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Keeping Your Powder Dry

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Can someone remind me which order it goes? I know that once your loaded muzzleloader is cold, it should never get warm (go inside) again, but am I safe loading cold power into a cold gun? Or just keep everything warm...

:smiley_confused_vra
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
14,630
201
NE Ohio
As you suggested, the gun should cool. I leave mine in the garage the night before. In the morning I will snap off a cap or two before loading to dry out the chamber. (because thats how I was taught many years ago.) As far as the powder goes, some times I leave the bag with the gun in the garage and sometimes I leave it inside. I have never had a load not go off weather it was just in for a day or 4 days in either the in-line or flint lock so in my experience, warm or cold powder does not matter. I feel there is to much steel around the 90-100 gr. to cause condensation and that the powder cools with no problems.

Keep it all cold and you'll be fine.

Now. Keeping rain and snow out of the pan on a flint lock... That is a whole nother matter
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
As you suggested, the gun should cool. I leave mine in the garage the night before. In the morning I will snap off a cap or two before loading to dry out the chamber. (because thats how I was taught many years ago.) As far as the powder goes, some times I leave the bag with the gun in the garage and sometimes I leave it inside. I have never had a load not go off weather it was just in for a day or 4 days in either the in-line or flint lock so in my experience, warm or cold powder does not matter. I feel there is to much steel around the 90-100 gr. to cause condensation and that the powder cools with no problems.

Keep it all cold and you'll be fine.

Now. Keeping rain and snow out of the pan on a flint lock... That is a whole nother matter

Then it's all going out in the garage a few days before. I thoughts that what I had done, but I couldn't remember and figured that there were others that could benefit as well. I've never heard of snapping a cap or two before to dry it out, that's an idea that I might do!
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Mine has been loaded (minus primer) in the garage since the bonus weekend. Will need to fire it some this week anyhow. Then it will remain loaded in the garage until I use it this weekend. After that, it will be emptied, thoroughly cleaned, and stuffed back in the safe until next season.