Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Muzzleloader Hunting => Topic started by: huntnfmly on September 18, 2010, 07:09:27 PM

Title: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: huntnfmly on September 18, 2010, 07:09:27 PM: nube ? I have a knight wolverine that i have never shot can i lube the barrel with bore butter patches and then shoot it or do i need to run a dry patch to get the bore butter out first?My nephew will be using it for his first hunt and i would like to do it right.Thanks in advance
Jim
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: bobcat on September 18, 2010, 08:12:39 PM: I would run some good solvent through it if it's a new gun, to get any grease and/or oil out before you shoot it. I wouldn't bother with bore butter at all, but that's just me. I just don't see the need for it.
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: Whitelightning on September 18, 2010, 08:16:58 PM: Quote from: bobcat on September 18, 2010, 08:12:39 PM
I would run some good solvent through it if it's a new gun, to get any grease and/or oil out before you shoot it. I wouldn't bother with bore butter at all, but that's just me. I just don't see the need for it.
:yeah:
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: turkey buster on September 18, 2010, 08:47:07 PM: Don't mean to thread jack but why not bore butter? I to am new to muzzle loaders and looking for info, I hear mixed thought's on this issue.
thanks chuck
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: Blsum on September 18, 2010, 10:53:09 PM: I've heard mixed thoughts on this subject as well. Personally if I'm at the range I will bore butter first. Then dry patch. Load and shoot. Then repeat. From what I understand muzzle loader barrels are made out of a different steel then modern firearms. The lube will soak into the barrel making it easier to load and clean. I've heard it called seasoning the barrel. Kind of like seasoning a good cast iron skillet. The more it's seasoned the better. I've always "seasoned" my muzzle loader barrels and have never had a problem with loading or cleaning. But to each his own. One thing I will warn you on. Something we have had issues with in the past is to much bore butter on the patch. Make sure all the butter is soaked into the patch. If you use to much and have excess on the patch it may come off inside the barrel and cause a blockage between the nipple and the powder. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: bobcat on September 18, 2010, 11:35:16 PM: I don't even own any bore butter. I've used it many years ago when I first started shooting a muzzleloader, but I no longer believe in the "seasoning" theory. In my opinion you can treat a muzzleloader barrel just the same as you would any rifle barrel.
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: bobcat on September 18, 2010, 11:39:04 PM: Just did a Google search and came up with this by Randy Wakeman:

Quote
Bore Butter Seasons Barrels

That is an absurd and ridiculous notion. The notion that, in this day and age, a combination of road kill, wax, and "fresh pine scent" changes or protects the surface of a modern steel barrel in any way is without foundation. A century ago, when barrels were iron or laminated steel, good bore protectants were hard to come by.

Sure, lard, bear grease, bacon drippings, anything that was available to coat metal was better than nothing, and was used on far more than barrels. It was used on wagon wheels, hinges, and practically anything that moved to reduce friction. Some of the old "natural" lubes were outstanding, such as sperm whale oil.

Most of us don't do much whaling these days, though, and to really protect the bore of your muzzleloader you need the same properties that work on any other modern rifle barrel, such as Breakfree CLP. Bore butter is "udder balm," handy if your milk cow has a sore udder, but as far away from a high performance metal protectant as can be obtained. Hard as a rock in cold weather, runny as water in the summer, bore butter is better off thrown or flushed than inflicted on a rifle.

For more interesting tidbits of information from the same article: http://www.chuckhawks.com/lies_muzzleloading.htm (http://www.chuckhawks.com/lies_muzzleloading.htm)
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: Curly on September 19, 2010, 06:35:21 AM: I've never used bore butter and never had any problems.
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: Whitelightning on September 19, 2010, 07:33:55 AM: What Randy said is true in my opinion. I have a M/L pistol that bore butter was used extensively on and it always will turn a patch a rust color :bash:. I have heard of others complain about the same issue. To me if the patch is turning color it ain't clean.
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: turkey buster on September 19, 2010, 09:14:07 AM: thanks guy's this is good info, like I said I am still learning all the in's and out's of muzzle loading and appreciate the info
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: bobcat on September 19, 2010, 09:40:24 AM: I don't know why the T/C manuals still tell people they need to "season" their barrels with bore butter. :bash:
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: Curly on September 19, 2010, 10:44:47 AM: Quote from: bobcat on September 19, 2010, 09:40:24 AM
I don't know why the T/C manuals still tell people they need to "season" their barrels with bore butter. :bash:

Maybe because they sell more bore butter that way...........
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: Forrestrover on September 19, 2010, 04:16:27 PM: I quit using it a couple years ago. I was always getting surface rust. Now I just use Rem Oil.
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: ML_Hunter on September 19, 2010, 09:07:23 PM: I used to season my muzzle loader bore when I first started out, but don't do so anymore. I get the same performance either way. Bore butter has its applications that I do like it for, but seasoning is no longer something I worry about.

In my traditional rifle, after I put it away, there was some pitting in the bore so I packed the bore with bore butter in hopes that the pitting will not get any worse. I pulled it out this summer for a rondayvoo and sure enough the bore look the same as when I put it away. So I will most likely continue this pratice. although, if you clean your bore prior to putting your gun away, you may not get pitting. :chuckle: :twocents:
Title: Re: lubing new barrel ?
Post by: bridgeman on September 20, 2010, 06:54:50 AM: For me the only use for bore butter is for the end of season cleaning and storing purposes, other then that,to me thats all I use it for. Never heard of swabing the barrell between loads, but each to there own...