What is a Safe Way to Unload a Muzzleloader?

Unloading a muzzleloader is one of the commonest questions asked by beginners in the world of hunting. You might have even asked yourself “why unloading”? Well, in firearms such as a muzzleloader, safety is paramount both to yourselves and others around you.

When it comes to muzzleloader, you have got to unload the gun almost every time immediately after a shot. Come to think of it, you make a shot and you are left with unloading the muzzleloader to take another shot,  however, you do not know the safest possible way to unload just to end up blowing your face off!

For this reason, we have compiled this article to show you some of the safest ways to unload a muzzleloader. Keep on reading to find out more!

What is a Muzzleloader?

Just before we dive in, there is a need for you to understand what a muzzleloader is especially if you are just a beginner handling such a firearm. Simply put, a muzzleloader is a firearm loaded through the muzzle.

It requires the shooter to push some sort of projectile in form of a powder charge through the muzzle. In traditional muzzleloaders, the muzzle is often found at the front end unlike other types of firearms developed recently.

This type of firearm is commonly used for hunting, theatrics, and some other applications. It is quite versatile however it uses black powder which makes it difficult to clean and might affect the gun’s accuracy while shooting.

Why do you need to Unload a Muzzleloader?

As a beginner, you also need to understand the importance of unloading a muzzleloader. Before you unload, one major thing you should do is cleaning. Perhaps the muzzleloader is loaded and you need to clean. What would you do? You just have to unload it to prevent blowing your face off!

Black powder is one of the main components of this firearm. It is a very lethal powder that can spoil a muzzleloader within days if not properly cleaned. Unloading the muzzleloader is therefore important to prevent the accumulation of black powder.

When the black powder is retained, it makes the gun unsafe for use because of the fowling effect it creates. Likewise, it will definitely affect the accuracy of the firearm especially when it stiffens.

Continue reading to find out more on how you can unload your muzzleloader!

What is a Safe Way to Unload a Muzzleloader?

Before you start to unload a muzzleloader, you need to clean the muzzleloader first. Cleaning the muzzleloader should be done carefully to avoid damaging the components of the firearm. Pay attention to the manufacturer guidelines for cleaning. You need to clean the firearm’s barrel. Likewise, cleaning kits are one of the effective ways to get your muzzleloader cleaned.

After cleaning your muzzleloader, you can now start to unload it.  There are lots of ways by which you can unload your muzzleloader. Do well to follow the manufacturer guidelines if you have your manual. If you don’t have a manual perhaps, check out some of the ways by which you can safely unload the muzzleloader

1. Use a CO2 discharger

This is one of the commonest methods used to unload a muzzleloader. However, using this method requires you to know the type of muzzleloader you are using. There are different types of muzzleloaders based on different mechanisms. The types include flintlocks, cap locks, and inline muzzleloaders.

For flintlocks muzzleloaders, you have to ensure that the discharger comes in contact with the touch hole. However, if you use a muzzleloader that uses the cap locks, then placing the discharger just over the nipple will do just fine in discharging the firearm.

We recommend that to use this method, you have should know the type of muzzleloader you use. You also need to place the CO2 discharger as stated above

2. Use a Fitting Backstop

While shooting the muzzleloader, you can use a backstop to aid in support by creating a kind of boundary to prevent the bullet from deflecting back at you. This approach can also be used to unload a muzzleloader. This method is conveniently used when you have the target that can hold the bullet or when you are in the range. However, if you are in the wild, hunting, then take note of this while using this method

• Avoid shooting your muzzleloader into the ground. The is because the projectile created by the shot might cause a rebound at you and your hunting party.
• Also, avoid shooting into the air as the bullets might fall freely back at you which can lead to serious fatalities

3. Breech plug

As stated earlier, there are various types of muzzleloaders and one of them is the inline muzzleloader which is now commonly used in place of the traditional muzzleloaders. The inline muzzleloader does not take any form of training before you can unload it as long as you can remove the breech plug by yourself.

The breech plug is found at the rear of the muzzleloader, unlike the conventional types. Once you have removed the breech plug, push the projectile and the powder out of the barrel. After doing this, always ensure you put the ramrod back into the barrel to prevent the touchhole from blocking as a result of debris and some other objects during storage.

Interesting Read: What Statement about Muzzleloader is True?

Frequently Asked Questions on How to Unload a Muzzleloader Safely?

This section will discuss some popular questions normally asked by firearm enthusiasts using a muzzleloader. Let’s dive in!

Which of the following describes the safe handling of a muzzleloader?

There are lots of ways by which you can safely handle your muzzleloader. Here are some of the most important ways for the safe handling of a muzzleloader.

• Priming and capping the muzzleloader before firing. By this, you have to be ready to fire in the appropriate targets to prevent any form of misfiring, rebound, etc
• Keep the muzzle facing a safe direction
• Do not lean over the muzzle
• Use the right powder that is recommended for your type of muzzleloader
• Avoid overloading the firearm. Instead, put the appropriate measure of powder in the barrel
• Ensure that your muzzleloader is thoroughly examined by a professional before using

Can you shoot a muzzleloader without a bullet?

Yes, you can. You can shoot a muzzleloader with just the powder. This can be done by putting the powder in the nipple opening. Ensure you screw back in and then you could decide to load it up with some paper in the barrel.

What do you call the corrosive buildup of black powder residue?

This is called fouling. This effect causes difficulty in loading the barrel and might hinder the accuracy of the muzzleloader

How long can a muzzleloader stay loaded?

You can leave the muzzleloader loaded as long as its barrel is clean. Also, there should not be any contact with water down the barrel. With this, you can leave the muzzleloader loaded as long as you want.

Read Also: What are the safety rules for Handling a Muzzleloader?

Conclusion

Unloading the muzzleloader is a very important aspect of the firearm. It requires patient while doing so. To unload a muzzleloader, you need to clean the firearm first to remove any buildup of black powder that might lead to fowling.

You can then use a CO2 discharger to unload the muzzleloader depending on the type of muzzleloader you use. Likewise, backstop and removing the breech plug are some of the safest ways to unload a muzzleloader.