On the topic of patches

[Rollover Jack]

Salutations, all!

Having decided to dispense with pre-cut patches I have obtained 100% cotton .015 pillow ticking and .022 light canvas from Wal-Mart. Yes, I took my micrometer with me. The material with the red stripes is quite attractive, I find. I will be shooting both .530 and .535 round ball from a 1:48 twist .54 barrel using (approx.) 50/50 beeswax and olive oil for a lube to start with. Therefore the following questions come to mind:

I intend to have a long strip of patch material, to be cut off at the muzzle upon seating of the ball. Is it critical to trim the material closely or is a slight overhang/oversize of any consequence?

I would prefer to lubricate the patch just prior to seating the ball. How does this compare to applying the lubricant the day before?

If the rifle is to be shot in a short time, will excess lubricant render the powder less effective?

Would there be any adverse effects if I just used straight olive oil on the patch material?

Are there any other issues that I may not be aware of? I am doing this because I have discovered that my pre-lubed patches that I obtained many months ago are now found to be in a state of disintegration!

Thanks, guys/gals. I know that I don't know but I know that y'all do.



"When you see the smoke on the wind, look for me."

 

[rafterob]

Don't worry about some overhang, in fact, the bigger patches seem to separate quicker from the ball. Make sure you cut the strip wide enough to leave enough excess to grasp when you cut it at the muzzle. I cut mine 1 3/4" for a .50 cal. I pre-lube my strips by dipping them in a pot of melted lube, laying them out on a length of waxed paper and squeezing the excess lube off with a rubber spatula. Put the excess back in the pot and hang the strip up to cool. Roll the strip up when cooled and store away for use. This is very convenient and you can easily make up a number of rolls at one time.
Lubing as you shoot is another extra step. I have been thinking lately of going to spit patch because handling a strip of pre-lubed patching gets things a little greasy after awhile. I am currently experimenting with some bees wax blends to see if that eliminates the greasy aspect of pre-lubing. I have been using straight Crisco up to this point.

 

[longcruise]

I intend to have a long strip of patch material, to be cut off at the muzzle upon seating of the ball. Is it critical to trim the material closely or is a slight overhang/oversize of any consequence?

Use a short starter that will start your ball to about 1/4 inch below the muzzle and then cut it clean with the muzzle. It won't be too large. When it comes out the bore it is spinning at thousands of rpms and the centrifigal force will spin it open immediatley.

If the rifle is to be shot in a short time, will excess lubricant render the powder less effective?

Depends on your definition of "excess"! It's easy to over lube patches and it's best done very sparingly. You should not be able to squeeze any grease out of the patch. Lube sparingly and consistentyly for best results.

Would there be any adverse effects if I just used straight olive oil on the patch material?

No. I've done that and had good results. It's very easy to get too much of the oil on the patch though.

 

[bwhoffman]

I now use nothing but olive oil!

 

[Many Klatch]

Try just using spit for your lube. It's always handy, it's cheap and it doesn't cover you and the gun with grease. For hunting you will want to use a greased patch because the spit can dry out. For target shooting use the spit. The oil lubed patch ball combo will probably shoot a little higher than the spit patch, but with enough practice that won't bother you.

Many Klatch

 

[barebackjack]

Ive grown quite fond of stumpys moose juice lube. Works great, and its more of a dry lube so no greasy slimy hands.

I cut strips, about 1 1/4" wide. Dip in lube a few times and let it dry.

I used to cut at the barrel for a spell, but have taken to just cuttin off a square patch off the end of my strip (so its about 1.25" x 1.25"). The square ones seem to hit right where the cut at muzzle ones do, and its a bit faster than the traditional cutting at the muzzle.

 

[renovato]

You might try the Ballistol/water mix for lubing. I use 5-7 parts water to 1 part Ballistol, depending on the gun. They each have their own preference. Soak the material in it and lay it out to dry. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind just the right amount of Ballistol evenly distributed throughout the patch. They feel somewhat dry to the touch and don't get your hands too oily while loading.

It's one of the most accurate lube systems that I've found so far, and I've tried quite a few over the years.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I favor spit patches for all but hunting, where loads are carried in a block. For practice and rendezvous shooting it is handy to have a strip of dry patching hanging from the pouch strap. Pre-lubed patching not only gets other things messy but also picks up lots of dirt and dust and grit unless carried in a sealed container.

 

[longcruise]

Brett, I've been thinking of using it for my hunting loads this year. How do you apply it?

Been thinking of mixing about 8 to 1 alcohol and olive oil, dipping and let it dry. Should leave an adequate resdidue without overdoing it. Whadda ya think?

 

[HFD60]

I second Stumpy's moose juice and pre cut pillow ticking :thumbsup:

 

[tg]

I use a similar lube but a little heavier on the oil,often bear oil and use it sparingly without any problems of contaminating the load, I keep it in a small tin and just rub one side when preparing for loading, I have given up on cutting at the bore and just use squareish precut patches and find no difference in accuracy even when I was shooting rifles.fiddle around with this and that and what works best for you will be apparent.