? on how to apply lube to patch.

[strand]

I was reading the owners manual for my Hawken last night and I never came across a straight answer of how much lube to apply to the patch, it simply warns about putting too much on because it will soak into the powder. I don't currently have the resources to concoct any of the moose lubes you guys talk so highly about, so I purchased some bore butter instead. How much do you guys place on a patch, a light film? and do you lube a few patches before going afield or do you lube as you go? It also says that when loading to push the ball down flush with muzzle and trim the excess patch or ticking, do you guys worry about this?

Again, thank you for your patience with all my questions I appreciate it.

 

[roundball]

Unless you're intentionally wanting to lube your own patch material and cut at the muzzle...you can buy precut, prelubed patches in bags of 100.

I settled on TC's .018" prelubed pillow ticking patches in all my TC rifles and never worry about

 

[Stumpkiller]

It also says that when loading to push the ball down flush with muzzle and trim the excess patch or ticking, do you guys worry about this?

Yes. It doesn't need to be perfect, but it should be evenly cut. Anything in front of the ball can effect accuracy, and too much can grip your ramrod and back the ball off the powder (making your gun a pipe-bomb) as you pull it back out.

The lube should be evenly spread, but not so much that you can't see every fiber in the cotton. The best method is to lay the fabric on a sheet of glass and smear the lube across with a putty knife, leaving only what sticks in the weave. If you see globs or peaks of lube you have too much. With a grease lube like BB I either glob some on the patch and rub it in between my thumb and forefinger, or carry the lube in a tin and wipe the patch across the surface of the lube with my thumb and then squeege it across the edge of the tin. Only the barrel contact side of the patch needs lube.

Lately I have been using liquid oil & alcohol based lubes that I dip patching strips into and then let dry for days before use. You would be surprised how little lube you can get away with if it is evenly placed. Laying a cotton patch on your tongue for a few seconds dampens it well enough to be a lube. They don't need to be sopping and dripping, just moistened through.

If you get burned patches you have too little lube. Every rifle is a law unto itself, the only way to know yours is to experiment.

Make or buy yourself one or two of these and prepare the balls and patches at home. That's my preferred method. I carry a seven-holer for hunting of any type. When empty, it's easier to lay out everything on the ground or a stump and re-load the block instead of one at a time at the muzzle.

 

[patsue]

It also says that when loading to push the ball down flush with muzzle and trim the excess patch or ticking, do you guys worry about this?

Yes. It doesn't need to be perfect, but it should be evenly cut. Anything in front of the ball can effect accuracy, and too much can grip your ramrod and back the ball off the powder (making your gun a pipe-bomb) as you pull it back out.

The lube should be evenly spread, but not so much that you can't see every fiber in the cotton. The best method is to lay the fabric on a sheet of glass and smear the lube across with a putty knife, leaving only what sticks in the weave. If you see globs or peaks of lube you have too much. With a grease lube like BB I either glob some on the patch and rub it in between my thumb and forefinger, or carry the lube in a tin and wipe the patch across the surface of the lube with my thumb and then squeege it across the edge of the tin. Only the barrel contact side of the patch needs lube.

Lately I have been using liquid oil & alcohol based lubes that I dip patching strips into and then let dry for days before use. You would be surprised how little lube you can get away with if it is evenly placed. Laying a cotton patch on your tongue for a few seconds dampens it well enough to be a lube. They don't need to be sopping and dripping, just moistened through.

If you get burned patches you have too little lube. Every rifle is a law unto itself, the only way to know yours is to experiment.

Make or buy yourself one or two of these and prepare the balls and patches at home. That's my preferred method. I carry a seven-holer for hunting of any type. When empty, it's easier to lay out everything on the ground or a stump and re-load the block instead of one at a time at the muzzle.

That is really cool! I could use one of those, where can I order one?

patsue

 

[strand]

I agree that is awesome.

 

[Zonie]

As was said, if your hand lubing the patch, the side away from the ball should have enough on it so the weave looks filled, but is still visable.

If you pre lube your patches, you could try one method I use.

1. Put a few tablespoons of Bore Butter or similar lube into a can like a tuna fish can.

2. Gently heat it with a torch (or stove) just to the point where it melts but is not really hot. If you used a stove, remove the can from the burner. As you shall see, you really don't want the lube to be hot.

3. Drop about 5-10 patches into the melted lube and stir them around a little. A few patches with a few dry spots is ok at this stage of the process.

4. Take out about 3 or 4 of the patches at one time and squeeze them together so the excess lube drops back into the can. At this stage, some of the patches may have dry spots. After you squeeze the excess lube out, these dry spots will absorb the extra lube from a neighboring patch, so you will end up with a fully lubed patch.

5. Place these patches in a plastic bag and repeat with 3 or 4 more patches. The lube on the patches in the bag will reharden when it cools.

Occasionally you will have to re-heat or add some lube to the can.

Using this method, you don't have to pay the high prices for pre lubed patches, and you don't get your hands all greasy (when your hunting or at the shooting range) like you do if you try to lube a dry patch when reloading.

 

[Stumpkiller]

That is really cool! I could use one of those, where can I order one?

That's our Fearless Leader's in the first picture. Claude's is much fancy and looks like the head of a Spanish Guitar.

Track of the Wolf has a maple six-holer for $4.50 that I admit to owning several of.

T.O.T.W. Ball block - click for link

The little stub-starter you'll have to whittle out yourself. It only needs enough of a tip to push the ball clear of the block. I make mine 1-1/2" to drop past the barrel's coning and I can switch right over to the ramrod to finish the job.

I drill out an extra hole in the "wasted area" near the top to make it a seven. I also slice them in half to make two threes. The three holers are small enough to hang off a horn. With a measure and 3-shot block hanging from the horn you can have a hunt with just the horn over your shoulder, or very fast follow-up shots. :thumbsup:

Of all the shooting accessories we have and use, the powder measure and loading block are the most commonly seen with original bags. Modern plastic speed loaders have nothing on the old-timers.

 

[strand]

Do they make an actual speed loader for a PRB or is the block what you would consider a speed loader?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Any speed loader that works for a conical will work for a PRB.

Well, better make that "most" . . . except for the ones that hold only a certain number of shaped pellets attached right to the conical for those too inept to measure powder or count to three.

In my rebelious and misinformed youth I used these. We carry the chains through eternity which we forged in life. :shake: