A barrel is a barrel is a barrel?

[stagpanther]

Being new to BP--it's taken me a bit of will power to get used to ramming things down the muzzle end of a rifle barrel--many years of babying my centerfire barrels makes me wonder what difference there is between BP and regular centerfire barrels such that cleaning a BP barrel doesn't rapidly degrade it's accuracy??

[rodwhaincamo]

Typically a BP barrel isn't as hard as a smokeless as it doesn't need to contain the level of pressure.

Brass is softer than steel and so it doesn't damage the barrel. But the cleaning patch should be contacting the barrel anyway.

[stagpanther]

Thanks! If a barrel is softer--to me that means damages more easily. On the other hand--maybe what you might be suggesting is that the engagement of the bullets to lands isn't as critical (high tolerance) in a BP barrel as it is in a regular centerfire?

[jimbob86]

such that cleaning a BP barrel doesn't rapidly degrade it's accuracy??

What is it that you are cleaning it with that is harder than the barrel steel?

The only things that might touch the bore, if you are doing it right, are the patch and maybe the sides of your wooden or fiberglass ramrod ..... unless you coat them with sand or some such, I don't see a problem.

[stagpanther]

It doesn't need to be harder than steel to be abrasive over time--in some circles pulling brass through a muzzle is considered heresy! : ) I'm just learning the differences--not trying to argue or anything and appreciate the comments.

[jimbob86]

I can't see how a brass jag wrapped in mattress ticking would be a problem ....

[stagpanther]

I've seen brass brushes for bore cleaning and the really "super-caked" residue can be tough to remove with just a cloth patch sometimes? I know it all depends on what you're burning as powder and sending through.

[jimbob86]

I've never used anything to clean but hot water or warm spit ...... but then again, the only things that go into any of my BP guns are lead, mattress ticking, holy black, Crisco, and in the case of the .50 Hawken, whatever lube it is that Hornady puts on it's Great Plains bullets...... Never needed anything else.

[Hawg]

I only use bore mops to clean with.

[maillemaker]

Many people replace the steel ramrod that comes with replica Civil War BP guns with brass replacements, so as to spare the barrel some wear and tear.

Steve

[B.L.E.]

All of the people I know who take muzzle loading accuracy very seriously use stainless steel ramrods with nylon bore centering guides. Stainless steel is less likely to embed dirt and grit which acts like a lapping compound.

[stagpanther]

I wondered if such a thing as a bore guide existed for MZL's--makes sense but maybe not practical for woods hunting? When I devlop loads for metallic cartridges--minute variations in load weight/size can have a dramatic impact on the accuracy of the shot--does the same hold true for BP? I notice that loads are often listed in increments of 50 grs in pellets or 10 to 20 grs in powder. On the other hand it looks like you can go broke fast trying to do anything like a real ladder.

[bedbugbilly]

"21st Century thinking over shadowing 19th Century technology and practices"

[Captchee]

Depending on who made your barrel ,if its one of the aftermarket barrels offered today , it may in fact be made from the very same material as a center fire .
Traditionally however , muzzle loading barrels were made softer either by material used or purposefully by annealing them . On those types of barrels , even wood RR can produce wear on the muzzle do to dirt and grim being embedded in the rod . In fact many times on an original rifle , one can discern if the owner was left or right handed just by the wear to the muzzle of the soft iron barrels .

IMO fiberglass rods are some of the worst rods one can use as the glass can damage the muzzle even faster then a metal rod .
The plastic rods , act much like a wood rod in that dirt and grim can embed in them and then have an effect . But it takes time .
We are talking right at the edge of the lands . The rest of the rod but for the tip , will not touch the bore during loading or cleaning .. The bore guide helps save those edges at the muzzle
As to your powder load question .
Yes , if your shooting for string, the powder charge has an effect as does the lube , patch and even brand of powder . Some even suggest that the amount the powder is compressed also will effect the accuracy .
There is however no doubt that once you work a proper load for your rifle , there after the more consistent you are with what you do , the more accurate you will be.

IE take your cartridge reloading . Consistency is key in that you can have variances and still end up with a round that’s good for plinking or accurate enough for hunting. But if your target shooting for competition , you want ever step and component of the load to be as close to the same as possible .
Same thing with muzzle loading competition shooting

[Magnum Wheel Man]

a couple things from my understanding...

the black powder ball / bullet is lower velocity, lower velocity should "wear" less than higher velocity ( so in theory, your bore brushes & such "should" cause less wear than a high velocity jacketed bullet round )

Generally black powder barrels have a slower twist rate, & deeper rifling than smokeless guns... the slower twist rate on a shorter projectile should not amplify any imperfections in the projectile the way a faster ( velocity ) & twist rate smokeless barrel would

so for example, a nick in the rifling, or in the crown, should have less effect on the slower black powder projectile, than it does on a faster moving & spinning smokeless projectile

[stagpanther]

Great stuff--thanks for the comments. I also asked elsewhere about the necessity of running a wad between a conical/sabot and powder--it's what Hodgdon says you should do with their powders.

[maillemaker]

All of the people I know who take muzzle loading accuracy very seriously use stainless steel ramrods with nylon bore centering guides. Stainless steel is less likely to embed dirt and grit which acts like a lapping compound.

I shoot competitively in the N-SSA. I'm assuming that our ramrods have to be period style ramrods, though brass is allowed in lieu of steel. Also speed is part of your score so you do not have time to carefully set up a rammer.

However, my cleaning rod has a nylon centering bushing. The rod itself is aluminum and the jag is brass.

Steve