Wiping between shots

[tenngun]

Hi
My name is Jeffrey and I swab between shots
Group: hello Jeffrey
It started innocently enough, just a swab when my last load felt tight. Then I swabbed after every few shots just to head off it getting tight
Then I just progressed to ever shot
group: tell us more, open up let it all out
Tears in my eyes now…. I was even swabbing when no one was looking
I swabbed in private
Then I discovered clean a ml vid on you tube
Group: shaking their heads. ML cleaning porn, the scourge
Black Powder Maniac and Duelist 54 and that pimp I Love Muzzleloading.
I tell them it was a horror, I even take my clean guns off the rack and swab them with an oiled patched when they haven’t even been shot !!!!! The tears are really flowing now
I reach in to my pocket as I’m speaking and pull out the contents
I throw them on the floor . A set of keys, a pocket knife, and three jags and cut flannel squares
I admit it
I’m powerless agains the demon tow
I have put a monster in my muzzle to enslave me
I break down in to a quivering bowl of jelly on the floor at this point

 

[Omahkapi'si]

I don't wipe between shots. But I do wipe when I think I need to. Maybe after 6, maybe after 12....shoot lots, get to know your rifle and you'll know when you need to or not.

 

[LME]

No it's not
That is good shooting!
Off hand at 100yds no wiping, swabbing etc.. after 30 shots

View attachment 255571
Here is one, no swabbing, wiping after a long match. Shot by my friend who taught me

View attachment 255573

 

[LME]

Hi
My name is Jeffrey and I swab between shots
Group: hello Jeffrey
It started innocently enough, just a swab when my last load felt tight. Then I swabbed after every few shots just to head off it getting tight
Then I just progressed to ever shot
group: tell us more, open up let it all out
Tears in my eyes now…. I was even swabbing when no one was looking
I swabbed in private
Then I discovered clean a ml vid on you tube
Group: shaking their heads. ML cleaning porn, the scourge
Black Powder Maniac and Duelist 54 and that pimp I Love Muzzleloading.
I tell them it was a horror, I even take my clean guns off the rack and swab them with an oiled patched when they haven’t even been shot !!!!! The tears are really flowing now
I reach in to my pocket as I’m speaking and pull out the contents
I throw them on the floor . A set of keys, a pocket knife, and three jags and cut flannel squares
I admit it
I’m powerless agains the demon tow
I have put a monster in my muzzle to enslave me
I break down in to a quivering bowl of jelly on the floor at this point

An addiction is hard to break. I to am enslaved to having to swab after every shot. I also run an oiled patch down my M.L. rifles every now and then. I guess I should break the cursed habit but when I look at how well my M.L. Rifles shoot I won't change a thing. ''If it ain;t broke don't fix it""

 

[LME]

No it's not

Off hand at 100yds no wiping, swabbing etc.. after 30 shots

View attachment 255571
Here is one, no swabbing, wiping after a long match. Shot by my friend who taught me

View attachment 255573

For shooting off hand no one should expect any better accuracy! You and your friend both are excellent shots. Are you shooting balls or conicals and what type of patch and lube do you use if you use ball?
My M.L. rifle shoots balls best and I use prelubed patches. I wipe after every shot it makes it easier to load. If your method works for you it should work for me? When I shoot two or three shots without wiping the bore gets tight and hard to load.

 

[Mulebrain]

For shooting off hand no one should expect any better accuracy! You and your friend both are excellent shots. Are you shooting balls or conicals and what type of patch and lube do you use if you use ball?
My M.L. rifle shoots balls best and I use prelubed patches. I wipe after every shot it makes it easier to load. If your method works for you it should work for me? When I shoot two or three shots without wiping the bore gets tight and hard to load.

Lube is dawn and water, roundball

 

[Johnny Tremain]

we enjoy what we are doing

Thats what is important.
Work is for those other days.
My worse day of shooting is better than my best day at work.

We shoot candles at a fort shoot. Really dumb, but fun as heck.

 

[Ben Meyer]

I generally shoot using dry lubed patches. I find wiping between shots is absolutely necessary with dry lubed patches. On woods walks, load from the bag, etc, I use Mr Flintlocks patch lube and can easily go 12-14 shots between wiping. The accuracy is good, but the dry lubed patch groups ARE tighter in my gun.

My mindset is, whatever works to maintain a consistent bore tightness, works. And you know when you load if fouling is increasing that tightness. Wiping, not wiping, this lube, that powder, whatever works.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I don't wipe between shots. But I do wipe when I think I need to. Maybe after 6, maybe after 12....shoot lots, get to know your rifle and you'll know when you need to or not.

