How often do you clean your breech plug?

[Ron S]

I've been having great accuracy with my ML10-II,but after shooting it I clean everything up(old habits are hard to break)! But when I return to the range I find that I have to shoot a few fouling shots to get everything spot on again. Do you need to clean the bore,and breech plug every shooting session? For the up comming session of deer season I would like to have the bore somewhat fouled before going hunting,but really don't want to have to fire a fouler shot at 5:00am on opening morning(the neibors would get a little irrate). Ron

 

[big6x6]

Ron, I generally try to KEEP a clean gun. And I mean CLEAN! Saying that..I don't generally clean the BORE of my smokeless muzzleloaders OR centerfire rifles until after hunting season UNLESS I KNOW I will get to go back to the range OR I HAVE to due to fog/rain/snow/etc. I DO wipe off all of them off with oil/lube/whatever after using on the exterior.

 

[dwhunter]

I clean my bore and breech plug about every 25 shots, but that's just me. According to some you can go longer. I'm like Chuck I keep a CLEAN gun. :wink:

 

[ggilliam]

I have been cleaning after each shooting session, about 25-30 shots. When I return to the range, I have the same problem you do, except my gun seems to take 5 or 6 shots before it starts to settle in. I am wondering if I am doing something wrong.

 

[Grouse]

I clean my bore and breech plug about every 25 shots, but that's just me. According to some you can go longer. I'm like Chuck I keep a CLEAN gun. :wink:

That's a pretty good no#. A can of degreaser, and a 5/32 drill bit does the job.

 

[Ron S]

I think Chuck,hit the nail on the head! Clean the gun,breech plug,ect. but leave the bore alone.Makes alot of sense! Ron

 

[Ron S]

Went to the range yesterday,like Chuck said I left the barrel alone and cleaned the breech plug,bolt,and exterior of the gun last time. First shot was dead on,as were the rest of them. I think I was over cleaning the guns bore. It's a old habit from my other BP guns. I did run a patch into the threaded area on a brass brush,to clean out the breech plug threads. Then one dry patch down the bore,that's it! Thanks for the tip Chuck! Ron

 

[RAF]

For me it depends on the the time of year. Most of the time I'll take the gun apart, clean bore, breech plug, maybe replace the vent liner. I usually have to zero it when I go back to the range. At or near the hunting season after I've zeroed it I leave it alone. Dry patch after every shot at the range and at the end of a hunting day after I've fired off the charge.

 

[Ron S]

RAF, I changed my cleaning system lately! I drypatch the bore(one patch) and remove the breech plug and clean it. It dosen't change POI at all. Ron

 

[RAF]

My zero seems to change slightly. I take my bolt out and try very hard to put the screws back to where they were but I find a change of POI by around and inch. Doesn't take much to dial it back in though

 

[Anonymous]

Do you need to clean the bore,and breech plug every shooting session?

Most certainly not. After every 100-pack of primers has worked well, for the last 4000 shots or so.

 

[IAhunter]

RW- I have read many times on this forum that Sav10ML users will clean their breechplugs after 100 shots, but do you wait to clean your bore after 100 shots?? Maybe this explains some of my struggles to get consistent groups. My best groups tend to be my last sets of groups before I clean the gun, while my worst groups tend to my my first sets of groups after cleaning the gun. However I always dry patch before my range sessions to remove any oils.

 

[Anonymous]

RW- I have read many times on this forum that Sav10ML users will clean their breechplugs after 100 shots, but do you wait to clean your bore after 100 shots?? Maybe this explains some of my struggles to get consistent groups. My best groups tend to be my last sets of groups before I clean the gun, while my worst groups tend to my my first sets of groups after cleaning the gun. However I always dry patch before my range sessions to remove any oils.

Yes.

That said, there are far too many variables to say what might be the best, or even better approach for an individual combination of powder, bullet, sabot, primer, and ventliner.

5744 does not burn quite as clean as the single-base N110 and N120. However, it is the least sensitive powder to flash hole diameter change and breechplug fouling that I've seen-- and is the easiest to ignite. With 5744, I've gone through well over two pounds of powders without touching anything, something I wouldn't do with any other propellant. Still grouping 1 inch or so @ 100 yards.

Use of .033 ventliners cuts down breechplug carbon considerably. I have not measured it to give an exact percentage; Savage Shooter believes 50% less carbon.

The sabot acts as a wiper, so the bore condition change from shot to shot is very small. I have tried dry-patching from shot to shot, but I can't say it makes any difference. Maximum deviations in 10 shots strings with no swabbing and 5744 have been in the 2-3 fps range. That's max., not standard. Even though the 5744 isn't the cleanest powder in the barn, it sure works well. Still, it does not leave the greasy mung that Alliant 2400 does.

Most of the accuracy problems I've seen, and have been reported have been due to an incorrect or older formulation sabot, too much powder, or insufficient barrel cooling time-- sometimes a combination of all of them. That seems to be a clear trend, anyway.

It seems every gun has its own personality to some extent, any type of gun.

 

[HighTechRedneck]

Usualy just 1 time a year. Before I start range work for that season. IF something goes wrong I will clean it again, but thats only IF something goes wrong.

 

[Tar-12]

Breech Plug

I broke the Sav.10Ml out yesterday for the first time since cleaning and putting away last season. First order of business? Load and shoot! First shoot 3/4 in.right of dead center(shooter errorLOL!) Then proceeded To drill 1/2to3/4 in groups for approx. 20 shots. at 100yds. #300grn XTP,.44grn of 5744, Short black MMP,Fed 209A.No cleaning between shots Nor will I for the rest of the season, that is including the breech plug. I will not be shooting 70 plus deer :cry:, so there is no reason to mess with it! As Randy stated wait time in between shots isCRITICAL!!!!!!!!! It really is that simple.

 

[RAF]

I might clean a little more that every 100 shot. I do clean at the end of the hunting season before I put it away for the winter. Put in a little extra oil for protection. I then clean again in spring, mostly to get the oil out.