Muzzleloader question?

Question

I have a T/C Encore .50cal gun.Bought it new.Used only T/C cleaning stuff--bore butter,etc.Two questions--Is there really "plastic fouling" from sabots?If so,solvents/tricks here...SECOND--Related to sabots,should they be lubed?I haven't ever lubed them and have gotten great acc.,but do have difficulty loading successive shots.Nobody I know really has these answers and was curious what myths/facts there may be here.Thanks!

Answer 1

I have been using my CVA .50 for quite a few years and never heard of or experienced anything like "plastic fouling" or lubing Sabots. I use Power Belt 248 grain rounds and have found after about 6 shots i need to swab the bore. For that I use T/C number 13 bore cleaner and one patch. I have had pretty good luck with that.

Answer 2

It's my experience that you will in fact have some "plastic" fouling from Sabots, but not really enough to cause you any problems or worry, and certainly minimally more than you would have from powder residues..

As far a lubricating your Sabots...I use just a touch when I'm hunting. It will have a positive effect, but utimately you will still have to swab your bore every 6 shots or so (Not like you are going to be shooting 6 times while hunting as compared to multiple shots at the range)
A Suggestion......I take along as Bullet Starter with a 6 1/2" wooden Dowel and start my Bullet/Sabot with that, then seat them with my full size rod in my T/C's. Really seems to make loading easier and smoother .......

Answer 3

Even a smooth shotgun barrel with smokeless powder will get platic rubbings; it is a non-problem in any case. If it bugs you then run a brass brush back and forth and remove it. Lube on a sabot is an interesting solution to a non-existant problem; do that which makes you happy.

Answer 4

you have a better chance of fouling up a shot do to using tomuch bore butter then from plastic fouling. as long as you clean your gun properly (WHEN GETING HOME AFTER SHOOTING IT OR EVERY 4 TO 5 SHOOTS IN THE FIELD WITH JUST A SWAVE OR TWO WITH A WIRE BRUSH) plastic fouling then becomes a myth. as for consecutive fireing thats because the barrel expands a little not enough to have to lube tho. you only want to lube bullets like great plains buffalo bullets and others that the lead touches the barrel.

Answer 5

Plastic fouling *does* build up, but you're talking about bugs on a windshield causing a drop in a car's MPG here. You're not ever going to fire enough through that barrel that plastic fouling becomes a concern.

Lubing isn't really to prevent lead or plastic fouling in a muzzleloader....lubing softens powder residue after each shot and stops it from becoming crusty, hard to remove crap that makes reloading difficult. Unless you're having probs with powder residue....and it sure sounds like you're doing fine in that regard....don't bother. If you're going to swab out every half dozen shots, don't waste your time lubing.

Me, I use Lee REAL bullets, rendered fat lube (my own recipe), and I have gone entire years without cleaning. Absolutely zero fouling and zero loss of accuracy.