spit patch

[miked35]

I'm just curious about who uses spit for patch lube. I was using Shenandoah Valley lube but changed to just putting the patch in my mouth a bit before loading. Seems to be working well. After each shot I do use the Shenandoah for cleaning followed by a dry patch.

Mike

 

[rafterob]

I use spit when on woods walks and occasionally at the range. I think spit works as good as anything, works for swabbing between shots too. I only swab the barrel when loading starts to get rough. My last range session, I only swabbed the barrel out once in 30+ shots,a first, I think the environmental conditions must have been perfect for shooting.

 

[MikeChapin]

I have used spit for over 30 years. I tried a bunch of different stuff early on and sometimes will try new stuff just for giggles. I found spit to work as well as anything and is a lot more convenient much cheaper than all the other stuff. In the rare event I have to swab the barrel, I just pop a cleaning patch in my mouth and use that.

I use a greasy lube for hunting but just use spit for the range and competition.

 

[sniper68]

I'm one that's prone to experiment(learn the hard way). I've found that many things will work well, but none that will constantly out preform spit, be it casual or formal target shooting.

 

[tnlonghunter]

I used spit for a while, and still occasionally do. I'm trying Moose Milk right now, and I think it works better in my rifle than spit does for long strings of shots. However, I'll have to try it out in lots of different conditions, though.

 

[Klaus]

Hi Mike,

i prefer spit patches if the fabric was prewashed before by myselfe.I can`t recommend any commercial "stuff". Spit simply works .
But you have to drink from time to time because it`s dried out your mouth... :grin:
one selfmade tincture i use also it`s Ballistol - Soft Soap and Water ... i read it here in this forum and it works great also :surrender:
here is a lot to learn ..
Klaus :wink:

 

[spitpatch]

I have used spit since the 50s for most of my shooting. Although there are times when I like to use a loading block for timed events. then I use any good black powder bullet lub such as spg or lyman black powder gold mixed with olive oil. For the best groups I always use spit and wipe between shots.

 

[gabrielguitars]

I always use spit, even if I was cutting the patch at the muzzle. I also use spit for cleaning after every other shot. Just one spit-soaked patch, flip it over and run it down again, then 1 dry patch, and back to shooting. I think that works great, but as has been mentioned, I'll use something man-made for hunting, especially if the mercury drops . . .

 

[nw_hunter]

Heck Klaus! Just gives you a good excuse to have a drink :grin:

 

[bingo1952]

For range work nothing I have found works any better than spit and quite a few are far worse. I use a greasy lube for hunting but have to swab about every third shot.

 

[RC]

For range work nothing I have found works any better than spit and quite a few are far worse. I use a greasy lube for hunting but have to swab about every third shot.

:shocked2: Dang! you get three shots? in one season? :haha: :wink:

I use spit for the range an beargrease/deertallow mix fer huntin...(dang I wish I had to swab durin the season! :shocked2: )

 

[brubincam]

-----find out what the ingredients of spit are and mix up a big batch-- :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[bingo1952]

Hearty Har Har Har! I'm lucky if I get 2 shots per season. The Great White hunter I ain't. :haha:

 

[RC]

Hearty Har Har Har! I'm lucky if I get 2 shots per season. The Great White hunter I ain't. :haha:

:wink: sorta makes unloadin it jus to clean and reload a special occasion! huh? :haha:

 

[vern faulkner]

:2 Hi mike. I've been shooting B/P for over 30 years and never used anything other than spit patches. Works great (if it ain't broke, don't fix it). Besides, you can't beat the price and you'll never run out. After a while though you start getting to like the taste of ticking. :shake: Vern

 

[Deadeye]

A spit patch ain't everything it's the only thing for a muzzleloader and like AO says a PT patch is a good thing to chew on even when your not shooting and cheaper than gum too.
Deadeye

 

[jamesthomas]

wish i could get more than 3 shots off without cleaning tried almost everything spit , mink oil beef tallow,combo deer tallow,hog fat. no more than 3 shot,4th shot takes banging on the end of the rod for the last 6 to 12 inches. it's a green mt. barrel .50 cal .495 rb .15 pillow ticking.thats with 70 gr. swiss 33 inch barrel

 

[hanshi]

Of course you could have roughness in the barrel rifling. That's taken care of by putting a strip of fine steel wool on an undersized bore brush and giving the bore a few strokes in the area of the roughness. With fouling accumulation a fairly snug ball/patch (with proper lube) pushes fouling from the last shot down to the powder so that you never have more than one shot's worth of fouling with each load. I've never had good luck reloading with ANY grease lube. By the third shot the same thing you describe happens to me. Spit patch is usually great and shouldn't be problematic. I've found Hoppes #9 Plus to be the best bought lube by far and is about all I now use. If your first load of the day goes down too easily, either you ball, patch or both are undersized for the bore.

Generally a ball .010" under bore size (.530 in a .54, for instance) and a patch around .015 is where you start. From there you can try tighter combinations if needed.

 

[jamesthomas]

hanshi, well i have done the steel wool. plus i have put about 300 rds through her. the patch ball combo is pretty snug plus its the most accurate. maybe i could go down to 60 grains? i am using fffg by the way. can't find the #9 plus
down here in atl,ga.

 

[hanshi]

Order some "Black Solve" from Dixie Gun Works. It is added to water and makes a quart of lube/solvent. The only downside is that you can't leave the load in the bore for a long time since it is water based. I'd also recommend a toilet paper over powder wad. It will keep the powder from getting wet and protect your patch from blow-by. Both Black Solve and Hoppes allow me to shoot dozens of shots without wiping and without increasing loading resistance.