Author Topic: Cleaning the Huntsman (Read 1722 times)

lik2hunt · « **on:** April 11, 2004, 12:29:16 PM »

This is something that I copied from the old H&R board before it shut down. What do ya'll think about this guy's advice?

Guys, there have been all sorts of postings on how to clean your muzzlelaoder and not have the barrel rust. Suggested are T/C bore butter, WD-40, PAM cooking spray and all other sorts of solutions. Here is something I picked up, I think from a T/C site:NEVER USE WATER OR A PETROLEUM BASED SOLVENT IN YOUR BORE!
I've been shooting muzzeloaders longer than I can remember. I started out with the hot water technique and got rust. Tried various bore cleaners, and got rust. No matter what I tried I got rust. Then one day I ran across the above hint, and it workes for me. Since changing to a non petroleum sovent and not cleaning my barrel with water, I've never had a problem with rust!I happen to use Tradtions WonderLube 1000 Plus, but any solvent which does not contain petroleum should work. I have both the liquid solvent and the pre-soaked patches. The 2" round pre-soaked patches are a great convenience and a time saver. They are a little pricey to start, but when I start to run low I throw some dry round patches in the jar & pour some WonderLube on top, so the jar never runs out.Use whatever solvent you can find as long as it says something like "all natural ingredients" on the label. If it says anything about containing petroleum or looks watery, keep looking. I just clean my bore alternating with soaked & dry patches untill it comes out clean, then run one more wet (but not soaked) patch down the bore to thouroughly wet it and put the gun away. No more rust!This works similar to seasoning a cast iron frying pan. If properly seasoned and NEVER washed with water, a cast iron fry pan will never stick & never rust. My theory as to why this works is that if you clean you bore with water, some water will work down into the pores of the metal (yes, iron and steel have micro pores). Even though you think the bore is dry, the water is still there. When you then swab the bore with a petroleum solvent, the water remains in the pores BELOW the solvent, where it continues to create rust. The petroleum only serves to seal in the water.When you clean and seal your bore with a natural (water soluable) solvent, the water and solvent will mix, the water wicks to the surface and is evaporated. Then the solvent fills the pores and remains there protecting the metal. Unless, of course, you later clean the bore with water, which washes the solvent out of the pores, the water fills the pores and the whole rusting process starts over.Note that if you had used water to clean your bore in the past, it may take a couple of firing-cleaning cycles to remove all of the imbedded water until your bore is thouroughly seasoned.Hope this helps! -- Lee

MSP Ret · « **Reply #1 on:** April 11, 2004, 01:04:42 PM »

Thanks Lik2hunt, I have switched to 777 and all "natural lube" products and use no petroleum products in my muzzleloaders but I still clean with hot water. What you copied makes sense, I'm going to try it....<><.... :grin:

tscott · « **Reply #2 on:** April 11, 2004, 03:18:36 PM »

You guys make a lot of sense. I have never bought onto the bustin' your
tail to clean a muzzleloader. I do the same as I would on a rifle, with the exception of coating the breech plug with CVA grease. Every year or so I buy another $7.95 rifle cleaning kit. Even use it on my Hawken.. Hoppe's
#9 has become a second cologne.... I shoot my share of deer and never
have any fouling / bore / rust problems... = 10 minutes!!!

WNY_Whitetailer · « **Reply #3 on:** April 12, 2004, 07:09:57 AM »

Makes sense to me...I clean using CVA inline cleaner for saboted loads...Don't really know what is in it I just know that it works...And guess what, no rust. MAybe I'll look into this all natural thing...

lik2hunt · « **Reply #4 on:** April 12, 2004, 12:54:08 PM »

What about the fact that he doesn't use bore brush at all? Just patch wet- dry-wet-dry until clean.

MSP Ret · « **Reply #5 on:** April 12, 2004, 02:03:15 PM »

like2hunt, I rarely use a bore brush in my muzzleloaders, most have never seen a brush. They only ones that I have used a brush on were used when I got them and neglected....<><.... :grin:

Wlscott · « **Reply #6 on:** April 12, 2004, 03:32:43 PM »

I use Ox Yoke Wonderlube on my CVA. It seems to be the same thing as TC Bore Butter. I used to use Traditions black powder solvent first, and would always get rust afterward no matter how fast I dried it. Now I use a patch with Oxyoke, then a brush with Oxyoke on it, then patch it clean. I also store it with a coat of Oxyoke in the bore.

An interesting aside to this.....

I noticed that when I wiped the surface of the barrel of my muzzle loader with Oxyoke, it beaded up water like a freshly waxed car. I was in Colorado hunting elk last year, and it started spitting rain and snow. I didn't want to get Breakfree all over the stock of my pretty Winchester Featherweight, so I took the stock off, and covered all metal parts of the receiver and barrel with Oxyoke. I had no rust under the wood at all. Now I use it on all my guns under the wood.

MSP Ret · « **Reply #7 on:** April 12, 2004, 04:07:21 PM »

Wlscott, Ox Yoke Originals in Milo, Maine, about 11 miles north of my camp is who makes them both and where all the "natural lube" products are made. They developed it and make it under several different names for different companies, TC is one. I have been at thier cellar range and handled the gun that they actually used to fire over 1000 rounds w/o cleaning by using thier "natural lube". Just to let you know it's all the same product, and it's great to use over all your gun's surfaces, metal AND wood alike. after cleaning I coat my entire gun with it now and have no problems at all....<><.... :grin:

lik2hunt · « **Reply #8 on:** May 09, 2004, 12:17:50 PM »

Here's a link to Ox Yoke's Homepage

http://www.oxyoke.com/index.html

lik2hunt · « **Reply #9 on:** August 09, 2004, 01:32:57 AM »

I ordered a 12 oz. jar of the WonderLube 1000 Plus direct from OxYoke. Just called them, told them what I wanted and they told me how much to send. Sent a check and a note saying what I wanted and two weeks later it arrived. This stuff is great. Cleans a lot better than I anticipated or wouldn't have ordered so much. I use it on the whole gun. The barrel, breech plug, wipe the outer surfaces down afterwards. Really lets them Powerbelts slide right down that barrel with ease. It's good stuff. I use after every 5 to 7 shots. Probably could go more but why push it?

Kurt Heckman · « **Reply #10 on:** August 09, 2004, 02:50:15 PM »

So if I had a brand new barrel that has not had water through it exactley what would you use to clean it and maintain it. I will be using powerbelt bullets and 777 pellets to start then switching to loose powder. Kurt

lik2hunt · « **Reply #11 on:** August 11, 2004, 01:47:14 AM »

If you've never put any water on it then just use the all natural cleaner on everything until it's clean. If you have put water then refer to the original post again. If it is a stainless barrel then water should be OK.

lik2hunt · « **Reply #12 on:** August 11, 2004, 01:58:19 AM »

777 is the cleanest burning and the most efficient ffg in my books. Powerbelts leave very little residue in your barrel and are EASY to load. There is a thread here about the expansion and kill factor of the Powerbelts. Might be worth checking out. I've been watching it myself as I have not had the chance to put one thru the shoulder of a whitetail yet. I will though soon and if I have the same problems as others then the extra residue in the barrel produced by the sabots will be worth the extra killing ability.

Kurt Heckman · « **Reply #13 on:** August 11, 2004, 10:02:20 AM »

That's kind of what my thoughts are lik2 Ithought if all I was dealing with was plastic copper and lead instead of rust that is what I would try I know they make stuff to remove that. But I am very green at all this . Kurt