Loading technique for hunting

[awreis]

So this will be my first year deer hunting with my flintlock. It has a chambered breech so for reliability, I always plug the touch hole and pour a little alcohol down the barrel to flush any oil out. My plan was, load the powder, use a dry patch over the powder to avoid the lubed patch (TOW mink oil) from fowling the powder then, load patched round ball.

1- Should I be worried about possible rust in the barrel after cleaning with alcohol or would the lubed patch be enough to avoid this?

2- if I need to worry , could I use a slightly oiled patch a swab the barrel after loading for temporary rust prevention?

3- Am I over thinking all of this?

The rifle could be loaded for upto a week before being fired.

 

[2 shots]

#3

 

[Newly O’Brian]

Congratulations on making the commitment to hunt w a mzldr!

First, just relax and enjoy the hunt.

Swab your bore w one dry patch, no need for alcohol.

DON'T change your pet load, there's not enough lube on a patch to contaminate your powder charge.

Leave your mzldr outside/cold for the hunting season to prevent condensation.

 

[Buff1958]

forget the oil…….

clean your rifle and run a patch with bear grease . When you get ready to hunt run another bear grease patch and load. The bear grease will not eat your powder or rust your barrel.

 

[RobertIN]

I use @Frontier's bear paws lube on my hunting patches.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Since @awreis is using an oiled patch for loading, there will be some oil on the bore that will provide protection from rust. One can always put a small balloon over the muzzle after loading to prevent rain getting in the bore. After the alcohol rinse, use a small pipe cleaner or dental floss brush to dry the flash channel. And, yes, awreis is overthinking all this preparation.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

No need for anything between the powder and TOW mink oiled patch, it won't contaminate the powder.

FWIW one friend leaves his unfired MZL from either the late Nov VT or early New Year PA deer season loaded until the MZL Biathlon held up in VT in mid-February. Every year, he takes it out to the practice range and it fires swift & sure and he nails the small gong, whether that charge was in there for many weeks or months ...

Since he's been doing that for the 15+ years we first hunted PA together ... so I'd say that's a pretty good 'real world' test!

 

[mrd]

Forget the alcohol as it's water base and oil doesn't mix with water. Run a dry patch down it to remove any oil, pour your powder down and top that with a lubed patch and ball, and you're good to go.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Sorry, @mrd, alcohol and oil are miscible which means that they do mix which is why you use a patch dampened with alcohol to remove oil from the barrel.

Yes, rubbing alcohol will have water mixed with the alcohol, but that does not stop the alcohol from mixing with the oil or displacing water left in the barrel after cleaning.

 

[mrd]

Sorry, @mrd, alcohol and oil are miscible which means that they do mix which is why you use a patch dampened with alcohol to remove oil from the barrel.

Yes, rubbing alcohol will have water mixed with the alcohol, but that does not stop the alcohol from mixing with the oil or displacing water left in the barrel after cleaning.

You know what you're right. jumped the gun there.