cleaning question

[Kipsbay]

I swab in between shots...1 wet 1 dry each patch gets flipped so I have 4 pass thru the barrel. My question really is....after a session at the range I leave w/ a fouled barrel (don't run my patch procedure) until I'm ready to load and go hunting or shoot again (I'm using T7)....then I do my patch process. Is this what each of you do and what about your breech plugs.....??

Recently I have done the above and after a session at the range, I've also taken out the breech plug and cleaned that.....this is not a complete gun cleaning but more of an normal swabbing w/ a breech plug removal and cleaning as an extra / added precaution.....I would hate to have a misfire due to a plugged breech plug while in the field when Mr. big shows up

I'm really interested in hearing what all of you do between range sessions and the time you go hunting for max. accuracy and a caution to keep Murphy's law entering into the scenario.

Thanks in advance......JOHN

 

[Anonymous]

Kipsbay

I do a total clean job after every range session while i'm hunting if I don't shoot the gun it stays loaded but if I shoot even 1 shot I do a total clean.

RON G.

 

[Kipsbay]

You don't see a different or slightly different POI on a completely clean gun vs. one that's been swabbed.....??

I see slightly different POI w/ a clean barrel vs. a fouled and swabbed barrel just like I do with a cool / cold barrel vs. the POI after numerous shots at the range and my barrel gets heated from the shots.

Maybe I'm being to picky but I'm a perfectionist and want the best possible accuracy out of my rig in a hunting scenario.....I'm just trying my best to keep .....what ever can go wrong from going wrong within my powers.

Thanks again.....JOHN

 

[Cajun]

I would be worried about corrosion starting in the barrel between your range time and hunting. That's if I understood right that you want to keep a fowled barrel between the range and hunting.

 

[Kipsbay]

I'm in the middle of the hunting season....so, it would only be a day or two.....this is what I was told to do by reputable person and why i'm asking....to see what others do.....??

 

[Anonymous]

I did not thank you were talking about the POI with a clean vers. a fouled barrle I was more WORRYED about your barrle rusting and or pitting on you .

I have had that happen to me, so now a 20 min clean job is a small price to pay verses a 300 to 500 dollor gun .


Ron G.

 

[Ron S]

After learning the Bore Butter "trick" this year,my POI is the same. Clean,or fouled barrel! Would I leave the gun dirty after a range session? Not a chance! Good barrels aren't cheap,and if you have a shooter,there is no garentee the next barrel will be a shooter too! Ron

 

[Kipsbay]

OK Ron....I'm taking the bate.....what is the bore butter trick....??
I'm not new to muzzle loading but's not to say what I've done in the past is right or what "other" have told is correct either....inlighten me....??

 

[Ron S]

OK,Here goes! I was having a hard time finding a sabot/bullet combination that,loaded easy,and shot good. On another board an very experenced shooter,told me about the system he uses. Here it is: before firing the first shot,take a patch with Bore Butter worked into it,and run it up and down the bore to give it a light coating. Then drop your powder,or pellets down the bore,followed by a sabot/bullet with a "light coating of BB on the sabot. Don't worry about firing a cap to dry out the breech plug. Until trying this,my first shot (on a clean dry bore) had allways shot high (around 2 inches). This time it hit dead center :shock: ! Then you just swab out the bore (I use a spit patch,then a dry patch) then run the BB patch down the bore again,to leave a light film of BB in the bore. Drop your charge followed by a bullet/sabot coated with the BB. All I changed from my loading sequence was BB on a patch,before firing,and after firing and swabbing between shots,and using BB on the sabot. I hunted the first gun season this year,and was a little concerned about the gun going bang,by NOT firing a cap through it before loading,and having the BB in the bore,and on the sabot. On the third day I got a shot,and the gun shot perfect! Dead on the money (162yd shot). The gun loads so easy with this system,I don't ever have to use my ball starter. One hand on the ram rod is all it takes,and the performance,and accuracy has never been better. Ron

 

[Kipsbay]

I have to ask......aren't you afraid the "BB" will make the powder moist....??
I will say....I was at the range today and found my gun likes a clean barrel....I was swabbing with two patches as I metioned above....one spit flipped and run again and the same with a dry.....today I used two spit and one dry and tightened up my groups. I also shot for accuracy....waiting 10 -15 min between shots, shot my new H&R USH 12 ga. between muzzy shots. Yes I like punishment...smile. I found a big improvement. Still need to get that Bellm trigger spring installed as I hate the heavy pull I have now but I'm making progress. Shot the Harvester Scorpion 260 & 300 gr. PT gold.....my gun likes the 300 better w/ a 110 gr. for T7 ffg.
Thanks for the input Ron.....the "BB" scares me a little......

