Swabbing between shots

[BP Addict]

I was taught 1:1:1 ratio of the three ingredients.
We use the stuff to clean reenactment muskets which have the fouling of 24-36 consecutive blanks.



As for swabbing...it depends...
Some rifles do very well with a spit swabbing after each shot..., but some actually experience trouble with the second shot when this is done.
Some need a swab, and a drying for best accuracy, and some go two or three shots, THEN need a swab.
The humidity will play a factor, and so might the lube on the patch.
I've noticed that the calibers less than .45 seem to need more swabbing more often. My .40 need to be swabbed while the touch hole has the pick inserted, and the hole has to be picked just after loading, each shot, to reliably fire.

LD

I've wondered amount that. I was shooting a 32 caliber CVA Squirrel rifle the other day. I usually clean every five shots as that's the usual amount for each target at our matches. It took several more patches than my 40.

Just my two cents,

Walt

 

[BP Addict]

A friend uses a nylon bore brush when it starts to get hard to load. A couple of strokes and points the barrel down and taps out the residue. It works for him but he isn't a target shooter.

That's what we did at the Boy Scout Rendezvous when time was of the essence. It seemed to work well for what we were doing.

Just my two cents,

Walt

 

[BP Addict]

I was using Dutch Schoultz’s system and really liked the idea of having a semi-clean barrel each time I loaded by swabbing in between shots. However, it took longer. The Range Master would call “time” before I got all my shots off. Although, I could probably do it on the Trail if I wanted. I went back to cleaning my barrel every five shots as that’s the amount we normally shoot at targets before pulling and posting. Occasionally, we’ll have one with more than that and there’s where the “time” problem arose.

Caplocks seem more prone to misfires with a wet or damp cleaning patch. Probably because many have the patented breech so if you’re not careful you can push crude into it. I pop a cap after cleaning before the next set to clear the channel.

I’ve never had that problem with my flinters as I usually have a vent pick in the touch hole while cleaning or loading.

Wet lubes keep the barrel cleaner than “greased” but the latter seal better, IMO.

As many have already stated, each rifle is different. I supposed much would depend on quantity, depth, and type of grooves.

Thanks!

Walt

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Swab with what? T/C 13 etc.?

I use presoaked patches, soaked in T/C Number 13. Self cleaning, the only way to go

 

[longcruise]

I have shot entire matches without swabbing. Just loading with a wet lube and letting the ball patching clean the bore. That's wit a tc 45 and loading 45 gr 3f. The accuracy was good. However I tried the same thing with a 54 shooting light loads (for a 54) of 45 gr 3f and the fouling was terrible and accuracy fell off. When I did wipe there was a very thick and long ring of fouling in the breech. Conclusion was that the lower pressure burned with less efficiency and left more fouling. Just a guess.
When I switched to swabbing between shotsthat same session, accuracy was better.

 

[Mulebrain]

I wipe the bore everytime I put the next lubed patched round ball down down the bore.

Yup, use the right lube, keep shooting!

 

[tenngun]

I wipe between shots, and on a woods walk wipe often, while not every shot.
I don’t see anything to brag about if you go ten or twenty shots with out a wipe. Don’t see any thing to brag about if you wipe every shot, or every three or five shot string.
Powder, ball firmly seated, prime and shoot.
As long as you do those in order every thing else you do or don’t is the right way.

 

[French Colonial]

To each his own.

If I have to swab between shots I figure I am doing something wrong and will take steps to correct it. If after I get my sights filed down if I can not load from the pouch with out a loading bench, I figure I have the wrong stuff and will take steps to correct it.

If I were to take up BP muzzleloading benchrest shooting I may change my methods but I don't think that is for me.

If that is how benchrest shooters and target guys want to do it I am happy for them. Swab on brothers!

 

[Billy Boy]

Trying to find if there's any consensus on barrel swabbing between shots. Using Real BP or Pyrodex Select. After every shot? After every ______ shots? Swab with what? T/C 13 or 17, alcohol, Ballistrol (Moose milk), etc.?

I swab when I have to.

 

[BlackRock52]

I have shot entire matches without swabbing. Just loading with a wet lube and letting the ball patching clean the bore. That's wit a tc 45 and loading 45 gr 3f. The accuracy was good. However I tried the same thing with a 54 shooting light loads (for a 54) of 45 gr 3f and the fouling was terrible and accuracy fell off. When I did wipe there was a very thick and long ring of fouling in the breech. Conclusion was that the lower pressure burned with less efficiency and left more fouling. Just a guess.
When I switched to swabbing between shotsthat same session, accuracy was better.

