Cleaning between rounds

[Salty]

I am new to muzzle loading and have a tc renegade 50 cal
I have triple 7 and pyrodex rs for powders. Will be shooting patched round balls,basically all ready to go to the range

When do you clean or how often while at the range..,.I am still learning and am gathering as much info as I can before I shoot it

Unfortunately there are a few on here that will take the time to answer with a non-answer like “this has been asked and answered in the past” which is discouraging to new shooters. I like reading the opinions of new posters. Sometimes you learn something new. Not everything has been answered in the past.

 

[Ed C.]

Unfortunately there are a few on here that will take the time to answer with a non-answer like “this has been asked and answered in the past” which is discouraging to new shooters. I like reading the opinions of new posters. Sometimes you learn something new. Not everything has been answered in the past.

You're right, so even though I've posted this several times before, here is what works for my .50 cal. Hawken: 60 grains BP, .015" ticking patch damp lubed with either Old Turkey Track (from Taylors) or 5:1 water/ballistol. .490 RB. After the first shot I load the PRB with a jag that has a 5:1 water/ballistol damp patch over it. Doing this I get about 1 1/2" groups at 50 yards and do a cleaning swab every ten shots or so. Don't go all the way to the breech on your first cleaning stroke. Stop about 1 1/2" inches from the breech. Then on the second stroke go all the way down. This will help to avoid a stuck jag and never run a dry patch except to dry a clean barrel. Plenty of other ways to load and shoot. Everyone must decide for themselves what works for them.

 

[Salty]

You're right, so even though I've posted this several times before, here is what works for my .50 cal. Hawken: 60 grains BP, .015" ticking patch damp lubed with either Old Turkey Track (from Taylors) or 5:1 water/ballistol. .490 RB. After the first shot I load the PRB with a jag that has a 5:1 water/ballistol damp patch over it. Doing this I get about 1 1/2" groups at 50 yards and do a cleaning swab every ten shots or so. Don't go all the way to the breech on your first cleaning stroke. Stop about 1 1/2" inches from the breech. Then on the second stroke go all the way down. This will help to avoid a stuck jag and never run a dry patch except to dry a clean barrel. Plenty of other ways to load and shoot. Everyone must decide for themselves what works for them.

I like this method. Makes sense to me. I’m gonna try it
Thanks

 

[Timber Wolf]

I don’t swab between shots, and if I had to I would find something else to do/shoot. Our local club matches are 10 (paper)-14 (Woodswalk) shots and my gun better go that long between maintenance. That said, I do carry a few alcohol prep pads in my shooting bag in case I feel the need to swab the bore. I can only recall doing so once on my Crockett .32 at a match, about half way through but can’t remember why I felt the need.

 

[Pierre009]

I am new to muzzle loading and have a tc renegade 50 cal
I have triple 7 and pyrodex rs for powders. Will be shooting patched round balls,basically all ready to go to the range

When do you clean or how often while at the range..,.I am still learning and am gathering as much info as I can before I shoot it

Several of us that have been sacrilegious & have been using pyrodex found the more we shot without cleaning the accuracy stayed the same. One time we went through two cans of pyrodex & never once cleaned...that's what got us to switch from black powder to pyrodex...lazy & lazy. We lubed the patches with crisco & beeswax...I don't know if that makes a difference...shoot & lets us know.

 

[Pierre009]

I like this method. Makes sense to me. I’m gonna try it
Thanks

Sounds great...

 

[halman]

Unfortunately there are a few on here that will take the time to answer with a non-answer like “this has been asked and answered in the past” which is discouraging to new shooters. I like reading the opinions of new posters. Sometimes you learn something new. Not everything has been answered in the past.

You are right about that. If everyone just used search until they found an answer, there would be much less discussion. Maybe that’s what they want. Don’t understand why if they don’t want to respond with an actual helpful answer, why can’t they just roll their eyes and keep scrolling? Maybe their idea of what a forum is maybe different than what I understand it to be. Happy smokepoling…….

 

[MTScott]

Unfortunately there are a few on here that will take the time to answer with a non-answer like “this has been asked and answered in the past” which is discouraging to new shooters. I like reading the opinions of new posters. Sometimes you learn something new. Not everything has been answered in the past.

This will be unfortunate for my first post on this forum but here it goes... I agree. I'm a member on many other forums for other interests - motorcycles, engines, jeeps, cars, hunting, fishing, electronics, etc... The same issue exists. "use the search button" is a common response. If that is all I have to say, I generally don't reply. I could just as easily tell someone to go read a "muzzleloading 101" book.

I do get the frustration of having to rehash the same information over and over, but a forum was never meant to be a searchable database. The good thing is one can usually find 100s of threads on a topic. That is also the bad thing. Often they are inconclusive, or very old, or don't specifically address everything you want to know. I do usually search, extensively, mainly so I can formulate a better question when I do post.

A forum is created to have a place for new conversations. Many things could have changed from a post that occurred 5 years ago, or new members might have fresh ideas or perspectives to offer. I say, participate if you want to, or don't... no harm in letting those that are willing to chat do it.

If an experienced guy took a new shooter to the range to teach him how to use and care for his rifle, I doubt he would say "you should have searched the forum before you came here" when he asks simple questions.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I am new to muzzle loading and have a tc renegade 50 cal
I have triple 7 and pyrodex rs for powders. Will be shooting patched round balls,basically all ready to go to the range

When do you clean or how often while at the range..,.I am still learning and am gathering as much info as I can before I shoot it

We need to be clear about the difference between cleaning and wiping the bore to maintain a consistent level of fouling in the barrel for best accuracy.

