I tried the alcohol patch method to clean the oil and moisture from the barrel before loading to avoid having to fire a couple primers before loading, then having to unload and clean it after the hunt. Well it's been about three days and not a shot to be had, so with no oil in the barrel I was getting nervous about rust and thought I better unload and swab the bore with a little oil and see how the patch comes out. As I said, I'll never do that again. I used about 20 patches before they stopped coming out BROWN. I've never seen a BROWN patch come out of ANY of my guns, Black Powder or any other.
The rule is (1) alcohol patch, (2) load, (3) light oil patch to top of load, (4) dry patch.
I had five guns loaded like that at the beginning of the season last year. Three of them were not shot until the end of the season (3+ months). Not a speck of rust in any of them.
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My wife says I'm totally nuts, but I think I'm Semisane.
Things I've Learned: (1) It's not possible to please everyone, but quite easy to piss everyone off. (2) If you love animals as I do, then you're not a vegetarian. (3) There's no need to act stupid, even if you're very good at it. (4) If you eat right and exercise, don't smoke or drink, you're going to die anyway.
Think Semi just clarified the procedure, but i would tell you for my part - I would not strip the barrel in the first place with alcohol. I have said for years that I hunt with a semi (sorry Semi - no pun intended) fouled barrel. Every ML I have shoots more consistenly in the same POI with a fouled barrel.
Again what I do is not necessarily what you should do, but I do take the gun out on the back porch and shoot 3 primers - dry patch it to remove the bulk of the primer fouling and any excess bore oil. Then I load the gun, and go hunting. If I shoot the gun during the season then I will use a barely moist windex patch to get the majority of the fouling out - then a very very lightly oil the bore with Montana X-treme - run a a couple of dry patches. Listen for the air being expelled out of the breech plug to be clear, then reload reload.
I just can not imagine hunting in Idaho without some bore protection + I am one of those nuts that may have a load in the gun for weeks at a time, even after it has been shot.
Also I should say that I am shooting T7 - were it BP or any of the other normal subs not sure I would/could do it this way...
Just out of curiosity is you barrel a stainless or blued barrel and I should include maybe even a Nickle finished barrel also????
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Keep on Shooting Muzzleloaders they are a Blast
Last edited by sabotloader; 10-27-2010 at 11:37 AM.
When available, if you can spend the $25 on the kit, Dyna Tek has the Gun Shield - Bore Coat kit all in one. You'll never have to oil your bore again or worry about rust / corrosion. Easy clean up as well.
I clean mine with rubbing alcohol after shooting...I then run 1-2 dry patches through and then lube well with WD-40...Next I run a dry patch through and then use a good gun oil...When I am ready to hunt, I run 1-2 patches down and load up, so I still have a coating of oil in the barrel...
I do this with both my inline and my 2 flinters, have been doing this way for 30 years or so with no problem...Some think black powder absorbs oil, lube, etc and won't ignite, I've never seen this problem...
I use the alcohol like you did, then pop a couple caps or primers. I load and the reason I have no problems is... at the end of the day, I shoot the rifle off, take it home, and clean it. The next day I do it all over again.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
That's a real hassle every day after a hunt. I'll just clean, oil, and dry patch, and take my chances. Hell, even if it goes off, I'll probably miss anyway.
Yes, well, I refuse to go back to the Hawkins right now. I'm sticking with the Wolf. I need to build confidence in it, and a kill with it would help greatly. I have been toying with the idea of taking the Pursuit out. That sucker's a little heavy though.
I had been wondering how to go about this myself, and I came to the same conclusion that Semi has, and has been practicing. Seems I do have a brain cell or two. I also like Sabot's method as well, though I'm a bit paranoid about corrosion in my barrel after my latest episode.
pluckit - That was funny
Devil - How far are you willing to take that statement about borecoat? Like, if I properly applied the borecoat and properly cured it, that I could leave my bore fouled with pyrodex and it wouldn't rust or corrode?
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"Well if it ain't loaded and c0cked, it don't shoot." -Rooster Cogburn
I'll never do that again!
I also like Sabot's method as well, though I'm a bit paranoid about corrosion in my barrel after my latest episode. 
