mhurley...The breach plug needs grease...it can be bore butter, wheel bearing grease, vaseline..anything to keep it from sticking...I buy the Knight breach plug grease...one tube will last a few years...
To clean the barrel I use plain old rubbing alcohol...between shots I dampen 2-3 patches and use both sides to swab...then a dry patch and then a patch with WD-40 and another dry patch....One of the worst accuracy robbers in muzzleloaders is not conditioning the barrel the same each shot..
After shooting I use wetter alcohol patches to clean the bore, remove breach plug and run under hot water, scrub with a toothbrush to remove residue, if you have a bolt, remove, disassemble and clean with either hot water or alcohol...I then dry and lube everything with WD-40...dry all off and oil everything with a good gun oil....I then put breach plug and any other parts in a zip lock bag and store...Since you are fairly new to the sport, I would take the gun out a couple days after cleaning and clean again...I have noticed that some shooters think they have the gun clean the first time....and have rust forming 2-3 weeks later...Good Luck