Makes total sense. And if shooting greased Maxi's?

 

[waksupi]

I use Moose Milk, and the only gun that needs swabbed about every shot, is my .36.

 

[longcruise]

Makes total sense. And if shooting greased Maxi's?

I shot a lot of maxi-ball back in the '70's. But rarely any more. I still cast them for the grandkids. I recently acquired a 50 Renegade and may fiddle with some maxi-ball with it but probably will shoot ball with it if I use it at all. More likely to get made into a 54 rb barrel.

But, in response to your question, I found that after two or three shots with maxi that a pretty good crud ring would build up and accuracy seemed to deteriorate some. So, I swabbed after every shot with them.

 

[flntlokr]

I went years swabbing between shots during matches. I have a range on my property so I took a few rifles one day and decided to try not swabbing and see what happened. I used for patch lube the same winter blend windshield washer fluid I used for swabbing. I’d shoot a first fouling shot, load powder, wet my patched ball with the WWF and shoot. I never seen a change in impact or accuracy between swabbing and not swabbing. My WWF patch cleaned the barrel as I loaded the next round. It also doesn’t push fouling into the breach like swabbing can. Maybe I’m lucky maybe not. I also don’t shoot loads that are so tight I have to use a hammer to get them started. I think it depends on your personal rifle, how tight your patched ball is and your lube choice. I still win as many matches as I did when i swabbed between shots. Now I have more time to drink coffee and shoot the breeze rather than swabbing. Experiment and see what happens.

I do pretty much the same. If one uses a water based lube, he can shoot all day without fouling beconing a problem, and final clean-up is only the residue from the last shot. When I started 30+ years back, I fell for the bore butter myth; had to swab out after about 5 shots, and final clean-up took some effort to get all the crud out.

 

[BlackRock52]

I shot a lot of maxi-ball back in the '70's. But rarely any more. I still cast them for the grandkids. I recently acquired a 50 Renegade and may fiddle with some maxi-ball with it but probably will shoot ball with it if I use it at all. More likely to get made into a 54 rb barrel.

But, in response to your question, I found that after two or three shots with maxi that a pretty good crud ring would build up and accuracy seemed to deteriorate some. So, I swabbed after every shot with them.

That jibes with my experience. Recently got some inexpensive .45 pre lubed Maxis. Lube is hard as hard tack. Once I clean them up and re-lube will compare wet patched ball to the Maxis with fresh lube and swab q3-5 shots and maybe try a over powder lubed pad under the Maxi and given real BP nearly impossible to get around here but Pyrodex RS and Select is everywhere I can add that in as a separate variable as well

 

[longcruise]

During times when I had run out of BP I used some Pyrodex. Usually P grade. Results were fine with the maxi. Chronograph told me that Pyrodex RS and goex ff were nearly identical in performance.

 

[BlazingIron]

That jibes with my experience. Recently got some inexpensive .45 pre lubed Maxis. Lube is hard as hard tack. Once I clean them up and re-lube will compare wet patched ball to the Maxis with fresh lube and swab q3-5 shots and maybe try a over powder lubed pad under the Maxi and given real BP nearly impossible to get around here but Pyrodex RS and Select is everywhere I can add that in as a separate variable as well

How are you cleaning them up? I recently came across some Minie’s that have dried lube on them. I let them soak in hot water with little to no results.

 

[BlackRock52]

How are you cleaning them up? I recently came across some Minie’s that have dried lube on them. I let them soak in hot water with little to no results.

Heat gun - results mostly good. I don't strive for super clean. Just get rid of big chunks wipe/soft brush then re-lube

 

[BlackRock52]

During times when I had run out of BP I used some Pyrodex. Usually P grade. Results were fine with the maxi. Chronograph told me that Pyrodex RS and goex ff were nearly identical in performance.

Good to know -- thx!

 

[longcruise]

Heat gun - results mostly good. I don't strive for super clean. Just get rid of big chunks wipe/soft brush then re-lube

I encountered the exact same problem. A box of factory lubed 45 maxi balls. So, I soaked them overnight in mineral spirits and the next day dropped them in the tableware basket in the dishwasher. Came out nice and clean

 

[BlackRock52]

I encountered the exact same problem. A box of factory lubed 45 maxi balls. So, I soaked them overnight in mineral spirits and the next day dropped them in the tableware basket in the dishwasher. Came out nice and clean

That's a lot easier -- Thx!!