Training an old dog
 

I have been on this forum for a few years now and looking back I thought I knew a good bit about muzzleloaders. Fact is I did, but being on here I've learned quite a few tips and tricks to help me along. And I also passed some of my knowledge onto a lot of you.
I remember first coming on here and the only cleaning I ever did was a hot soapy water wash followed by a hot water rinse and the drying. The a coating of infamous bore butter. I never, ever had a problem with rusting or corrosion and was using that method for almost 40 years.
But some of you (Semisane, Cayugad, and a couple others) showed me the light of other cleaners and lubes. Heck, I even took up Semi's advice and tried Liquid Wrench as a patch lube!
I guess its true that you can teach an old dog new tricks. (but I've also noticed in here that some old dogs - and some of the younger ones - are more stubborn than others. lol)
Thanks to all of you for a great forum and I wish you all the best in your future muzzleloading.

I remember reading your old post when you used Bore Butter. I said to myself he'll learn someday.

Glad you did. :biggrin:

Bore butter never hurt my ML'S when I used to use it. Im not sure, but I think I used to use it with roundballs as well. It's been so long, but I think I had patches that were covered in bore butter for round balls?? And I shot a lot of Deer with those round balls for sure. Not sure exactly, but 30 to 50 for sure.

PA didn't even have a Flintlock season until 1974 or 75. But I can't remember the year when we didn't need to use round balls??

Well, it hardens up like a dead carp when it gets cold. If it's real cold it blows out the middle of the patch. It also builds up in the bore in time. It's also way down the list for rust prevention.

It's basically chap stick.

None of those issues would happen to me. I shot that PRB off every day and cleaned it. If I shot a Deer, I actually ran cleaning patches down the bore before reloading again. Then I still would shoot that off at night, then fully clean that barrel with soap and water. I know it's crazy but that's what I did. I don't miss it lol

The only one that bothered me when I tried it was it getting hard in cold weather.

I've switched to animal tallow, and it stays soft in cold weather. Like mink oil, bear grease etc.

Getting back on topic - as with Bronko I've learned a lot from the guys on this forum and really appreciate all who participate. Thank you all.

I too have tried many of the techniques or products recommended. Some worked. Some did not. For example, I learned that treating your barrel with Preparation H will not tighten up a loose bore. I've also learned that if things are slow and you're bored, all you need do is start a thread either in favor of or denigrating Powerbelts or CVA rifles.

Of course there are always going to be differences of opinion in a diverse group such as we, usually based on our individual personal experiences (or long held incorrect beliefs :D). Fortunately there's one thing upon which we can all agree; GOEX is a superior propellant and Blackhorn is crap. Also, we can all agree that Bronko is indeed an old dog.

Back on topic??? CVA and PowerBelts, well I won't go there!! But Goex has been pretty darn good to me🎯😝

I have learned a lot of things on this and other forums that made my muzzle loading more enjoyable. I have seen different point of views, new ideas, and some not so good ideas. (I too tried the liquid wrench and it works). I have tried countless patch lubes for round ball, and even made a few of my own. But what I did discover on these forums is a willingness to learn and try new things. I hope over the years we have helped some of the new shooters, and old shooters, we've instilled a desire to shoot muzzle loaders, and also made people aware of a whole new sport out there. No matter what you shoot for a rifle or projectile.

There's a reason Powerbelty remains #1 after multiple decades. There's no need to say anything more, for if they didn't work, they wouldn't be #1 / #10, or probably still in business.

Last December I sold my last CVA sidelock to a pawn shop for $45. Bass Pro had a massive sale on this ML around 2003 for something like $39.95.

I got choked-up when handing over the ML to the Pawn Shop owner. For that cheapest out-of-of-pocket and cheapest quality ML was the most accurate ML I ever owned.

I began toying with Powerbelts last month..... got them for 90 cents a-piece. Using the bigger ones-only..... 405s and 348s. Put a fiber-wad behind them and 70-80gr of Blackhorn delivers superb accuracy. The soft pine tree imprints are no worse than with my SSTs, XTPs and Expander sabots. I plan on using 348 copper HPs and 405 lead HPs next hunting season.

We don't need el-primos to harvest deer.

