SWThomas

I'm still getting into this whole ML world. I'm trying to absorb as much information as I can. I was wondering if you guys could type out what your swabbing procedures are when you go shooting and prior to a hunt... Like, do you do anything special to the ML when you get to the range? How many primers do you pop off to foul? What do you use to swab the bore between shots? How many times do you swab between shots? What do you use and what are your procedures for cleaning when you're done shooting? What procedures do you follow before a hunt?

Any and all tips are encouraged and would be greatly apreciated. Thanks!!!

gleason.chapman

In my Omega and Knight Disc with 777 I swabbed at the range with alchol and windshield washer fluid then a dry patch between each and every shot, but when I am hunting, because the swabs dry out I use a swab of TC bore butter, which allows me to shoot a Nosler Partition with a Crushed rib sabot accurately.

I also shoot Barnes MZ 300g with supplied sabot from the Omega, but this year use Black Horn 209 and took two deer on opening day with that load. I don't swab this load, that is the primary reason I switched to Blackhorn, better accuracy and no swabbing.

In general most BP subs except BH209 need to be swabbed with saboted bullets, powerbelts the exception. TC manual says you must "field swab" for best accuracy and bullet loading ease.

In my Savage I don't swab and I don't clean till end of the Season, I also leave my bullet and power in until the next shot. I leave the gun in the garage, and don't let it warm up or down.
Chap

cayugad

Take some Windex or pure alcoholand spritz a patch damp but not soaking wet. Swab the barrel in short strokes like three inches, working from the muzzle to the breech. Bring that patch up and flip it over and do it all again. Now take a dry patch and again, swab that barrel in short strokes down, up, flip, down, up. Now push another dry patch all the way to the breech and pop a primer or #11 cap. Pull that patch and look at it. If it shows burn marks, pop two more primers or caps. Now load it and go hunt. This has removed all the oil, cleaned the barrel, dried the barrel and opened the fire channel.

On the range, lets say you have shot and it is now time to swab. Again, with Windex or alcohol, damp not wet. Swab down and up, flip, down and up. Dry patch down and up, and flip. Another dry patch down and up and flip down and up.. load and shoot.

SWThomas

So you swab with a lubricant before you load your sabot to go hunting?

SWThomas

So you just clean the bore with Windex or Alcohol and go hunt? Isn't there a risk of rust forming in the bore without any oil in it? Just wondering...

lemoyne

SWThomas
This actually depends on what powder you use and what oil or metal preseverative you put in your barrel after you clean it. It also depends on what you want to do; at the range popping a couple cap and wiping the barrel is ok but if you are setting up to hunt and use alk you might be setting up to have some rust if you leave it that way for a while.
For instance, using black powder or pyrodex, I will scrub, after I shoot and before I go hunting I scrub with boiling water before I load. I use Rem gun oil in the barrel of those gun that I use those powders in and I use the alk and windshield washer mix between shots.
In the guns I use Blackhorn in I clean with a 50/50 mix of alk and Hoppes #9 and preserver with B&C synthetic oil in these guns I simply wipe well with dry patches load and shoot; when preparing for hunting I take out the breach plug and drop it in boiling water with citrus soap added then dry it grease the threads carefully put it back in the gun and load for hunting.
You really need to suit your procedure to the way you clean and oil. Lee

wabi

I am using a T/C Hawken with a GM barrel this season. I put a dry patch on a wire brush & run it through the barrel to get any oil out (I use a wire brush becaue it gets into the coned face of the breech plug). I then take a second patch and run it to the breech. I snap a cap and make sure the fire is getting to the patch. I pull the ramrod, snap a second cap and then run the patch through the barrel again making sure air is being forced out the nipple (to be sure it is clear).
I load then and go hunting.

SWThomas

So before a hunt, would you guys recommend running a patch with oil on it down the bore and then running several dry patched after that? Then pop a couple primers, load, hunt.... Wouldn't that help prevent corrosion a little better?

SWThomas

Also, what special tools can you guys NOT do without?

Kathwacckkk

I always store the guns with an antirust lubricant. Therefore, when I pull the gun from the safe I always run some dry patches down the barrel to remove and oil, lubricant, etc... I have tested shooting my muzzleloaders fouled and unfouled. My guns shoot better without fouling the barrel. So clean and dry is the best way for me to go.

It is not a tool, but the main thing I try and do is make everything consistent. Loads, bullets, cleaning procedures, loading, etc... Everything the exact same from shot to shot. That way if I change on little thing I should be able to easily know the results.