After doing some last minute sight-in work with my muzzleloader, I was wondering if there is any problem with leaving it uncleaned now until after the season? First shot was fouling, but shots 2 and 3 went into essentially the same hole. I hate to clean it now. The season starts on the 3rd and runs for 5 days. Any problem with not cleaning? I am using Triple 7 pellets. Thanks.

I'm not to familiar with 777, but I knom the pyrodex is a little more corrosive. I always try to keep breech and barrel clean as possible.

You should be fine. If I were you I'd run a couple of oil patches down the barrel and on any exterior fouling, just to be safe. Then before you load it for your hunt, snap a couple of caps and swab it with spit patch, then dry patch...and your good to go. At least that's what I do.

duckster
I know very little about black powder rifles, I have had one for about 3 weeks.

However after shooting my rifle 4 times at game with Pyrodex, I was worried about the bbl rusting. I only had a few maxi-balls left with a few days left to hunt, so I did not want to shoot or pull that bullet. So what I did was to run a patch lubed with Bore Butter down the bbl of my loaded rifle. CAUTION, WARNING, WARNING,
be sure and remove the cap before you do this.
I left the rifle loaded for several more days and it fired perefectly when I needed it to.
I am not going to use any petroleum product in my BP rifle, only Bore Butter. If I have any rust problems I will report them on AR.

I've been using only Rem Oil for about 6 years on about as many muzzleloaders, with excellent results. Clean or dirty, I've even left loads in clean barrel for as long as six months with never a hint of rusting. No matter what I don't like to leave a rifle dirty without continued firing for more than a week and when I do I'll spray and wipe with the Rem Oil.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I am not going to use any petroleum product in my BP rifle, only Bore Butter.

Beeswax and olive oil mixed to suit the temperature works just as well...unless you are willing to pay the cost premium for that delicious smelling bore butter.

Best,

John

P.S. Not that I buy into the whole notion of "seasoning" bores but this is also the route I am going to travel with the new rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by duckster:
After doing some last minute sight-in work with my muzzleloader, I was wondering if there is any problem with leaving it uncleaned now until after the season? First shot was fouling, but shots 2 and 3 went into essentially the same hole. I hate to clean it now. The season starts on the 3rd and runs for 5 days. Any problem with not cleaning? I am using Triple 7 pellets. Thanks.

Try this for next year, Load a clean barrel, then run a lubed patch down the barrel several times. This keeps the same point of impact on my 54 cal with sabots. I relube with WonderLube or 103 about every two days to keep the barrel "slimey"!

It even works on patched round balls....load and lube!

I just checked my 62 cal the other day, after being loaded for a day. point of impact was perfect!

Why let your barrel rust if you don't have too!

Well, back from the hunt and the gun worked fine. I took a wide 2x3 point whitetail. Good mass. I thought there was a genetic problem with the small number of points, but the deer didn't have a tooth in it's head, so I think it is just a regression of the rack due to age. I wish I had seen it a couple of years ago!

John
I am going to save the Olive Oil for the skillet.
I like Bore Butter, the Maxi-Balls are lubed with it and the patches for the round balls too.
I have shot as many as 15 times with out any problems seating the bullets.
The bbl cleans up really quick with Number 13 bore cleaner. Much quicker/easier than a regular rifle.