I could not agree more. Some folks complain that cleaning ML's takes so much time. I enjoy detail cleaning and caring for mine and never rush. I have many weapons, some of which are over 90 years old which were my grandfathers. All of which are in excellent shooting condition. The older ones are worn from use and field carry, but they are in excellent condition. I still have my very first ML, a T/C 50 Cal Hawken CapKit that is coming up 36 years old. It's worn from having several thousand shots through it and many years of carry, but the bore is like a mirror and mechnically it's in excellent shape with a really decent brownedfinish that still looks good. I have faithfully detail cleaned that rifle and every other one at the first opportunity after firing. Almost always the same evening or if I am remote, then I field clean the best I can until I get home.

If a nice big 8-point buck ever came up to me, it would only be when something was going to keep my rifle from firing.

To date, I am still waiting for that dad-burn buck (whitetail)! Have gotten a couple onf nice mulies, though.....

Roundball, there is no such thing as too much cleaning. I completely tear apart mine even if I didn't shoot it but still loaded it. I lube everything etc. and always check with the ramrod to see if the gun is loaded before putting it back after the cleaning! Extreme but it works. As far as bonehead mistakes, I was at the range and the typical conversation of what do you shoot came up, well I had the pellets ready and bullet ready on the range bench. Well I loaded the bullet and forgot the powder, thankfully I marked the ram rod and figured out exactly what I did. I had to tear out the breech plug and ram out the bullet. I haven't shot out the ramrod yet and hope not to.

Well, I have shot the ramrod out of an ML. Twice in fact.

[:@]

One time, back in the early '80s ( I was about 15 then )I washunting during Pennsylvania's flintlock season. I got a shot at a doe and hit it. I watched it run about 50 yds. and lay down.I was all excited and started to reload the CVA Kentucky rifle.I broke the wooden ramrod. I had to walk all the way back to the truck and borrow my dad's ramrod and go back to finish off the doe.

[:@]Some idots shouldn't even be allowed to look at a fire arm period. Fellow I worked with bought a 50 cal Remington 700 had a nice Pentex scope put on it. Came to work the next day and asked if I had ever shot a ram rod. I told him not as yet, so he whiped his bent up ram rod out to show me. He said he did it to see just what would happen. I don't know if he ever got the breach plug out that had became jammed cross threaded in there. Good way to mess up a fine fire arm do some thing stupid just to see what happens.

Al

Brings to mind an old saying "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get".
Live and learn I recon!

this guy i know ,he in his 80s but it still kicking shoots every gun he trades for and thats alot. Hes is one of the richest guys i know and still lives like a kid he has lost his last two wives to sickness, but he still likesliving on the edge. He gets to go elk hunting every year and his soninlaw owns a bunch of land up north. He was out shooting his encore 50 cal one afternoon had it loaded with 3 777 pellets and a shockwave getting her ready for a texas hog hunt,his wife came out behind the house and gets him for a important phonecall. About an hour later he remebered what he was doingpicked up the gun loaded it for the sceond time with the same load took a fine bead on his target and let the lead fly. He said it was about dark when his wife came looking for him,he got a whole forehead full of stiches and still don't know what happened.

I made a bondhead mistake this year. Took 10 days off to hunt the ML season here in NY.

Every day it was the same routine. Foul the barrel in the morning, load up, remove the charge in the evening, then clean for the next day.

One day I forgot to foul the barrel in the morning.

Missed an easy shot at 50 yards. Spent half looking for the deer I was sure I put down until I realized my mistake.

Got one a few days later, so it worked out in the end.