Wiping between shots; what lube?

[Ohioan]

We had a turkey shoot on Sunday. My brother, brothers girlfriend and father were shooting along with other club members. I was observing and scoring targets since my barrel has not yet arrived.

My bros girl is new to shooting muzzleloaders (this is the second shoot she's attended). she's shooting a CVA .36 halfstock. My brother shoots a Charlesville(sp) smoothbore and my father is shooting his .45 caplock Bill Large barreled longrifle.

I was standing there talking to my dad and my bro's girlfriend looks at us and says the ball is stuck in the barrel. It's about 3" down the barrel. I try and ram the ball down, but to no avail. It is REALLY stuck. I asked when she had last whiped the barrel. She replies that my brother told her she only needed to whipe it every once in a while.

I pulled the ball, and the patch was CAKED with fouling. I showed her and explained to her what was going on in the barrel. I dumped the powder and grabbed some Hoppes #9 and had her wipe the barrel several times then dry it out.

I convinced her that wiping after every shot was easier and the best thing to do for accuracy, especially in the small bore.

My question is, what do you guys use for wiping between shots?

Dry?
Hoppes?
Moose Milk?
Stumpy Juice?
Spit?
Bore butter?
Alcohol?
Fat from a 2 two year old doe shot under a full moon?

I worry about powder getting stuck to the side of the barrel when it's damp from the lube.


There were a couple of other newbies there. One of the guys asked the range master how often he should wipe. The rangemaster replied that when you feel a load go down hard, you should wipe the next time. There is no need to wipe every shot.
I told my bros girlfriend that if you watch some of the really good shooters, you'll see they wipe between each shot.


I wiped between shots with my .32 with moose milk.

 

[Mike Brooks]

I have never had a gun that I had to wipe between shots. I can shoot all day. She needs a tighter patch/ball combo.

 

[Black Hand]

I have never had a gun that I had to wipe between shots. I can shoot all day.

Same for me. 2 or 20 shots, and they all load the same....

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I dry patch after each shot with a patch of old bedsheet. sort of loose patch. bout every 10 shots I use a nylon-bristle brush to break fouling then dry patch.

 

[roundball]

My question is, what do you guys use for wiping between shots?

Dry?
Hoppes?
Moose Milk?
Stumpy Juice?
Spit?
Bore butter?
Alcohol?
Fat from a 2 two year old doe shot under a full moon?

And she's lucky she didn't have the ramrod break and injure herself.

I use those two patch lubes with Goex 3F so I never have to wipe between shots. NL1000 during higher humidity days, or the more liquid Hoppes No9 + on dry days.

When I'm experimenting with a new rifle or smoothbore load...or when sighting in a rifle from a clean cold barrel each time...or after shooting a deer, turkey, squirrel...I not only wipe the bore but pretty darn well clean, dry, and lube it before reloading;

But just for weekend plinking and practicing shooting form, I shoot 50 shot range sessions with the two lubes above without wiping, no buildup, no change in accuracy, etc.

On an occasional weekend just for something different, or if I'm using larger than normal charges of Goex 2F I'll wipe the bore as the fouling is heavier with 100grns 2F than with 50grns 3F and I can't go as long so I wipe the bore under those circumstances.

And if a few grains of powder get stuck to the bore walls temporarily it doesn't seem to matter, as it all gets pushed down with the next PRB anyway.

 

[irataylor]

I use Windex (the blue stuff) on a patch
wrapped around a wire bore brush that is
one size smaller than the bore.
(i.e. for my 54 I use a 50 brush).
I then wipe with a dry patch.
this I do betwixt every shot...

 

[greytop13]

I'll second (or third) the suggestion on using a tighter load. I used to wipe between shots but ended up with a lot of pan flashes. Then I realized when I wiped, I was just pushing any fouling into the patent breech of my GPR. I use Hoppe's #9 as my patch lube and don't do any wiping until I'm done for the day.

 

[jtmattison]

I wipe with a spit patch between every shot. I use both sides of the patch and then dry with one patch.
I found out this weekend that my new GM barrel doesn't like to be shot dirty. With a clean bore it's right on. With a fouled bore (even just one shot) it was hitting a foot or more off (just ask a couple deer that are still alive today because of it).

 

[shortbow]

Ditto.

 

[clint campbell]

I use blue windex mixed 50/50 with balistol in the spray bottle. I lust lightly spray a patch and use a jag. c

 

[2172]

I've only had one gun that needed wiping between shots, a DGW Tenn poor boy in .32...for the rest, I will wipe after about 10 shots if I'm using Balistol or moosemilk as my patch lube, never if I use Bore Butter/Wonder lube. If I wipe, I use windshield washer fluid...Hank

 

[brubincam]

last time I was using my 45 tenn. poor boy,was using 15 tho. patch and liquid crisco,,,about 30 shots with no wiping at all between shots.. :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Spit patch every third to fifth shot depending on the humidity at the time. I've done 15 shots with no wiping when the conditions are right; but it's certainly more consistant if I don't stretch it further than every fifth.

 

[ryoung14]

It could be that she's just shooting too heavy a load. In the .32 and .36 calibers, I find that I can go 15 to 25 shots without wiping IF the load is light. I also use Pyrodex P for those calibers so that may be a factor (finally got some fff BP to experiment with, but haven't yet).

For the .32 I use 10 to 15Gr. Pyro P behind the PRB, while the .36 gets 15 to 20Gr. This is about half the lightest load TC publishes for these calibers. If she's beyond 25gr. with her .36 or shooting ff or RS, her load is probably dirtier than it needs to be.
SS

 

[silverfox]

I use Stumpy's juice and don't have to wipe at all. I do wipe between relays or between matchs. The eyes aren't good enough to wipe between shots like the pure target shooters do I still get good groups without flyers. Do clean it well at end of shooting sessions.
Fox :hatsoff:

 

[playfarmers]

I use stumpy's Moose snot for hunting and juice for target shooting and very seldom wipe. When I do wipe I use moose juice.

 

Are any of you guys concerned with the possibility of cook offs at all? Please swab between shots. At least have your lady friends do so. Why run the risk of losing part of a hand? Be safe! Don't be in such a hurry that you can't play safe.

I don't know of very many of us that are having to load up real fast to keep the grizzer bears off of us!

 

[kevthebassman]

When I plink with my Renegade, I spit patch then dry patch after every shot. I'm able to ring a 12 inch steel gong most every time at 125 yards all day long like that. I could get away without it, but it's just what I do. I think it makes cleaning easier and it works for me but your mileage may vary.

 

[b_haycock]

I use a Teflon coated patch and find that I need to clean after every shot! If I don't it gets really difficult to ram the next ball. I use Moose Juice to clean and lube.

 

[chrissiegrist]

Just read the test reports conducted useing several lubes and Lehigh Vallet was the hands done winner. :hmm: