Greetings All,
I like Paul's comment. "What is the hurry"?......
"This is muzzle loading".
Also like BS'S comment about, "humidity in the air".
Range shooting for me is not hunting. It is a time for leisurely shooting, so why not wipe the bore between shots?
Besides, in here in the Republic of Texas, most of the country has either a dry and hot or very dry and very hot climate.
Under these conditions, you had better wipe the bore between shots, else that black powder fouling will set up like "cement" in about three shots.
The type of and/or amount of lube will not make any difference when the weather is hot and dry here in Texas. Now maybe hot and dry in Texas is different in other places outside of Texas, but here we only know two kinds, as previously stated.
I did notice that during some of my trips to shoot in the Colorado State Muzzling Loading Championships, wiping the bore between shots was also necessary there. That high mountain air in Arapaho National Forest was also dry and hot.
After shooting for a few hours, a young man asked if wiping the bore between shots helped all that much? My reply was that it helped me.
The next relay, he was wiping his bore between shots. After three or four shots, he turn to his friend, and said, "Hey, if you wipe that barrel after every shot, that ball will go down better".
Within a short time, a number of shooters were wiping their rifle bores between shoots or at least every other shot.
And all I ever said was that it helped me; did not
try to debate the question.
In my 52 years of shooting black powder, I have tried every lube, commercial and home brewed that have been posted on this forum, plus others that have not been. The results have always been the same here in the Republic of Texas; wiping the bore between shots is required.
I do think that wiping the bore dry with a second dry patch will affect accuracy, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF PATCH LUBE USED.
As an example. most forum members know that I am fond of Teflon coated patching material and a commercial solvent called Black-Solve. However, I do not always use Teflon coated pathing material.
For 90% - 95% of my range work, I not only use the Black-Solve to wipe the bore between shoots, but also mist my untreated cotton patching material with Black-Solve as a lubricant. The bore is wiped with a Black-Solve dampened cleaning patch three times with each side of the same patch. A second patch IS NOT used to dry the bore. In thi instance, the bore wiping solvent and the patching lube are the same, therefore compatible.
However, when using the Teflon coated patching material, it is mandatory to dry the bore with a second patch. Without wiping the bore dry, there is a noticeable decrease in grouping accuracy.
Some of the other grease base patching lubricants show the same results in respect to a damp and/or dry bore. Black-Solve, you see, is a water-based solvent.
And finally no; I do not use a spit patch. In the hot and dry climate of Texas, I am unable to produce enougn spit for a day of shooting.
Best regards and good shooting,
John L. Hinnant
If you are not an NRA or NMLRA Member, why not? I am carrying your load.
