made it 1/2 way down the barrel.

Also as a rule of thumb if I am hunting and it rains, sleets, or snows that day while I am hunting. I shoot and clean my rifle that night. No need to chance it. Also as a rule of thumb after 5 days I shoot and clean my muzzle loader. Again why risk it not firing and causing damage to you or the gun. Or missing that buck of a lifetime.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

With my flintlocks I dump the powder out of the pan, but this isn't foolproof as any contact between the flint and the lock can cause a spark that can flash through the flash hole and ignite the powder. A lot of. flintlocks, especially ancient genuine antiques have in half cock position either, making them even a bit more dangerous. I devised a rubber cap that slips over the flint and hammer to eliminate any possibility of any sparks. Sometimes I put a round toothpick in the flash hole, but watch you don't break it off 100 miles from tools. Sometimes do this with cap locks but Plainsman's suggestion of a hunk of inner tube is probably better. 
However, that still leaves the gun loaded. To be sure of no worries I usually simply shoot it and reload at the start of the next outing. If an overnight, say at a hunting cabin, store it with the muzzle in a SAFE direction in the car, out in the porch, etc. you can't be too safe with any gun, especially real black powder muzzy guns! Sometimes weird things happen......
I stress to the hunter Ed kids that a lot of old cartridge guns and muzzy guns have no safeties, etc. and require familiarization before their safe use, but the bottom like is muzzle control, muzzle control, ad nauseum.


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## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

This is the wasp nest Plainsman is talking about. 


It is common to read about the use even in early cartridge loads to stop bullet lube/ grease from fouling the powder charge.
I have used dryer lint when I have ran out of wasp nest.

I cover the muzzle of my front stuffers with some cling wrap with a rubber band to hold it in place, Use one of those rubber valve stem caps on the nipple of rifles that use # 11 caps when the primer is off.
I have had a ML loaded on Nov 14th still fire the charge of T7 on Jan 3d. 
Remember to do a range test with a rain cover on the muzzle to make sure it still shoots the same.

 Al


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Plainsman and I have been using wasp nest between powder and patched round ball for years, works great. Just make sure the wasps are dead, or that it's really cold out when you collect the stuff. They tend to get a little upset when you start ripping the nest apart. 

I too seal the nipple with a piece of tire inner tube, and if it's going to set more than overnight, or if the humidity is high, I use a variation of alleyoopers cling wrap idea. I cut the fingers out of a pair of latex surgical gloves slip one over the end of the barrel and hold it in place with a rubber band.

Huntin1


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Wasp nests!?! Well, I leaned something today! Never heard of this!?! What the heck?????
I,ve always used paper patched or usually spit lubed muslin patches behind bullets or round balls. The cloth patch I always thought was more to help the round ball capture the rifling rather than prevent fouling of the powder itself! hah! Never too old to learn something, I guess.
A question......does the wasp nest material help put spin on the bullet like a cloth based patch? Also, does a spit patch around a ball screw up the black powder charge? I've never noticed this, but then at the ranges I shoot flintlocks and cap locks it probably isn't too important.
I usually use a cardboard wad behind the bullets in my black powdered cartridge rifles.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

The wasp nest is used much like the cardboard wads you use in you blackpowder cartridges, they don't wrap the ball but rather go between the powder and the patched round ball and help to keep the lube from the patch from fouling the powder.


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## alleyyooper (Jul 6, 2007)

The wasp nest I pictured is a bald faced hornet nest. Don't know why they were named that as they are a wasp related to the yellow jacket. Any way they all die after the first frost except the queen who finds a place to hibernate, around here it is most under some bark starting to come loose on a dead elm or ash tree. The nest is easy to see once the leaves fall from trees so that is the time to collect the stuff.

 Al


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