Muzzy Cleaning & Unloading Recommendations

[monahmat]

I made the leap yesterday and purchased a muzzle loader.  I went through a lot of the prior posts on here and the forum has been incredibly helpful.  I decided on a CVA Optima V2 LR (Stainless Barrel) and immediately purchased the Blackhorn 209 breach plug and powder.  I'm curious what people are using for cleaning between shots at the range and for thorough cleaning at home?  I typically use CLP or Gun Scrubber on my rifles.  Is that sufficient or should I be using something else?

On a different topic, after taking the muzzleloader afield when no shot is fired do people typically unload or just remove the primer until their next hunt?  Thanks for the help!

[The_Real_TCIII]

I leave it loaded, no primer of course


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[turkeyfeathers]

3 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

I leave it loaded, no primer of course


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But don't bring into house to vehicle ,from vehicle to heated garage etc.    Condensation is a biatch.  I had a hangfire few years ago on a doe followed by last day of ML season only primer popped on a nice buck. Electrical tape over muzzle during rain and snow while hanging in a tree. Gases blow tape off and completely safe.

[goosifer]

6 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

. . .  Electrical tape over muzzle during rain and snow while hanging in a tree. 

I use little finger condoms instead of electrical tape. 

linky

[Nomad]

I used powder and used to leave it in the cold garage,to avoid the whole ,heat to cold to heat thing . Then one day I decided to change it, and the powder was a black gooey mess . After that I pushed the load out every night .

Waiting for Pygmy comment .....

[goosifer]

29 minutes ago, monahmat said:

I made the leap yesterday and purchased a muzzle loader.  I went through a lot of the prior posts on here and the forum has been incredibly helpful.  I decided on a CVA Optima V2 LR (Stainless Barrel) and immediately purchased the Blackhorn 209 breach plug and powder.  I'm curious what people are using for cleaning between shots at the range and for thorough cleaning at home?  I typically use CLP or Gun Scrubber on my rifles.  Is that sufficient or should I be using something else?

On a different topic, after taking the muzzleloader afield when no shot is fired do people typically unload or just remove the primer until their next hunt?  Thanks for the help!

Nice muzzleloader (I have the same one) and good call on the Blackhorn 209. @Jeremy K is a big fan of that powder, IIRC.

If there is no primer, your firearm is not legally loaded.

[turkeyfeathers]

7 minutes ago, goosifer said:

I use little finger condoms instead of electrical tape. 

linky

Hey, I could use those for..............nevermind

[Jeremy K]

LOL ,cleaning between shot !? Not with blackhorn my friend ,i've never cleaned my MZ during a session at the range using blackhorn. If anything you could push a brush through it if you really wanted to. As far as cleaning afterward ,i was given the cleaning kit for christmas one year ,i believe it was a thompson kit  . I use the foam barrel cleaner ,let it sit for a short time and then push some patches til, they come clean , i finish with one of the pretreated barrel coating patches. 

Edited December 1, 2019 by Jeremy K

[Will_C]

I use the same products as I do cleaning rifles (this is for in lines shooting T7 or Blackhorn.) I think you'll find that what manufacturers recommend.

i only get a chance to hunt one day a year with my Encore-the Sunday of MZ season. When I used it during the reg season, I would change it every 2-3 days. Like others said, I left in my truck or an unheated garage.

[Jeremy K]

20 minutes ago, goosifer said:

Nice muzzleloader (I have the same one) and good call on the Blackhorn 209. @Jeremy K is a big fan of that powder, IIRC.

If there is no primer, your firearm is not legally loaded.

Guilty ! LOL. I feel like they should be cutting me a check for how much good things i have to say about the powder. 

[turkeyfeathers]

Keep in mind some barrels shoot better with a clean barrel and some with a few rounds down them. I hunt with a clean barrel so clean the barrel after each shot sighting in and then to hunt with

[BowmanMike]

I have to run a brush through my barrel after 3 shots. Maybe i don't have to but i do,i can see the build up in there. I also leave my gun loaded for weeks,as i hunt with a MZ during regular gun season. Just don't subject it to big temperature swings. I had one hangfire after i switched loads and cleaned and oiled the muzzleloader,then brought it from the warm house into the cold...just like @turkeyfeathers my primer popped,that was it. On the second primer it went pop,then a 1.5 sec delay and boom. I missed of course...

[Jeremy K]

8 minutes ago, BowmanMike said:

I have to run a brush through my barrel after 3 shots. Maybe i don't have to but i do,i can see the build up in there. I also leave my gun loaded for weeks,as i hunt with a MZ during regular gun season. Just don't subject it to big temperature swings. I had one hangfire after i switched loads and cleaned and oiled the muzzleloader,then brought it from the warm house into the cold...just like @turkeyfeathers my primer popped,that was it. On the second primer it went pop,then a 1.5 sec delay and boom. I missed of course...