Cleaning is what I do when I am done at the range and shooting is over. All the fouling is removed by my special fouling solvent, (warm water with a tiny bit of dish soap), the barrel is dried and the parts lubricated for storage.

At the range when shooting, I maintain a consistent level of fouling in the bore by using a slightly undersized jag with a damp patch to ride over the fouling. The undersized jag will bunch up the wiping patch and pull a lot of the powder out of the barrel. Whatever fouling is left is softened by the damp patch so the next lubricated patch and ball can engrave on the rifling for best accuracy on target.

Everyone, whether they wipe the bore between shots, every two shots up to never wiping between shots, do wipe the bore for every shot. Some wipe by using a very damp patch to lubricate wrap the p\ball and push fouling down the bore when loading. Some use a wet patch atop the patched ball to push the fouling down with the ball and to pull some of it out.

I do know that all of the best shooters wipe between shots.

 

[Salty]

I don’t swab between shots, and if I had to I would find something else to do/shoot. Our local club matches are 10 (paper)-14 (Woodswalk) shots and my gun better go that long between maintenance. That said, I do carry a few alcohol prep pads in my shooting bag in case I feel the need to swab the bore. I can only recall doing so once on my Crockett .32 at a match, about half way through but can’t remember why I felt the need.

I shoot a club match. I have my lined patched balls in a loading block. I swab when the ball becomes difficult to Ram home. I lube the cleaning patch very lightly with moose milk. Then a dry patch.

 

[45man]

The wiping patch should be barely damp. Too much solution is a problem.
Personally I never wipe because I use a good lube and if a ball gets tight I add more lube to the next patch, have gone over 200 shots this way and won the shoots.

 

[LME]

I typically wipe after every shot. It helps maintain shot to shot consistency. As said above, you can also use a wt lube for your ball patch and shoot without wiping. Fine at the range but not a good idea for hunting.

You do about the same way as I. I just use a dry patch nothing on it at all. I like it snug, not tight and I make sure to go only about 10 inches down and pull it back a few inches before going down anymore . I do this every 10 or so inches and have never had one get stuck.I also hold my barrel down an tap the stock. Any loose debri will fall out. As you said it gives the most cosistency. This will enable you to shoot tighter groups or so it does for me. Check out Idaho Lewis and his method if you want to ger serious with your shooting.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Unfortunately there are a few on here that will take the time to answer with a non-answer like “this has been asked and answered in the past” which is discouraging to new shooters.

I had to look back to see if I was guilty of that. Fortunately, it was not me. But, I must confess it was almost a natural reaction to say that. I agree, we have a responsibility to help newcomers to the game.

 

[Rifleman1776]

At the range when shooting, I maintain a consistent level of fouling in the bore by using a slightly undersized jag with a damp patch to ride over the fouling. The undersized jag will bunch up the wiping patch and pull a lot of the powder out of the barrel. Whatever fouling is left is softened by the damp patch so the next lubricated patch and ball can engrave on the rifling for best accuracy on target.



I do know that all of the best shooters wipe between shots.

Well said. Only exception I would make is that your "undersized" jag, to me, is the correct size to use at all times. It seats, swabs and cleans very well. And, what you said about the habit of the best shooters is ml wisdom, indeed.

 

[French Colonial]

We need to be clear about the difference between cleaning and wiping the bore to maintain a consistent level of fouling in the barrel for best accuracy.

Cleaning is what I do when I am done at the range and shooting is over. All the fouling is removed by my special fouling solvent, (warm water with a tiny bit of dish soap), the barrel is dried and the parts lubricated for storage.

At the range when shooting, I maintain a consistent level of fouling in the bore by using a slightly undersized jag with a damp patch to ride over the fouling. The undersized jag will bunch up the wiping patch and pull a lot of the powder out of the barrel. Whatever fouling is left is softened by the damp patch so the next lubricated patch and ball can engrave on the rifling for best accuracy on target.

Everyone, whether they wipe the bore between shots, every two shots up to never wiping between shots, do wipe the bore for every shot. Some wipe by using a very damp patch to lubricate wrap the p\ball and push fouling down the bore when loading. Some use a wet patch atop the patched ball to push the fouling down with the ball and to pull some of it out.

I do know that all of the best shooters wipe between shots.

I do know that all of the best shooters wipe between shots.

That is a bold statement, back when I could see I won more than my share of club matches without wiping.

There are lots of ways to shoot small groups, what works for some doesn't for others. Best for everyone to experiment and find what's best for them.

I have never shot BP substitutes (never owned any) and never had a chambered breech gun and do not own a percussion rifle, maybe there is something about a traditional flintlock that does not need to be wiped.

 

[flntlokr]

View attachment 209556

I was wondering if somebody would bring some.

 

[45man]

I like the deer, looks like my grandson eating pizza!

 

[Muddly]

Every shot, every time, range or woods and without exception.
One patch with rubbing alcohol, followed by 2 passes with a dry patch. Reload.
Hard to get a round stuck partway in a clean(ish) bore. Also extinguishes embers.
Good fortune to ye.

 

[longcruise]

Dutch schoultz thought that wiping is a good idea .

Now, where's that popcorn

 

[fishmusic]

Dutch schoultz thought that wiping is a good idea .

Now, where's that popcorn

Dutch had an excellent method of working up a load by methodically changing variables one at a time. That is a tried and true method for many things. I have tried Dutch's method with good result but when it came to the dry patch method I had some reservations. I have since learned that a wet patch seems better for my rifle, The dry patch method almost required one to swab the fouling. I recommend getting a copy of his essays on better rifle shooting and then working up a method that works for you.