At the range I swab the barrel with dry patches to get the bore butter out of my .50 cal flintlock.The first shot is always off by about 8 to 10 inches at fifty yards.Then I swab the barrel 6 times with dry patches between shots.Then I usually get 3-4 inch groups on target.I just came back from the range and haven't cleaned it yet.I'm going hunting with it in 3 days.Do I clean it or leave it just swabbed dry.Very little black on the last cleaning patch.
First shot off target,the rest are on.
- Thread starter 3212
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Stony
Member
Any black left in there is going to attract moisture which always ends up as rust. I don't see how fouling your bore would lead to better accuracy....there has to be another culprit.
243winxb
Member
Black powder flintlock
Dry Brush between shots. After shooting, clean barrel with hot soapy water. Flush with clean hot water. Clean with Hoppies #9 solvent, patch and brush. Patch dry , store muzzle down to drain any remaining fluids. When you go to range, load and fire. See if it makes a difference.
Dry Brush between shots. After shooting, clean barrel with hot soapy water. Flush with clean hot water. Clean with Hoppies #9 solvent, patch and brush. Patch dry , store muzzle down to drain any remaining fluids. When you go to range, load and fire. See if it makes a difference.
Malachi Leviticus Blue
Member
my experience is that the first shot from a clean barrel is a bit high compared to subsequent shots. Presumably due to lack of fouling which equalizes the rest
Steel Horse Rider
Member
I do not go to such lengths between shots with any of my BP rifles. Do you use one patch and stroke it up and down 6 times on a jag or do you use 6 patches and swab each one once? Seems like you would spend a lot more time swabbing than shooting.
slumlord44
Member
The problem is the first shot. Cleaning after the first shot is not the issue. This may not make any sense but I had similar problems with my first muzzleloader. Running a patch dampened with WD40 prior to loading seemed to cure the problem. No idea why and I am sure many will disagree but it worked for me.
the Black Spot
Member
Have you tried two shots before swabbing? If so where did 2nd shot go?
loose noose
Member
3212, I don't know if you ever heard of Harold V. Schoultz, as he has a very interesting article on "Black Powder Target Analysis". Generally I use pillow ticking for patches soaked and dried in water and oil soluble oil. For my .50 I've had the best results using 1/8. Note you have to lay the patch material out until the water dries, so that all that is left is the water soluble oil. I then roll it up and put in a small ball and place it in a .35MM film canister. That way you don't have to swab your bore after every shot. I live in a pretty dry climate, so that is why (I believe) I have to use a much heavier use of the water soluble oil. you might be in a much more humid climate and could get buy with 1/4 etc. Try it until you find a preferred load using those round balls.
david58
Member
Advice is free...
Consider cleaning thoroughly before your first shot, using a good cleaner (my favorite is windshield washer fluid with methyl alcohol). I would also suggest using a damp patch between shots, as you will get better cleaning and lower the risk of simply pushing fouling to the breech and obstructing the flash channel.
Just my $0.02. Inflation-adjusted, danged near free!
Some of the BP shooters I know swear by a couple of patches of liquid "Lockease" run down the bore of a clean barrel before they start shooting.
It's a liquid formula (with a solvent or petroleum base maybe?) that has graphite in it... So it's very black for sure, but that's about the only connection to black powder.
But it seems to work!!!
I just started trying that recently, and so far -- I'm still taking the Lockease to the range with me and using it before the first cold/clean shot.
For a few $$, it's well worth the try!
And it won't rust your bore...
Old No7
It's a liquid formula (with a solvent or petroleum base maybe?) that has graphite in it... So it's very black for sure, but that's about the only connection to black powder.
But it seems to work!!!
I just started trying that recently, and so far -- I'm still taking the Lockease to the range with me and using it before the first cold/clean shot.
For a few $$, it's well worth the try!
And it won't rust your bore...
Old No7
Steel Horse Rider
Member
I use bore butter infused patches and have not noticed the problem you originally posted. I can usually get in 4 to 6 shots before I need to swab and then it is usually just one dry patch and one bore butter patch before continuing. Trying the same thing multiple times and expecting different results is a sign of insanity you know....... It seems to be plaguing the political world at this time.......
