Barrier "wad" to prevent patch moisture from getting into powder.

[paulvallandigham]

If you are hunting, use a patch lube that is WATER FREE. That includes SPIT, unless you expect to fire the shot within minutes of loading. Use a vegetable or mineral oil based lube, and don't soak the patch to excess. Its the Water in the water based lubes that fowls the powder over time. BTDT. Won't do it again!

As for keeping moisture out of the barrel, put a piece of plastic wrap under your percussion cap, and over the nipple when you cap the rifle. Then tape, or put plastic wrap over the muzzle after loading. They will keep moisture out of your powder charge in the worst of rains, or humidity.

Some people put a piece of plastic wrap on the muzzle before they lay on the patch and round ball. This drives the plastic down the barrel around the patch, acting as a vapor barrier between the powder charge and the PRB. If you do this, you can use ANY lube on your patches, including water based lubes. You can use OP wads, fillers, hornet's nest, tobacco leaves, dried leaves, cream of wheat, corn meal, corn flour, rice flour, and other "breakfast" cereals you already have at home as FILLERs to act as both a vapor barrier AND a Firewall to protect your patch.


I do suggest that you give as much concern about condensation on the bore as you do to moisture seeping into your powder. Run a Lubed( grease)cleaning patch down the barrel AFTER you seat the PRB. That will coat the bore with grease, to protect it from rusting during a long day's sit or walk in rain, sleet, fog, and mist. If you also tape the muzzle after you grease the bore, better yet.

Oh, if You insist on being H/C about this, then consider using oilcloth, or wax paper instead of plastic wrap, and tie oilcloth, or well greased thin leather over the muzzle. A Cow's Knee over the action ( Lock) acts like a rain hat, and consists of a piece of leather, heavily soaked in oil, or greased, so that it is waterproof. It has ties to it to wrap around the bottom of the stock in front of the trigger guard, to tie the cow's knee in place.

If you don't have it with you, then tuck the lock under your arm to keep it dry, and keep the muzzle pointed downward, so that water pours off the front of the barrel, rather than getting back into the barrel mortise and lock mortise. If the sleeves of your poncho, or rain coat permit, run the stock up the arm, so that the sleeve covers the lock.

Its not all that difficult to keep your powder dry in the worst of wet weather, but it does require some planning and forethought. Asking questions here is a bright idea that helps not only you, but a lot of other readers who have never "solved" this problem with their guns before. :hmm: :thumbsup: :bow:

 

[Tumblernotch]

You can find many ways of isolating the powder from the patch if you feel the need, I have shot/hunted for 40 years with no seperation twixt powder and PRB and in very wet, windy weather in NW Oregon and never had an issue with water down the bore, I keep the barrel muzzle pointed down a bit and do not cover it with anything either, often the simplest ways work quite well now as in the past, and very often we tend to want to fix things that are not broke.

That's the way I see it. I said in an earlier post that if he felt the need to do something else to keep it simple with a wonder wad or a shot card, but really, if the ball and patch can't do it neither will they. And if the patch ain't all gobbed up with lube there won't be any problem with it leaching into the powder.

 

[1sgt]

Less lube-less problem. Dry patch lube like Dutch recomends. Less fouling too.

 

[David W.]

Why don't you try "dry" patches. Either use Ballistol or cutting oil? Both work in a 7/1 water mix. Soak the patches and lay them out to dry.

 

[dennis john]

Hi Ron. I had the same concern so I decided to use the hornet nesting material. When hunting deer or moose in the fall I look in the willows or alders, there are lots of old nests. It is also supposed to help protect the patch. Very little weight to carry and one small nest goes a long way.

 

[texcl]

I use hornets nest but have been known to use news paper and paper towls when I get hard up.

 

[Vaino]

I have used Oxyoke 1000 as a patch lube for the last 30 some yrs, have pulled PRBs and the amount of powder adhering to the patch was insignificant. An over powder barrier is just adding something that IMO isn't needed and historically was never used in field conditions. We don't know if the "wet" powder next to the patch burns or not but it seems that w/ the hot gases produced from ignition, the powder next to the patch would burn. Even if it doesn't burn, the amount of affected powder is so small considering the OA charge, that it's something that one shouldn't even be concerned about. I've got enough "stuff" to haul around when shooting my MLers so adding OP barriers justs complicates what should be a very simple procedure. But in the end, if OP barriers give "peace of mind, so be it....Fred