[1911user]

I'm relatively new to muzzleloaders and would like to find a projectile that doesn't require me to clean the barrel between every shot. I've been to the range twice shoot it and spent more time cleaning that rifle (at the range and home) in the last 2 weeks than everything else for the last year.

I believe that to enjoy shooting this very often, I must find a range load that requires very little cleaning (if any) at the range. I can deal with an hour cleaning at home, but all of the range cleaning is seriously cutting into my shooting time with everything else and that just isn't any fun at all.

The rifle is a 50 cal inline using #11 percussion caps (using CCI #11mag) with pyrodex RS (loose powder). The barrel twist is 1 in 38 inches. I'm not worried about a high velocity or a magnum level load for range practice, just something that is enjoyable to shoot, reasonably accurate, and economical would be nice. Extremely limited cleaning is the big goal. How about a minnie or Lee REAL bullet?

If I take it hunting this year (big IF at this time), I'll use a 45 cal 250 grain XTP in a sabot but that's expensive for fun at the range and probably too much cleaning. I have bullet casting equipment but no BP molds or the desirable soft lead (I do have wheelweight lead though).

Is there hope for fun with this or should I call the paper and sell it?

[armedandsafe]

"Shooting dirty" is a lot of fun, but there is the cleanup involved. Shooting R.E.A.L. bullets (LEE product) will cut down on your range cleaning, but they can be hard to load. Grandpa Combs taught me: "Clean once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month forever."

If you are patched properly, you shouldn't have to clean, per se, at the range. Just run a moistened patch down every 5 shots or so and follow with a couple of dry ones.

You could try the cleaner burning powders. They don't leave as much residue and are not as corrosive as BP or Pdex.

You should be shooting only pure lead bullets. The bullet has to upset (obdurate) to fit the bore, and wheel weight slugs won't with the pressures found in a BP load. Try your junk yard for plumbers lead. Dirty to melt, but skims and fluxes off nicely. Pick up a couple of toilet seals of beeswax (not the newer non-beeswax ones) to use for fluxing.

Another source of lead is dive belts at the thrift stores. I picked up 25 lbs of lead in a dive belt for less than $5 at GoodWill awhile ago. Molds are cheap, a 2nd hand Coleman camp stove dedicated to melting lead and a 2 gal bucket half full of water and you will be pumping out slugs faster than you can shoot them.

Welcome to the addiction. :neener:

Pops

[PowderBurn]

You might want to give American Pioneer Powder FFG a try. Two weekends ago I was out shooting my .50 with some 240 gr. lead sabots I picked up cheap. I shot 15 rounds and the last loading was as easy as the first. Didn't clean it until I got home. Accuracy towards the end wasn't much to speak of, but I was just out to make some noise.

[NEW222]

Although I got an Omega I used to hate cleaning my bolt guns at the range also. Now all I do is spit patch between shots. At the end of my shooting session all I do is remove the plug and put one Pre-lubed patch down and I'm done.

[4v50 Gary]

It's called a minie rifle. The minie is undersized and drops right into the barrel and depending on the humidity, you can go quite a ways before required to rinse it out (but you must clean it after each range session). I've shot several upwards 60 times before I cleaned it. This was in Nevada where it's dry and not once did I have trouble pushing the minie down the bore. Oh, I use SPG lube on my minies.

[arcticap]

If you're sure about your rifle's twist, I can't think of any reason not to try to shoot lubed patched round balls with a beginning load of 50 grains of powder at 50 yards. Also Buffalo Ball-ets are easy loading and can often be more accurate when used with a Wonder Wad Bore Button (wool cushion) or even an over powder card between it and the powder (to act as a gas check). TC Maxiballs can also be loaded the same way. The more powder you use, the more fouling that's created. 777 is reported to be a new cleaner burning powder and may completely change your outlook about shooting smokepoles, but you need to reduce the powder charges by 15%. It's made by Hodgdon who also makes Pyrodex and should be relatively easy to find.

[rick_reno]

I'm shooting Buffalo sabots in my 50 cal ml - they're 375 grain and are the most accurate bullet I've shot. I clean about every 8-9 shots, using Pyrodex loose powder. Works fine. Cabela's has these sabots, I haven't been able to find them locally.

[Tinker2]

I use Birchwood casey black powder bore solvent as my patch lube
and my bore is not fouled any more then if I only shot it once.
I can shoot it all day long and it is still easy to load and still accurate.

Easy to clean at the end of the day too.

[Tinker2]

I would look at the bore of your gun to see if the bore is rough
or something. It should not be necessary to clean your gun
between shots whatever your are shooting.

[1911user]

Thanks for all the good replies. If the rifle didn't feel so handy and comfortable, I probably wouldn't work so hard to make it a keeper. The rear buckhorn sight has to go though. The rifle is/was new when I bought it, but it is a discontinued model (TC Thunderhawk Shadow). I have fired it approximately 16 times with half being sabot lead practice bullets and half tight fitting patched roundball.

I'm going to order a mix of cast maxi-ball, minnie-ball, and Lee 320gr R.E.A.L. conicals. I already have round balls/patches and sabots with JHPs. The next time I take it shooting, I'll test different projectiles and how well they work with minimal cleaning.

[rick_reno]

Something to try is put some spit on the bullet prior to shoving it down the barrel. Makes mine load easy.

I was experimenting with a peep sight on my ML - just took it off and put the stock sight back on. It worked much better for me.

[stevelyn]

I 2nd the Triple 7 recommendation. Get rid of the Pyrodex, it leaves the same type of residue that BP does. Residue left from firing 777 is similar to smokeless.

[Mr. Tettnanger]

I would suggest shoot the thing for a couple hundred rounds. That should smooth up the barrel a bit. I think you will find less cleaning between rounds. I shoot a Lyman GPR 50 cal flint patched round ball, Goex FF powder and clean after every 4 or 5 rounds. I only clean between shots when in competition or load development. Good luck!


Mr. T

[rick_reno]

Triple 7 is a good powder, if you're willing to deal with crud ring. It can make a difficult to clean crud ring in the barrel. In general, it's a good powder that produces excellent shot to shot consistency. I'd suggest swabbing between every shot, it'll keep the crud ring under control. A good powder for someone starting out is Goex 3f, accuracy and clean up is easy - if you can stand the stink.