# Cleaning Muzzleloader



## Foreststalker (Oct 7, 2012)

What's your advice on how to clean after each shot?

Do you thoroughly clean after each load, or just swab with cotton and alcohol ( or something else ) after each load?

I know accuracy is a problem if you don't do something so how do you do it?


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## Bonaire-Dave (Oct 7, 2012)

use some bore butter. dave


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## snuffy (Oct 7, 2012)

I use a Windex soaked patch between shots.


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## miles58 (Oct 7, 2012)

I have Dyna Bore Coat in my barrels and I use BH-209 powder.  I don't clean but once a season and I do not swab.

When I am burning off old powder (some 777 and some Pyrodex)  I do swab about every third shot.

When I clean I put some Dawn detergent in an ice cream bucket and fill it about half full with hot water.  A tight patch will draw hot soapy water all the way up to the breech and 8-10 stroke and it's all clean.  Rinse with hot water and put some Eezox in the bore nd it's good to store for a year anyway.

Dave


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## 7Mag Hunter (Oct 7, 2012)

I have been shooting alot lately and have had great results with
my CVA inline...
I use a jag and wet patch, then 2-3 more dry patches to make
sure barrel is dry....I then brush and repeat above...
Saturday I shot 50 bullets and each loaded smoothly in a
 clean barrel, and accuracy was excellent..
I shot 110gr Pyrodex.......
Most fun I have had shooting black powder ..


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## Foreststalker (Oct 7, 2012)

When you say "wet patch" whats on the patch?


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## tcward (Oct 7, 2012)

Foreststalker said:


> When you say "wet patch" whats on the patch?



I refer to wet patch as a patch with a solvent. I use Thompson Center number 13 black powder solvent.


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## Redleaf (Oct 7, 2012)

For target shooting I wipe with one moist patch between shots.  Windex or windshield washer fluid.   They might not sell that on ZARGON though.  What galaxy is that?


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## Michael F. Gray (Oct 7, 2012)

After an outing I remove the barrel, wash with warm soapy water, usually Dawn dishwashing soap, then dry with patches , run a good brush through it with solvent. Apply a thin layer of gun oil, and cover a clean patch with bore butter, running it both ways working it in thinly till it shines well. Hot soapy water in the kitchen sink is the secret. Helps to do it when the wife is shopping.


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## FrontierGander (Oct 7, 2012)

stay away from bore  butter, thats for rookies who do not know any better.

Pyrodex- T7- American Pioneer, swab between shots with a DAMP patch that has either spit, rubbing alcohol, windex on it.


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## tv_racin_fan (Oct 7, 2012)

UMM I know professionals who have no issue with bore butter as it is simply sweet oil and beeswax with an odorant. It is edible...

What most people take offence to is the idea that you can "season" a gun barrel like you do a cast iron skillet.


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## 7Mag Hunter (Oct 7, 2012)

tcward said:


> I refer to wet patch as a patch with a solvent. I use Thompson Center number 13 black powder solvent.



Thats what i use between shots and to clean before I 
put it away....

I do use Bore Butter too...put even coat inside and outside 
barrel and use hair dryer to "melt" smoothly...

it can be effective preventing rust ....I use as lube on my
54 cal Hawken.......


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## frankwright (Oct 7, 2012)

I stick a patch in my mouth and chew it for a second to get it wet. Once down the barrel and back out. Turn it over and repeat.

This is for a range session and I get very reliable accuracy.

I have done this with real BP, Pyrodex and some Pinnacle and all had good results.


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## Foreststalker (Oct 7, 2012)

Redleaf said:


> For target shooting I wipe with one moist patch between shots.  Windex or windshield washer fluid.   They might not sell that on ZARGON though.  What galaxy is that?



It's in a galaxy far far away

Thanks for all the answers!


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## Desert Rat (Oct 8, 2012)

FrontierGander said:


> stay away from bore  butter, thats for rookies who do not know any better.
> 
> 
> 
> > I have a TC .45 Hawken that disagrees with you.


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## Flintrock (Oct 8, 2012)

FrontierGander said:


> stay away from bore  butter, thats for rookies who do not know any better.
> 
> Pyrodex- T7- American Pioneer, swab between shots with a DAMP patch that has either spit, rubbing alcohol, windex on it.


.
I think you meant to say pyrodex instead of bore butter.


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## Bucky T (Oct 8, 2012)

So, Windex works as well as TC #13?


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## Bernard goldsmith (Oct 8, 2012)

Watch out!! Confusion is about to happen!! Bore butter,TC#13, windex,spit after each shot??? Use windex after each shot on the range would be my choice.
Bernie Goldsmith
Field Rep. NMLRA


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## Flintrock (Oct 8, 2012)

Bucky T said:


> So, Windex works as well as TC #13?



.
For swabbing between shots just about anything will work. You are just trying to remove the fouling for the next shot.
.
Some use windex, some use a little soapy water, some use store bought cleaner ect.. I use a mixture of murphys oil soap, hydrogen peroxide and alcohol for beteen shot cleaning and general cleaning.
I would not use something greasy like bore butter to clean bewteen shots. It is ok to use as a lube for the patch on a patched round ball


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## Bucky T (Oct 8, 2012)

I have bore butter, but I only use it when I store the gun for a long period of time.

So basically Windex is fine for getting the fouling out of the gun.

I'm looking for something a little more economical than the TC name that works just as well.

Flintrock,

Why do you use that concoction of ingredients to clean your weapons with?


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## Lorren68 (Oct 8, 2012)

I think this thread has run into a problem of 2 different things being discussed.  Cleaning and swabbing are 2 different things.  

Swabbing is done in between shots on the range to help keep the barrel consistent between shots.  This can be done with water and soap, spit, bore cleaner,alcohol etc. The goal is to remove enough fouling o make loading easy and to keep the barrel as consistent from shot to shot as possible.
Cleaning refers to just that , again any number of home made cleaner as well as commercial items will work (I use soap and water)  make sure the gun is dry and lubed before storage.


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## Desert Rat (Oct 9, 2012)

After all I've been through with the "abused" Hawken, I have the rifle where it's pretty consistent now. I've gone from practically having to clean the gun between every shot to shooting all day with having to even swab it out if I'm using Pyrodex.
I believe really hot wash and rinse water and swabbing the hot barrel with bore butter has gotten me to this point. An expert local to me (not a forum member) told me this would happen. He also suggested 3 dry patches then a lubed patch. It seems to be working.
I still run a spit patch with TC13 after the 6th shot. I can't help it.


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## Flintrock (Oct 9, 2012)

Bucky T said:


> Flintrock,
> 
> Why do you use that concoction of ingredients to clean your weapons with?



.
its cheap and it works well as a good lube when shooting at the range, swabbing bewteen shots and a cleaner when Im done.
I read about it in Muzzle Blast about 20 years or so years ago and I have been using it ever since .


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## 7Mag Hunter (Oct 9, 2012)

Desert Rat said:


> After all I've been through with the "abused" Hawken, I have the rifle where it's pretty consistent now. I've gone from practically having to clean the gun between every shot to shooting all day with having to even swab it out if I'm using Pyrodex.
> I believe really hot wash and rinse water and swabbing the hot barrel with bore butter has gotten me to this point. An expert local to me (not a forum member) told me this would happen. He also suggested 3 dry patches then a lubed patch. It seems to be working.
> I still run a spit patch with TC13 after the 6th shot. I can't help it.



If it works, do it.....What you describe is pretty much
what I do with my Hawken......
It fouls much quicker and worse than my inline and does
require more effort to get accuracy....


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## flyfisher76544 (Oct 9, 2012)

Spit patch or a patch with rubbing alcohol on it. Only have to do that after about 15 shots or more. Personally when I use Bore Butter it leaves crud in the barrel and makes it foul much quicker. Prefer to use a mixture called moose snot(Murphy's, beeswax and witch hazel) Your mileage may vary.


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## Foreststalker (Oct 9, 2012)

I was asking both questions but probably not well.  Cleaning between shots during the season then cleaning to store.  Sounds like Windex is the most popular between shots.   Thanks again for all the suggestions.


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