Blackpowder solvent?

[bpetersen]

Looking for the ultimate blackpowder solvent for bore cleaning? Any suggestions?

Pete

[stinkycat]

Not sure on the best solvent but I know it is not near as much of a concern for me now that I switched to Jim Shocky's Pioneer Powder.

[rabbit]

"HOT" soapy water (5gl. Bucket ),bore brush it, swab it, rinse in "HOT" clear water and I completely dry mine with paper towels with the cleaning rod and then then use bore butter patches for the caliber involved to seal and protect. (I can't remember the names of the bore butter companies.)
Been doing the above process for many years and it hasn't failed. This is my same procedure for late winter and summer storage. Saves on alot of patches in the cleaning procedure!
The butterbore patches work good between sets of shots to make loading easier too!
I've tried different solvents and it seems like I can't get all the solvent out and then there are issues of separating and your barrel being unprotected.
I know I didn't directly answer your question,just relating what has worked very well for me. Paul

[2Labs]

Looking for the ultimate blackpowder solvent for bore cleaning? Any suggestions?

Pete


Pete,

I shoot a lot of black powder. Got into it in 1993. The local Sportsmans' Warehouse black powder guy is a fanatic -- doesn't shoot anything but black powder, even during our rifle season.

He recommended "HOPPE'S PLUS Black Powder Solvent & Patch Lubricant" to me a year ago. I tried it and haven't used anything else since.

The rest of this post is just in case you are a newby to muzzle loading.

If you have an inline muzzle loader, I would also recommend a .50/54 caliber Bore Snake. Man, do they work slick. I clean one stroke down and up with the Hoppe's on my ramrod between each shot at the range, run a dry patch up and down after the Hoppe's, load, and shoot. I am putting 5 sabots into a 1-hole group at 50 yards with a 1x scope (the max allowed here in Wisconsin for our special muzzle loader season).

Then when I get home I remove the breach plug, run a patch on a brass brush with the Hoppe's up and down a couple times, pull the Bore Snake through a couple times, and that bore is absolutely gleaming. Then I oil the end of the Bore Snake, pull it through once, and I am done.

The Bore Snake can be cleaned in the washing machine when it gets dirty. I through it into a sweater bag and let it go through the full cycle.

Don't bother with hot water, soaking, sponging, etc. That stuff was necessary until better stuff came along. I did it for years. So did my brother. What a pain! You are on the right track looking for solvents.

By the way, I always touch off a couple of caps (in my case now the 209 shotshell primers as I have upgraded my muzzle loaders as new developments came along) in an empty barrel at the rifle range to get rid of the storage oil before putting the first powder load down the barrel. For hunting season, I put on my ear muffs and do this oil removal in my basement.

[bpetersen]

Thanks for the good information.