I had time for a short range session today.At 50 yards the first shot was low and right 9 inches from the bull.I swabbed with a borebutter patch and shot #2 was 2 inches low and right.Swabbed one time and shot #3 was 1 inch high on center.So I'm thinking theres still some fouling after swabbing.So maybe I'll increase the patch thickness from .010 to .015.Or,increase ball size from .490 to .495.What say you?
Steel Horse Rider
Member
I use .490 diameter balls in my .50 caliber rifles but I do not obsess on the patch thickness. I use .22 caliber cotton cleaning patches instead of any of the other common patch materials as they are cheap and work great for me. Are you shooting from a rest or are there other variables concerning shot placement.
I'm resting over a sand bag.I thought a thicker patch or larger ball would duplicate the thickness of the fouling buildup.I read about a smoothbore musket shooter who chronographed his shots.He did not swab between 6 shots.The velocity increased with every shot.
1. Do not use "Bore Butter" as a CLP Period
2. Thoroughly clean the barrel/vent with soapy water and dry patch out.
3. Remove lock/flint & thoroughly scrub the lock inside/out with soapy water/toothbrush. Dry in "warm" oven
3. Run a wet patch (Mobile-1 synthetic) down the barrel/vent/lock/outside surfaces, etc
4. Re-seat the flint to properly engage frizzen/tighten
You are DONE between shooting sessions.
Hunt morning:
1. Thoroughly dry patch everything out/including frizzen surface.
2. Run two flash-in-the-pan rounds to set up consistent ignition later on, then wipe pan clean/close frizzen on a dry patch
Hunt area:
1. Load normally/charge pan/close frizzen
(I suggest a semi-dry patch strip that has been wetted with 7:1 water/cutting oil
and allowed to thoroughly dry. Use as-is after that, cut at muzzle)
2. Swab 2X (only) after shot with a spit/damp-only patch.
3. Reload/reprime
Follow this regimen and your first shot will be within an inch of all succeeding shots.
2. Thoroughly clean the barrel/vent with soapy water and dry patch out.
3. Remove lock/flint & thoroughly scrub the lock inside/out with soapy water/toothbrush. Dry in "warm" oven
3. Run a wet patch (Mobile-1 synthetic) down the barrel/vent/lock/outside surfaces, etc
4. Re-seat the flint to properly engage frizzen/tighten
You are DONE between shooting sessions.
Hunt morning:
1. Thoroughly dry patch everything out/including frizzen surface.
2. Run two flash-in-the-pan rounds to set up consistent ignition later on, then wipe pan clean/close frizzen on a dry patch
Hunt area:
1. Load normally/charge pan/close frizzen
(I suggest a semi-dry patch strip that has been wetted with 7:1 water/cutting oil
and allowed to thoroughly dry. Use as-is after that, cut at muzzle)
2. Swab 2X (only) after shot with a spit/damp-only patch.
3. Reload/reprime
Follow this regimen and your first shot will be within an inch of all succeeding shots.
Thank you.Amazingly,I have had reliable ignition with my current flint/frizzen setup.I hesitate to mess with it.At least 20 shots with no problems.What is CLP?
the Black Spot
Member
If you're hunting with it, i would fire two shots in succession and see where they hit. If you need a follow up shot, you wont swab between shots. Fire two in a row and see if they land next to each other. If they do, sight in your gun for the first two shots.
Thats the second time this has been suggested.I'll try it.Thank you
Dog Soldier
member
When shooting matches you are allowed a fouling shot. The patched ball B/P rifles shoot high with a clean bore. This can be overcome with experimenting with different patches. There are many homemade patch lubes. The Hoppie's Black powder patch lube is a very good choice. I prefer a tight patch using sail cloth treated with teflon and slightly wet. I am shooting mostly 44" Rice round bottom rifled barrels flint locks.
Steel Horse Rider
Member
CLP is a product that is claimed to Clean, Lubricate, and Protect smokeless powder weapons. I am not aware of anyone who uses Bore Butter as a cleaning or protection agent, but it is a very high quality patch lubricant in my experience and does expedite easy removal of the deposits made by burning black powder. In my experience hot soapy water is the best cleaning solution and Mobil 1 is an excellent choice for treating black powder weapons before storage.
I clean with hot soapy water,dry and then put bore butter on a dry patch and run it down the bore as a last step.This is what I am swabbing out before I shoot.
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