Field Cleaning Procedures - Backpacking

[Nuthatch]

Anybody here pack in with a muzzleloader? I have a hunt coming up that gives me pretty good odds of coming home with something if I take the muzzleloader. It's a good haul to get back in there -- a few miles by mountain bike on a dirt road & then another few miles by foot to camp. So space and weight are definitely an issue. I'm looking for any recommended cleaning procedures for the field where I've shot once or twice but may have to wait a day or two before I get around to cleaning anything.

So far, I'm just planning on taking some lubed patches, some dry patches and a wire brush. Figure a little swabbing might hold things over until I get back to civilization. Any other recommendations?

 

[amcmullen]

So far, I'm just planning on taking some lubed patches, some dry patches and a wire brush. Figure a little swabbing might hold things over until I get back to civilization. Any other recommendations?

I've gone extended weekends without a thorough cleaning. Clean lock and barrel with moose milk after firing then wipe down exterior with light oil.
Swap barrel with a few patches to remove most loose crud then dry patch. Then reload.

These were Wednesday to Sunday trips. No long term issues with my guns.

If its rainy and your gun is fired you may have a little spot rust issues and should probably do a little more cleaning.

 

[Mad Professor]

I'd take a small pulley set up and some cordage (2 aluminum double pulleys and nylon rope) . That way you can get a deer up in a tree, overnight if you can't drag it out. Coyotes around here won't leave anything but head and bones.

 

[THBailey]

I'd take a small pulley set up and some cordage (2 aluminum double pulleys and nylon rope) . That way you can get a deer up in a tree, overnight if you can't drag it out. Coyotes around here won't leave anything but head and bones.

Good advice this. Out here, up in the high lonesome of the Sierra Nevada, it's the black bears. They don't even leave the bones. We made ours up with some fancy lightweight pulley blocks and fancy no stretch super strong rope found at a marine supply store.

As to the OP's question, I carry several windex soaked patches and dry patches. A quick swab out after the shot can keep the barrel good for a few days.

 

[Ames]

Pre soak some cleaning patches with Barricade. Seal them up tight in a plastic 35mm film container (Remember those?) . Use them for a wipe down after rough cleaning as best you can.

 

[tenngun]

I have a tin with cut flannel patches in a tin Dampened with water and swabbed. Rinse and use again. Repeat through four or five wipe outside of barrel and lock down. Dry with several patches then an oil patch followed by dry. Wash all out set by fire to dry. Then back in tin. Do a big clean when home.

 

[longcruise]

I had to contemplate this when getting ready for a two week float in AK. A quick clean and then thorough at home wasn't an option. In the end, I made up a steel 5/16" rod for the gun with threaded rod tips at both ends. Then I glued and pinned a piece of 5/16 rod into a small file handle. It extended about two inches out of the handle and got a rod tip attached to it as well. Then I cut a piece of a 10-32 bolt that matched the jag and rod tips and epoxied it into the rod tip on the handle. By joining the handle to the rod and attaching a jag to the other end it was the equivalent of a range rod.

I have since built a tough Hickory rod for the set up and reduced the weight. This worked well. Because of the extremely wet environment I fired the rifle every two or three days and cleaned thoroughly.

The only things you need to clean are water, a bunch of patches, a very small container of oil and a small amount of alcohol to dry the bore. All of that, including the handle will fit in a shooting bag.

 

[Sven205]

I'm not a back country hunter but can understand traveling light.

I like to pre-soak cleaning patches 50/50 with water/awesome cleaner (find it at dollar tree and similar stores). Run a dry patch then oil patch after. I've found the awesome cleaner does a good job stripping all the black powder crud out if you happen to take a few shots before you put your sights on the 'big one'. One bottle of concentrate 50/50 with water makes a half gallon of cleaner and only costs $1. Three small ziplocs to hold your wet, dry and oiled patches takes up little space and likely weighs less than an ounce or two.

The common denominator here on nearly all ML cleaners whether store bought or d.i.y. is they're mostly water. If you forget everything (worst case scenario) use water out of your drinking supply and cut squares from a shirt, handkerchief etc. to clean in a pinch. Oil off the dipstick of a truck/atv/generator can help with rust issues if that's an option.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I wouldn't bother because I developed loads with a good natural lubricant that also works on the outside