Another question - this one on cleaning

[North Nick]

I had a great day at the range.  90 grn Pyrodex RS and a 250grn T/C shock wave grouped well.  I swabbed the barrel with a mixture of 1/3 peroxide, 1/3 alcohol, and 1/3 Murphy's Oil soap.  I then dried the barrel with a clean patch.  I did have trouble getting it sighted in as I ran out of left windage adjustment.  Still working on that.  (Any suggestion would be apprecated)

Now my question.  After this range session should I clean the barrel completely or just swab it out? 

Also after getting it sighted in how I would like do I clean the barrel before hunting?

Thanks again for the help,

North Nick

[p15camborne]

You don't want to store your muzzleloader with a fouled barrel.  The barrel will corrode.  You can leave your centerfire rifle all season with a fouled barrel.  A centerfire gun should have a fouled barrel when you go hunting.  A muzzleloader should have a clean barrel.  When you sight your centerfire rifle in the barrel is fouled same as it will be when you shoot at a deer.  When you sight your muzzleloader in the barrel is clean same as it will be for your first shot at a deer.  Between each shot sighting in your muzzleloader run a damp patch through the barrel to clean it.
 
Here's a good article on cleaning a muzzleloader. 


http://www.castbullet.com/misc/clean.htm

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

I prefer to shoot 3 shots and then swab. You need to know where the first shot goes on a clean barrel and then where the second shot will go on a dirty bore if you need a follow up shot. Why murphys soap? Alcohol/Windex will get the stuff out.  Peroxide? Never heard of that one before. Then again, Im not partial to swabbing 

After you're done shooting for the day, you need to clean the entire gun, including taking out the breech plug and cleaning the threads inside the barrel. Take your time and make sure you do a good job on it. A dirty muzzy wont do you any good if its not properly taken care of.

[alsaqr]

"I prefer to shoot 3 shots and then swab. You need to know where the first shot goes on a clean barrel and then where the second shot will go on a dirty bore if you need a follow up shot."

i do the same.  It works very well for me. 

[Redhawk1]

When sighting in, I always have a clean barrel, I swab between shots. Then I shot with a clean barrel followed up with a dirty barrel, and see if there is any difference. I do not make any corrections for my second shot, because I always hunt with a clean barrel and I know where it is. To tell you the truth, my Encore Pro-Hunter is at the same point of impact with the second shot as it is with the first with a clean bore. How luck can I get.

After a day at the range, I clean my M/L completely, because like I said, I know where my gun shoots on a clean barrel. I use Windex the Multi-suffice with vinegar to clean all my black powder guns. Works great, my buddy uses windshield wiper fluid. We both use break free after we run dry patches and then use bore butter to prevent corrosion. It was worked for me for many years without one problem.

[AndyHass]

I had a great day at the range.  90 grn Pyrodex RS and a 250grn T/C shock wave grouped well.  I swabbed the barrel with a mixture of 1/3 peroxide, 1/3 alcohol, and 1/3 Murphy's Oil soap.  I then dried the barrel with a clean patch.  I did have trouble getting it sighted in as I ran out of left windage adjustment.  Still working on that.  (Any suggestion would be apprecated)

Now my question.  After this range session should I clean the barrel completely or just swab it out? 

Also after getting it sighted in how I would like do I clean the barrel before hunting?

Thanks again for the help,

North Nick

Weird that your windage is off that much, usually it's elevation that causes a problem.  Assuming your scope and mounts are not bent, maybe your moutning holes were drilled off-center.  The easiest fix is Burris Signature rings, they have inserts that allow you to put extra movement in ANY direction into the mounting process without putting pressure on the scope.  I use them for extra elevation on my Omega but shift the orientation 90 degrees and they would help pull you back to center.

[North Nick]

Thanks for all the help.

I used the peroxide / alcohol / oil soap back when I used to use BP in Cowboy shooting.   It seemed to work well keeping a Ruger running for a match so I used it for the ML.

I am shooting iron sights, so I can't figure out why I am so off.  Could it have anything to do with the hinge pin?

Also what is the best way to clean the threads on the breech plug, the one inside the barrel.

Nick

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

i squirt windex, kaboom into the breech plug tread hole and then use a .54cal bore brush and take my time and scrub that area and use the windex again to flush clean fluid into there and start over a couple times. Thats the important part of the barrel so take your time and do a good job cleaning  that area.

[Redhawk1]

North Nick, another Idea about rings, look at the Millet rings, they have windage adjustment.
As for cleaning the threads, I just squirt Windex in the barrel and then run a patch down the barrel, I stop in the thread area and spin the patch around.