The argument for swabbing between every shot is that if you don't you are, essentially, shooting with a different configuration barrel each time. For casual offhand you will probably not notice any difference. For serious 'X' hunting competition the difference is notable.

 

[SPQR70AD]

with all these guys wiping between shots no wonder there was a shortage of toilet paper

 

[Ed C.]

with all these guys wiping between shots no wonder there was a shortage of toilet paper

If we are now talking toilet events I'd say wiping between shots is absolutely necessary!

 

[user 31232]

I wipe after every shot! O wait its about muzzloading not going to the bathroom.

 

[Ed C.]

The argument for swabbing between every shot is that if you don't you are, essentially, shooting with a different configuration barrel each time. For casual offhand you will probably not notice any difference. For serious 'X' hunting competition the difference is notable.

I can understand that, however by loading with a damp patched RB, being followed (loaded) by a damp patch over a jag, except for the first shot, my barrel is consistently the same if I take into consideration ease of loading, the amount of fouling removed by the loading patch and groups on subsequent shots. Let me ask this cause I don't know....is it possible that by swabbing after each shot you are pushing fouling into the flash channel which could accumulate to the point of affecting the ignition characteristics of the powder charge?

 

[longcruise]

is it possible that by swabbing after each shot you are pushing fouling into the flash channel which could accumulate to the point of affecting the ignition characteristics of the powder charge?

It's a matter of how wet or damp the wiping patch is. I've never had a build up of fouling. The fouling soaks into the patch and comes out with the patch. I flip the patch over and run it down again.

The greater risk is a patch too wet that squeezes out and wets the ignition channel. I had that happen once. It was simple to correct and just dampen it.

 

[nhmoose]

Personally, I do not care when you don't wipe between shots. I know I will beat you on the paper eh? X's count

 

[stephenprops1]

With my Pedersoli, 45 caliber, Missouri River, Hawken percussion rifle I have learned, via trial and error, that I get better results if I wipe the bore after every 3 shots. I run a spit-patch down the bore, flip it over and do it again. I then do the same procedure with a dry patch. --- In the last two Rendezvous I have attended; I scored a tie for second place in May and I took second place in early September.

 

[Flint1]

is it possible that by swabbing after each shot you are pushing fouling into the flash channel which could accumulate to the point of affecting the ignition characteristics of the powder charge?

Absolutely. Many years ago I found that once I stopped swabbing between shots the occasional flash in the pan practically went away. What caused me to stop swabbing was that I theorized loading with a lubed prb was swabbing the bore between shots, so I was cleaning the bore after pouring the charge and not pushing crud down the bore before pouring the charge. As already mentioned here many members of our club for eons have lubed with Dawn and water, and I did also for years. That is fine for club shoots when you will be firing shortly after loading, but not good for hunting when you may not take a shot for several hours after loading and the patch will be dry. I switched to prelubed wonder patches and had good results. Mostly now I lube a strip of pillow ticking with mink oil and cut the patch on the muzzle whether target shooting or hunting. I have not wiped between shots in years. Although I never have done it at club matches, at territorials whether I am shooting a flintlock rifle or Richmond musket I clean between relays. Thirty minute relays give ample time for cleaning the bore between relays.

 

[ETipp]

The same thought goes for me as well. With any hunting lubes, I can never shoot more than twice without wiping. Since I mainly use my rifles for hunting, I've never tried a soaking wet patch, but I may try it the next time just to see how it does for target shooting.
It's not that I am in a huge hurry, but there are times that it would be nice to shoot multiple shots without having to stop and clean the bore. I usually take a bottle of rubbing alcohol to swab after every shot or two, since it dries quickly.
I've always had the opinion that lube types depend on what you're using your guns for.

Exactly. I cannot imagine hunting for days on end and having to worry about if my ML will fire when I finally do get a shot at a big game critter. Confidence means a lot while hunting. Lose that confidence and your chance of success goes downhill.

In terms of range time and not wiping, well, I'm not a target shooter so I'll just have to take folks word on it.

 

[stikshooter]

Then how come some of us can fire over 75 rounds hit the 100 yard rebar, go right thru the middle of the 150 yard 6 inch gong, and NEVER wipe.

Inferior materials bring inferior results.

Easy question to answer but suspect some won't like the answer , dreamers can be anywhere ! /Ed

 

[cal.43]

with a patched roundball and a oilwaterlube I never wipe between the shots, thats just a waste of time.