The purpose of the lube one the patch?

[Spot Shooter]

Is it only to make it slide down the barrel easier, or does it help seal ? ? ?

If it does help seal up the bore, does it matter how soft, or malible the lube is, or can it be like wax?

Spot

 

[jtmattison]

The lube does help the patch and ball slide down the bore, it also helps seal back gasses.
The most important thing it does in my opinion is keep fouling soft so I can shoot more between swabbing and cleanup is easier at the end of the day.
Consistency of the lube does matter.
I would say that the harder it is the less likely it is to perform the way you would want it to, that's why a lot of folks use plain old crisco or lard or tallow or spit.
My two cents.

Huntin

 

[roundball]

It helps seal but I would say more indirectly than directly...lube helps protect the patch from burning up so the patch retains it's integrity, so there's less blow by, more shot-to-shot consistency, etc.

But while a lubed patch provides some degree of a gasket sealing effect, it is not a perfect gasket by any means...high speed motion cameras have captured the flame & smoke exiting the muzzle well before the patched ball makes it's exit.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Yep. What they said. Keeps fouling soft, protects the bore from the salts & acids in the fouling, helps the patch form a gasket/grab the rifling without being cut as easily by the rifling, lubricates the patch so a tighter patch can be used than dry cloth would allow, protects the patch material from the heat of the powder explosion.

Wax lubes & "dry" lubes melt under the heat and pressure of the shot (as well as the friction of being forced down the barrel when loading).

 

[Spot Shooter]

So are most you fellers usin' Crisco?

It wouldn't be a bad thing if every time ya shot it smelt like cookies.

Spot

 

Go to the accessories section and click on lube wars. They will tell you all about it! They been discussing lubes for a year or two now. They don't shoot much though, too busy melting bees' wax and castor beans.

Yea, most of us just use crisco. I don't mind wiping the bore every once in a while. Course I don't have to hammer my patch ball combination down the bore with a mallet either!

Too each his own.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Go to the accessories section and click on lube wars. They will tell you all about it! They been discussing lubes for a year or two now. They don't shoot much though, too busy melting bees' wax and castor beans.

:haha: :haha: :haha:

Ain't it the truth.

I'm making up for volume of fire with quality of each shot. ::

It's surprising what you can get done if you don't plop yourself down in front of the TV in the evening. A good hobby is one that keeps you busy at home and away.

 

[Herb]

Stumpkiller- My test shooting yesterday proved your points. Using my 38" 1/66 twist .40 cal Rice bbl Jacob Wigle flintlock rifle, I tested different lubes. New lot of 3F Goex, 40 grains, .020 old pillow ticking, crushes to .012. .380 cast balls, weighed. 50 yards benchrest. Using water soluble oil in a 4 to 1 mix (water to oil) first time ever, 5 shots chronographed 1629, 75fps spread, went into 3.5". (velocity too low for this twist, but wanted to test this powder against my 40 grain benchmark). 5 to 1 mix for 6 shots dropped the group center 2", increased velocity to 1691, 82 spread. 6 to 1 mix: 11 1/4" 5 shot group, 1590 velocity, 60 spread. NOTE VELOCITY DROP OF 100 FPS WITH WHAT WAS BASICALLY NO LUBE. 7-1 mix: One shot 7" off point of aim at 1610 fps, BUT THE PATCH LAY OUT THERE ON THE GROUND AND BURNED UP. Not wanting to start a range fire, I quit on that one. Went back to 5-1, as I had mixes made up, precut as 1" patches. Five shots in 7 inches, 1653 fps, 104 spread. This was with wiping after every shot with one water damp patch and drying with another. Both groups of 5-1 had one shot that sounded funny, exact same loading, and velocity of 1559 and 1523. Never had this before. Then I used my cleaner as lube (couldn't find my lube, which is half Murphy Oil Soap and half 91% alcohol). Cleaner is one part MOS, one part 70% alcohol and one part hydrogen peroxide, but in a white plastic squeeze bottle, there was no fizz left). Squeezed it on a bunch of precut patches (same ones as above) and proceeded. All else the same as above, that is, 40 gr 3F and .380 ball. Cleaned bore as above only before first shot, then no more cleaning or wiping at all for 25 shots. First group of 5 shots 2.9", 1648 fps, 62 spread. Second group: NOW WITH .395 Hornady, all else the same: 4.2" group, 1569 fps, 45 spread. NOTE VELOCITY DROP WITH LARGER BALL. Third group: .390 cast, all else the same, 3.2 " group, 6 shots 1619 fps, 30 spread. Note that the .380 gave highest velocity, the .390 next and that the .395 was slowest. Figuring the velocity was too slow for this 66 inch twist (.40's are usually a 1 in 48" twist), I next used 65 gr 3F with the .390 ball. Six shots in 2.1", 1964 fps, 113 spread. I had only a drilled flash hole, about .089, but after this I installed a 5/16 x 32 White Lightnin' vent liner. This test was an eye opener regarding lubes.

 

[cayugad]

Today I was shooting my Green Mountian Barrel .58 caliber using my standard pillow tick and Stumpkiller's moosemilk. The accuracy was excellent. I fired 20 shots without swabbing. I was shooting from a tree stand off shooting stick but still holding an excellent group at 30-35 yards..

Stumpkiller's moose milk the the only patch lube for me...

 

My chrono results showed incresed velocity when going from MM lubed patches to dry lubed ones,about 50fps to be exact this all with same powder charge,I use 445" rb with 015" crushed patch #40 drill cloth velocity spreads are low

 

[shmrck1]

herb
thanks for the info it was very informative
:RO: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
snake-eyes eace: :RO: eace:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Nice work! Someday I gotta get me one o' them chronyboxes. I am astounded that you get 30 fps spread with Goex! (I use Goex - that's mighty good news). That, coupled with accuracy, shows promise.

CayugaD: glad you're getting results. I'm still fighting the good fight with my grease lube, even though there is no question the liquid version is more accurate. I gotta get it working in a form suitable for a ball-block or carrying in a small tin in the hunting pouch.

 

[bulletman]

I have noticed for me, The lube is the biggest factor, next to ball pressure on the powder.I used to have rounds all over the place, The Oil soap, peroxide and aclohol about equal amounts and only dampen the patch works best for me. Today I shot about 15 rounds this time out to 100 yards and actually had them all in a 4 inch group. I was amazed. I was expecting worse at 100, I usually shoot at 50 yards. using the GPR 54 cal. I was getting groups around 12 inches at 100 yards with store bought lube.