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Dawn and water patch lube

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reddogge

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I'm an old timer to flintlock shooting but am stuck in the old ways of spit patches at the target range. I've been reading about Dawn and water patch lube and was wondering what proportions are used, how to carry it to the range, and how to soak the patches, either uncut or cut. Thanks for the help.
 
You've been reading about it?
Obviously not here ;)
There's been a few threads on it.

Spray bottle for application.

And report back on your accuracy if you would.
Some have been saying it's so slick it's not the most accurate.
 
i have been using it for a couple of years now range shooting. i found out about it from my friend and forum member "mulebrain" we shoot together and can shoot literally all day long! with no swabbing at all. the 100th ball goes down just as slick as the first. we mix about 40% dawn and 60 water. soak the patch wet. when i hunt i still use beeswax and olive oil as to not contaminate the powder over period of hours or days staying loaded,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 
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I don't think they know people use it for patch lube...
 
Any detergent that will cut grease will work. Almost any proportion from 25% dish detergent to 75% dish detergent mixed with 75% to 25 % water will be as effective as the 50% dish detergent to 50% water mix. You need the water to cut the fouling and the detergent to make some foam to make us think it is working. And it does work, just look at all the testimonials.
 
I mix a little spritz of Dawn into my homemade patch lube of olive oil and beeswax. A little spritz of Dawn into my moose milk as well. Can't hurt and probably helps. Dawn is great stuff.
 
I don't understand all the ridicule. The stuff works, and works well. Someone just discovered it for themselves and shared, and if it hadn't been for the internet they probably never would have. Knowledge is a good thing, no?

Now I'm waiting for someone to start the old "you're an ***** if you don't swab between each shot and use only (insert favorite kind of animal grease) for patch lube" argument to start.

Oh. I just did. Let the games begin.....
 
I found an old recipe for moose milk that used Lestoil, which appears to be a cross between Pinesol (sans the pine) and Murphy’s oil soap. Seems like Pinesol, but with very little smell, and I surmise the same cleaning properties as Dawn. I added it to the mix of balistol, ammonia, etc. as the cleaning component of the solution. None of it probably matters since water seems to be sure fire, but what the hell. Overthinking things is one of my many flaws.
 
i have been using it for a couple of years now range shooting. i found out about it from my friend and forum member "mulebrain" we shoot together and can shoot literally all day long! with no swabbing at all. the 100th ball goes down just as slick as the first. we mix about 40% dawn and 60 water. soak the patch wet. when i hunt i still use beeswax and olive oil as to not contaminate the powder over period of hours or days staying loaded,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I do the 40/60 too and use it in (everything ) using Black powder , it's amazing !/Ed
 
I don't understand all the ridicule. The stuff works, and works well. Someone just discovered it for themselves and shared, and if it hadn't been for the internet they probably never would have. Knowledge is a good thing, no?

Now I'm waiting for someone to start the old "you're an ***** if you don't swab between each shot and use only (insert favorite kind of animal grease) for patch lube" argument to start.

Oh. I just did. Let the games begin.....
i don't fully understand it either, i guess some think that you have to be 100% authentic using bear grease or some animal fat as lube, while all the time hauling their store-bought rifle to the local public gun range in their new or old pick-up truck! and checking their email on their cell phone, then arguing about it on a computer! unreal. or maybe they are jealous because they didn't come up with it first,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 
Interesting way to lube a patch. Never thought of doing so using Dawn/water solution. Will have to give it a try. Have used it for years in cleaning my TC and variety of cap n' ball revolvers after a day of shooting. I do use Dawn solution to detect leaks in tires, a mass bubbling shows up right away. Good bug killer also. About this time of year until it gets cold (Iowa) the box elder bugs and those stinkin Japanese beetles start moving in from the crop fields. I fill a 2 gallon pump sprayer with water and add approx 1/4 cup of Dawn (maybe a bit more), mix, pump, and spray. On sunny days those critters will congregate in hoards on the sunny side of the house and other buildings. Sometimes get up to three sprays in same locations in a day. Spray the 'beegeebers' outa em, kills within seconds. The dawn in the solution plugs up their ability to breathe. On concreate surfaces after they fall, I need to sweep em up they're so thick or its's crunch time when walking. Ya I know, the lefties will want to label me a killer and figure I should make bug burgers outa em. 🤪😅
 
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