 

[Ron S]

The Bore Butter is "non fouling" in other words,it won't contaminate your powder. Round ball shooters have used for years on the patch material,with round balls. Give it a try after season,or before (I don't know how much time you have before season opens). I think you will be as suprized as I was! I think the system does two things,it helps making loading the bullet/sabot easy. And it also helps the sabot survive when shooting heavy loads. We noticed that with a clean dry bore the fired sabots were pretty much trashed (petals missing,bases mushroomed out,ect On the lubed shots we fired, they were all intact,and looked as if you could use them again. We have came to the conclusion,that if the sabot is being destroyed going down the bore while shooting it,your accuracy is going to suffer. We also noted that,before when shooting we would have some plastic fouling left in the bore. Now that we are lubing the sabots, and bore we haven't found a trace of plastic in the bore while cleaning up the guns. Ron

 

[Kipsbay]

How much BB (size) do you apply to the patch for final coat before adding powder, the size of a pea.....?? And how much do you apply to the sabot......I can't imagine much is needed....?? And that you only apply to the sides in a small amount.....??
Thanks again.....JOHN

 

[cayuga]

While Bore Butter application might work for some, it does not work for all. I personally have no use for Bore Butter, other then to lube a conical bullet or line a garbage can. In fact I bought two tubes of the stuff years ago, and still have them around the house. I lube a conical once in a while, and experiement with rifle patch and roundball with it.

There is nothing wrong with leaving the rifle fowled for a day or two. Some powders are more forgiving then other powders. Pyrodex RS & P being the worse. Something you can do is, if the rifle is fowled and you want to keep it that way for a day or two... That evening take a patch with a "little" Windex on it. Swab the barrel. Then with a clean dry patch swab the barrel. Now you can take a little gun oil or bore butter if you wish to go that route, and swab the barrel. What you have basically done is replicate what you would do on the range when target shooting.

I personally use the philosophy that, if I shoot it, I clean it the same day and hunt on a clean dry barrel the next day. I just know where the clean barrel will hit, VS the fowled barrel. Now if the POI is a great deal different, then a decision has to be made to fowl or not to fowl. If it is slight and your shots are close, then a inch is not the end of the world.

 

[Ron S]

How much BB (size) do you apply to the patch for final coat before adding powder, the size of a pea.....?? And how much do you apply to the sabot......I can't imagine much is needed....?? And that you only apply to the sides in a small amount.....??
Thanks again.....JOHN

Very little,you just want the bore,and sabot to have a "light" film. If you see yellow(BB) on the muzzel,or sabot,you might have too much. The sabot will look shiney,and slick. The amount of BB on the patch is a very small amount also,in fact when range shooting,I use the same patch about 5-7 times. My friend uses the swabing patch with BB on it, to lube the sabot also. A little goes a long way. After hunting season is over this weekend,we intend to try other lubes as well,we aren't saying BB is the final answer,but it sure has worked to perfection so far. I don't think BB seasons the bore like claimed,but I'm not a "white lab coat guy"so who know's for sure. We also use pretty harsh solvents to clean our barrels after shooting. Some of them, like Blue Wonder contain amonia(think that's right?) in them. This is another big NO NO according to most black powder shooters. We want to get every last bit of fouling out of the bore,if the bore butter left any seasoning in the bore,I'm sure we have removed it with the solvents. We use this stuff in our benchrest rifles. If it will clean out a benchrest barrel and not harm it,it's good enough for a ML barrel. Allways apply some type of protectant to the bore after cleaning it. Ron