Some BP questions

[RanchRoper]

I have a jug of Triple 7 FFg coming as well to try. It gets pretty good write ups, and supposedly less corrosive than Pyrodex.

[Team Roper]

I never cared for Pyrodex myself. I have had good results with Triple 7

[RanchRoper]

I'll try both and see what shoots better and cleans up better too. Both are readily available.

[RanchRoper]

From the Hodgdon data I have on PDF file, this is what it has for rifle loads:

.50 cal...490 SPR RB/.020 Ox Yoke Patch...load 70 gr up to 100 gr for either Triple 7 or Pyrodex with velocity from 1594 fps up to 1988 fps.

Not sure what SPR stands for but I have Hornady round balls coming in .490. Ox Yoke seems to be a brand of pre-lubed patches.

[BigAl52]

Im not a fan of prelube patches. .020 might be to tight. Just a thought you might want to get some .018 pillow ticking and some .015 patches.

[RanchRoper]

Thought so too, thks. There must be a thousand different ways and things people use to clean these guns, it's exhausting.

I guess after too much reading and info overload it seems plug the flash hole, pour water in the barrel with a funnel so I don't get water on the rifle or under the barrel, let it sit a few minutes, pour it out, repeat until clean water comes out. Then open the flash hole and let any water run out, dry patch until no more moisture, lube the bore with bore butter and store it muzzle down.

I can't see me shooting 50 times in one range trip, so a dozen or so shots at the range and then clean, clean, clean.... ...oh ya and alcohol to dry up water....

[Travlin]

With my Thompson Center Hawken, I remove the barrel , unscrew the nipple and place the breech in a small plastic bucket about three quarters full of very hot water. Then I use a cleaning rod with a tight fitting patch to pump the hot water in and out of the bore. If I have to get some clean water I make sure that it is almost boiling. When the water comes clean a couple of dry patches and then a patch with some good heavy oil and I am done with the inside and then a good light oil rub on the outside. This has worked for me for over 40 years.

[Team Roper]

RR, It seems that I have failed in mentioning the pumping action that Travlin mentions in his post. I do the very same thing in the wife's laundry tub. This is probably the best way of removing all that powder residue that I can think of and when the water squirts out of the nipple hole clear you know you have done a good job.

[RanchRoper]

Perfect, I will just leave it for the wife on laundry day....

[mlrifleNY]

My rifles all have pins holding the barrels in place. I have had some for over 30 years and I never pull the barrels out. There are many cleaners out there for black powder and all work. If you check the ingredients out you will find the biggest part is good old water. Don't waist you money on any of them. All I use is tap hot water with a few drops of dawn dish soap in it. The dish soap is to clean the patch lube out. Water cleans black powder and all the sub's as good or better than anything you can buy. When I was shooting in competition I would clean with rubbing alcohol so it would dry fast and not foul the next load. After I clean with water and dry out the barrel I then flood it with wd40 to remove any moisture that may be left and dry again and oil with a good oil and you are finished.

Jim