patch lubing procedure

[skypilot39b]

OK, one of the things I have learned about muzzle loading is that there is as much alchemy involved in the concoction of lubes as there is in the quenching of viking sword steel. Ideally with the urine of an undefiled virgin combined with the blood of your enemies, boiled over a white oak fire for three consecutive full moons, or some such thing.

That being aside, when you are starting with dry patches to shoot at a range or wherever you are shooting, how do you lube them and keep them consistent. I would think that a consistent amount of lube on the patch would affect accuracy.

 

[Stumpkiller]

If I am using a liquid lube I carry it in a small corked bottle. I shake the bottle, uncork, put the dry patch over the mouth of the bottle, upend it briefly, recork and put the patch over the muzzle - damp side down. I have a couple old McCormick vanilla extract bottles that I ground the cap threads off with a Mizzy wheel on a Dremel.

Most usually I use pre-lubed six-foot patch strips and cut at the muzzle or when filling loading blocks. Those I dip (with the lube on a pie pan), lay out on waxed paper overnight, dip again and dry and then roll up and carry in a leather bag that had been saturated with molten beeswax.


Here's the lubes I use:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/203261/

Note that spit/saliva from laying a dry patch on your tongue works, so you should be able to get by with lots of alternatives. The trick is finding those that shoot more accurately for you or allow more shots between needing to wipe the bore.

 

[Ames]

I would have told you about patching consistency, but you just gave out my secret hard cider recipe! :cursing:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Before someone recommends the Dutch Schultz system.......I'll simply say I use spit at the range.....And as for applying lube consistently..... I'll ask how you butter your toast in the morning? .....Consistently ? or haphazardly ?

 

[Black Hand]

Small Aluminum loaf pan, stacks of pre-cut patches, lube and a toaster oven. I make certain they are saturated all the way through.

 

[skypilot39b]

Before someone recommends the Dutch Schultz system.......I'll simply say I use spit at the range.....And as for applying lube consistently..... I'll ask how you butter your toast in the morning? .....Consistently ? or haphazardly ?

would that be before or after coffee??? I'm fairly consistent, although far from OCD

 

[Semisane]

I use Liquid Wrench Penetrating Oil as a patch lube for all of my round ball guns. (Yeah, I know about that "petroleum" thing. :wink: )

I put about two dozen patches in a stack then squirt the stack with as much oil as I judge will slightly wet all of the patches. Then massage the stack with my fingers to get the oil evenly distributed throughout. Then wrap the stack in a paper towel and massage the bundle so the paper takes up any excess oil.

The patches will feel almost dry, will be pleasant to handle, and will give you accuracy as good as any other lube you've tried - and possibly better.

And no, it does not crud up your bore or make cleaning difficult.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Some guys like to pre-lube patches.....in an effort to "reduce effort"... :haha: ...We all know that pre-lubed patches add an element of inconsistency.....

I lube mine one at a time....as needed ....unless the circumstances dictate otherwise.

 

[Semisane]

....We all know that pre-lubed patches add an element of inconsistency.....

I lube mine one at a time....as needed ....unless the circumstances dictate otherwise.

I respectfully disagree CC. Lubing a stack of patches as one bundle as I described above provides much more consistency than could ever be possible doing one at a time.

 

[coloradoclyde]

....We all know that pre-lubed patches add an element of inconsistency.....

I lube mine one at a time....as needed ....unless the circumstances dictate otherwise.

I respectfully disagree CC. Lubing a stack of patches as one bundle as I described above provides much more consistency than could ever be possible doing one at a time.

Sure!.....if you are using a lube that can be distributed evenly throughout....such as a liquid lube....BUT!....you also run the risk of over lubing.....or under lubing some.....

It's a DIY sport and one of the many great pleasures is finding something that works for you.....your own way of doing things....The freedom to be independent.

 

[Cruzatte]

I have taken to lubing my patch strips in advance, using this formula here I lay out the patch strips on a sheet of wax paper, and spray the liquid lube on each strip, let it dry for a day, or two, spray again, dry, roll up the strips and keep them in plastic film containers.

 

[tenngun]

I keep a small tin of fat and just run the patch across it run in with thumb on one side load greasy side down. With all due respect to Dutch Shultz, I don't shoot well enough that I can notice an improvement with his system. I pour powder into a wood or antler measure sometimes a little heaped some times a smidgen short, prime out of the main horn till it looks right.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I keep a small tin of fat and just run the patch across it run in with thumb on one side load greasy side down.

I use a very similar method.....Shoots the heads of squirrels....

 

[biliff]

Place patch on tongue. Dump powder down barrel, slap rifle a couple of times, remove damp patch and place over muzzle. Only time I have trouble with over lubing is if somebody is cooking bacon while I'm loading.

 

[larryp]

I carry a percussion cap tin with my lube melted and poured into it, and let it harden. Then I just rub a patch over it with my thumb until the lube starts to come through the fibers. Then I load it lubed side down. My lube is a mix of olive oil, bees wax and Crisco.

 

[SgtErv]

I do the same Tenngun, CC, with Mink Oil Tallow. Wipe it off on old jeans right before loading it to remove excess.

Trying some deer tallow I rendered soon..

Sort of off topic...for the liquid lube users, do you find it easier to load a really tight patch/ball combo? My Rice round bottom rifling requires .018 ticking and it's sometimes pretty difficult to load using tallow. (Tried pure olive oil once but it evaporated quickly.) just curious

 

[Dr5x]

There seems to be a misunderstanding, probably caused by me, that I feel my"Dry" patch lube method is the only way to achieve satisfactory Accuracy. It was for me but not necessarily for someone else. T
The very best patch lube for you is the one that gives you the most satisfaction.

I found something that gave me dead center huts time after time BUT some were a tad high and some were a tad low.

The intent of my method was to create a strip of shooting patches that were exactly alike as far as lubrication was concerned which would and did eliminate the vertical string of hits caused by varying degrees of slickness.
If you have found something that works for you and you can apply the VERY SAME amount each time you load, You have arrived.
I began life with ML using Crisco. After a few days I was accused of being a fry cook.

I had very good luck with spit but noticed a variance on hot days when I assume my spot became more steam than lubricant.

Dutch Schoultz

 

[tenngun]

I wasn't criticizing your methods. Only for the way I shoot, and I shoot mostly smoothies now, things don't improve as far as I can tell. I shoot as well with spit as greases. Note I will never get the best from my gun with the way I shoot. I sure couldn't shoot against you on a line. I can turn deer in to venison and tree rats in to gravy but never paper in to blue ribbons,or white for that matter.

 

[Black Hand]

I dislike shooting paper and/or targets but manage to bring home meat. That is what matters to me...

 

[Stumpkiller]

I figure I want the best shooting I can come up with for either - but all my practice is for hunting so I need ease of use in the field (points off for bottles in a hunting bag), for loads that may be in place for a day or more (maybe up to a week), and are stout enough to kill 200# dressed whitetail at various ranges and angles.