Best way to use spit patch?

[stikshooter]

Pardon my inexperience, what is the the best procedure for using a spit patch? Particularly in the field rather than at the range. Does one hang a strip of patch material on your bag, chew one end while you pour powder then put the wet end over muzzle, start ball, cut patch?
Also separate but related question, how was grease based lube used in the field during a long hunters day? Assuming he had something like rendered bear fat to wipe down his gun for cleaning/rust prevention would he have also used it for patch lube? Is there any evidence that a patch box was ever used to store pre-lubed patches? I have wondered because if this was common I would think we would see more old stocks stained with grease absorbed through the patch box.
Sorry for the scattered questions; I did try searching forums, not very well probably.

In regards to spit patch stay up wind (don't miss)/Ed

 

[Springerpanhead]

I see your problem. You are fixated on sucking. You don't suck on the patch, you get it wet with spit. Don't even have to put it in yer mouth if you don't want to. You could put it in yer wifes mouth, I used to do that. Or you can spit on it if you cannot overcome your tendency to suck.

I see this discussion of lubing patches with body fluids can go down hill faster than a soapbox racer. A lot of my posts are marginal to the mods anyway, so im gonna quit while i can. Enjoy your rag sucking, chewing, spitting on , whatever. Just make sure you wash your hands before handling other peoples stuff. Wiping them on your buckskins just doesn’t cut it.

 

[Springerpanhead]

I don’t think anyone is talking snot laden spit here. But heck if anyone does a bet they pick up a few feet per second.

Is there another kind of spit? Oh yeah, from guys that chew tobaky or use snuff. A pinch between gum n cheek will add 10 fps to your round ball.

 

[French Colonial]

For me, history is the reason for all of this. (Oh, and I love shooting)

I have most of Dr. Margaret Kimball Brown's books including an original "The Village of Chartres in Colonial Illinois". Ted Frankin Belue's, numerous others, Mark Baker and even have the oh so hard to find Dr. Winstanley Briggs doctoral dissertation which is one of the best history books on the French in Illinois you will ever find.
I think spit is pretty HC/PC and I try to keep my kit as HC/PC as possible.

Others come to this sport for other reasons, I don't understand you but, more power to you. As long as your having fun.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

I typically carry a strip of pillow-ticking cut to the appropriate width but not cut into little squares. Normally I will use Stumpy's Moose Snot for my patch lube and just rub the end of that strip in my lube with my thumb until I can feel it come through. Then put that over the muzzle, put the round ball over it, use a short starter to seat it, pull-up on the end of the strip and use my neck knife to cut it even with the top of the ball. That entirely covers the ball very nicely - no blow-by.

If I don't have any lube with me, I'll stick the end of that strip in my mouth while I load the powder and do everything else he same. If I'm hunting, I'll use a bullet board with Stumpy's Moose Snot for the lube, and just load it from the board.

First time I ever used a spit patch was when I lived in Vermont and we had a cold (-11°F) but sunny day. I had used bore butter for the lube earlier that year but when I went to use it that day, the tube was frozen solid - no way to get anything out of it. So I used it to hammer in some some tacks to hold the target and resorted to spit patching - worked fine. As long as I went from the patch in my mouth to the muzzle and loading it immediately I had no trouble at all.

Spit patching works fine in my experience except that I have to run a wet patch down the barrel every 2 or 3 shots. Don't worry about it freezing on top the powder because any little bit of frozen contact is miniscule and pretty much superfluous once you touch it off. I had no patches at all tear or burn from using a spit patch in that -11° weather. Did have to run a wet patch down the barrel every 2 or 3 shots to clear the fouling but had no other problems with using a spit patch.

With Stumpy's Moose Snot though, as long as I can feel it come through to the outside of my patch, I NEVER have to run a cleaning patch down the barrel. If the ball loads a bit hard, I just make sure to put more lube on my next load. The stuff softens and wipes the fouling off the inside of the barrel and puts the crud on top of the powder. When you fire, it shoots it out and puts a NEW layer of fouling on the barrel. As long as you use enough lube to remove the fouling each time, you can just keep on shooting. So I only use spit-patching as a last resort.

 

[B P Arn]

what is the problem? you are not swapping spit with them, grubby dudes !! BTW, DAH, what is personal hygiene???? just don't pick up the used spit patches and reuse them. LOL!!

 

[Coinneach]

I don’t think anyone is talking snot laden spit here. But heck if anyone does a bet they pick up a few feet per second.

Alternately why not have a COVID infected person nearby to cough phlegm over your patch strip before cutting it off at the muzzle ? LOL

 

[Matthew323]

All of the smart mouthed, negative comments in this thread are completely uncalled for..

If you don't have something constructive to say towards the original question asked by the OP, then it behooves one to simply not comment.

 

[Springerpanhead]

All of the smart mouthed, negative comments in this thread are completely uncalled for..

If you don't have something constructive to say towards the original question asked by the OP, then it behooves one to simply not comment.

