Smokeless Round after BP

[GregLaROCHE]

I often shot BP in my .45-70 Marlin. Recently I’ve started firing a round of smokeless at the end of shooting. It seems to make it a lot easier to clean afterwards. Anything wrong with doing that?

[NSB]

I see guys doing this all the time when shooting between cast and jacketed bullets. I'm not so sure it's OK with BP though. Black powder does leave a lot of residue in the barrel. I'd be cautious about increasing pressure by doing this. I'd say that so far you're getting away with it. I think that if it were me, I'd probably opt to just clean it. Good question though.

[indian joe]

I see guys doing this all the time when shooting between cast and jacketed bullets. I'm not so sure it's OK with BP though. Black powder does leave a lot of residue in the barrel. I'd be cautious about increasing pressure by doing this. I'd say that so far you're getting away with it. I think that if it were me, I'd probably opt to just clean it. Good question though.

I dunno what to reckon - I definitely wouldnt follow black powder with jacketed in that old 86.
My Chiappa 86 gets a steady diet of duplex loads (6 grains 4227 on the primer and then a full case of FFFg - 63 grains - 45thou HDPE wad - boolit is a 410 grain modified LEE)
Dont know about pressure but its a new gun good steel should be way safe compared to smokeless loads - the duplex load usually gains a tad over 100FPS over a full case of black.
Chiappa barrel shoots nice but its not as shiny smooth as a Pedersoli (what is?) this load shoots clean and consistent - got a nice thump without bein nasty.

[kootne]

Greg,
Since you didn't say you were using jacketed bullets with your smokeless loads I will assume you are using cast bullets. I am not sure where this drifted from 45/70 marlin to old '86? You will be just fine shooting a cast smokeless load with a pressure level appropriate for your rifle. If your Marlin was made any time in the last 100 years I would not even worry about a jacketed smokeless load of "trapdoor" pressure level.
just my 2 cents,
Dennis

[indian joe]

Late at night :oops:..it werent a drift - more like a full blown double shuffle gear change
anyways I still wouldnt drive a copper boolit down after black (who needs jacketed ina 45/70 )
Seein its a marlin the duplex load would be safe as houses and keep it shootin clean while ya make smoke (not legal in some comps tho - I am told)

[kootne]

OK, now I am guilty of drifting the thread, it would be interesting to know how much fun it was to clean the bores after firing the British .303 jacketed BP Lee Metford loads rapid fire? Bet that fouling was not pushed out with two patches. Even though the loads were rumored to shoot pretty clean.

[GregLaROCHE]

It’s been a long time since I’ve shot jacketed bullets in my .45-70. And it’s from the 1980’s.

The best thing about about shooting BP in lever actions today, are the pull through cables to clean them.

[bigted]

It’s been a long time since I’ve shot jacketed bullets in my .45-70. And it’s from the 1980’s.

The best thing about about shooting BP in lever actions today, are the pull through cables to clean them.

Again ... Marlin 45-70. Marlins are bone simple to clean from the breech. One screw and catching the ejector as the bolt is removed ... easy peasy!

As for jacketed bullets, I used to load my 45-120 three and a quarter, with 7 grains imr4227 under 110 grains GOEX 2Fg powder under the 350 grain Hornaday jacketed soft point.

At times I would just load 130 grains of the GOEX under that jacketed 350. Made a fierce and close to terrible load when yankin the Shiloh trigger. Made me happy to have a 12 pound rifle.

[Chill Wills]

Yes. The Marlin (some of them, L.L.Hepburn) action design is better for take down and cleaning than the Browning designed Winchester. If I lived back when the rifle was a tool, that fact alone may have made the choice of rifles for me.
I will say an 1886 Winchester is not all that hard to clean. I turn it upside down in a cradle and just slowly push it out from the muzzle. I use a muzzle guard. Works Okay. Marlin IS better. I just have a thing for the 1886 Winchester.

You can use a smokeless round after shooting black, but after cleaning a rifle fouled with BP bazillion times I don't see it worth my effort. There is not much difference.

I say, it is great that you are interested in shooting black powder however you clean.

[moosemike]

It’s been a long time since I’ve shot jacketed bullets in my .45-70. And it’s from the 1980’s.

The best thing about about shooting BP in lever actions today, are the pull through cables to clean them.

I agree but I have read a hunting account from 1906 that talked about pull through rope cleaners for blackpowder fouling. So Boresnakes are nothing new.

[moosemike]

I use jacketed bullets with blackpowder and haven't noticed any issues.

[ascast]

for OP , No, it's a fine practice. Still needs cleaning when you get home
.

[curator]

After a shooting session with my .40-65 Browning BPCR, I usually shoot two or three smokeless powder loads using the same boolit and LBT "Blue" boolit lobe. This leaves the bore almost perfectly clean. A quick swab with Ed's Red and paying attention to the black powder lube star at the muzzle, and I am good to go. I wipe the bore with cotton patch and auto break cleaner to remove the oil prior to shooting again. The first shot from the cleaned, de-greased bore usually is inside the group.

[indian joe]

I agree but I have read a hunting account from 1906 that talked about pull through rope cleaners for blackpowder fouling. So Boresnakes are nothing new.

Where I hang out it seems like bore snakes are the latest fad thing ....when I grew up there were SMLE's all around the place with stuffed bores from using rope pull throughs (military issue) ...still trying to figure out how a bore snake is a better idea than a rod with a decent muzzle protesctor on it ????????

[rfd]

"hedgehog" smokeless cleaning blank round ...

http://www.longrangebpcr.com/images/HedgeHog_Cleaning_Round_w_Border.jpg

http://www.longrangebpcr.com/Controlling-Fouling.htm