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Cleaning advise while zeroing muzzy at range?

RJG488

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Aug 22, 2017
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Albuquerque New Mexico
Muzzleloader newbe here... I was fortunate to draw a late season elk tag in New Mexico. How often do I clean the barrel at the range while zeroing my muzzy? Do I use wet or just dry patches, and how often? Do I use a nylon or bronze brush or just patches? I’m using the bh 209 powder with CCI 209M primers and shooting SST, Barns,TC sabot bullets and see what works best in my CVA Optima V2 . Thanks...
 
I would get a snake bore to help out. These I have found are much quicker on the range and get most of the residue out. You can do some squirts of rem oil then snake the barrel a couple times and run some patches through. Make sure you clean the breech plug also and let it dry. I would do 2-3 shots and clean. Good luck!
 
With Winchester primers, 110gr BH209, and a Barnes 290gr TMZ combo, I have had no issue keeping my bore clean on extended range sessions by only swabbing a moist patch every 8-10 rounds followed by a dry patch. My rifle is a Knight Mountaineer.
 
I bronze brush it after each shot on the range. Then scrub it when I get home. I typically carry the same brush in the field if there is no need for a fast follow up.
 
I have the same set up and am also sighting in. Ran a wet patch after every shot. Seemed to work fine.
 
When I was ML hunting and shooting ML's quite often I would run a wet patch between shots to help keep her clean, and then scrub with soap and hot water when I got home.
 
I do the same as Hudge. 1 wet patch between shots, then follow up with a dry patch. I dont scrub my barrel until the season is over. Patches I use come pre soaked in ammonia. Some guys soak them in windex.
 
At the range, I only just run a wet patch followed my a dry patch about every 3 shots. I just use open sights on my Traditions Hawken and zero at 50yds. At 5 shots the crud build up does start to effect performance a bit. Soap and hot water once I get home. Never let a dirty ML sit very long. I've read that Pyrodex and BP is more corrosive than smokeless powders.
 
At the range, I only just run a wet patch followed my a dry patch about every 3 shots. I just use open sights on my Traditions Hawken and zero at 50yds. At 5 shots the crud build up does start to effect performance a bit. Soap and hot water once I get home. Never let a dirty ML sit very long. I've read that Pyrodex and BP is more corrosive than smokeless powders.

that last sentence is DRAMATICALLY true. About 2 weeks ago, I helped a guy pull a stuck jag out of his TC Hawken. It was a particularly nice example of that rifle. With a whole bunch of work and a pair of pliers we got it out and the rust on the patch was beyond belief. Pyrodex did it again. That rifle is ruined.

When I shot Pdex I used to clean before I got home so no distraction would delay the primary cleaning. Then I would clean again that night and every night thereafter for a week before I I was satisfied that it was safe to put it in the safe. Black Powder is so much easier to shoot and clean. Use the real stuff!

Do any of you blow between shots? Particularly useful in the field. It softens the fouling making it easier to reload and more accurate for follow up shots. The effect can be pretty dramatic. If you are a bit leery of blowing down a smoking muzzle, use a short piece of plastic tubing from a hardware store. Put a bit of tape in the end so it fits into the muzzle fairly snug. Cut it short so it fits in your pocket.
 
I am not much of a ML guy, so could be doing it completely wrong, but this is what I do with BH209 and powerbelts in my CVA. Take clean barrel to the range, shoot 8 or 10 times and then clean with a wet patch and then a dry patch. Just before the hunt, I shoot a fouling shot and then am good to go for at least 10 shots or until the hunt is over. I see no difference in accuracy shots 2 - 10. I might be able to go longer, but never had a reason.
 
mtmiller, if you are doing Pyrodex, then shooting a fouling shot is especially problematic! But why do that at all?

I simply wipe my bore very clean of any oils that I put in there and I'm good to go. A clean, dry bore will serve you best.
 
mtmiller, if you are doing Pyrodex, then shooting a fouling shot is especially problematic! But why do that at all?

Neither me nor the OP are using Pyrodex, so not an issue. I do see a POI difference between my clean bore and a fouled barrel, hence I shoot a fouling shot. Apparently your system has different results.
 
I go 10+ shots between cleaning. No issues.

Blackhorn 209 powder does not require all that extra work. One of the main reasons I use it.
 
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