Cleaning question.
 

When cleaning with soap and water, do you pour it down the barrel, or just dip patches in the soapy water? I've always poured it down the barrel, then gotten the brush wet and brushed it. Then poured some more water down the barrel and then started running wet patches through it, then dry patches until clean.

The problem is, it always gets water all in between the stock and the barrel and basically all over since not all of it goes down the barrel. So I have to take the stock off. I'm starting to think, this changed my poi slightly this last time which I know is possible. Anyway, I'm just wondering if it's a better way to do this so that during hunting season I can clean it easier without removing the stock. Should I just wet the patches? Or how do you do this?

i always pull the barrel off. Lately i use bore foam and give it a good 4 squirts and turn it upside down on my gun vise and let it work down into the drum. Run a few patches until its clean, remove nipple and do another 5 squirts of foam and run a tight patch and it flushes the drum area out. I still end up removing the stock afterward to wipe off primer fouling.

Yea, I normally take the barrel out of the stock, and most times it's shot to the poi, but the last time I shot it, it was off a little bit. May have been off since I put the scope on, but I'm not sure if it was I just didn't have it sighted in perfect or if it was from taking the stock off, but I just hate to worry about having the poi being different when during hunting season and I always worry about that after I remove it from the stock.

On this gun, it's a once piece stock so it's not a separate forearm.

Years ago, some took the barrel off with their T/C Hawkens and cleaned with soap and water...I don't take the barrel off my custom flintlocks, just plug the vent and pour a little rubbing alcohol down the barrel, slosh around and pour back out...

With my Knight, I just clean the barrel with a few alcohol patches or even wipes...Then dry and lube the barrel, pull the breech plug and clean it and the action...

With a shotgun that has a receiver mounted scope as apposed to a cantalever barrel mounted scope mount I can see the concern in removing the barrel. But with a scope that is mounted on the barrel, as with muzzleloaders, other than changing the bedding ever so slightly, how much could you possibly change the point of impact? At muzzleloader ranges I don't see how this could cause any problems. So I always remove the barrel on my inline to give the whole rifle a thorough cleaning. That black powder residue seems to find it's way into everything. Now for my Hawkins that has no scope, I have always removed the barrel and never had a problem hitting a deer with the next shot. If you leave water between the barrel and the stock you are asking for rust.

The idea of using hot water is to heat the barrel so it dries fast and prevents rust and so you can oil it right away. In my opinion the best way is to take the barrel out of the stock and put it in some container with the hot water and soap in it. I us an old camp atyle coffee pot.

i only use boiling water if bore butter was used. def take the barrel off to do so. only way to get all the butter out (if used) imo

Ive used a bucket of hot soapy water in the tub. Put the muzzle in the bucket and use the cleaning jag like the plunger in a syringe. A few full strokes and its clean enough for the drying and oiling steps.

Ive done this with on some composite stock guns without any issues. My "purdy" wood stocks always come off if water or harsh solvents are used.

i don't use soap and water. Before leaving the range the bore of my muzzleloader is wet swabbed using Windex Multi-Purpose Cleaner. At home the breech plug is removed. The breech plug and bolt are cleaned-elapsed time-about three minutes. Next the scope and breech are cleaned up using Windex MPC and paper towels. The breech threads are cleaned using a brush.

The bore is cleaned using Hoppe's #9 or Pro-Tec. The breech plug is lubed and re-installed. The bore gets swabbed using a patch moistened with Militec or Rem Oil. The exterior metal parts are wiped down using Militec. Elapsed time-about 15 minutes.

My slam fire and bolt guns are seldom taken out of the stock. When they are taken apart, i put a heavy coat of gun grease on the barrel and receiver where they meet the stock.

I must be in the minority here because I disassemble all of my guns for cleaning. I am very fussy about getting everything clean. I do not have the kind of issues with losing my zero that some of you do. I guess my normal shots are between 30 and 100 yards, maybe if I shot at further distances I would have to do things different.
Everybody finds their own way of doing things and if it works for them that is great.
Art