Cleaning and maintenace

I bought my first muzzleloader last year literally the week before the muzzleloader season started. I still had my deer tag and wasn't working (sabbatical of sorts) so had the chance to hunt the entire 7 days and really enjoyed it.

I find there is a tremendous amount of information related to cleaning and maintenance of a muzzleloader - almost to the point of being paralyzing!

I purchased the T/C cleaning materials and solvents along with my muzzeloader (Pro Hunter FX) and used them religiously during the season and for storage prep.

What do "veterans" do for range day cleaning, daily cleaning during the season, cleaning for long term storage, etc.?

If you're using sugar based Black Powder substitutes (T7 and Pyrodex) they aren't corrosive and easy to clean, don't get to hung up worrying about it. Cleaning it's easy peasy..boil a kettle of hot water and get a bucket. Take the barrel off, take out the breach plug and stand it in the bucket and pour the water to it...cleans up in no time. Then push/pull thru a bunch of cleaning patches with a CLP type solvent like Breakfree. Then a light coating of oil on interior and exterior of the barrel...done.

Take special note of the breach plug threads on the barrel while cleaning...they need to be cleaned with a tooth brush if your suing a grease.

Daily stuff if your on the range, keep the barrel from getting a crud ring while shooting by cleaning it while you're shooting. Swab the barrel between shots with pre-lubricated patchs. Use one to whip down the exterior metal parts if it's damp out.

Same with BH209...however it requires solvents (Ballistol, Eezox, Montana Extreme) to clean up, but still basically the same procedure. It burns cleaner, but you will still get a dirty barrel while shooting so get in the habit of swabbing between shots as well, keeps the shots /accuracy consistent.

Cleaning any gun is part of shooting and should be an enjoyable task, take your time and enjoy the smells. They will bring back fond memories in the future :)

I have stopped using "hot" water to clean my smoke pole. The theory being, hot water will open the pores of the metal and allow impurities to get in. Especially if using true black powder which is very corrosive. I fill my barrel with cold water and the touch hole plugged with a toothpick, let it stand for 10 minutes to soften the gunk. Then swab and swab and swab some more til the patches come out clean. Then I will use some WD40 and swab with that until dry and then finally some good gun oil (Outers, Hoppes or Remoil) on a patch to lube and protect.
Like Mikepal says, make it an enjoyable part of the muzzle loading experience............................Daniel
P.S. Keep yer powder dry Pilgrim.

Daniel, I've never used water with Goex....Mind you, I use Birchwood Cassey's 'Muzzle Magic' ...which is a water based product but figure it was the isopropyl in it that was cutting thru the crud. :)

I read the principle of boiling hot water is that the metal gets hot enough to evaporate remaining moisture. I know with boiling water from the kettle, you have to hold the barrel with oven mitts..it get VERY hot and dries quickly. I don't think it gets the barrel as hot as the powder burn, so I don't think it will damage the structure of the metal in the barrel.

note: I bought that hand steam cleaner off Amazon I mentioned in an earlier thread, but haven't used it yet to clean the ML, I'll be doing some shooting this month so I'm going to see how that works. So far I've only used it to clean wax on my bee hive frames, works real slick to loosen up the hard stuff.

I also enjoy muzzleloading (shooting or hunting)i find it very "different"and kind of revarding.Working for the goal kind of thing.........
I use nothing but what TC recommends for my stainless Omega.Works for me for many years.I use 777 for propellant!!!
Before shooting i wipe the gun down and run a dry patch thru the bore.Fire one EMPTY shot(ABSOLUTELY NO LOAD)into the ground a bit away from me to see grass blades moving-this is to assure the flash hole IS open.
For range cleaning-wet swab with TC 17 presoaked patch and dry it with dry patch.One per shot.This takes care of the crud ring pretty good.Just watch if there is "to much"liquid from the patch"if it drips to much you may get the gun firing but the bullet will fly short and low( if suspecting i just squeeze the extra liquid out from the patch before using it-this WORKS)
Then i clean it after range day as i am putting it away for the season-clean the barrel with TC 17 presoaked patch(1-2 only-following drying patch)-then soak it with TC spray for cleaning muzzleloaders (foaming kind)following the instruction.Scrub it a bit with their bore brush if shot to many shots(like 15 is my max)then dry it with dry patches .Take out the plug,soak it with TC 13 solvent(generally while cleaning the gun)brush it with tooth brush and clean the flash hole with a tiny wire. Clean the threads inside the barrel(pain in the .....)with foaming cleaner/chamber brush.Pain in the....Then dry it all with rags.Apply TC anti seize(Breech Plug Grease) grease to the threads!!!On the threads of the plug and in the thread inside also.Run 1-2 TC Bore Butter pre soaked patch thru the bore and wipe outside with bore butter/rag.My gun is about 10 years old,and never any problems.

I am not selling TC products,simply following their recommendations since the first day-and it works for me.It is a bit costlier then hot water(which i could never figured out at early stages -how to do with the scope on the gun) or any other "bulk or gun cleaning"chemical......but it is not prohibitive,since the cleaning supplies last many years.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MikePal

Daniel, I've never used water with Goex....Mind you, I use Birchwood Cassey's 'Muzzle Magic' ...which is a water based product but figure it was the isopropyl in it that was cutting thru the crud. :)

I read the principle of boiling hot water is that the metal gets hot enough to evaporate remaining moisture. I know with boiling water from the kettle, you have to hold the barrel with oven mitts..it get VERY hot and dries quickly. I don't think it gets the barrel as hot as the powder burn, so I don't think it will damage the structure of the metal in the barrel.

note: I bought that hand steam cleaner off Amazon I mentioned in an earlier thread, but haven't used it yet to clean the ML, I'll be doing some shooting this month so I'm going to see how that works. So far I've only used it to clean wax on my bee hive frames, works real slick to loosen up the hard stuff.

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Hi Mike. What sold me on the cold water clean was...when I used hot water method, I could run a patch down the bore 2 days later and see a slight rust color. When I switched to cold the bore was not stained after. Just my observations.:thumbup:....................Daniel

Edited few upgrades(as exact names of products etc to my above post-please re-read it, as is now.....)

I don't do any of the above with my M/L & it shoots & looks brand new.

Oh ya I use a Savage 10ML ii smokeless gun... :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bellerivercrossbowhunter

Oh ya I use a Savage 10ML ii smokeless gun... :)

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Isn't that one of those yuppie hybrid crossover type thingies that pretends to be an ML ..LOL...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by boogaloo

Hi Mike. What sold me on the cold water clean was...when I used hot water method, I could run a patch down the bore 2 days later and see a slight rust color. When I switched to cold the bore was not stained after. Just my observations.:thumbup:....................Daniel

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Were you lubing the bore after cleaning?

I just cleaned up Goex with hot water, then Hoppes #9 and then a cleaner/lube designed as a 1 step cleaner and lubrication. Let me tell you, I have never seen dirt like I have when touching off FFFg in a small bore, I have been told it was because the pressure was so low, 30+ patches to get the bore clean but it is not changing day to day so I think this works.