Originally Posted by
robinghewitt
How to breal ML clays...
Gun choice. Minimum calibre is 16g, 12g or 13g is best, 10g is slightly OTT. Get a bore light and check bore condition, when damascene rots you lose little bits of the spiral inside, easy to see, you don't want too many of them. Check the ribs haven't come unsolderd at either end. Make sure the engraving is good on the lock, has someone sanded off lots of rust at some point. Double is best. If the niples have been hammered flat the inside face of the cocks will be dented and you may get ignition problems.
Powder choice. Crummy powder will foul the flash channel and make your hands filthy. I'd suggest TS2, TPPH or the Swiss #4.
Shot. #8 is best, #7 is okay, haven't tried #9.
Wad choice. You don't actually need a wad for breaking clays, an over shot card in place of the wad works. OTOH the wad is a way to get a bit of lubrication in to the bore and keep it clean. Especially if you bought crummy powder. I favour Krank's lubed felt wads, if you cut them in half theu last twice as long. Get an airtight pot to store them in so they don't dry out.
Over shot cards. Get the right size, I use Kranks. You can miss out the card when shooting rising teal.
Loading: Blow down the barrels and make sure smoke from the previous shots comes out the nipples. If it doesn't, clean the nipple. Carrry a nipple key, a selection of wires, the little brushes dentists sell for cleaning between teeth are great. Add powder, if you always load left then right you won't forget where you are. Add wads then ram, Make sure it goes all the way down, don't get stopped by a fouling ring, don't bash it down. Add shot, put in the card sideways then turn it when it's inside. Should squeak on the way down. More powder opens the pattern, more shot closes it.
Shooting it. Only one tip here, take advice. Took my son and his girl friend clay shooting once, she listened to advice, he knew it all. By days end she was outshooting him.
Cleaning it: Remove the barrel(s), remove the nipples, get a lambswool mop on a solid rod, avoid the screw together type rod like the plague. Put the nipple end in warm water, flash channels pointing down, add a drop of Fairy liquid to the muzzle end and pump. Black gunge will come out the top and try to run down your sleeve, you have been warned. Scrub around the nipple end with a nylon brush til clean. Dry, compressed air is easiest. Squirt Ambersil 40 down the muzzle and outside. Apply anti-seize to the nipples and replace. Wipe any gunge off cocks and locks with a damp cloth, dig any bits of cap out of the cocks.