Curious what kind of powder and primer you were using , mine shoots like a rifle everytime. 

[turkeyfeathers]

I'm shooting 777 pellets and Winchester primers out of a Winchester apex magnum 209 ML   No Blackhorn plug available for it so I'm stuck with 777 or whitehots.

[BowmanMike]

I went to blackhorn last year,before that for the hangfire i was using pyrodex or whit hot pellets. The gun is an older cva wolf,not stainless barrel. Maybe i could shoot more bullets with the blackhorn,but it feels like it gets harder to push the bullets in after a few shots. The final cleaning is soo much easier with the blackhorn though.

3 minutes ago, Jeremy K said:

Curious what kind of powder and primer you were using , mine shoots like a rifle everytime. 

 

[BowmanMike]

How many bullets do you @Jeremy_Kshoot before cleaning?

[Cabin Fever]

53 minutes ago, monahmat said:

I made the leap yesterday and purchased a muzzle loader.  I went through a lot of the prior posts on here and the forum has been incredibly helpful.  I decided on a CVA Optima V2 LR (Stainless Barrel) and immediately purchased the Blackhorn 209 breach plug and powder.  I'm curious what people are using for cleaning between shots at the range and for thorough cleaning at home?  I typically use CLP or Gun Scrubber on my rifles.  Is that sufficient or should I be using something else?

On a different topic, after taking the muzzleloader afield when no shot is fired do people typically unload or just remove the primer until their next hunt?  Thanks for the help!

Good choice! I research the snot out things before I purchase, reading thousands of reviews. I purchased the CVA Optima V2 with stainless barrel this past spring. Also the BH209, with breach plug of course. I bought the CVA cleaning kit, that included the foaming blaster cleaner. 

Did you get the model with the CVA scope mounts? I highly recommend either checking the bottom scope mounts and/or putting a dab of Loc-tight on them, before installing the scope. As I was just getting my Optima dialed in, things started to get screwy for no reason. Started out small, but then I could barely keep the shots on the paper. LONG story short and after a lot of wasted loads, I finally realized the bottom part of the scope mount was very loose! I guess since they came installed right from CVA, I trusted they were sufficiently tightened. I took the scope off, and put a dab of Loc-tight on the screws that secures the mount to the gun and tightened. After that, I was able to get it shot in with out a problem.

[Jeremy K]

1 hour ago, BowmanMike said:

How many bullets do you @Jeremy_Kshoot before cleaning?

I've never tried to see how many it will go. Now that the gun is sighted in ,I typically only shoot maybe 6 shots at the bench and call it a day. 

[monahmat]

LONG story short and after a lot of wasted loads, I finally realized the bottom part of the scope mount was very loose! I guess since they came installed right from CVA, I trusted they were sufficiently tightened. I took the scope off, and put a dab of Loc-tight on the screws that secures the mount to the gun and tightened.

Great info, thanks! I got the one with the Konus scope mounted and boresighted from the factory. I'll make sure to check the mounts before sighting in because I'd make the same assumption as you.


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[monahmat]

I use little finger condoms instead of electrical tape. 
linky

Awesome! My plan was to use electrical tape but this has me thinking... I have a bunch of sterilite gloves laying around that I could cut the fingers off and use a rubber band if needed.

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[monahmat]

I used powder and used to leave it in the cold garage,to avoid the whole ,heat to cold to heat thing . Then one day I decided to change it, and the powder was a black gooey mess . After that I pushed the load out every night .
Waiting for Pygmy comment .....

Are you removing the breach plug and pushing it out the muzzle or pushing it out the breach? I assume you are re-using the load the next time out?

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[turkeyfeathers]

1 minute ago, monahmat said:

Are you removing the breach plug and pushing it out the muzzle or pushing it out the breach? I assume you are re-using the load the next time out?

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Gotta push out the breach after plug removed 

[Doewhacker]

3 hours ago, turkeyfeathers said:

I'm shooting 777 pellets and Winchester primers out of a Winchester apex magnum 209 ML   No Blackhorn plug available for it so I'm stuck with 777 or whitehots.

If you like to tinker, I've had great luck with Alliant Black-MZ. I can’t use BH209 either so I tried the BMZ and it is good stuff, very clean. You will have to order it most likely as it is not popular or marketed at all. It’s also cheap at Sportsman’s warehouse, https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/muzzleloader-black-powder-guns-equipment-supplies/powder-primers/alliant-black-mz-muzzleloader-powder/p/1318670 but you will pay a $25 Haz mat fee. 

I use that or Goex BP only. 

[goosifer]

50 minutes ago, monahmat said:

Awesome! My plan was to use electrical tape but this has me thinking... I have a bunch of sterilite gloves laying around that I could cut the fingers off and use a rubber band if needed.

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 A guy I hunt with does that with latex gloves from his work. As long as you use the whole finger length, you shouldn't need a rubber band.