Pulling a load vs. Shooting it

[eagle24]

I didn't want to hijack the thread about hunting loads, but it got me thinking about unloading after I hunt.  Do the majority (assuming you don't leave your rifle loaded) prefer to pull the ball and dump the powder or fire the gun to unload after hunting?

[Frank]

I would always shoot the load out.

[TPH]

Ditto.

[long carabine]

 Always shoot, hate pulling the load. Tim

[roundball]

I didn't want to hijack the thread about hunting loads, but it got me thinking about unloading after I hunt.  Do the majority (assuming you don't leave your rifle loaded) prefer to pull the ball and dump the powder or fire the gun to unload after hunting?

I never shoot a load out for several reasons...always pull them and save the balls & patches for shooting at the range...only takes a few seconds to pull the ball, then I use my air compressor to blow out the powder...patch lube the bore and set it in the rack.

And more recently with the excellent CO2 dischargers that are now available, just hold the adapter in the vent, squeeze the trigger, and bloop everything out into a box of old towels or something...5 seconds maybe.

In either case no rifle to clean late at night after coming home from a hunt.

[BuffaloGun]

I always fire to load.
Nothing like knowing it would've gone off.

[northmn]

Haven't had a CO-2 system so I always shot them off.  Usually with my fowler I try to fling a clay pigeon if light enough or shoot at a target of some sort with the rifle.  One shot is not hard to clean.  A shot load can be easily pulled with a screw adapted to the loading rod threads, a ball also but a little harder.

DP

[BrownBear]

I'm a puller, conditioned to it by a real wet climate (120 inches of precip a year).  I just work too darned hard on hunts to take even the slightest risk of a misfire.  It doesn't cost much, doesn't take long and doesn't hurt a thing.

[Daryl]

Here, unprimed flinter or uncapped is considered to be not loaded.  I put a piece of leather between the nipple and hammer's nose, or plug the vent with a round tooth pick - good to go next time I go hunting - no need to pull the load from an unfired gun.

 If the gun's been fired once already, I fire off the load when I reach the city limits - any side road works fine if the main highway has the 1/4 mile single projectile restriction.

 I've left my 14 bore rifle loaded for 3 months - NP- hit centre of the grouse's head (I think) upon discharge next trip - no hangfire or other problems. I was using mink oil for a lube then.  I also put a cloth patch under the patched ball to keep any leakage from spoiling the 165gr. 2F charge. Killed the grouse right off, no trailing necessary.

[Dphariss]

I didn't want to hijack the thread about hunting loads, but it got me thinking about unloading after I hunt.  Do the majority (assuming you don't leave your rifle loaded) prefer to pull the ball and dump the powder or fire the gun to unload after hunting?

I brought mine home in a case and put it in the closet still in the cover, tells me its still loaded. Saves loading it the next time.

Dan

[Jerry V Lape]

Shoot it out if you want or blow it out with either CO2 device or air compressor.  But please stop pulling the  balls which as a minimum puts your hand and arm in front of a loaded rifle while you get it screwed in. (I assume you use a tee handle rod in a tree crotch or rafters to pull rod safely).  I would hate to be here reading all the "he was a good old guy and  don't he look natural" comments when use of the CO2 discharger would have prevented it.  Personally I blow my flintlock out before casing it for the truck or camp.  A fully unloaded gun  pretty much resolves  all safety considerations. 

[roundball]

First, we all know that we have opinions on things and some are different...so this post is not challenging yours, just adding other viewpoints of consideration to loaded Flintlocks and pulling balls, etc.

In my opinion the loading process is far more prone to the extremely remote chance of an accidental discharge than while pulling a ball...ie: if we are to believe the sometimes mentioned concern that powder is being poured into a barrel that may have just been fired, the notion that an open vent could invite however remote, the possibilty for an extraneous ignition source to come into play, and  the sometimes mentioned notion that compression is involved, etc.  And during the loading process, and these conditions, the ramrod hand is over the muzzle.

However, speaking only for me, I load my Flintlock in the garage before leaving the house for an early morning hunt...when loaded, I tape over the vent, and put a finger cot over the muzzle.  There is no internal ignition source inside the bore, and there is no access to the bore for an external ignition source.
After a hunt, I peel the tape off the left side of the stock where I had stored it, and retape the vent for the trip home, get there, lay the rifle sideways on a carpeted workbench and slide the ball out with a ball puller.

No internal bore ignition source, no external ignition source can come into play, not pouring powder into a just previously fired barrel, no compression involved, only takes 10 seconds to turn the screw 3 times and slide the ball out.
So IMO, I have far less risk of an AD when I pull a ball compared to reloading the Flintlock at the range.

Not saying I'm right...just offering my .02 cents

[eagle24]

Shoot it out if you want or blow it out with either CO2 device or air compressor.  But please stop pulling the  balls which as a minimum puts your hand and arm in front of a loaded rifle while you get it screwed in. (I assume you use a tee handle rod in a tree crotch or rafters to pull rod safely).  I would hate to be here reading all the "he was a good old guy and  don't he look natural" comments when use of the CO2 discharger would have prevented it.  Personally I blow my flintlock out before casing it for the truck or camp.  A fully unloaded gun  pretty much resolves  all safety considerations. 

Thanks Jerry,

One of the main reasons I asked this question was to hear opinions on whether it was safe to pull a load.  I'm in Alabama, and the humidity is high here.  I have made a the decision that I'm not going to risk leaving the rifle loaded.  Right or wrong, I'm not comfortable taking a chance on my rifle not going off.  I come from a traditional archery background which is a "close range" affair for me.  Most of the deer I have harvested with a longbow were taken at less than 15 yards.  I learned pretty quick to go the extra mile when it comes to scent and the wind.  There's nothing more frustrating than spending hours in the woods only to be busted before a deer gets within range of a shot.  I view this the same way and don't want to take a chance that when the shot opportunity comes along, my rifle won't fire.

