Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Damaged bore in a cva wolf muzzleloader

I loaned my muzzle loader to a friend trying to help him get his sons first deer. The gun was shot serveral times and never cleaned when i got the gun back months later the bore was full of rust and white residues. I have cleaned the heck out it and it is pitted badly., Groups at 100 yds are in the 4 in to 8 in range.

This muzzleloader has only been shot with saboted 44 Cal bullets in harvester sabots. Would different sabots help? Or maybe 50 Cal conicals of some sort?

Does anyone think this barrel can be salvaged or will I be better off having it bored to a smooth bore and used as a muzzle loading shotgun for squirrel season? Any hlep will be appreciated. Thanks

PS. The kid never saw a deer during shooting hours so is still on the quest for his first deer.

give it to him in that case lol. You could try some valve lapping compound, but if its that bad, you'll never remove it, just knock the sharp jagged edges down some and hopefully improve accuracy.

Texczech,

I hate to say it, but you likely need to have the barrel "freshed out"/re-rifled, as was commonplace in the ML era.
OR
You could have most any competent machine shop drill out the barrel to a larger size bore & use it as a "smooth rifle".
(Many such "smooth rifles" have "acceptable hunting accuracy" out to 100 yards or so.)
OR
You could buy another rifled barrel & have the damaged barrel made into a shotgun.

yours, tex

Maybe take it to a 50 cal.

It's already a 50 Cal. I will probably bore this one for a shotgun and but a new 50. Thanks for the replies.

I just love when someone is trying to sell a muzzleloader and the first thing they say is ' its still dirty from last year but it will clean right up'

I don't understand how anyone can borrow anything then ruin it. best lesson in life for him would be to ask him to buy you a new gun.

Extra fine steel wool to polish the bore until it feels smooth all the way down the bore

Some clown sold me a very nice Knight 45 laminate muzzleloader a few years back. I put it in the gunsafe and a few months later went to clean it and found 2 pellets and a powerbelt when I removed the breechplug. There was rust in the bore where the pellets were sitting which I could not get out.

I don't blame the friend that borrowed it. He isn't a gun guy , I should have went over after their first hunt and showed him how to clean it. I not upset about it. It's just stuff. I read some old stuff over on Beartooth last night I'm going to try. If it cleans up fine if it don't I'm not going to be to upset. He is a new friend just getting into guns. His son just made Eagle Scout and just getting into guns. They are the future of our sport. It was my mistake not teaching them how to clean it from the start. If I can get it down to consistent 4" groups it'll be fine. It is actually my loaner muzzleloader so not that big of a deal.

I have health problems and 2 crazy exdaughter in laws that I constantly have to worry about whether I will get to see my grandkids and if they're being taken care of. That is the important things in life. This muzzleloader is just an inconvenience. I'm going to take some suggestions from some of you guys and some from Beartooth. It will work out how it's supposed to. Thank y'all very much

Know a guy that told a buddy once...."I'll loan you my wife but not my rifle!"

A great 'Creed' to go by IMO!!

Well, that sucks, give it to your gunsmith, he may need parts off it for repairs, I'd go buy a new one, not a loaner.

You may try having it re bored and rifled in 54 cal.

I've always stayed away from used ML's just for this very reason. I'm very careful about immediately and completely cleaning my ML when I shoot it.