Dry lubed patches

[Ben Meyer]

I use the Dutch method of patch lube. Ballistol and water 6 or 7:1, soak the strips of cotton fabric, lay them flat to dry, once dry roll them up. I store them in a ziplock bag inside another ziplock bag.

My question...do they have a "shelf life?" Theoretically, the water has been evaporated leaving the Ballistol in the fabric. Does Ballistol evaporate or dissipate over time? I'd think not, but don't know for sure.

I ask because I did a big bunch last year, went shooting last week and while my spent patches looked good and my accuracy and loading were both good as well, those strips felt very DRY. Should I keep using them? Should I re soak and dry them? Or just throw em away and do new ones? Like I said, I noticed no issues. Im just curious of the shelf life, thx.

 

[Erwan]

I never did shot with that kind of patches half dry, but I really think that if the Ballistol is an oil it doesn't evaporate in the time : an oil can't evaporate ...
May-be I have a wrong idea of the evolution of the Ballistol in the long time because this oil is pretty good for years...

 

[Glenn A. Smith]

I did the same as you, making up a bunch of patch materiel then rolled and store in old pill bottles and Ziploc bags. I have found that after a year or so they are harder to load in my .54, but the accuracy and velocity do not seem to suffer. Having said that I have now decided to make up a few (no more than 4) strips at a time and re-soak them if they set more than a couple months. If I were going to a Rendezvous I might make extras to avoid having to fool with them at camp. My Patching strips are usually 1-1/2 to 2 inches wide and around 15" in length. I also store my new patch materiel in a dust proof container.

 

[Ben Meyer]

Thx Glenn. I think I'll resoak and dry what I have(10 rolls) and moving forward, just do 4 at a time. I get 10 shots per strip, so 40 shots is plenty. I was just at a blanket shoot this past weekend, and it consisted of 24 shots. 36 is the most ive ever done at an organized shoot, so 4 rolls is enough.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Once "lubed", the patches definitely have a shelf life.I have found that prelubed patches are good for at least a month with no problems , over six months definitely problems.

 

[Don Steele]

Shelf life..??
ABSOLUTELY
Make them up as needed. I haven’t done a study to quantify the decay but a year stored in ziplock bags is definitely too long.

 

[hanshi]

Like anything else that gets lubed there's likely to be a shelf life of some sort. I don't use that type of patch but still lube only a few at a time with my lube of choice. A dried out patch can be relubed but not a deteriorated one.

 

[Archer 756]

"Shelf Life" BS, have patches that are at less 20 years old, the problem with going bad is that one needs to keep in seal ight bags All my patches are pre lubed and keep in zip lock bags They are as day bough, wonder lub . How long do you think a dealer has patches on shelf ??

 

[Erwan]

Just enough time to sell them.....