Field Cleaning When Hunting ??

[roundball]

Its boring waiting for hunting seasons to get here so here's an idle chatter subject...you've shot a deer:
Do you field clean the ML? If so, what do you do with the litter?


Curious how others handle the situation of a fouled muzzleloader after shooting a deer (turkey, squirrel, rabbit, etc).
For me, I am borderline fanatical about keeping my Flintlocls squeaky clean...(especially if I'm going to keep hunting)...and minimizing / eliminating unnecessary human scent or litter in the wood I usually hunt.

I carry what I call 'field cleaning kits' with me...after shooting a deer, I clean/dry/lube the bore, clean/dry the flint/pan/frizzen/vent and reload into a clean dry ML...then seal all the litter back inside the ziploc bag and carry it back out with me.

Kits consist of wet/dry/lubing patches, alcohol wipe/Q-tip/pipe cleaner.

 

[rabjr]

I wait until I get back home or camp to clean my gun. Just can't see a reason to haul cleaning stuff out into the woods.

 

[Stumpkiller]

If I am overnighting I carry a small (2 oz) eye-dropper bottle with water and a bit of Murphy's Oil Soap mixed. I run a few wet patches, a dry patch, and then an oiled patch (I have a little Ted Cash oiler in my shooting pouch).

 

[BrownBear]

I keep a few cleaning patches in my bag. But due to the bears, I always reload quickly after the shot. Back at the truck I usually fire the gun once again to clear it, then use a few spit patches to get the worst out of the barrel. If overnighting I do much the same but a full cleaning back in camp or on the boat.

 

[Rat Trapper]

I'm hunting on my own farm. I'm never more than an hours walk from home. I clean the rifle when I get home. I'd carry some cleaning stuff if I was further away from home.

 

[roundball]

Good points about the overnights or distances...ties in with my main purpose of doing a solid field cleaning after shooting a deer. If I get a deer, its usually early...either right at first light or shortly after.

And having made the long drive and hike back in, I like to stay and hunt til 11-12 noon..so I thoroughly clean/dry/lube everything, then drag the deer over to my seat, and sit a few more hours.

For me, the little pocket sized ziplocs weigh nothing, take up no space, and are just totally convenient both ways in and out of the woods.

 

[luieb45]

I don't really worry about it anymore. I keep a jag with cleaning patches in my bag, though. After my morning sit I go back to the truck and fire the gun. Then I run a patch or two of rubbing alcohol through and 4 or 5 dry ones then I shoot a cap or two to clear the flame channel. Then I go to lunch and will be back for the evening sit where I'll shoot a cap then load. I only fully clean the gun at night.

 

[Stumpkiller]

After shooting at a deer I reload before approaching or tracking. I unload when I get home that night, to a road or into camp.

 

[Vaino]

I do the same...never can tell. When multiple shots are fired in a day of squirrel hunting and the loading is getting a little tight, I just wire brush, dump the debris,load and continue hunting. The complete cleaning is done at the end of the day w/ proper equipment and hot water.....Fred

 

[tg]

I am usually within a couple of hours or much closer to home so I do nothing most of the time, I might run a patch dampened with oil soap/water just to keep the fouling soft but not as a rule.If I am camped and will stay longer then I do a complete cleaning and lubing of the bore and wipe down the lock very well.

 

[Black Hand]

I don't clean in the field. It won't hurt your flinter one bit to shoot it, reload and keep going. On occasion, I've forgotten the gun for a week before remembering to clean it.

If I absolutely must clean (as happens after shooting 8-10 loads of shot on a 2-3 day scout), then a water/spit-wet patch followed by dry and then a greased patch used to wipe the bore (and then returned to my tin of pre-lubed patches to be shot). Dirty patches either end up in my bag or in the fire.

 

[longcruise]

I always wipe thoroughly with spit patches and then wipe dry followed by a bit of alcohol to be sure all is dried out. Then it gets reloaded. Reason for the reload is same as yours. There's more animals to be killed. :thumbsup:

Often I'm combo hunting for deer and elk and even if not, there are always grouse that might attempt to block the trail back to camp or car.

End of day, if shots have been fired, it's a thorough cleaning just as though it had been 50 shots fired. Then reload for the next day or put the gun in the rack unloaded.

If no shots are fired, the gun remains loaded in camp until departing for home. Then it gets fired and cleaned either in camp or promptly upon arriving home.

 

[Black Hand]

If no shots are fired, the gun remains loaded in camp until departing for home. Then it gets fired and cleaned either in camp or promptly upon arriving home.

I prefer to pull the load with worm or screw. A quick wipe and you're done without having to clean....

 

[longcruise]

I've considered that approach, but just feel better blowing it out and starting fresh.

 

[hoochiepapa]

I've always shot to unload back at camp, and then thoroughly cleaned. But this year I think I'll just leave it loaded overnight.

 

[roundball]

I've always shot to unload back at camp, and then thoroughly cleaned. But this year I think I'll just leave it loaded overnight.

First time I ever hunted with a ML back in '89 or '90, I shot the load out at the end of the day because my buddy did...and speaking only for myself...immediately thought that was a stupid thing to do, creating a whole cleaning situation, making noise after dark for a GW to possibly hear, etc...have never done it since.

I either pull the balls, or blow them out with compressed air and save them for range use...only takes a minute...then wipe the bore and load fresh the next day.

 

[luieb45]

I would pull the ball but that gets expensive because the ball pullers I get only will pull about 3 before they get too dull. Maybe if I ordered them instead and got a better brand they'd do better :idunno:. That and my first deer hunt with a muzzleloader I dryballed and went back to the truck to try and pull it and my dad screwed through the ball then I had to take it to a gunsmith to figure it out a week or two. When all I really needed was some real black powder to put under the nipple to blow it out :redface:. I tried it with pyrodex but it didn't have enough zip to it.

 

[roundball]

I would pull the ball but that gets expensive because the ball pullers I get only will pull about 3 before they get too dull.

I don't understand what you mean?

The ball pullers I'm talking about are a little accessory attachment that screws onto the end of a ramrod, has a caliber size brass collar around its middle to keep it centered in the bore on top of the ball, then a screw thread below the collar that's maybe 1/2" long...been using the same ones for close to 20 years.

 

[longcruise]

When I say that I shoot it out at the end of the day, that only applys when I've fired a shot during the day. If no shots fired, it stays loaded till the end of the hunt. Sometimes it goes home loade if I'm going out again soon.

Once I loaded the night before elk season and did not shoot it till a month later on an antelope hunt. Went right where aimed at 85 yards. :grin:

 

[Stumpkiller]

The ones I get are made by Tesoro (Track of the Wolf). I've pulled dozens and dozens with mine. A good jab of a foot or so gets the hole dimpled and well started. (Don't try that with the collerless ones).

I've also got a few of olf T/C pullers that have a lot of mileage on them. One is probably from the late 70's.