Any cleaning tips ???

[VermontHunter]

We all hear about gun selection, bullet selection right down to what type of powdwer...

Now that we've got all of the shooting side down and the ML is tuned and sighted... Has anyone got any great tips as how to gow about CLEANING and maintaining a Muzzelloader ????

What I mean is ,, what type of Patches, brushes, powder solvants and such forth....

Do any of you use the hot water method ?? and should it be used..

I will be listening as Im sure many others of us that aren't very familiar with Muzzel loading... So any suggestions or tips will be of a great help....

[VTbowman]

I always cleaned mine like I do a rifle.
No hot water for me but know many use this method.

I always used Hoppe #9 and sopped a patch and swabbed the bbl out, then Hoppes on a brass brush apying extra attention to the crud ring area, and then MANY white patches made from an old t-shirt or whatever.
After cleaning untill I got clean patch out after running them down the bbl, I would lightly oil a last patch and run it down to keep corrosion off.
During all that process I would have my breech plug and nipple soaking in Hoppe solvent and would clean it with q-tips and tooth picks,/needles to get it spankin clean.
I put a small dab of anit-seeze on the breech plug threats and reassemble.

I have that foaming bore cleaner now and its a whole lot easier. Foam it in until it comes out the other end, let it sit for 15 or so mintue and patch it dry. Its amazing how much this stuff comes out, even after a more tradition cleaning method.

Note:Spray it in from the breech end and let come out the bore end. I dont like getting to much if it in the breech area.
I still soak the breech plug in solvent though and clean by hand as before.

I now only have Encore bbls and I take my bbl completely off so it does not matter which way I spray but it may for you.

JMO
Good Luck.

[AJ]

I have used many different cleaning methods over the years, hot water, Windex, solvents, etc. Now, my cleaning regime consists of spit patches between shots and when the gun gets its big cleaning after shooting is done or at the end of the season, I use the foaming stuff that CVA or Hoppes has on the market. My buddy had some to try a couple years ago and it worked superbly! Squirt some in the bore and on the breechplug/nipple while I am gathering up my loading stuff and by the time my box is packed up I run a patch through the bore and its squeaky clean. Wipe off the plug and nipple and its good to go. It cuts the crud ring from 777 like its dust. Occasionally I will use a good strong bronze brush and clean out the lands and grooves to see if any plastic buildup has occurred. I give it a coat with some oil if its going away for a while.

[johnf]

I use patches and windex during the season then when I put it up for the year I use a brass brush and the hot water method. I don't stop cleaning until I can get a patch out completely clean. After it dries I put a little bore butter down the barrel and then a couple dry patches.

[too_pointer]

I have bought some foaming cleaner like AJ has said. I haven't used it yet but will give it a try with the muzzleblaster. Since I have the Encore, things are so much easier to clean after taking the breech plug out. I use the 777 pellets, and it makes cleaning a joy
too_

[PA_RIDGE_RUNNER]

I dissamble and clean the barrel in hot soapy water and rinse in clean HOT water. I set the barrel aside to dry

I then Attack the parts which for me is breechplug, nipple and front of striker. I have these parts soaking in hot soapy water. I use old tooth brushes, pipe cleaners, and cotton swabs. When clean I rinse them in HOT water.

I then clean the barrel using a modern rifle solvent and swab till patches are clean. I do the same for the small parts. I then run an oil patch through the bore and oil the accesories put anti sieze on the threads and reassemble and store.

This takes about 45 mins but my hard earned cash paid for my rifles. I've never had a rust or accuracy problem.

[ousoonerfan22]

This is how I started cleaning our muzzleloaders but we're using 777 pellets.
I pull the breechplug and clean it with a wire wheel on the bench grinder.I then run a wire from a cutting torch tip cleaner through the plug.If you have fired the gun a lot check the hole in the plug facing outside it will need to be cleaned with the proper size drill bit to clean out the recessed area,just turn the bit with your fingers.
I then stuff a piece of paper towel in place of the breechplug and pour some Hoppes bore gel down the barrel and run a brush in the barrel a times then prop up the barrel and let it stand for around five minutes.After that time I run the brush through the barrel a few more times this time pushing out the paper towel and allowing the bore gel to drip out.I have a bucket of hot water ready and I use a plastic cup to pour the water down the barrel and try to keep any water off the scope.Prop up the barrel again for a couple of minutes and if the water you used was hot the barrel will dry off quickly,I was in the shop and used a air nozzle to blow out the barrel and around the scope mounts.
I then run wet patches with Hoppes solvent through the barrel then dry patches.I didn't have any breechplug grease so I used slick 50 grease on the threads.I'll wipe some solvent on the outside of the gun also.
The bore was very clean after using the Hoppes bore gel.

[tedicast]

I shoot T7 Pellets in my Encore. I swab with 1 windex patch, and 2 dry patches between every shot. After shooting, I boil water on the stove, and pout it in a metal pail. I pull my breech plug, and throw it in the pail. I stick my barrel, muzzle end first in the waaater, and swab from the breech, pulling the hot water all the way up the barrel. I do this until the patches come out spotless. I then run 6 or 8 dry patches through the gun, and then one with BreakFree CLP. I clean the breech plug, and use some gun scrubber solvent to get the Never Seeze off of it, wipe it down with CLP, and apply Never Seeze again. Thats how I clean. My last sighting in before hunting season, i just windex patch at the range and leave it. I give it a thorough cleaning after the season.

[VermontHunter]

Keep the tips coming folks,,,, so far there's been some real good ones Im going to try and incorperate into my ML matience.....

Thanks Guys this stuff is going to be very useful to myself and others new to this ML Sport....

[lostiniowa]

i did not read them all but i used foaming bore cleaner... it works great.

[too_pointer]

I have just started using foaming cleaner in my guns, and it works great like was said.
too_

[wtnhunt]

Going to have to give the foam cleaning a try. Have always used hot water and dish soap.