BP cleaning when using optics

Aloysius · Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 3:45 am Post subject: BP cleaning when using optics

I want to use a BP rifle for hunting but my eyes don't let me use iron sights in poor light conditions. So I put optics on a cal 45 Hawken and on a 54 cal Thunder Hawk (Thompson). But now I have problems. I learned to clean my rifle with hot soapy water immediatly after shooting, but how should I clean without removing the scope?
So this is stupid: I can adjust my scope, but afterwards I have to remove it to clean the rifle and when I put it back on, I have to adjust it and things start all over again.
What do you do? Should I just leave the rifle not cleaned for longer periods (1-2 weeks)? Should I take special precautions? Use bore-butter or so?
For info: my Hawken is black and the Thunder Hawk is stainless.

RePete

You could get Butler Creek Blizzard covers - they are see through and removable for cleaning.

www.butlercreek.com/ne...00178.html

Vince · Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 5:41 pm Post subject: Re: BP cleaning when using optics

“Aloys” wrote:

… But now I have problems. I learned to clean my rifle with hot soapy water immediatly after shooting, but how should I clean without removing the scope?

So this is stupid: I can adjust my scope, but afterwards I have to remove it to clean the rifle and when I put it back on, I have to adjust it and things start all over again.

What do you do? Should I just leave the rifle not cleaned for longer periods (1-2 weeks)? Should I take special precautions?

There is a solution Aloys…give some consideration to scope mounts something like the Leupold QRW2 Quick Release Picatinny Weaver Scope Rings. These supposedly return your scope to the exact position each time when re-affixed, alleviating the need to re-zero when refitting the scope.

The downside is the cost of these mounts…they aren’t cheap.

Personally, I wouldn’t leave a BP rifle uncleaned…it’s asking for trouble. True BP is very corrosive, and I am not convinced that the modern replacement powders are much better.

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

Don't use soapy water... use Windex. It cleans fouling FAST, and it drys very fast. Use pipe cleaners in the flame channel to help keep that clear.

If you want to really use soapy water, pick a small plastic bucket like a 1 gallon pail or something. Fill it up near the top. Now, remove the barrel with scope and place the breech end into the bucket, the scope on the other side of the bucket rim. I used to wrap a old towel around the ramrod and muzzle to absorb water, this will keep the scope dry. Now just use your mop and suck in soapy water, and push it back out vigorously. When you think its clean enough, change the soapy water for clean, and rinse it good.

When that's all done, use an air gun to blow moisture out of the flame channel... otherwise there's always a little rust that forms down in there. Coat the bore with TC Bore butter and reassemble on stock.

Now call it a day and go have a cold one. your zero shouldn't move because the scope never moved in relation to the barrel.

-DallanC

Elvis

sounds like a good plan Dallan..... and yo uarent wrong about how corrosive it is.....gave me major shock after wet day hunting.

Aloysius · Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2022 2:58 am Post subject: Re: BP cleaning when using optics

Dallan, that might work for the hawken as its scope is mounted in front of the hammer/ignition. I'm going to try it.
The Thunder Hawk is something else. It has inline-ignition that's situated between the mounts of the scope. Maybe with some tubing on the nipple, but even then it will be hard to clean the space surrounding the nipple as this is situated under the scope.

The air gun sure is a good tip and the bore butter will give an extra insurance.

I already tried to snap a few caps, load my rifle and leave the load (without a cap on the nipple) in the barrel for 2 weeks and then shot it. It did shoot rather OK for using the iron sights and the target on 50 m. But that was during daylight (and I go for roedeer in the evening...) So leaving the load in the barrel seems not to give problems. Now I only have to solve the aiming-in-poor-light-conditions problem...

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

So I have a Hawkin as well... with an old pitted barrel from when I inherited it from my dad who didnt clean it much. I replaced that barrel with a fast twist "sabot" barrel and its an amazing shooter.

That said, I kept the old barrel, always intended to drill it out to .50 or even .54 and turn it into a pseudo shotgun using 54cal sabots as wads.

Anywho, I ran ALOT of tests on that old barrel, among them was a long term powder test and a waterproofing test. For the powder test, I loaded it up minus cap and stuck it in a corner for 8 months (over winter, the highest humidity period). Come spring, I test fired it looking for powder degradation and any delay in ignition. There was none.

For waterproofing, I put a small balloon over the end of the gun, and I worked some bee's wax into a soft malleable line, then pressed it into the gap between the cap and nipple until it looked good and sealed. I dunked that entire barrel underwater for 15 minutes then test fired it. Ignition was immediate. You can also get some 1/8" vinyl tubing and press it over the cap and nipple to seal it, but make sure the hammer can fully hit the cap to ignite it.

Sooo... BP was more resilient over time than I expected, and it was fairly easy to waterproof both ends.

-------------------------------------------------------------

The inline is easier, Windex a jag and patches. You only have to mildly wet the patch then run it through the barrel. Its easy. My Remington 700ML came with a plastic tube that had the same threads as the breech, I can thread it on to keep fouling from getting into the action. But I could also avoid that by putting the gun barrel down and clean it and let gravity do its thing.

I've been shooting smokepoles for 30 years or more... hunting with them exclusively for nearly as long. Hollar if you need help or tips or whatnot.

-DallanC

Aloysius · Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2022 2:12 am Post subject: Re: BP cleaning when using optics

I see, you like BP too. Did you ever tried the single shot pistol? I'm a little bit afraid of using a BP revolver but I like the pistol. Easy to load, easy to clean and lots of fun to use.

And I also believe in the long term stability of BP, with 1 big exception: when you load brass cases with BP and lead bullets (as in the 45-70). There must be a trick I still don't know... they used BP in the early .303 British loads, didn't they?

Loke · Member Joined: May 13, 2013 Posts: 207

On your inline, can you remove the breachplug for cleaning? That is how I clean my T/C Encore.

RePete · Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2022 8:05 am Post subject: Re: BP cleaning when using optics

Leupold QRW2 Quick Release Picatinny Weaver Scope Rings.

They don't work that well. I had them on a rifle and when I reinstalled them I check zero and the windage was off about 1" (2,54cm) at 100yds. I got rid of them.

Aloysius · Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2022 9:30 am Post subject: Re: BP cleaning when using optics

Loke wrote:

On your inline, can you remove the breachplug for cleaning? That is how I clean my T/C Encore.

I don't think that's possible with the Thunder Hawk and I think it's not so easy to try. The front mount of the scope is on top of the threaded part of the action and the mounts are only fixed with 1 small bolt. When something goes a little bit wrong while trying I'll ruin the rifle...
Next time I'm going to clean that rifle I'll try to fix some tubing on the nipple and try to avoid water coming in contact with the scope, the trigger and the action.

Vince · Posted: Tue Feb 22, 2022 5:12 pm Post subject: Re: BP cleaning when using optics

A quality scope shouldn’t have any problems with a bit of water splashing about…think of a sudden heavy rainstorm when out hunting…and scope are sealed against water immersion up to about half a metre I think. Maybe wrap your scope in some cling wrap plastic and that should be enough for you to give your rifle a thorough clean with putting it into a tub of soapy water. Maybe an old toothbrush around the nipple and spray/squirt water under a bit of pressure using a rubber tube through the nipple.

I’m really only guessing here because I’ve never owned a BP rifle.

Elvis

heck fit a leupold...and give it a bath/shower....it wont fail,they dont fail often and if they do...factory will repair or replace it. Vinces idea of clingwrap isnt silly.better still find some of the industrial stuff for wrapping pallets or hay/silage,you can stretch that stuff tight without it breaking....