Black Powder rifle "must-haves"

[choctawlb]

The hot water and soap will clean a muzzleloader no problem, and do a good job. The reason for using just plain water is pretty much the same principle as cleaning a black iron pot or skillet. If you use soap, you remove the oil in the pores and the pot or barrel never gets seasoned. I never use soap on my cast iron pots, or my muzzleloader barrels.
Some folks don't like cast iron pots because food sticks to em, if you clean them with soap.Soap has ruined many a good cast iron pot. I've got one that is 24 years old and has never seen soap except when I cleaned the coating off it when it was brand new. You can cook a pineapple upside down cake in it right now, turn it upside down , and it will fall out ,no buildup. Just wipe it out with a rag, and your good to go. I just use water and a straw scrubber, and mine never stick.
I figure it probrobly works the same way with the smokepole barrel. Also I never use any petrolium products to lube or clean with . Just natural stuff like bear oil, deer lard, and sweet oil(olive oil), and I can shoot several shots before I have any problems ramming a ball home. Folks didn't carry a bunch of cleaners with them in the old days, and a lot of times in a hostile enviroment, you couldn't build a fire to heat water. Plain water is available everwhere, easy to use, and cleans just as good.
Ken

 

[broncobob]

Neat trick

pnome, go to a welding supply house or a auto parts supplier ( NAPA ) and buy you some torch tip cleaners. To clean the nipple and the flash channel out. Next here's the trick, use a Minny ball or a maxi ball. I found that they shoot the best out of my Hawken Renegade. The "old style" muzzlers will handle up to 120 grains of black powder or my favorite which is Hodgon 777. Anyway back to the trick. Use your ram rod to clean the barrel in between shots. Place a clean square patch or a round one which ever you have. ( It needs to be thin ones like comes with a gun cleaning kit.) Load the gun with your powder charge use the ball starter and shove the bullet as far down the barrel as the ball starter will reach then place the patch over the muzzle and use the jag end ( The jag end is designed to hold on to the cleaning patchs.) of the ram rod and push the patch down the barrel and seat the bullet firmly and simply remove the ram rod and the patch will come out dirty and your barrel will stay a lot cleaner and your groups will be tighter. I hope this will help.

 

[pnome]

Use your ram rod to clean the barrel in between shots. Place a clean square patch or a round one which ever you have. ( It needs to be thin ones like comes with a gun cleaning kit.) Load the gun with your powder charge use the ball starter and shove the bullet as far down the barrel as the ball starter will reach then place the patch over the muzzle and use the jag end ( The jag end is designed to hold on to the cleaning patchs.) of the ram rod and push the patch down the barrel and seat the bullet firmly and simply remove the ram rod and the patch will come out dirty and your barrel will stay a lot cleaner and your groups will be tighter. I hope this will help.

Thanks! That sounds like a great little trick.

 

[7Mag Hunter]

I'll add a bit more about cleaning....Specifically cleaning
in the bathtub....Tried that several times untill the wife
decided it would be "better" if I did it outside !!!!!
Know what I mean ????

Now I use a 5 gallon bucket with hot soapy water....I do
use a hair dryer and lots of patches to dry it inside and
out...Then a good slather (inside and out) of Bore Butter..
Use several patches to remove excess lube before
shooting, and pop a few caps before the 1st shot to
ensure ignition...

Man, all this talk about Hawkens...Guess I will hafta get
mine out, and get dirty !!!!
Thanks, pnome!!!!