Sorry to have left out the powder. I am using Goex Clear shot FFg. I was swabing every third or fourth shot. I would pull the breech plug and swab from the breech out the end, using only patches. I was shooting 295 grain copper plated powerbelts with 90 grains of powder. also any bore brush, I have 50 cal but it is plastic, would you recomend a copper brush?