How long after shooting can you wait to clean a BP rifle?
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Virginia
Posts: 542
How long after shooting can you wait to clean a BP rifle?
I went to the range Saturday morning to get a little more practice with my rifle. I shot it 4 times and then loaded it up and hunted that evening. My wife got a shot at a buck but missed that evening so now I have 2 rifles to clean. I plan to clean them tonight but was wondering how long you can wait to clean a BP rifle? I usually clean them the day they are shot but circumstances (ok, laziness) kept me from it this time.
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 228
Same day if shooting anything other than BH209 imo.
I shoot Pyrodex and on the Remington Genesis I had, I shot it 3 times in the morning around 9:00, and once in the afternoon. I had to skin the deer that evening so it was probably close to 10PM before I started cleaning it. It was already starting to rust. This convinced me that it needs to be done the same day. My current muzzle loader has a stainless steel barrel and it's a lot more durable than the blued, but I still try to clean it the same day.
I shoot Pyrodex and on the Remington Genesis I had, I shot it 3 times in the morning around 9:00, and once in the afternoon. I had to skin the deer that evening so it was probably close to 10PM before I started cleaning it. It was already starting to rust. This convinced me that it needs to be done the same day. My current muzzle loader has a stainless steel barrel and it's a lot more durable than the blued, but I still try to clean it the same day.
#4
What kind of powder are you shooting? If you are shooting real black powder or Pyrodex, I would clean it the same day. If you are shooting Triple Seven, I have waited 24 - 36 hours before cleaning with no ill effects. If you are shooting BH 209 you can wait even longer....
#7
I almost always clean the same day. Usually as soon as I get home. But on a rare occasion where I must wait a few hours, I at least pour some Black Powder solvent down the bore and slosh it around to neutralize any fouling.
#8
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 6,585
Pyrodex while a very good powder is the most corrosive more so even than Black powder, Recommend cleaning with in 6 hours flash rust is possible. Also irregardless of some advertising Blackhorn is NOT noncorrosive the chemical break down shows small amounts of salts that can cause rust in the residue.
#9
I use T7 loose, and I really do not clean until I want to, but i do patch the barrel out with a couple of windex patches after shooting. Right now the load in my DISC has been in since October 3. The gun was shoot prior to 10-3 to check POI - barrel patched with two windex patches. Dried with dry patches and one very lightly oiled Montana X-treme patch was ran down and out - dry patched... Gun loaded and has gone hunting a dozen times since then... If a buck would show up - I could shoot it clean it and put it away... The rut should start soon...
I should also say that it took me a awhile to work up and trust this routine... And that is why I always say I am shooting a semi-fouled gun every shot...
Last edited by sabotloader; 11-07-2011 at 07:20 AM.
#10
I must have a different outlook than others. My gun is part of being a hunter. Without my gun. I'm just walking around the mountains with no way to kill game.
I love cleaning my gun. I never look for a way to avoid it, or find a shortcut. Sometimes I clean it without having shot it.
When I read someone saying they didn't clean their gun.........I don't get it?
I love cleaning my gun. I never look for a way to avoid it, or find a shortcut. Sometimes I clean it without having shot it.
When I read someone saying they didn't clean their gun.........I don't get it?