Swab lube?

[pwyler]

What do you wet your swab with after firing? My son is going to shoot in a youth BP competition this summer and the rules require a wet swab followed by a dry patch after each shot. Spit is not allowed. He uses bore butter lubed patches. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[jimeckersley]

I suspect that a wet patch is required because it eliminates any chance of a spark.

If spit isn't allowed, what's wrong with plain water? Water and about 25% rubbing alcohol would work fine too and would evaporate a little faster.

A patch dampened with water followed by a dry patch works just fine and leaves no residue behind.

I don't believe there's a need for a sloppy wet patch. Just make them uniformly damp like a piece of cloth that you've squeezed most of the excess moisture from.

 

[Big John]

Give him a bottle of windex to spray the patch wet, squeeze to remove excess moisture, follow with a dry patch. Aim small. :thumbsup:

 

[jdixon]

Water w/ 10 - 20% Ballistol works fantastic at pulling out fouling from the rifling.

 

[roundball]

What do you wet your swab with after firing? My son is going to shoot in a youth BP competition this summer and the rules require a wet swab followed by a dry patch after each shot. Spit is not allowed. He uses bore butter lubed patches. Any help will be appreciated.

Hoppes No9 Plus (Solvent & Patch Lube) is outstanding

 

[paulvallandigham]

Ballistol is basically mineral oil, so you can buy mineral oil cheaper and use it with the same ratio, 90% water to 10% mineral oil. If you prefer a commercial cleaner, buy Black Solve from Dixie Gun Works. I personally think using Windex in a spray bottle is the easiest answer for summertime shooting. I migh not be my first choice for shooting all around the 4 seasons, but it will do the job at his summer camp.

 

[jimeckersley]

Ballistol is basically mineral oil ...

That's true Paul, but mineral oil by itself wouldn't be water soluble. Mineral oil is one of the ingredients in Ballistol, but there are others that make it water soluble.

While Windex spray may work, and it’s not highly toxic, it may be irritating with prolonged exposure.

Take another look at the question. The youth group is required to use a wet patch followed by a dry patch. This is primarily a safety measure to make sure there are no sparks that will ignite a powder charge. Why waste money on lubes, oils and lotions when the objective is to eliminate sparks (and fouling too) and then dry wipe? A patch dampened with spit would work but isn’t allowed. So, water is cheap and effective. An ounce or two of rubbing alcohol and a few drops of Murphy’s Oil Soap in a spray bottle of water would be the next step up but probably not necessary. A wet patch followed by a dry patch after every shot will leave a very clean bore.

If a spray bottle isn't allowed, the patches can be dipped, wrung out and stored in a Zip Lock bag.

 

[Big John]

While I mainly use other lubes, assuming the boy is young, and the rules he faces, I thought Windex or atleast a spray bottle would be suited for him. Obviously their are many options.

 

[paulvallandigham]

I agree. Water will work fine, too. I do think a little detergent like you would find in Windex can help particularly on a humid, hot, summer day to break up the crud, but water will do it. He may just have to use a couple of wet patches about every 10th shot to get the crud at the bottom of the chamber to break free and come out. I would rather he use a couple of dry patches after one very wet patch than let the crud cake against the buttplug, or get into the flashchannel.

 

Why is spit not allowed??? I never heard of such a thing. Spit is still one of the best lubes for range firing. Chuck Dixon points out in his little free brochure about muzzleloading that a bench rest national record still stands after over 25 years in which the lube used was spit. Spit is what I learned to shoot with and spit is what I swab with.

 

[Landngroove]

What do you wet your swab with after firing? My son is going to shoot in a youth BP competition this summer and the rules require a wet swab followed by a dry patch after each shot. Spit is not allowed. He uses bore butter lubed patches. Any help will be appreciated.

Hoppes No9 Plus (Solvent & Patch Lube) is outstanding

I second that. Hoppes No. 9 Plus is great stuff!

 

[Pork Chop]

Could it be that they don't want the kid aspirating it and choking on it?

 

[Zonie]

You could always mix up some of Stumpkillers Moose Milk and put it into a little plastic bottle for him to take along.

This stuff not only has the water and alcohol that desolves the fouling but the Oil Soap and Caster Oil that is in it deposits a nice protective coating to prevent rust.
It is fantastic for lubing patches with too, so if he runs out of bore butter he can use it on dry patches.

 

[Slake]

get a little water bottle with one of those pull up nipples on the top, ya know what I mean? Fill it with 1/3 Murphey's Oil Soap and 2/3 windsheild solvent and teach him to get the cleaning patch damp and not soaked. Swab with the damp side, reverse it and swap again, he's be good to go

 

[Stumpkiller]

What's the world coming to if you can't lay a patch on your tongue as you pull the rammer and then wipe with that?

I use Moose Juice (castor oil based moose snot) for a liquid lube and solvent, so I guess I'd use that at the shoot.

But I prefer a saliva damp patch for wiping. No risk of oversoaking or dribbling out the muzzle and attacking the stock finish like alcohol based liquid lubes can.

Not PC, but you can also squirt a patch with Windex (alcohol/water/detergent/ammonia).

 

[pwyler]

Thanks for all the great input!!! I like the wetting in advance and putting in a zip lock bag idea.

As for the no spit rule, it could be fear of possible choking, or maybe avoiding the possibility of getting lead in the mouth from their hands? You know there would be some parent out there just looking for someone to sue about the lead issue...