# Muzzleloader cleaning



## Lorren68 (Aug 11, 2009)

What are some recomendations for home made cleaning solutions?  I am tired of paying for bore cleaner and using it up too quick.  I have 2 smoke poles and I love to shoot so I have to clean alot.


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## John Cooper (Aug 11, 2009)

Lorren68 said:


> What are some recomendations for home made cleaning solutions?  I am tired of paying for bore cleaner and using it up too quick.  I have 2 smoke poles and I love to shoot so I have to clean alot.



i shoot a T/C hawken and i use equal parts of denatured alcahol, murphy's oil soap and hydrogen peroxide, this recipe was given to me by a good friend who used to shoot competitive BP (traditional) several years back.........it works great for my hawken i don't have a clue if it will work on a modern or not.


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## Lorren68 (Aug 11, 2009)

John Cooper said:


> i shoot a T/C hawken and i use equal parts of denatured alcahol, murphy's oil soap and hydrogen peroxide, this recipe was given to me by a good friend who used to shoot competitive BP (traditional) several years back.........it works great for my hawken i don't have a clue if it will work on a modern or not.



well I will give it a try I shoot both I have a hawkin style and an in-line.  Where can you get these items, what is the name brand for them


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## Niner (Aug 11, 2009)

HOT water and a little Dawn or Ivory dish soap.
Put the mix in an old coffee can (or other suitable pot). 
Take barrel off of smokepole.
Take nipple off.
Cut a patch an use ramrod with patch-jag to suck the hot water up into the barrel and then push it back out.
When done prop the barrel up so that any water left in will come out.
The barrel will be hot, so whatever moisture is left will cook off pretty quickly.

Then swab the inside and outside with bore butter.

That's how I do my old TC Hawken.


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## DS7418 (Aug 11, 2009)

I shoot 777 in 3 of mine,, and I use the exact same thing as "Niner" uses.. never had a problem.
 Just remember to lube after it gets dry.


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## tv_racin_fan (Aug 11, 2009)

I use hot soapy water. You can do without the soap if need be. I use a two liter pop bottle with the top cut off. I love it when people comment on my cleaning my revolvers in the kitchen sink...

The hotter the water the better since it will dry itself quickly BUT you have got to lube that barrel just as quickly else it will start to rust. I have had rust form on my stuff in the time it took me to get the rest of my cleaning stuff out, nothing to worry about since it wipes off with the first application of lube but it illustrates how quickly a black powder firearm can rust.


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## johnsteven (Aug 11, 2009)

I use a mix of equal amounts of Murphy's Oil Soap, ammonia, and water.  Just keep it in a glass jar, etc.  It is cheap and does a great cleaning job.


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## John Cooper (Aug 11, 2009)

Lorren68 said:


> well I will give it a try I shoot both I have a hawkin style and an in-line.  Where can you get these items, what is the name brand for them



i got all of them from wally world ....... plus i got a quart spray bottle to mix them in. 

denatured alcahol ........ paint department......just ask for it they will show you.

murphy's oil soap.......in the floor cleaning section (that is the name brand)

hydrogen peroxide.........in the health and beauty aids dept. .......they will show you.

 i use this for patch lube and also as a barrel cleaner. 

take you barrel off and after you mix it equal parts pour it in your barrel with the nipple out and a plug in the hole. fill your barrel to within 3" of the top, and let the mixture bubble and foam (don't worry it's cleaning......)

when it stops foaming pour it out and run a couple of patches thru it to finnish the cleaning and your done. no lubeing or anything.

john


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## killitgrillit (Aug 11, 2009)

Niner said:


> HOT water and a little Dawn or Ivory dish soap.
> Put the mix in an old coffee can (or other suitable pot).
> Take barrel off of smokepole.
> Take nipple off.
> ...


Same here, been using this method for 20+ years

I use homemade bore butter
64oz olive oil
1lb bees wax
melt togethor in a double boiler and pour into a tupperware bowl.
I use it for patch lube and cleaning.


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## Nicodemus (Aug 11, 2009)

I use cold water. And wipe it with bear oil, that I rendered myself, after it is clean.

I shoot only traditional, with true blackpowder.


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## hawgrider1200 (Aug 12, 2009)

Been using hot soapy water for years. Never a problem.


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## deersled (Aug 12, 2009)

sopay water. the Hotter (boil it)....the better


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## 7Mag Hunter (Aug 12, 2009)

.54 cal Hawken...5 gal bucket HOT soapy water with mop/brush,
then rinse with clear hot water....Patch and after cleaning lube with
Bore Butter....Dry barrel with cloth and hair dryer...
I take the barrel off the stock....Entire cleaning
process only takes 15 mins or so...
Bore Butter seasons the metal to help prevent rust...No
petroleum cleaners or lubes for me.....
Been shooting BP for 25 yrs....


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## Lorren68 (Aug 12, 2009)

What do yall use in the field when hot soapy water is not available?


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## whitworth (Aug 12, 2009)

*The Only Experience I have*

...is I cleaned my muzzleloader every time it was fired that day, after the firing.  

I used "moose milk" a homemade solution of water, dish cleaning soap, and water soluable oil.

An old flintlock muzzleloader, firing black pwder, still shot after 30 plus years, so I never looked for a newer testimonial.


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## tv_racin_fan (Aug 15, 2009)

Lorren I have never been in the field where water isn't available. It does  not have to be hot nor soapy to get the job done with black powder. Now the new fangled stuff might be different (actually Pyrodex will clean with plain water too). I use HOT water because it generally dries faster. All that said I also have some commercial made stuff TC #13 and some TC#17 soaked patches in a can and I am not afraid to use them. Fact is my cleaning regime is generally to clean em with hot soapy water the day I shot em and then clean em with some soaked patches twice more within the week then I can let em sit as long as I want. I am generally dissapointed if I only clean em once and let em sit for a month or more but never when I clean em twice. I try to do the same with my modern firearms as well, as the bore cleaner tends to soak under anything I might have left in the barrel on the first cleaning. (it is an old military habit to be honest)


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