biscuit eater

I,m going to the range this weekend and try some powders and loads. Can you shoot say 10 shots with pyrodex then 10 shots with 777 with just dry swabbing in between shots.

cayugad

I do not see why you could not shoot one and then the other. As for swabbing, I use denatured alcohol to swab. I get a patch wet, swab the barrel clean, then run two dry ones through it and pop a cap to burn the rest out....I have shot loose Triple Se7en and then changed over to Pyrodex Select without any problems....

Triple Se7en

Do you eat your biscuits dry too biscuit eater?... lol

You can dry-swab as long as you bring along some channel locks & a spray can of oil to free your bore-seized ramrod. Dry-swabbing alone will push fouling crystals down the bore which clog bolster/drums, nipples & breechplugs faster. Your best bet is to damp swab every 2nd shot if you plan on adjusting your open sights or scope. You want to remove fouling, not send it somewhere that will make matters worse.

RedAllison

Biscuit since I got my Knight a dozen years ago I have always run a bristle brush UP the bore after each shot. Then about every 3rd or 4th shot I will run a presoaked patch up it and follow that with two dry patches (I prefer the Knight patches presoaked in powder solvent, I believe they were made by Rusty Duck!). I have NEVER had a problem with crud or anykind of buildup and this method also makes cleanup at home a snap. I'm with Triple Se7en with regards to pushing a patch down a dirty bore after each shot. I always hold the gun muzzle end down and run the brush in and out of the bore, that way any crap will fall between the bristles and exit the bore rather than simply compact around your breech plug/nipple.

Good luck and make em smoke!
RA

biscuit eater

Thanks for the replys. I have only shot pyrodex pellets thru my gun and once the sabots started getting difficult to load I would pull bolt,breechplug,and nipple. Do a thorough cleaning then start over. Usually after about 10 shots. I had read on another thread of someone dry swabbing after each shot but they also warned of cleaning jag getting stuck if you didn't dry swab after each shot and before barrel gets cold. I guess I mainly was concerned about leaving moisture around breechplug with wet swabs. These muzzleloaders can be aggravating but that's part of the fun.

skeeter 7MM

I have done it both ways, but this year I tried the dry swab immediately following each shot when sighting in and had no issues. Maybe I was lucky but was told this by a person I trust who is more informed about ML and T7 than me...so far it has worked out fine for me.

Jury is out on if snapping a cap is really the best thing to do, I have heard from many experienced shooter both sides of the arguement. Personally I practice like I am hunting for the most part. Which is shot her clean, load and shoot her dirty, then when the moment of truth comes I know what to expect from my smoke pole. As such I have never snapped a cap. Don't get me wrong I love to shoot my ML and when I am out to blast smoke I take my time but on my final preps for season & I have it sight in I will do the 2 shot practice session and pack her up.

Go with what works but don't forget to add some realism as season approachs, lets face it, better to practice like you were in the field and be prepared. I certainly am not going to snap a cap on huge whitetail buck that I may have missed and wouldn't break her down to spit patch either so I want to know what she'll do if the need arises. Just my 2 cents worth.

Find your groove and stick to her biscuit...have fun and good luck with T7

eb

You won't have any trouble with the build up from the 777,but you will need to clean every few shots with the p-dex.