Questions on “In the field” with your MZ

[Rvrrat14]

New and been reading a lot. I’ll be starting with White Hots and Power Belts in a Optima V2.

Let’s say you’ve shot/sighted in your rifle, cleaned it, and put it away. Cleaning included a light oil patch down the bore before storage.

Now, you’re ready to go hunting. Once in the field, you take it out to prepare it for the days hunt. You run a dry patch or two down the tube followed by one or two caps discharged to dry the bore out. This is where I’m confused. If you’re hunting a few days, do you not want a light coat of oil left in the barrel for rust prevention? Thanks for your help.

 

[deermanok]

Welcome from Oklahoma. I wouldn't use either of those components but that's just me.
In getting ready for a hunt, I normally just pop a cap or 2 before I load up. If my gun has stayed dry, I normally don't do anything to it. I've left my guns loaded a week or more and they always go boom.
Out in the woods, if I've fired the gun at a deer, I will have to judge if I think I need to reload.

 

[AfricaDouble]

I run a dry patch… Yet I figure in the pores of the barrel ,is still oil.

I also pop a cap.

Now I load up… Go hunting.

If I feel in next few days a little protection is needed against moisture do to wet or weather conditions ……

I will Do a dry patch then little oil on a patch down and out then a dry patch. I may do that every day at end of day, when I get back to camp. Certainly is not going to harm anything I can think of.

I just don’t want to shoot- With a oiled bore, to slick anything up. So a dry patch solves that.

 

[MrTom]

I think a dry patch run thru the barrel prior to hunting will leave enough oil film to protect the barrel. Any residue from the primers is non-corrosive so not a worry. My guns hit the field with a couple primers having been popped before loading. The guns get shot and reloaded unless I am tagged out after the last shot. I clean my guns after the last day of my hunting.

 

[toytruck]

I wipe out the storage oils with a alcohol patch, then dry patch, then fire a cap or two, then load. Absolutely no issues doing this since I got into the sport!

 

[Rvrrat14]

I wipe out the storage oils with a alcohol patch, then dry patch, then fire a cap or two, then load. Absolutely no issues doing this since I got into the sport!

Would you use the same routine if hunting in a wet/damp environment?

 

[toytruck]

Would you use the same routine if hunting in a wet/damp environment?

Yes, I load at home. If I get caught hunting in a wet/ damp environment just put a finger cot over the muzzle. If I get a shot will do a complete cleaning then repeat for next hunt.

 

[10acres]

I run dry patches down the barrel before I load up. I have never shot a primer through before loading and have never had a problem with the gun not going bang when needed. I may change that step and shoot one through before loading. The longest I have left one loaded is a couple of days, but that’s just me.

 

[brownisdown]

Before I go out in the field I run a patch through the barel and then I pop at least 1-2 primers to clear the breech plug.Then I load it.If I go out and it is a little damp a it starts to get wet,I put a little round party ballon over the muzzle and I leave it on until I shoot my gun.Some times til the end of the season.

 

[MrTom]

Would you use the same routine if hunting in a wet/damp environment?

Per my first response, yes.

 

[Rvrrat14]

Per my first response, yes.

So per your previous response, you shoot your gun after coming in each evening and then reload the next morning?

 

[toytruck]

I have to admit that I have not cleaned the breech plug after getting a shot. I did wipe the bore with bore protection. So far no problem in the bore with triple seven. However I did get a little rust on the scope bases that I should have used oil. So I'm not doing that again. There's no damage, not pushing my luck!

 

[ourway77]

If I never shot it I would remove the primer if it was raining or snowing I would fire it and clean it when I got home and go thru the same routine in the morning couple primers and load it A couple primers is a small price to pay to not miss a Deer if the rifle failed to go bang

 

[MrTom]

So per your previous response, you shoot your gun after coming in each evening and then reload the next morning?

Nope. If I shot at deer I reload and shoot at another deer or at the very end of my season. No cleaning in between. My season is nine days long and many years I have shot on the first day, reloaded and not shot again until the last day. With BH209 I get zero issues with corrosion or rust. With T7 reloading is a ***** after taking a shot and I can't let the gun sit until the end of the season to clean it. I need to bring it in, dump the charge and clean it before heading out the next morning.

 

[AfricaDouble]

Your environment tends to affect corrosion. If your in the Pacific NW or Colorado, maybe Arizona … that will dictate a few differences in cleaning, and maintaining…I guess. I’d clean rifle as soon as I could and keep oiled and dry as much as I could. They cost to much to not care for them as much as possible. A tad off topic, Yet I am a bit overly cautious about my rifles as I like to use Real moisture absorbing black powder.

 

[Rvrrat14]

Nope. If I shot at deer I reload and shoot at another deer or at the very end of my season. No cleaning in between. My season is nine days long and many years I have shot on the first day, reloaded and not shot again until the last day. With BH209 I get zero issues with corrosion or rust. With T7 reloading is a ***** after taking a shot and I can't let the gun sit until the end of the season to clean it. I need to bring it in, dump the charge and clean it before heading out the next morning.

 

[Rvrrat14]

Ok. My season this next year will be two weeks. My ranch is 1 hr drive from home. I figured, if no exposure, I’d leave rifle loaded 4-5 days if I don’t kill. After that hunt, I’d discharge and clean/oil. Next hunt, I’ll pop a cap or two, load and start all over.

 

[ElDiablo]

Yeah, I’m not high on your choice of components. I’d go loose BH209 and something in a sabot.

I’ve rarely used any oil in the bore, but it is almost always bone dry wherever I hunt. I load at home and tape the barrel. Ive left my rifles loaded for months. No issues with BH209.

 

[Hausser1]

IMO, part of the fun with muzzle-loading is developing your own loading, shooting, cleaning, and storage preparations. Which of course means you have a legitimate excuse (for your warden) to spend more time experimenting at the range. What a drag, huh? Of course, you could just stay home and attack her honey-do list instead. That activity ranks right up there with festering rectal boils on my most favorite list. You've come to the right place to pick & choose a starting process from the vast array of opinions here.

 

[ported45]

I never did use oil between sight-in check and hunting. Just cleaned it spotless and left it dry.

Only time I use oil is when it is time to put it away after season.

Use an alcohol patch and a dry one to clean out the oil before loading.