So what you are saying is because our forefathers who at times had nothing else to use, spit on their patches, YOU are in the right, and those of us who find the practice disgusting should remain silent. Sounds just like the policies of one of our current political parties. How about trying this. Let everyone express their opinion in whatever manner they choose, and keep your stinking lectures to yourself.

 

[Coinneach]

All of the smart mouthed, negative comments in this thread are completely uncalled for..

If you don't have something constructive to say towards the original question asked by the OP, then it behooves one to simply not comment.

I'm an Australian, we have a different attitude to humour and far more tolerant than most others.

 

[Springerpanhead]

I'm an Australian, we have a different attitude to humour and far more tolerant than most others.

Im with ya mate. Seems like a coulpe of posters on here were born with a broomstick up their arse.

 

[Coinneach]

Im with ya mate. Seems like a coulpe of posters on here were born with a broomstick up their arse.

Well there are some folk who learn from books, and some who learn from personal experiences; but sadly there are some others who keep pissing on electric fences.

 

[Howard Pippin]

I sure don't have a dog in this fight, but I do find it quite humorous. Never have tried it, don't know why it wouldn't work, but I've always worked with prelude cut patches, something to do it all my spare time at home, and really have enjoyed experimenting with all the different patch lubes that I run across. I did find one that seemed to be superior for me that works in both my flintlock and percussion, must not have water in it, as it doesn't freeze on me and doesn't stink too bad. Hope others are having the same kind of experience. If I didn't have something like this to experiment with just shooting the same thing over and over at targets or steel gongs kind of lose its attractiveness. So hang in there fellas I'm still waiting for the outcome.
Squint

 

[French Colonial]

Here is the outcome

There are about one million different things that work for patch lube and everybody has their favorites.

 

[Matthew323]

Springerpanhead,

The Muzzleloading Forum is the only forum that I visit, or am an active member of, that regularly tolerates the kind of negative, ignorant, rude comments that seem to endlessly crop up in threads here. Such as the ones that you have repeatedly made in this thread.

It's not about having, or not having, a sense of humor. It is about deliberately straying off topic to attack, belittle, mock, and make fun of someone who posts on a topic an opinion with which you happen to disagree with.

Hide behind whatever rationalizations and lies that you tell yourself in order to justify the language that you have chosen to use in your responses on spit patching. The language with which you have used in this thread is not right. It is wrong both morally, and spiritually.

At the end of the day, if a person cannot respond to a question that an OP has asked, or to the responses to that asked question from other members that he might disagree with; without resorting to the sort of language that you seem to be incapable of not using, then as far as I am concerned all you are is just another internet bully.

I was told many years ago as a young teenager that had started to curse as an attempt to appear grown-up, that any man or woman that uses profanity, or any other form of negative, demeaning, bad language, was ultimately not very sure of the rightness & justness of their side of an argument.

 

[r. a. hoyt]

I've been shooting for over 40 years, and found that spit patch is the most accurate, but in winter or hunting i use a greased patch.

 

[Springerpanhead]

Springerpanhead,

The Muzzleloading Forum is the only forum that I visit, or am an active member of, that regularly tolerates the kind of negative, ignorant, rude comments that seem to endlessly crop up in threads here. Such as the ones that you have repeatedly made in this thread.

It's not about having, or not having, a sense of humor. It is about deliberately straying off topic to attack, belittle, mock, and make fun of someone who posts on a topic an opinion with which you happen to disagree with.

Hide behind whatever rationalizations and lies that you tell yourself in order to justify the language that you have chosen to use in your responses on spit patching. The language with which you have used in this thread is not right. It is wrong both morally, and spiritually.

At the end of the day, if a person cannot respond to a question that an OP has asked, or to the responses to that asked question from other members that he might disagree with; without resorting to the sort of language that you seem to be incapable of not using, then as far as I am concerned all you are is just another internet bully.

I was told many years ago as a young teenager that had started to curse as an attempt to appear grown-up, that any man or woman that uses profanity, or any other form of negative, demeaning, bad language, was ultimately not very sure of the rightness & justness of their side of an argument.

That broomstick be annoying eh ?

 

[PathfinderNC]

Amazing… 76 responses on how to use spit patch

 

[Josephg]

I like oysters. Lots of people do. If you can eat raw oysters guts and all, a little piece of clean rag aint gonna bother you. I also use store bought lubed patches.
Buy the way, that greasy slimy green bile in the oysters gut is what makes the oyster so tasty. Dang, my mouth is watering somethin fierce! Oysters on the half shell on the beach........... DANG! Sorry, I got a little off topic.

 

[Coinneach]

Cuz sucking on a piece of rag is just plain gross. HC / PC who cares. I like prelubes. No muss no fuss no stray threads stuck to my tounge. If HC / PC is so important, how bout I ship you a box of dried cow flops for your cooking fire. They aint buffalo chips but i understand they impart a very similar flavor to the meat.

If we're going to insist on "authenticity" we're going to have to allot percentages to everyone involved; Smallpox, semi Starvation winters; worn out Moccasins; Bear maulings; Wet Powder and STD's.

I choose STDS over all others, but not too authentic to prevent Cipromycine treatment.