I am fairly new to posting on this forum but have been a HNI fan for a while now. I just want to say this forum is really something special due to the diversity of posters and the level of knowledge. I thought before reading some of the posts on here that I had enough knowledge about MLing to be pretty good. I wasn't even close and probably never will be. A small amount of knowledge taught me that I still didn't know anything. Happy Holidays to all of you guys. :biggrin:

You're right Grouse. But I was shooting a .45 cal T/C Hawken flintlock long before that and even had a couple deer under my belt before they started a special season. Actually it started out as a percussion but I bought a breech plug tool and a flintlock breech and flintlock and changed it over. I wish I had that tool now. I'd love to swap out my .58 and change it to a flinter.
It was funny when I'd see other hunters. most would look at the flinter and then look at me like I had two heads. But some would be curious and start asking about it.
As for the bore butter getting hard in the cold - it didn't matter to me. I only used it after cleaning my ML. I would throw the tube in the bucket of hot water to soften it up while I swabbed the bore. For patches I used the prelubed Ox Yoke patches. .015" I believe.

How did we go off topic? He mentioned using bore butter that he doesn't use now.

ah aint neva lernt edited by JW as he might be learning now! frum ne o u'enz. ;)

Ox Yoke is bore butter. ;) Bore butter is the name TC gave it. Same stuff.

We're still teaching you how to spell. :p

Yeah - what did they call it? Natural Lube or something like that.
OH and another way I used it was melted with a bit of bees wax to lube my home cast maxi-balls.
I still have a tube of the pine scent (green tube) laying around.

I believe TC used to sell a bore butter lube made for conicals. Probably just had some beeswax added. I only saw it once in a gun shop.

Number 1 at what? Sales? I'm sure McDonald's is number one in hamburger sales but that doesn't mean anything in terms of quality. Lol

Exactly, its marketing hype for a greatly over priced product. CVA sells those "sinkers" at a huge wholesale discount to retailers who mark them up a ton.

Bass Pro and Cabelas staff are highly encouraged to move PBs and pellets for larger profit margins. Get them to the register and move on to the next victim as quickly as possible.

But at nearly $1 a bullet on sale you sure paid a premium price for a sub "primo" product. My Rainier plated 50cal 335gr JHPs are under $30/100. They are on sale for $18/100 right now at MidwayUSA.

:rolleyes:

I don't have any numbers. It's just a guess, but I bet Powerbelts are not only #1 in sales, but it game taken too.

Yes, I know when you sell more you have more chance for kills, but some of you make them sound like they don't work at all.

They're overpriced, and wouldn't sell if thy didn't work. I've mentioned this before. In my area everybody uses PB's. They love them, and i've never heard one hunter say they failed. They are also far from noobs, and have been hunting the ML season since it started. The gun shop owner has also never had any feedback of failures. Everybody is puzzled when I mention it. They ask me where I heard it, and I tell them from the forum experts. Always good for a laugh.

Give it up. PB's aren't going anywhere.

Wow!!! That was impressive!! Very good point lol

Of course. Quality never sells. :biggrin:

No point at all.

The problem is Muley, most people don't know how a bullet should work. I shot lots of game with PB'S. Back when I used them I thought they were great. I've learned tracking Deer 100 to 200 yards is not good with a bullet behind the shoulders. As much as I don't like pistol bullets in a ML, a 250grn XTP will embarrass any weight powerbelt on the market today.

I will get my game with a PB or even a PRB, it's just not the way I wanna get them any more.

There is no quality in a McDonalds cheeseburger. Now there French fries are quality but that it. :popcorn::lmao::biggrin:

Maybe you didn't know better back then. Maybe you were better off too. Keep it simple, and go hunt. I enjoy tracking. It's part of how I hunt to find the game, and also to recover it.

Sometimes easier isn't as rewarding.

Where you live tracking is pretty easy. Where I live, tracking means some one else shoots my Deer. Anyone who hunts public land in PA will tell you the same thing in most cases.

I'm pretty sure most people buy it, because they like it. I haven't eaten fast food in 20 years. It's all the same to me.

So, move. :p

Grouse - I hunt public land exclusively and all during archery and rifle season I didn't see another hunter except my partner. It will probably be the same come Muzzleloader season which starts tomorrow. But I won't be out as I will be on the road traveling up to PA from FL. I will be out come Monday morning though.

I wouldn't know what to do if I had woods to myself. I'm surprised you got any tags left.

I agree that there is a ton of bp knowledge here and guys that love to share their experiences with different products. I do know I would love to hunt with Semi as he always can find humor in anything. The world needs a bunch more like him.

UMM.....he is half nuts.....

This thread brought to mind some of the new gimmicks I've tried back in the day. Comes to mind is Pyrodex and the Poly-Patch. Didn't take me long to figure out I didn't like either. Was trying out the Poly-Patch in a .58 that I had...was real easy to load, but accuracy really dwindled. Anyone else remember those patches...resembled a shot-cup?

I saw them, but never had an urge to use one.