Spit patches

How many of you use "spit" patches...that is, no grease, no Crisco, no cleaner...just spit on your patches. I've heard this works best, but I'm not sure...I'd like some advice.

Thanks

 

[Semisane]

Not I. It's olive oil lubed pre-cut patches for me. I lube up a stack of them just before a shoot then put the stack in a couple of paper towels and massage it with my fingers so the towels soak up the excess oil and the patches feel almost dry. I use these patches in a hunting situation also, but put a felt wad between the powder and ball.

 

[R.M.]

I used them for the first time the last 2 trips to the range. Worked just fine in my .32

 

[Zonie]

I've used them but only when target shooting and even then only when the next shot will be taken in less than a minute.

IMO, if allowed to sit there in your bore the spit can start the rusting process and I for one don't want a rusty bore.

Another problem I've had with using them is it seems to take a lot of spit to get the thick patches I use wet.
In Arizona one doesn't always have access to water and on a hot day I would rather keep my fluids inside of me.

 

[Trench]

A soaking-wet spit patch works great when you don't have time to swab a bore, like during a relay match. Essentially, every ball and patch becomes a cleaning patch. They go down nice and easy.

It's best if they are soaking wet with spit, so like Zonie said, its not something you leave on top of your powder charge for more than a couple of minutes.

 

[freeloader]

I have been using spit patches for the past few years for target shooting, like Zonie said, I would not want to leave one in a barrel long nor would I use them for hunting, but I got tired of trying all of the YOU JUST GOTTA TRY THIS NEW STUFF IT'S THE GREATEST, from all of the advertisers and shooters. Spit works well and it is free!!! Give it a try. :thumbsup:

 

[napolean]

Like most of the others, spit works good at the range, As Zonie said, you can get cotton mouth on a hot dry day. I load from the pouch & cut at the muzzle so it's just easier for me to keep a strip moist between my cheek & gum.
Jon D

 

[Troy Allen Christianson]

I use .018 pillow ticking cut into long strips and tied to my shooting bag. Stick the end in my mouth let it soak then "after" I load my powder(yes, I have loaded many a ball first) I put the moistened end over the barrel, seat the ball, cut off the excess and ram the ball down. Like other posters I do this when target shooting at rondyvoo. When I hunt I use a patch with my own goop I made up. Good luck shooting.

 

[bingo1952]

I use them for range shooting only. For hunting purposes I like a lard & beeswav mixture.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Spit patches are fine for plinking, when you intend to fire the gun within a few minutes of loading it.

I made the mistake of using a spit patch when hunting deer with my rifle, one year, and found a RUST ring where the patch was against the bore when I cleaned the gun that night. I had not fired the gun all day, and that patch had dried out during the day, leaving the rust. Since that day, when I spent another hour with a bore brush, and 4-0 Steel wool polishing that rust spot out of the barrel, I have used either an oiled patch, or a patch lubed with an oil/wax based lube.

You might want to avoid making my mistake on your own. The oil/wax lube is a vegetable oil lube- DO NOT USE any Petroleum Oils in your bore if you are shooting BLACK POWDER. Petroleum Based oils and Black Powder do not mix. The powder does not get hot enough, LONG ENOUGH, to completely burn out the Petroleum based oil, leaving with you with burned oil/carbon gunk in the barrel that glues to the barrel like Epoxy. It can be dissolved with alcohol, but its a royal PITA to clean that barrel.

The only exception I would make to using only Vegetable based oils in your Barrel( fine PB oils can be used in oiling the moving parts of your lock) would be mineral oil, or Ballistol, which is a refined Mineral Oil with some additives to neutralize Mercury of Fulminate, the very old Priming compound used in Early modern rifle Primers at the turn of the 20 th century, and on up through WWII( ended 1945). The additives do nothing for BLACK POWDER residue, but Ballistol is a good oil to use for a patch lube. :hmm: :thumbsup:

 

[ohio ramrod]

I use lard and beeswax for shooting, spit patchs for swabing between shots.

 

[Celt5494]

Great point about shooting with spit patches. I just stick the lube du jour on those patches and stack em' up and they work great and last forever.

 

[MikeChapin]

I use spit patches in competition and range plinking or anytime I am going to be taking a shot in a minute or so. If I am hunting where the patch and ball may be in the barrel all day, I use a greasy type patch like Lube 103 or Wonder Lube.

 

[buckhorn]

In warm weather, when you have a hot barrel,
the spit patch can dry out pretty quick and mess up accuracy.

 

[MikeChapin]

In warm weather, when you have a hot barrel,
the spit patch can dry out pretty quick and mess up accuracy.

Never had that problem. The only real problem I have in hot, dry weather is fouling trying to turn into concrete. I will short start a ball with well slobbered patch to hold moisture from the last shot in the barrel between relays. I have never had the patch dry out in the the ten minutes or so between short starting and pushing the ball down the barrel.

 

[skunkskinner]

The only time I've ever used any thing other than spit was for the post shoot contest here on the forum. Spit glands tend to run dry after 15 or 20 shots. :grin:

I use it for target practice and hunting, if it's causing rust in the barrel I haven't noticed any problems with the accuracy yet. After I clean my barrels I coat the bore with rem oil, maybe that helps it :idunno:

The only time I ever worried a bought the spit was when I was hunting in 10 degree weather, thought it would freeze up solid and cause some damage to the barrel when I fired it. All day I held the gun at the breech so it would not freeze :barf: Next freezing hunt I'm on I will use some thing other than spit.
:v

 

[vern faulkner]

I have been shooting flinters for over 30 years in all kinds of weather. I live and hunt in Pennsylvania and occasionally venture to Vermont for Grouse, Woodcock and squirrels, so I know what cold weather is. I've never used anything but spit patches and also cut at the muzzle. I'll admit that I am really anal about cleaning my rifles at the end of each day and finish off with a coating of XXX virgin olive oil for rust prevention. I also wet patch (spit) then dry patch between each shot (a 30 year old habit). I inspect the bore often and have never found any indication or evidence rust or corrosion of any kind in the bore. In the coldest weather I've never experienced any problem seating the patch/ball nor have I ever noticed and variations in accuracy. These are just my experiences and I personally see no reason (as of yet) to change. I wish you good smoke with whatever you use. :hatsoff: Vern

 

[Yellowhouse]

My bores are seasoned to begin with. My first fouling shot is with a greased patch. After that its spit patch only. Then about every 5 rounds or so I run a greased cleaning patch down on top of a load.

Thats for target only. For hunting greased only and my follow up loads entail a .490 instead of a 495 ball and .015 greased ticking instead of .018 for ease of quick loading....don't need extreme target accuracy here just MOD (minute of deer) and the smaller ball/thinner patch makes for quick loading.

Once I fired 38 shots without wiping using a spit patch and not re-applying grease. Got tired and quit. Not even a hint of hard carbon in the drum and this was with 80's vintage Goex.

 

[Ketchakah]

I have for years. It has always worked good for me. :thumbsup:

 

[nkbj]

Has there ever been a known problem from a frozen spit patch? Might be the original poly patch.