"Seasoning" the bore...

[user 31232]

Always heard you season an iron skillet,that kind of makes sense to me. But seasoning a steel barrel? Did the old timers season their iron barrel muzzleloaders and if so how would they do it and with what?

 

[user 31232]

Just get you a strip of raw bacon and rub it up and down the bore. Lol

Would that be an example of "pork barrel"?

 

[Britsmoothy]

Always heard you season an iron skillet,that kind of makes sense to me. But seasoning a steel barrel? Did the old timers season their iron barrel muzzleloaders and if so how would they do it and with what?

How I understand it is that the bore is fouled but not just with black powder deposits but with a suitable lube that protects from the corrosive salts in black powder. There is no way I believe in days of old they rushed to clean their barrels after a shot or two. I do believe they had plenty bear or deer tallow that was used to coat the bore
The relating all this to an iron skillet is frankly pathetic and is for the realm of foolishness.
Even traditional muzzleloading technics are being lost slowly.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Keep it simple.
1. Clean it
2. Oil it
3. Put it away

 

[Banjoman]

How I understand it is that the bore is fouled but not just with black powder deposits but with a suitable lube that protects from the corrosive salts in black powder. There is no way I believe in days of old they rushed to clean their barrels after a shot or two. I do believe they had plenty bear or deer tallow that was used to coat the bore
The relating all this to an iron skillet is frankly pathetic and is for the realm of foolishness.
Even traditional muzzleloading technics are being lost slowly.

I agree. My muzzleloader barrels are not seasoned but are protected and not with a petroleum based product. A good fellow here shared with me this knowledge and his recipe some time back. Life with muzzleloaders became much easier afterwards.

 

[user 31232]

How I understand it is that the bore is fouled but not just with black powder deposits but with a suitable lube that protects from the corrosive salts in black powder. There is no way I believe in days of old they rushed to clean their barrels after a shot or two. I do believe they had plenty bear or deer tallow that was used to coat the bore
The relating all this to an iron skillet is frankly pathetic and is for the realm of foolishness.
Even traditional muzzleloading technics are being lost slowly.

Iron is iron merely relating an iron skillet which is iron to a iron barrel is not pathetic in my eyes. Merely a observation, your reply comes across as a bit of snobbery

 

[PathfinderNC]

Oh no. Another snob. Here we go again.

 

[user 31232]

Oh no. Another snob. Here we go again.

No wonder my scotch-irish ancestors came over

 

[Britsmoothy]

Iron is iron merely relating an iron skillet which is iron to a iron barrel is not pathetic in my eyes. Merely a observation, your reply comes across as a bit of snobbery

I apologize if I offended you but I think the majority of derogatory comments are directed towards us that know better on this subject.
Personally I couldn't give a rats ass how people use their muzzloader.
If they want to swab their barrel every shot go ahead.
If they want to hammer a ball down go ahead.
If they want to mix some chemical solution to clean with go ahead.
But I guarantee one thing, I'll get more shots off before they even start, I'll only need a small bag and when I get home I can tend to my wife's needs first .

 

[user 31232]

I apologize if I offended you but I think the majority of derogatory comments are directed towards us that know better on this subject.
Personally I couldn't give a rats ass how people use their muzzloader.
If they want to swab their barrel every shot go ahead.
If they want to hammer a ball down go ahead.
If they want to mix some chemical solution to clean with go ahead.
But I guarantee one thing, I'll get more shots off before they even start, I'll only need a small bag and when I get home I can tend to my wife's needs first

 

[user 31232]

I apologize if I offended you but I think the majority of derogatory comments are directed towards us that know better on this subject.
Personally I couldn't give a rats ass how people use their muzzloader.
If they want to swab their barrel every shot go ahead.
If they want to hammer a ball down go ahead.
If they want to mix some chemical solution to clean with go ahead.
But I guarantee one thing, I'll get more shots off before they even start, I'll only need a small bag and when I get home I can tend to my wife's needs first .

Who made a derogatory comment? I only asked a question and made a comment. In your reply you referred to it as foolish and pathetic. I won't get into a tit for tat but ill not be offended either. I'm no expert in anything in the muzzloading world and from what I've seen of the replies of so called experts I wouldn't want to be.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

It is a know FACT that a 22 barrel shoots better from a fouled barrel than a spotlessly clean one.
When switching 22 ammo brands one is advised to shoot a box before assessing the new ammo.
22 barrels are steel!
Poop it all you like but I'll prefere my barrels coated in a non petroleum lube and it can stay there.
Admittedly I use boiling water to clean which lifts everything out but I've also been known to leave a fouled gun for weeks and no harm is done, why?
Because I've used a lube that has coated, protected or for some 'seasoned' the bore.
The other upshot is that it loads easier.
The other upshot is I don't have to worry to much about being in a rush to clean it after shooting.

The OP barrel was well preserved by the previous owners choice so it could therefore be argued there is nothing wrong with "build up", or what ever you want to call it.
The day I read of black powder rifles being used sans lube is the day I will join the ranks that scoff what some call seasoning.

99.9999% of my shooting muzzleloaders is done with a spit patch. The only time I have ever used any kind of lube is for hunting and at most that is 4 or 5 shots in a year. After shooting my muzzleloader will immediately be thoroughly cleaned and the bore oiled. Prior to shooting it the next time dry patches are used to remove any oil in the bore.

