Bore Seasoning

[Howard]

Some of the guys at the range talk about seasoning a muzzleloader's bore. They say that's what happens if you use a 'natural' product like bore butter as a lubricant. They also say it's possible to remove the seasoning, which they say you shouldn't do.
My question is this - is there such a thing as seasoning the bore, or is it just hype?
As a followup, if it is possible to season a bore, does that mean your bore is not perfectly clean?

::

 

[Zonie]

:imo: Seasoning is best described as what happens to a good old cast iron frying pan. You know, the blacker it got, the better it cooked.
Most of this blackness is burned in oil. The pores of the cast iron lets in some of the oil and it is turned to carbon which seems to help keep food from sticking to it. It doesn't seem to help the taste of Stumpkillers chili though.::

When barrels were made out of iron, "seasoning" was possible, but I have doubts that the oil that soaked into the barrels pores really ever bacame carbon. The oil in the pores did help keep rust down though.

With modern steels, the surface is not porous like iron is.
Because the surface is not porous, it cannot be seasoned like the old iron barrels could.

To make a long story short, I think the idea of "seasoning" a barrel made out of steel is a wives-tail built bolstered by the makers of Bore Butter/TC1000 et.al. to sell their product.

 

[waksupi]

I'm with Zonie. All you get from the so-called seasoning on modern steel, is a buildup of the beeswax base of the lubes.

 

[BrownBear]

I agree with Zonie and Ric about true seasoning, but there still seems to be a process of "shooting in" a barrel, and that may be what your sources are referring to.

All the rifles I have but one seemed to shoot better and better up through about 200 rounds, then kind of level out and shoot the same forever more. Along the way, one 54 cal GPR changed its preference in loads, going from a .530 ball w/ .015 patch to a .535 ball w/ .015 patch, charges and caps the same. In the beginning there just wasn't any way I was going to get that latter combo down the bore with anything short of a hammer, but now it seats with more effort than the .530/.015 combo, but not unreasonably so.

The exception to the "shooting in" process is my Crocket 32. That little bugger shoots so well right out of the box, I just don't see how it can get any better after a couple of hundred shots!

 

"Seasoning the bore" may be a fallacy... but don't let that stop you from using something like Bore Butter as a lube. Whether it seasons the bore or not, it's still a great lube. :front:

 

[roundball]

"Seasoning the bore" may be a fallacy... but don't let that stop you from using something like Bore Butter as a lube. Whether it seasons the bore or not, it's still a great lube. :front:

Completely agree...

Natural Lube 1000 is all I use and it's been outstanding for me...however...I don't buy into the seasoning thing and always clean everything out of the bore after a shoot using steaming hot soapy water to remove any traces of NL1000 (and anything else)...I don't want any buildup of anything in the bores
:m2c:

 

[Curly James]

I thought I would put my two cents worth in on this topic as it at one time held a great deal of interest for me. I have to agree that you cannot "season" a modern bore using the oft described techniques. I do agree with Brownbear that you can put enough patch and ball down (loading/cleaning) and out of (shooting) a barrel to improve the loading/shootng qualities. Having said that I now will contradict myself. :hmm: I shoot in Cowboy Action matches in the Frontiersman class. Namely I shoot a pair of cap-n-ball revolvers (either my .36 Navys or my .44 Rem Armys) and shoot black powder in my 44-40 lever rifle and my 12 ga double barrel shotgun. I also shoot a longrifle match on a regular basis. I hunt almost exclusively with muzzleloaders in all types of weather. Three years ago I started using Ballistol to clean and lube all of my guns. I use Ballistol and water to clean and straight Ballistol to lube after the cleaning. I can't explain it and it may just be the properties of the Ballistol itself, but all of these guns clean up much, much, much, easier since I started using it. They also seem to load easier and function better uaing this stuff as a lube during matches. The best I can explain is that the fouling doesn't seem to "stick" as badly, the crud doesnt build up as easily, and I have not seen one speck of rust since I started using it. I cannot say the same for the time I spent trying to "season" my guns using both homemade and store bought bore butter. There are some who will still declare this is possible but having tried almost every piece of advice given to me (verbal and printed) for the past seven years I have given up on seasoning anything. Use a good cleaning method and a good lube and you will be ahead of the game. By the way, I DO NOT own any stock or have any affiliation with the Ballistol company other than I think it is a wonder product for someone who burns as much black powder as I do on occasion. Dang, I was long winded on this one

 

[Zoobear]

I season my boar with a little pepper.

 

[Curly James]

I like a little garlic, kosher salt and BBQ sauce myself. ::

 

[Bob J]

I Along the way, one 54 cal GPR changed its preference in loads, going from a .530 ball w/ .015 patch to a .535 ball w/ .015 patch, charges and caps the same.

Ditto with my .54 GPR, except .018 pillow ticking and the .535s go down just as easy as the .530s did.

 

I have read a lot on the subject of preventing rust in general because I have more than a passing interest in preserving iron and steel. It's typically accepted that the composition of steel is not really porous (like a piece of wood) and won't allow absorbtion of oil or wax but a thin coating can still build up and offer protection - acting somewhat like paint. The reason for this is that even polished steel has a multitude of minute peaks and valleys on its surface that hold some residue. Over time, some of these tiny peaks roll over and can trap molecules of oil (or harmful salts).

