I very seldom do much paper punching type matches, only when there is nothing else available. Most are trail walks at metal targets. I do not swab between shots and can usually shoot a thirty shot match without doing so. If it ever became necessary to swab between each and every shot, changing jags while doing so, I would find a new hobby. I use my own concoction of Cat Whiz, one of the many variations of the ubiquitous Moose Milk. I never have used spit patches. I was at a meat shoot this past Wednesday evening and the temperature was 11 degrees when we finished. The guys using spit patches were having all sorts of trouble trying to load, the fouling becoming very hard and dry in the cold weather. Their patches would freeze to the end of the barrel when they laid them on to place the ball on. Kind of like your tongue freezing to the metal porch rail, when you were a kid. My thoughts are, if you use a good liquid lube containing some alcohol, this won't happen and will keep the fouling soft enough to load without swabing every time. If you are in a big paper match and have the time and feel it is needed, go ahead and swab. As for me, it's to much messing around for all the benefit derived. I won the High Primitive Agg at a fair sized rondy last year, using this loading method. My lube is equal parts Murphy's Oil Soap, Alcohol, Witch Hazel, and Olive Oil. Great stuff. :results:
