Petroleum based lubricants?

[RussellvilleRob]

I have been told many times to keep any petroleum based lubricants away from my muzzleloader. How true is this for today's in-line muzzleloaders? My Encore barrel is not cast-iron, Or atleast I dont think so. Why would I want to worry about seasoning a steel barrel?

 

[Boone 58]

I use prelubbed patches for cleaning esp between shots and have never had any problems. 777 powder cleans up with water and i swab with the prelubbed patches and no need for any other lubes..

 

[Kevin B.]

I have been told many times to keep any petroleum based lubricants away from my muzzleloader. How true is this for today's in-line muzzleloaders? My Encore barrel is not cast-iron, Or atleast I dont think so. Why would I want to worry about seasoning a steel barrel?

I questioned the same thing and concluded that barrel seasoning is pointless when shooting saboted bullets througha modern inline. If you use the newest blackpowder sub: Blackhorn 209, you must use regular gun solvent to clean it...not water based.
But triple seven and pyrodex and black powder: good ol soap and water. And then a light coat of gun oil if your not going to shoot it for a while. JMHO

 

[Stalker]

I have been told many times to keep any petroleum based lubricants away from my muzzleloader. How true is this for today's in-line muzzleloaders? My Encore barrel is not cast-iron, Or atleast I dont think so. Why would I want to worry about seasoning a steel barrel?

I questioned the same thing and concluded that barrel seasoning is pointless when shooting saboted bullets througha modern inline. If you use the newest blackpowder sub: Blackhorn 209, you must use regular gun solvent to clean it...not water based.
But triple seven and pyrodex and black powder: good ol soap and water. And then a light coat of gun oil if your not going to shoot it for a while. JMHO

Exactly right, infact my Remington genesis actually specified using Ren Oil...

But, I will caution everyone to read your owners manuals for your guns. My H&R Huntsman specifies No Patroleum based lubricants, and to use Natural Lube 1000...

Best bet is to go by what your owners manual says and if you do not have an owners manual go to the website of your manufacturer and see if they will send you one... :wink:

 

[Whelen Man]

I just got a new Green Mountain barrel for my TC Hawken and was surprised to see in the literature that came with it that they did not recommend bore seasoning products. They recommended cleaning with hot soapy water or modern solvents and using oil on the inside and WD-40 on the outside. I was surprised. Maybe it's just manufacturers politics? I don't know who to believe.

 

[Stalker]

I just got a new Green Mountain barrel for my TC Hawken and was surprised to see in the literature that came with it that they did not recommend bore seasoning products. They recommended cleaning with hot soapy water or modern solvents and using oil on the inside and WD-40 on the outside. I was surprised. Maybe it's just manufacturers politics? I don't know who to believe.

Always go with the manufacturer's recomendations, especially with a new product. #1 reason - IF something goes wrong the warranty claim center will try to blame you for not following the guidelines provided to you from the manufacturer and you need to be able to say that you followed them to the letter...

Also, the reasoning behind the oil vs. "seasoning products"
Older barrels I believe were made with cast Iron alloys...These barrels, like your cast iron skillets, will soak in oils and grease to become slick or non-stick...which provides a non-corrosive protective barrier between the barrel and the powder charge. Some of or most of (I am not sure which) the new barrels on the market are made of steel alloys which does not soak in as well as the iron and in some cases it can clog up the barrel instead of lubricating it. Steel barrels use gun oil becasue it is a very low viscosity and very thin oil that provides a very light coating for protection and therefore does not provide an opportunity for cloging the barrel...my .02

 

[Whelen Man]

Thanks for the info Stalker. That'll ease my mind also. That makes sense. I cleaned mine per manufacturer directions this week. The only seasoning product I'm using is the lube on prelubed patches which is then removed when cleaning.

 

[RussellvilleRob]

I shot my muzzleloader a few times last week. Before I put it up, I cleaned it just like I do a rifle. (I did remove the breachplug and clean the threads).
When I finished, I put a light coat of Remington oil in the barrel. This is the first time that I have not used #13 bore cleaner and Bore Butter.
My gun is an Encore, like I previously mentioned. It has a steel barrel, not a cast barrel.

 

[Team Browning]

I use the TC bore butter on my Omega because thats what Greg Ritz ergo Thompson's says to use. I think steel can be seasoned just like iron.

 

[Stalker]

I think steel can be seasoned just like iron.

Easy test to prove this...
Take a new steel skillet and and coat it with bacon grease or lard...

Do the same with a Cast Iron skillet...

Heat oven to 350 and place both skillets in oven for a few hours and have a fire extinguisher handy...

Compare results after cooling...

You should find that the cast Iron skillet it black and slick with a non-stick coating

and the Steel skillet should be gooey and sticky with sludge...

 

[Boone 58]

keul!

 

[RussellvilleRob]

TTT, I just thought I would take this one for another spin.

I have been cleaning mine with regular gun cleaner and lubricating with Rem-oil. I have been doing this for a couple months, and forty or fifty shots. I have no complaints. It cleans easy and shoots even better.

 

[square]

Seasoning the barrel is only one issue. Pyrodex, 777, and primers exposed to petroleum products won't always fire. I use bore butter in the barrel but tetra grease ( a petroleum product) on the threads on the breech plug.