Wrought iron hardware like door handles and knobs can develop a patina over many years from being touched and oils in the skin. Guns and other weapons do this also. Therefore, Bore Butter, Ballistol, WD40 and other lubes leave a very thin film that doesn't actually soak in but does cover the surface. Shooting a patched ball does not remove this film and normal cleaning may not either but scrubbing, harsh chemicals, etc., could eliminate the coating and create a fresh, clean surface where rust will start. :m2c:

 

[Pittsburghunter]

I agree with roundball that T/C's Natural lube is a fine product but I also don't kid myself that it will "season the bore". It does do a great job protecting the gun in my opinion. It also makes a fine lube with very soft fowling which helps cleaning the gun.

I also clean it all out after shooting and then use it to store rifles with and get no rust. Then before shooting clean the bore well and dry it before loading whatever I am shooting.

I use CLP for the most part for locks and external steel parts. It is one of the best products I have found for all guns. It really does clean, lube and protect. It also will not harm wood that makes it a no brainer for me.

 

[Zonie]

At the risk of starting a huge fight, I would like to mention something about the oils in the Bore Butter, TC1000, etc.
They use (as near as I can determine) olive oil.
This is great stuff because it doesn't turn rancid. On the other hand, it isn't the greatest anti-rust stuff around.

As an example of this, I use olive oil to protect my woks. Living with my evaporative cooler, my woks will rust within a week unless I wipe them out every other day and re-oil them.

I am looking at a genuine McCoy 098 model airplane engine. This engine was made over 45 years ago and has not run, nor been lubricated for over 5 years. The steel bore and piston show absolutly NO signs of corrosion (rust).
Why? Because Model airplane fuel uses Castor Oil as a lubricant.
When Stumpy did his experiments when developing his Moose Snot, he found the same thing.
Olive oil doesn't protect steel very well. Caster oil seems to keep rust away for ever.

No, I am not going to start oiling my woks with Caster Oil! ::. I can't afford the increased need for toilet paper. ::

 

[minieball]

I've used bore butter as a lube and preservative for 4 years now and have had great success with it in both particulars.Given that I have never had any after rust or leading in my P-53 I will cautiously subscribe to the seasoning claim.BTW steel certainly does have pores and tool marks will also perform the same function.

 

[roundball]

At the risk of starting a huge fight, I would like to mention something about the oils in the Bore Butter, TC1000, etc.
They use (as near as I can determine) olive oil.
This is great stuff because it doesn't turn rancid. On the other hand, it isn't the greatest anti-rust stuff around.

:winking:

No huge fight neccessary...used nothing but Natural Lube 1000 for 15+ years in every muzzleloader I've ever owned...their bores continue to be perfect.

IMO, I think the thoroughness of 100% cleaning and 100% drying are more important issues than what kind of lube is used after those steps.

I believe if steps 1 and 2 are done 100% correctly, all that is needed from any lube after that, is that the lube completely coat the bore surfaces to insulate them from contact with air, which carries the moisture which causes the rust.

My understanding is if a steel surface is 100% clean, 100% dry, then 100% protected from moisture, it can't rust.

:imo:

 

[Slamfire]

I season my boar with a little pepper.

I prefer young sow myself. eace:

 

[waksupi]

Any new barrel needs to be shot in, if you don't lap them before you build them. The machining needs smoothed a bit.
BoreButter is basicly beeswax and olive oil, with some stinkum goody in it. You can make it your self easily enough.
I did try it out, and it worked ok in summer, but at our winter shoots, the beeswax would stiffen so much as to make it impossible to load after a few shots, the bore fouling very badly.

 

[roundball]

Any new barrel needs to be shot in, if you don't lap them before you build them. The machining needs smoothed a bit.
BoreButter is basicly beeswax and olive oil, with some stinkum goody in it. You can make it your self easily enough.
I did try it out, and it worked ok in summer, but at our winter shoots, the beeswax would stiffen so much as to make it impossible to load after a few shots, the bore fouling very badly.

My BB experience has been limited to the weather here in NC where the coldest repeated shots at a range are in January & February with temps in the 20's-30's.

I havn't noticed any loading problems due to the cold at those temperatures, but what I have noticed is that there is usually a much lower humidity during those temps, and the fouling will dry quicker and be harder to load unless I use a lot more BB in the patches and/or wipe & relube the bore every half dozen shots...

 

[sidelock]

Ha Roundball---since you are the TC man in this forum I am wondering if you ever used TC Maxi Lube and if so how it compairs with BB. I clean my TC Hawken with scolding hot water until the BBl can't be held without hand protection, swab dry and let sit about 5 min. to dry, while still very hot I oil heavly with--(OH NO__OH NO_OH NO) 3 in 1 oil. Before firing I swab until there is no trace of oil then load. I have never had a problem with missfires. :results: :thanks:

 

[redwing]

I don't know about BB for coating metal {season} but
Moly has been used for years. It is used to coat all
kinds of fine steel under stress. Bearings, Rifle Bls.
Hydl. Dies,Etc.
I have used Hydl. Die Moly to coat lightly pitted ML
tubes. This could be called a seasoning, it works.

Redwing :redthumb: