Lubed patches drying out?

[pepperbelly]

Will a pre lubed, or any other, patch dry out if not kept in a sealed container?
If I get to the range tomorrow I'll take a zip lock baggie to put the patches in, but how fast to they dry out?
Jim

 

[roundball]

Probably safe to assume they'd dry out...every bag or jar of prelubed patched I've ever bought were sealed from the factory...just don't know how long it would take...I keep all my stuff like that sealed tight in ziploc bags too.

 

[pepperbelly]

Just another reason to use dry patches and lube before shooting.
I bought some pillow ticking patches and some T/C Natural Lube 1000/ Bore Butter the other day. All the shop had was a small tube.
I'll use the prelubed and these, but I will probably lube my own.
The lube wouldn't dry out very quickly, like during an all day shoot session?
Jim

 

[roundball]

Probably depend on what you use for lube...I only use Natural Lube 1000 and I can say that it does not dry out quickly...probably take weeks of exposure to the air for natural lube to ever dry out...but I still keep everything in ziplocs...just don't want to bother worrying about it.

 

[2172]

The lubed patches will dry out. I've noticed this when I've loaded a bullet block, and then not used it for a while. The portion of the patch that is exposed to the air is dry. I don't know the time limit...a week, a month...not in a day. I came across a small screw top jar...short and wide..had some kind of pimento or something in it. When I open a package of pre-lubes, a stack fits in, perfectly, and that's what goes into the range box.
Hank

 

[pepperbelly]

Thanks guys, that's what I wanted to know. I didn't know if I loaded a block early in the morning if the patch would dry out by afternoon.
Jim

 

[Stumpkiller]

Probably depend on what you use for lube.

That's been my experience. Some is good for a few days, some weeks. Dry lubes are good a month, plus.

 

[pepperbelly]

I bought a small tube of T/C Natural Lube 1000 and some prelubed patches. It was all they had, and I haven't got the stuff yet to make Moose milk/snot/cream/spit, or my own version that I'll call Moose Mucus.
Does the patch container need to be very airtight, or just closed like an altiod mint tin.
Would the patch box on my T/C Hawken keep 'em, or is that for dry patches?
If I load up a loading block or 2 with 5 rounds will they dry too quickly if I use the prelubed latches I bought? I mean, I know I'll shoot more than 10 rounds in a day's shooting, but will they last all day, just in case?
Thanks,
Jim

 

[roundball]

I would think NL1000 should easily last all day, probably several...go take some out of a package right now and lay them out in the open for a few days as a test.
Some in the house where it's relatively warm & dry
Some out in the garage;
Some out on the porch or deck;

Handle one in each location after 24hrs...handle another one in 48hrs, another in 72hrs, etc...see what you can learn

 

[brushbuster]

:relax: :relax: :relax: :relax:
your prelubed patches will stay wet for a loooong time.if you heve them in a loading block you are still protecting them to some degree.just keep them in a ziplock bag when you are not shooting .your patches will rot before you dry up the grease in those patches.

 

[pepperbelly]

Man, I like you guys, and not just because you tell me what I want to hear.
I missed going shooting this weekend. Today was beautiful but we were up until past 4am with our 3 year old. She had a ruptured eardrum and was crying and screaming all night. I feel more sorry for her hurting than I do missing a range day, but I really want to shoot this thing.
Later,
Jim

 

[Walker357]

I keep my prelubed patches in cap tins I've burnt the paint off of. They last for months (winter) without drying out. :results:

 

I use the octagonal/rectangular hinged-lid brass tinder-box that TRACK sells, for my wet-patch box in my hunting "possibles" bag. As well, the hinged-lid 1790 rounded ended tinder-box would also be a good one. These aren't inexpensive, BTW, but are excellent for the purpose. They are available in Iron, Brass, Silver & Nickel. I've had mine for 20+ years now. Patches lubed in it are good for several months even though it isn't air tight. Moose Snot or bore butter seems to last a long, long time. I don't know how long Le High Valley oil lube will take to dry out, but the tinder-boxes with hinged lids make excellent patch boxes.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I've taken to carrying strips of cotton ticking dipped twice in moose milk and dried a couple days between and after. These aren't messy to handle and shoot well. I carry one flat roll in the pocket of my pouch, and a second strip folded and wrapped in wax paper - mostly to keep crud off it than to prevent further drying. My preferred loading method is from a ball block, and these "dry" strips are the easiest solution I've found. No lubes or chemicals need be carried for loading as long as the supply of treated strips holds out (I get about 30 shots per 3 ft length), and I use a saliva damp wipe between shots as needed. I carry a 1 oz glass medicine bottle of moose milk for clean-up or a wiping if the saliva isn't cutting it. As I use the strip up and open the wrapped one, I just have to remember to put a new "wax-pack" in my pouch so I always have a full and a partial. 60 rounds would be a lot of squirrels and bunnies!

I keep a wrapped supply at home so I always have some handy. As that gets low I'll cut another dozen strips and pour some moose milk in a pie pan and start dipping more.