Honestly, do not take the subject wrong- this is only about shooting!

When I shoot my Traditions 50 cal with 100 grains of Pyrodex pellets and powerbelts, regular shotgun 209 primers I can only load 3 times without wiping barrel out (and sometimes only 2).

I get 2 different groups - fouled vs unfouled (they are within 4 inches of each other at 50 yards)

Does everyone else just wipe between shots?
Wet patch then dry then reload?

I am going to try loose triple 7 + clean primers to see if my results are different.

I only shoot real black powder and I have to wipe between shots due to the fouling. Mostly I just run a "spit patch" followed by a dry patch but if I'm at a range my wet patch is dipped in window cleaner then followed by a dry patch.

I've only shot Pyrodex in my .50 TC Renegade. Based on observation, does Pyrodex fall somewhere between black powder and the new replica powders in dirtiness and necessity to clean or patch out during shooting? If I don't clean the same day it goes to rust very quickly.

When I'm running my 209x50 Encore with Pyrodex or 777 I wipe between shots. Seems to me a fella ought to zero his inline with the clean bore shot as that will be his first shot of the day.

In one of my muzzleloaders I use 777 and I wipe 1 wet patch and 1 dry patch between every shot. This way my shots are consistent with the amount of fouling in the barrel with each shot, as well as loading isn't a chore.

I was shooting yesterday, using Speer .490" roundball with T/C lubed patches and Pyrodex. Only cleaning every five rounds, and after fifteen I dry patched the barrel.

Wanting to switch over to conicals, I tried to load a Buffalo bullet and couldn't. Same with a T/C Maxi-Ball. I had never had that happen before, so I packed it in and cleaned the rifle when I got home.

Lesson learned: wet and dry patch after every shot (or more often than I was doing) when using an older muzzleloader and stuff like Pyrodex. I'm guessing the buildup from shooting the patched balls wouldn't let be load the conicals. In the future, I will probably stick to just one type or the other when shooting on the range.

I always had to wipe between shots when using real black powder with a patched round ball. But I have never had to wipe between shots when using Pyrodex with the exact same patch & ball combination. This is with CCI No. 11 magnum caps, not #209 primers.

I wonder if the age of the Pyrodex has anything to do with it. Less than 2 yr old.

Funny enough, the lady doing RSO duties made comments about the smoke and smell...and this with Pyrodex! Wonder what she'd say when someone touched off some real blackpowder.

quote:

Originally posted by sputster:
the lady doing RSO duties made comments about the smoke and smell...and this with Pyrodex! Wonder what she'd say when someone touched off some real blackpowder.

Real blackpowder smells much better than Pyrodex (or 777)

I was at the range the other day with a friend sighting in our blackpowder guns.he was using some sort of patch lube ,and was cleaning between EVERY shot.We both were using sabots,both using 80 grains of 3f goex.If he didnt clean between shots,it was very hard loading and horrible accuracy.
I, on the other hand was using t/c bore butter ,and could go several shots between a quick swab with a bore buttered patch.I got about 1 1/2 inch group @ 100yds and loading was easy.
Clean up was super easy and fast with old number 13 bore cleaner and a few more swabs of bore butter.
Ill never use anything else again.

Ok. I kinda like the smell of Pyrodex fired. Smells like burnt turkey to me.

quote:

Originally posted by sputster:
I wonder if the age of the Pyrodex has anything to do with it. Less than 2 yr old.

Funny enough, the lady doing RSO duties made comments about the smoke and smell...and this with Pyrodex! Wonder what she'd say when someone touched off some real blackpowder.

IMO, Pyrodex really STINKS. But real BP has a pleasant and addictive odor, (especially when fired in a flintlock!!)which is what makes real muzzleoaders out of people.

I shoot both, percussion rifles with side locks and flinters. The flinters with patched RB and the percussion rifles with lubed pure lead conicals. I only use Swiss BP. The flinters require wiping between every shot else the loading becomes a pain, the patches will tear and accuracy will be down the drains. With the lubed conicals I can shoot without wiping since the lube keeps the fouling soft and the residue after each shot (soft fouling and lube) gives a consistent friction for the next bullet.

Spent a couple hours at the range the other day (had it to myself in the midst of the first snowstorm of the season) reacquainting myself with my Encore as I've been using my roundball rocklocks for the last couple seasons. I found that my 209x50 Encore shoots more accurately and more consistently wiping with a Windex'd patch (anyone use alcohol in cold weather instead?) and then a dry patch. In the past I played with wiping with a Wonderlubed patch between shots but this more-like-cleaning method works better. I tried T/C Maxihunters and Maxiballs and the Hornady Great Plains over 100 gr of 2f Goex or two pellets of 777. The crud ring is just perceptible when using pellets but the window cleaner removes it toot sweet. Settled on the Goex and the Hornadys for our last weekend of the muzzleloader season.

In my case I've been shooting smoke poles for the last couple of years and regardless the type or make of powder I happend to use, I always make it a point to swab wet then dry after every shot and accurasy is just perfect

I use alcohol from a bottle on a patch and some times the wipes sold to diabetics to clean fingers before blood samples are did.
they work fine in cold weather.
Most of my rifles will give a good group for 2 shots then throw fliers if I don't run a pacth down the bore at least every other shot.

Al

I put a patch on my tounge for just a second or so then swab the bore just one time before I load with 777 I think it improoves everything.

The first and only time I shot 150 grns. of pyrodex pellets out of my Knight it punched and stomped me so hard I thought I needed to wipe myself.