There is no consensus on whether to wipe the bore with a damp patch between shots or not. As
@Loyalist Dave observes, "It depends."
Several things have to be considered before one goes about answering this question. All of the considerations have to do with how the inevitable fouling builds up in the barrel.
First: What is the end goal that you want to achieve as a result of your shooting experience? Great accuracy on target with the goal of many holes near the X ring or fun making round steel gong ring out? Many of those who pursue the elusive X ring on the target or the elusive spider (placing a bullet on the crossing lines of an over the log, chunk gun or table shoot target).
@Johnny Tremain is looking for accuracy and ease of loading that is needed to enjoy many shots during a trail walk. X ring accuracy is not needed, and his loading method works for him. When I am participating in a Chunk Gun match where putting a ball as close to the crossing of the lines in the center of the target, I find wiping between shots is required for the extremely small groups needed to be competitive
Second: What is the configuration of the breech? Is the breech flat faced or is there a chamber where the breech plug is threaded into the barrel? Great care must be taken to prevent fouling from getting packed into a chambered breech or touch hole that will create a blockage. Often rifles with chambered breeches work best without a wipe that pushes fouling down into the chambered breech. There one effectively does the wiping between the shots with an almost dripping wet patch that wipes the fouling from the bore and leaves the fouling between the powder charge and the patched ball. Pyrodex Select will generate less of the sooty fouling and require less wiping of the bore. The Pyrodex fouling is still generated and must be rigorously removed by cleaning after the match.
Third: What process are you willing to follow to keep the fouling in the bore at a consistent level while keeping fouling out of the flash channel? One method is to use a smaller jag than the bore caliber. The smaller caliber jag and patch will slide over the fouling as the barely damp patch is sent to the breech and the patch will bunch up and remove the fouling as the patch is withdrawn. The other is to mark the ramrod about an inch above the breech face to know where to stop the patch from pushing too much fouling into the chamber and touch hole. With a chambered breech, about every 3 to 5 shots a brush sized for the chamber with cleaning patch can be used to remove fouling from the chambered breech. Of course then brush is needed to clear the touch hole on a flint lock or a cap fired in a percussion lock to blow debris out of the touch hole and chamber.
How often must one address the bore condition? That's what load development is about. For most of us, a wipe of the bore every 3rd to 5th shot is sufficient. As
@M. De Land has observed, under certain conditions of humidity, fouling can build up at the breech when the bore is not wiped to cause a blockage of the flash channel. I have experienced that wiping between every shot can push fouling into the flash channel and by about the 5th to 7th shot fouling can build up enough tp prevent firing.
Learn the methods that will work best for your application.