 

[French Colonial]

I apologize if I offended you but I think the majority of derogatory comments are directed towards us that know better on this subject.
Personally I couldn't give a rats ass how people use their muzzloader.
If they want to swab their barrel every shot go ahead.
If they want to hammer a ball down go ahead.
If they want to mix some chemical solution to clean with go ahead.
But I guarantee one thing, I'll get more shots off before they even start, I'll only need a small bag and when I get home I can tend to my wife's needs first .

Amen...

I know that we all shoot ML for different reasons and I do not begrudge those who shoot chunk guns, long range or are only interested in ML because it lets them hunt an additional season.

But wiping between shots and short starters and hammers to get the ball down is not traditional in any way unless your tradition starts at about Ned Roberts time, and that's too late for me.

The only "seasoning" your barrel will ever need is about a hundred or so shots to let your patch material being pushed by BP smooth the bore from what little friction is present when new.

I have through necessity left BP guns for a day or so without cleaning and there was no ill effects and I do not use any witches brew to clean them, spit patches and then just water and some Ballistol is all you need. For long term storage, say if I do not think I will shoot a gun for a couple of years R.I.G in the barrel and that's it.

But you guys just keep overcomplicating things if it keeps you happy.

 

[PathfinderNC]

99.9999% of my shooting muzzleloaders is done with a spit patch. The only time I have ever used any kind of lube is for hunting and at most that is 4 or 5 shots in a year. After shooting my muzzleloader will immediately be thoroughly cleaned and the bore oiled. Prior to shooting it the next time dry patches are used to remove any oil in the bore.

Bingo!

 

[Banjoman]

Amen...

I know that we all shoot ML for different reasons and I do not begrudge those who shoot chunk guns, long range or are only interested in ML because it lets them hunt an additional season.

But wiping between shots and short starters and hammers to get the ball down is not traditional in any way unless your tradition starts at about Ned Roberts time, and that's too late for me.

The only "seasoning" your barrel will ever need is about a hundred or so shots to let your patch material being pushed by BP smooth the bore from what little friction is present when new.

I have through necessity left BP guns for a day or so without cleaning and there was no ill effects and I do not use any witches brew to clean them, spit patches and then just water and some Ballistol is all you need. For long term storage, say if I do not think I will shoot a gun for a couple of years R.I.G in the barrel and that's it.

But you guys just keep overcomplicating things if it keeps you happy.

Bingo X 2

 

[ronaldrothb49]

It seems that every discussion on here and other pages I follow devolve into what is or isn't traditional, Myself I am primarily a target shooter. If it falls within the rules for that match I don't care what or how you shoot it. Yes I will shoot in primitive matches but if you expect my costume to be meticulously researched I won't be there, just not my thing. I love seeing you costumes and camps and the presentation some do because I love history. In over 40 years of shooting I have seen this what is tradirional tear clubs apart. If you want to camp on the south side of the road at Friendship and shoot on the primitive range why should it matter that the guys on the north side are shooting inlines. Most of the rifles I have made have been a traditional style. It doesn't bother me at all that the guy next to me has a $10,000 custom made target rifle with an adjustable stock, I still win my share of matches. It seems to me that the more people we can get to shoot regardless of what they shoot will benefit all of us.

 

[azmntman]

I have never seasoned a bore but with humty on average around 15-20% (5-8% lately) I am like Brit....I have been known to let the barrel stew in its corrosive mess for a week somethimes before cleaning and have never ended up with a bore thats anything but shiny new when I clean it. Has not affected the bore at all. In MO or IN I would clean day of. In hunting I shoot a squib, hunt, clean in the field (not real thourogh) an repeat the next day. The cleaning is just so when I repeat the squib load the barrel is dirty and ready for a shot like at the range.

I did loan a Knight inmentionable to a "buddy"and he shot it and hunted with it with Pyrodex and left in his trunk 4 months before I got in back. Had what may have been a bit of pitting so I sold him the Knight and the story ends there.

I think alot of the cleaning/seasoning stuff really depends on where you live. Nathan dont abuse or neglect nothing, apparently not even Mrs Nathan, so I believe him. If he lived in MO or IN I bet he would make a few minor changes. I Know nothing of cliamate in the UK however.

 

[kelvinator]

I read somewhere on here a while back the 3 easy steps for keeping a muzzle loader clean.
1. Shoot the muzzle loader.
2. Clean the muzzle loader.
3. Shoot the muzzle loader again before it has a chance to rust.

 

[Banjoman]

I read somewhere on here a while back the 3 easy steps for keeping a muzzle loader clean.
1. Shoot the muzzle loader.
2. Clean the muzzle loader.
3. Shoot the muzzle loader again before it has a chance to rust.

Yep. That’s my method. Has worked for years!

 

[springfield art]

It is a know FACT that a 22 barrel shoots better from a fouled barrel than a spotlessly clean one.
When switching 22 ammo brands one is advised to shoot a box before assessing the new ammo.
22 barrels are steel!
Poop it all you like but I'll prefere my barrels coated in a non petroleum lube and it can stay there.
Admittedly I use boiling water to clean which lifts everything out but I've also been known to leave a fouled gun for weeks and no harm is done, why?
Because I've used a lube that has coated, protected or for some 'seasoned' the bore.
The other upshot is that it loads easier.
The other upshot is I don't have to worry to much about being in a rush to clean it after shooting.

The OP barrel was well preserved by the previous owners choice so it could therefore be argued there is nothing wrong with "build up", or what ever you want to call it.
The day I read of black powder rifles being used sans lube is the day I will join the ranks that scoff what some call seasoning.

Good thoughts.