I have a .62 cal smoothbore that after shooting a round or two is just flat out hard to load without swabbing barrel etc. That's not a whole lot of fun when you are out to shoot and not clean. I've been using .600 cal rb and .015 precut/lubed patches. I have used thinner patches with same results. BTW I want to keep it as simple as possible, no wads, etc, just patched roundball. Any suggestions?
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Loading Hard
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Next time out just try some good ole spit patches. Sometimes changing your charge by a couple grains one way or another will help too, don't ask how, I do not know. Seems to me when I was shooting mine I was working up a load for it and just about 5 grains different it would foul up more towards the breech, changed that and it fixed the problem. Good luck :v
Thanks Musketman. I know the 3F doesn't make sense, that's why I tried it because I was told it would burn cleaner. I'll give the recipe a try, though I've used something similar and that does work as a swab between shots. However, I read about people who are able to shoot multiple times without ever having to swab. I've used the "miracle" lubes that are supposed to allow multiple shots but that doesn't help either.
What are anyones thoughts about smaller balls and thicker patches? Would that make any difference in addition to the other suggestions?
What are anyones thoughts about smaller balls and thicker patches? Would that make any difference in addition to the other suggestions?
Yes, I think switching to a 0.595" ball will help alot. I've been using 0.600" in my 20 ga, and they are a tight fit even in a clean barrel. I just picked up some 0.595" balls and will be trying them.
Moose milk is the way to go. I use it in all my guns and I'm able to go the whole range session (40+ rounds) with no swabbing between shots.
Moose milk is the way to go. I use it in all my guns and I'm able to go the whole range session (40+ rounds) with no swabbing between shots.
Thanks AZ. Please let me know how the .595 ball works out. What size patch do you plan to use?
Also, I guess I might not understand how you guys are using the Moose Milk. Do you use it as a patch lube or are you using it to swab the barrel? If as a patch lube how wet is it when you use it? If used for hunting, where shots are not as frequent, would it wet your powder?
Also, I guess I might not understand how you guys are using the Moose Milk. Do you use it as a patch lube or are you using it to swab the barrel? If as a patch lube how wet is it when you use it? If used for hunting, where shots are not as frequent, would it wet your powder?
I have a TVM fowler that loves a .595 with a .018 pillow tick patch. I use liquid wonder bottled by Traditions with 70grs of 2f and this combo works great easy to load and very accurate.
I have the same problem with my .62 smoothbore if i just use a patched rd ball. I can shoot all day without swabbing the bore if i use an overpowder wad then a Lubed fiber cushion wad under the patched ball. Or a bare ball over the two wads and then a thin overshot card to hold the ball in. My load is 80 grs of Goex 3f and a .600 rd ball. If you are by some chance using Elephant powder it is no wonder your barrel is fouling bad. That stuff is DIRTY. Also a wonder you are getting it to ignite.
One other note, just because the smoothbore doesn't have rifling, it will still benefit from barrel lapping, polish the inside mirror smooth and the fouling will have less pores to cling to, thus staying cleaner longer...
paulvallandigham
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I agree. If you have a good cleaning rod that is one piece, preferably steel, and are willing to sacrifice a bronze brush( your used one will do), put the end of the rod in a hand drill( electric), and wrat the bronze brush with 0000 steel wool. It should take some effort to push in down the barrel. Turn the drill on and got to polishing. You will have to change the steel wool freqnently as it works its way down into the wire points. or just breaks off. The wteel wool has some oils in it, so down worry about lubricating it. It will polish off the rust quickly, but you want to take out tool marks. Depending on how bad they are, you may be able to take most of them down with many uses of the steel wool. Otherwise, you may have to invest in some honing stones, mounted on springs. Your auto supply store can set you up with these as cheap as any of the gunsmithing supply houses. Check the discount houses on the net, too for bargains.
When you get all the tool marks out that you think you will, use either jeweler's rouge, or JB bore cleaner on a tight patch or double patch, and polish the surfaces even finer. When ou are donw, give it a bath in cheap alcohol, to get out all the debris. You should find that loading the gun is much easier, and the barrel should also shoot more consistently. Use a chronograph before and after to measure the improvements. YOur cleaning patches will tell you the difference after you have done the polishing.
I have a rifled gun that was always dirty to clean, until I had the bore chrome plated. It still takes some lead residue, but it cleans out with one patch, and the lead no longer seems to build up. Homer Dangler had a barrel he was using to build a gun chromed on the inside. He did not find it made the gun any more accurate, but it surely made cleaning a snap. Knowing Mr. Dangler, I suspect that was heck of an accurate barrel to start.
When you get all the tool marks out that you think you will, use either jeweler's rouge, or JB bore cleaner on a tight patch or double patch, and polish the surfaces even finer. When ou are donw, give it a bath in cheap alcohol, to get out all the debris. You should find that loading the gun is much easier, and the barrel should also shoot more consistently. Use a chronograph before and after to measure the improvements. YOur cleaning patches will tell you the difference after you have done the polishing.
I have a rifled gun that was always dirty to clean, until I had the bore chrome plated. It still takes some lead residue, but it cleans out with one patch, and the lead no longer seems to build up. Homer Dangler had a barrel he was using to build a gun chromed on the inside. He did not find it made the gun any more accurate, but it surely made cleaning a snap. Knowing Mr. Dangler, I suspect that was heck of an accurate barrel to start.
pathfinderifh
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I've shot with Homer for years, and if he say's somthin' works, it does, no questions asked! :v
Pathfinder
Pathfinder
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I have found that pre-lubed patches are a bit dry. Even when I used to buy them I would place them in a tin and melt additional lubed onto them. This made all the difference. Just the other day I shot 25-30 roundballs through my 20ga Trade gun (~70gr FFFg, patch and .600RB) with no noticible difference in loading or fouling. However, shooting shot is another thing altogether.
Black Hand
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I don't swab unless it gets difficult to load OR I am developing a new load. However, if it works for you, do it.
paulvallandigham
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My short cushion wad is dampened with moose milk, which then cleans the barrel each time it is loaded. No other cleaning other than using a patch to clean the crud away from my nipples on my DB shotgun, or clean up the pan in my fowler is needed. Spit is all I need to attack the crud on either. I do try to keep the nipples clean, as I have found this contributes to consistent ignition of the caps. If I don't clean them, the caps may not seat all the way down the nipple and I can get either a hang fire, or a misfire.
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