Now, on pulling a load.  I definitely wouldn't put anything other than my hand in front of the muzzle.  Also, to answer your assumption, I would tie my rod off to a small tree and pull the rifle off the rod.  Not to argue, but I really don't see that while pulling a load, you are at any greater risk than when loading (assuming proper safety measures are followed).  If there is a greater danger I am missing, I would like to hear it.  I guess an additional safety measure would be to spray WD-40 into the flash hole before pulling the load.  Also, I guess maybe I'm missing something else, but it would seem to me that cleanup would be much easier after pulling the load rather than firing it.  Cleaning may not be a big deal in some cases, but when I've been in the woods for 12 or 13 hours, get in late, and plan to get up and go again at 4:00am, I sort of like to eat and get to bed as soon as I can.

This is a great forum and I appreciate the input from you folks that know far more than I do.

[Robby]

G, In my experience, its a whole lot easier cleaning a gun after one shot is fired than pulling the ball and trying to scrape out the compressed powder and then swabbing anyway, and ten times easier than pulling the ball, firing the powder without a ball, then swabbing.

[Leatherbelly]

About cleanup after pulling the patched ball,What A Nightmare! I'd sooner shoot the load and clean up a 'one shot' mess than fuss with compressed powder.Takes away longer to get that plug of compressed powder out then it does to clean the bore after one shot. The Co2 method sounds like a good idea but I don't have one,so filling the bore with water to disolve the powder or using a breech plug scraper is my only other alternative.Yikes!
 So at the end of the day,I'd sooner keep it loaded if I'm hunting the next day then pull the load and charge,OR just shoot if off. JMHO
 Robby,ya beat me to the punch,LOL!

[Roger Fisher]

Not saying I'm doing the 'right' thing but depending on the conditions and where I'm hunting I do in fact bring her home loaded unprimed with hammer stall in place and hammer down.  I then hang a tag on her stating LOADED so I know whats what next time I go out.   Now then I'm refering to a rifle that was loaded with a clean and dried bore NOT  one that was fouled then loaded (it's called rust like heck)

I will add that if not fired til end of our 2 wk late flint season, I then shoot her out.

I better also add that I store her over night in the basement and I have no kids in my home (except me)!

[Darkhorse]

I never pull a load unless its absolutely the only option. Pulling might work great and be quick with a patent breech TC, Lyman, etc. But I shoot custom rifles these days built without a smaller than bore size powder chamber. Pulling is quick but the powder is packed in and requires "digging out" with a breech scraper and jag. By the time its all out and the rifle is cleaned to my satisfaction, more time has been wasted than if I just shot it out in the first place.
Never tried blowing it out with air but I've got a good system and I think I'll stick to it.
After 32 years of hunting with these rifles I'm pretty set in my ways, based on field experience concerning loading and keeping them loaded. Basically, I leave it loaded. Rainey weather requires shooting it out and recleaning. But the rest of the time a rifle loaded for hunting with a clean barrel stays loaded for at least the duration of the hunt. Often times longer. Never seen the need for a fresh load in the oft referred sense that the powder will go bad. Does'nt happen. Civil war shells are still being found with viable powder. Such problems are usually "operator error" but we can't admit it.
I do have a set routine developed over the years for hunting which has eliminated most of my operator errors.
First I remove the lock and clean all the oil out of it and dry it. Then I spray it with period corrrect silicone.
Next the barrel is thouroughly cleaned with dry patches and alcohol. Then the TH is plugged and alcohol is poured down the barrel then blown out the TH by the ramrod and patch. After giving time for the alcohol to dry the rifle is loaded.
I don't use the alcohol with 69 or 70% use the stuff with about 90%, less water. Golden Grain would probably be perfect.
Any place oil might accumulate and leech is wiped with alcohol.
Bottom line, no oil to contaminate your load.
I also prime with 4f. Yes, years ago I had 4f turn to soup in this 100% humidity Georgia climate. But once I developed this simple routine its never happened again.
I do the same thing Roger Fisher does when I bring the rifle home except I also wrap the lock with a Cow's Knee.

[William Worth]

I don't use the alcohol with 69 or 70% use the stuff with about 90%, less water. Golden Grain would probably be perfect.

I use fuel gas line dryer or denatured alcohol.

[Dphariss]

All alcohol is likely to have SOME water in it, almost a sure thing. But denatured or that used to dry gasoline is going to be the best. Rubbing Alcohol has a LOT of water in it.

Dan

[wwpete52]

Always shoot, hate pulling the load. Tim

I like to shoot it out. I'm too lazy to pull!

[Daryl]

Methonal, ie: gas line antifreeze might be the best of easily aquired alcohols. I use canned and bottled methonal for making my own model airplane engine fuel. 
If the water level is high, the engine's don't run well.

[roundball]

Always shoot, hate pulling the load. Tim

I like to shoot it out. I'm too lazy to pull!

And a CO2 discharger will make you think you've died and gone to heaven 

[Daryl]

I've pulled the odd ball - happens when I forget to put the powder in first.  Only once did I pull a load after hunting all day without shooting shooting, then left the gun 'loaded' after that. If hunting and have shot once or more, the loaded charge is set off somewhere on the way home. haven't hunted with a flinter yet - am undecided as to whether I'd shoot it off before coming home- probably. 
: I'd like to do some wabbit hunting this winter huhuhuhuhuhdt and project that I'll discharge the rifle at 'something' before packing up and coming home.

[Dave Marsh]

I must have died and gone to heaven as I love my CO2 discharger.

[roundball]

I must have died and gone to heaven as I love my CO2 discharger.