How much lube do patches need?

[pepperbelly]

If I use pillow ticking I will have to lube them. I have been reading about how to lube them, and it seems the patches need to be soaked and squeezed.
If I use Bore Butter at the range on dry patches it won't be melted in, of course.
My question is, can I get too much lube on the patch at the range when I just put it on with my fingers prior to loading?
Is that a good or bad idea, or does it matter?
If I pre soak them at home do I need to squeeze out most of the lube?
How much lube do patches really need?

Jim

 

In my experience the patch needs to be permeated with the lube but not soppy wet. I do them in strips. I squeegy them as soon as they come out of the melting pot. Lay them out to dry on wax paper. Cut them into squares. I do several 100 at a time so I don't have to mess with it very often.

Some guys squeeze them in a vice to squeeze out the excess lube but I don't like the mess in my vice.

 

[roundball]

If I use pillow ticking I will have to lube them. I have been reading about how to lube them, and it seems the patches need to be soaked and squeezed.
If I use Bore Butter at the range on dry patches it won't be melted in, of course.
My question is, can I get too much lube on the patch at the range when I just put it on with my fingers prior to loading?
Is that a good or bad idea, or does it matter?
If I pre soak them at home do I need to squeeze out most of the lube?
How much lube do patches really need?

Jim

One way is to buy a bag of TC prelubed patches, look them over, feel the amount of lube in them, then make yours so they come out like those

 

[Bill Bryan]

I used to spit on my pillow ticking patches. Now I keep a little Balistol and water mixture in a doctor's alcohol bottle. The kind that you press down to get a little squirt of liquid. One squirt is enough. It doesn't take much.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Probably less than most folks think. They only need lube on the side away from the ball of course, and, depending on the lube, only enough grease lube to fill the weave in the center 3/4 of the patch. Anything ahead of the ball in the barrel once pressed in the bore is unnecessary, but you need good coverege between the ball and the powder to prevent burning around the ball's circumference and between the ball and the bore for good lubrication.

Some liquid lubes work well in a condition where you can't squeeze a drop out of them. Semi-dry. Others need to be fairly damp.

 

[longcruise]

Spareingly and consistently.

Once you figure out how much lube it takes stick with that amount. I think it depends a lot on the kind of lube. When I'm using "wet" lubes or liquid lubes I use quite a bit since my reason for using a liquid is to wipe the bore as it's loaded. With the grease lubes I just get enough to soak into the patch but not enough that it can be squeezed out.

It's really more art than science. Once you get the hang of it it just comes natural.

 

[Many Klatch]

In my .54 I only use spit patching. When I get ready to load after firing a shot, I put the patching in my mouth. I measure and load the powder and then I put the patch over the muzzle, short start the ball and cut the patch then drive it home with the rod. The patch is never soaking wet, just damp.

Many Klatch

 

[oldwolf]

If you have your wad saturated with lube, can that adversely affect accuracy? If so, why?

 

[reddog]

Git 'er fairly wet and shove it in,if you are using a lube like spit! Grease type lubes? it's kinda hard to use too much, the patch will only absorb so much, just get it good and slippery! If you use a really wet patch and let it set for a while, some of the powder might not burn, which may change your velocity and POI.
That's why some folks like "dry" patches,where you wet the patch with a liquid lube and let dry out before using. For hunting, grease is better than wet. For paper, wet is usually better than grease because wet cleans the bore between shots better and there is not too much time between shots. Ain't nothing wrong with burning powder trying things out!

 

[Walks with fire]

I have TC PA Hunter barrels on two rifles; 1/66 twist and .010 grooves. A spit patch shoots best; the french fried (not really that hot) Crisco patches squeezed out between paper towels is almost as accurate in my rifles. Mink oil from TOTW will not even hit a 7" pie plate at 50 yards most shots.

My rb barrels just don't like much lube on the patch for some reason; In fact the only lube I have found to shoot very accurately is Crisco. I bought some Hoppe's BP solvent and patch lube to try out because Roundball has so much success with it in his TC rifles; I have not tried it out yet. My rifle didn't like the Lehiegh lube either and it's the old formula.

I think my barrels have cut, square bottom grooves and they are fussy barrels in my findings. It's hard to say why they are so fussy but they just are.

 

[roundball]

"...I bought some Hoppe's BP solvent and patch lube to try out because Roundball has so much success with it in his TC rifles; I have not tried it out yet..."

My bore lube is Natural Lube 1000 and it was my only patch lube during the 90's, but when I got into Flintlocks and started shooting year round, I discovered in the colder drier, low humidity months of winter here I could shoot not shoot the whole range session without wiping between shots...NL1000 patches are fine here in NC during warmer high humidity months but just not wet enough for winter.

So I tried the liquid Hoppe No9 PLUS and found it to be fantastic...50 shot sessions with no wiping and the bore ends up almost clean. And Hoppes can be used year round of course but I have this enormous inventory of precut patches in all calibers that were already prelubed with NL1000, so I use them during the warmer/wetter months. (And I always use NL1000 patches for hunting)

I've used the Hoppes a couple different ways...open a bag of 100 prelubed patches, squirt a couple shots of Hoppes in there and squish it all around so the patches pick up some moisture...or I open a bag of 100 dry patches and soak them with Hoppes, then squeeze the excess out of the bag...I use them glistening wet at the range.

I'll be surprised if you don't have the same success with Hoppes

 

[50cal.cliff]

Ditto with Roundball. Started using Hoppes#9 Black Powder solvent and lube. Since I was just trying it out I soaked down some strips in it. For range session took it right from the pill bottle I had it soaking in, never even squeezed out the excess. When I short started the excess ran on my hand cut off the at muzzle rammed her home and shot. At least 25-30 shot that day the same way. Now I found out I like the lube I will probably devise a way to cut down on the amount of lube in the patches. I wouldn't want one that wet on a hunting load, becasue it might soak down the powder some, but once the excess has been squeezed off it should be alright!