... hey guys, took a quick run through the topics. If this is has been posted sorry.

An excellent muzzle loader cleaning solution is, three equal parts, rubbing alcohol, murphy's oil soap and hydrogen peroxide.

At a 'dollar' store these ingredients can be had for a dollar or less per 16 oz bottle. Get equal volume bottles of the three ingredients, dump them into a half gallon or gallon bleach jug (plastic is fine) and you have a premium cleaning solution for cheap. (I like for cheap).

I have used this solution for a number of years. It works better than anything else I've used (commercial cleaners). It does not harm the finish of wood or metal. It is quick and efficient. If you are really cheap... take out small amounts into a smaller container, use it, let it stand to settle the sediment and then pour off the 'clear' back into your main supply. Doesn't seem to degrade much at all.

In case some wonder about the hydrogen peroxide... that available at 'dollar stores is the 2 to 3 % solution. That is what you want to use.


I do buy and use some 40% hydrogen peroxide from a bueaty supply company. I use it to flesh deer skulls for European skull mounts. It does a good job of removing flesh from bone... remember that and stick with 2 to 3 percent!!!

whack a big'n

Thanks for the recipe 4rum I'll give it a try. Sounds like it works well and I certainly am cheap
Joe

What's wrong with Hot soapy water in a bucket? It's even cheaper.

I'm not only cheap... I'm lazy. The hot water treatment takes one extra ingredient... elbow grease!!! The peroxide in the solution I listed "bubbles" the fouling away. It's quicker, easier and does a much better job. I've used both, the alcohol, murphy's oil soap and peroxide it a clear winner. A small bottle of the solution can be taken to the range, it works well indoors or out. Our range, though nice, does not have hot water. The murphy's oil soap also seems to leave just a hint of a coating inside the bore. Inhibits rust nicely.

Please us what works for you. But when I find somthing good I like to share it... unless it has boobs!

4rum wrote:

... hey guys, took a quick run through the topics. If this is has been posted sorry. An excellent muzzle loader cleaning solution is, three equal parts, rubbing alcohol, murphy's oil soap and hydrogen peroxide.

Another discussion on it......

Quote::

2 parts 70% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol 2 parts 3% Hydrogen Peroxide Solution 1 part Murphy's Oil Soap Pour ingredients together but do not shake the container. I get a good mix by gently pouring the mix back and fourth between two containers. The soap will foam up and create a mess if shaken. Store the mix is a darkened plastic bottle if you want a good shelf life...you can ued an old brown plastic peroxide bottle. It seems to have a pretty good shelf life if stored in a dark container, but I shoot a lot so it gets used up. You can save the used stuff and reuse it again...but why, the ingredients are dirt cheap. Near as I can figure Remington sells this same or similar stuff at a gross mark up and calls it Vortex Bore Cleaner...............

Bushmaster wrote:

What's wrong with Hot soapy water in a bucket? It's even cheaper.

If you hafta ask...............

And I bet you wouldn't even like my spitting on the patch before I seat the ball when I'm shooting at the range either...

Hey, Bushy, I swab the bore between every shot using a spit patch when I am on the range!!!

Naw...I just spit on the patch and seat it and the ball to the powder. If you are going to shoot it shortly there after it won't make that much difference. I know as I ran dry patched balls and wet patched balls over my chronograph and there wasn't any difference in fps. My patches are saturated with Crisco lard... An old codger, my age (I'm sure he's dead now), taught me this when I first started shooting front stuffers...

I use sabots, so it it for cleaning. Been shooting for many years and still playing around with some things!!!!

Bushmaster wrote:

And I bet you wouldn't even like my spitting on the patch before I seat the ball when I'm shooting at the range either...

Spit on whatever floats yer boat........

There's two levels of the smoke pole game now, nuthin' a'tall wrong with the old primitive way if that's your game. It's been mine in the past and, and among other things done the "old way", I lubed/preserved with rendered bear lard.

Tho', IMHO a PRB is about as useless as teets on a boar hog, for killin', compared to a heavy conical.

Haven't had a sidelock in a while now, retired my last one, a .50 cal Hawken, in '99 with a goodly 8pt. one cold rainy day just before Christmas, fitting I thunk.

Currently am leaning hard on an inline...just a phase I'm going thru' I'm sure.

'Course, it ain't yer run of the mill inline, nor is the load, maintenence...or use.

Should add, I've seen a lot of good barrels go bad with hot soapy water......

I will still use my caplock along with my inline. Things change as we get older and I find the the old eyes are not the same as they were, so I need to use a scope early and late in the day. There in lies another story!!!