How often to freshen load?

I should have posted my question differently I guess. I am only going to use smokeless powder. Can I leave it charged for a few days or do I need to unload and put in a fresh charge every morning?

I have left my loaded for 3 months and took it to the range, bang, right on target. I would however put a barrel sock/ balloon or something as a loaded gun reminder

My personal experience 2 years in a row with Rel7 @ 65 grains was a fail to fire The setup was a stock savage 50 cal hornady 300 SST, short black MMP sabot, a federal 209a primer, bushing plug 0.030 bushing. I won't leave a charge in the barrel any more after I come in from hunting. Both time the gun stayed in the shop or garage where it was still cold. I know it probably overkill but the night I had the first fail to fire I let a 160 inch 3 year old walk, because he was only 3, and would have lost my mind if I only got a click if he was a year older and I went to kill him.

Some things I am doing different are:
I am using 4198 powder in the 45 cal guns
I went to an 0.040 bushing in my 50 cal savage plug.
I have a second build on a Savage PTA that Jeff did. Very short flame path and LMRP, 0.040 bushings.
I went to LMRP in a DaveD CF plug with a real short flame path in a Savage 110 conversion I did.
I will boost my hunting loads with around 10 grains of 5744 or 4759 for insurance.
I'm gonna use finger cots over the barrel when I hunt now to try and keep any moisture out.

Rusty.............after a few trips to the range it will all seem so simple! Welcome to smoke less muzzle loading. You will find me to be a big proponent of duplex loads..why? Because they shot well and they always fire when you pull the trigger. 5 to 10 gr. of Clays or Red Dot (or most any of the faster flake shotgun/pistol powders) on top of the BP along with what ever main charge you like (4198 for me) and even loose fitting bullets will go bang! And, there is nothing dangerous about them. (provided --as with any powder--you don't double charge?) If you were to forget and put the main charge first and then the booster? Just a reduced load! Mixed them up?............same thing, a reduced load. A duplex is meant to be a sure fire ignition and also a quick booster to get the bullet to "fatten up" or as board members like to say "obturate!" Its akin to having your car hit in the arse by another car and the quarter panels buckle outward and the doors spring open. You want the bullet to immediately "grab" the walls of the barrel so they seal and begin rotating the bullet.
Richard

There is one hunt where we leave the guns loaded intentionally. The night before the hunt we go out to a range to make sure our scopes have survived the airline trip. After we feel comfortable with our guns, we reload one last time while the barrels are warm. We don't load a primer of course. Then in the morning we don't have to load while half asleep. The barrels have not suffered condensation and the bullet shoots just like the last practice bullet (we hope).

I will say that there is nothing like confidence in having a good fresh charge.  So, I say do what makes you confident.  Some places are difficult to shoot out a charge after dark as it may facilitate a phone call from someone who might think you are shooting after legal light.  If you are hunting with very expensive bullets for 2 weeks you may not want to blow off 14 of them in the dark.

Here's my take from 12 years of smokeless ML'ing.

A sabot does not form a perfect seal in a barrel,  Try dry loading a bullet sabot and run it 1/2 way down the barrel with the breech plug out.  Hold it up to the light.  You will see glints of light.  Try a land riding sabotless bullet.  Even more light.  So, water down the barrel WILL contaminate the charge.  

A super cold gun brought into a warm camp or house WILL condensate and drips will go down the barrel.  

Things that help immensely are:

Put a barrel condom on right after you load the gun.  Shoot right thru it.  If you think this will hurt accuracy, try it out on paper to regain the confidence that it does not affect anything as the air pocket in front of the bullet blows the seal off way before the bullet exits.

When storing the gun, keep it in the cold if you can.  Always insert a spent primer in the gun immediately after depriming the gun.  If you have to bring it inside, hang it on a nail, condom in place, spent primer in place, UPSIDE DOWN.

I use a stock Savage and straight loads of H4198 for power or low doses of 4759 for doe killing and have never had a fail to fire in all kinds of conditions and all sorts of long loaded periods.  Including 2 yrs where I purposely left a field loaded gun from late ML season, after killing a deer, until the next fall.

All I am saying is that proper care will assure a gun that fires every time.  Let me also say, stay away from breech plug lubes.  Use nothing or teflon tape.  If you have a vent liner.  Use only a dab on the threads, fire a few rounds to burn off any residue, load and you are good to go with the other precautionary things I mentioned.


I do not begrudge the guys that freshly load each day but encourage those who do not want to unload to do so with confidence by following these guidelines.