Dry patch after loading

[Tasbay]

Was watching some competition muzzleloader shooting on YouTube and one guy was loading with patch and ball then running what appeared to be a dry patch down the barrel before shooting.
I have a CVA Mountain Rifle that has caused accuracy issues with moist lube patches but shoots fine with Ballistol dry patches. So thought while at the range I would try the dry patch clean after loading with Olive Oil lube patches. Shot 6 shots into a ragged hole of about 1 1/2 inch at 45 mts. Any one else use the dry patch after loading?

[carbine]

Interesting, was not aware of this technique

[Mr Peabody]

I've used a clean mop to swab the bore after loading. Seams to reduce fowling.

[arcticap]

Was watching some competition muzzleloader shooting on YouTube and one guy was loading with patch and ball then running what appeared to be a dry patch down the barrel before shooting.
I have a CVA Mountain Rifle that has caused accuracy issues with moist lube patches but shoots fine with Ballistol dry patches. So thought while at the range I would try the dry patch clean after loading with Olive Oil lube patches. Shot 6 shots into a ragged hole of about 1 1/2 inch at 45 mts. Any one else use the dry patch after loading?

Some competition shooters have been using patches impregnated with Teflon for many years.
They are considered to be the slickest patches available but usually require cleaning between shots, and possibly also have their own cleaning and loading regimen.
I think that it's difficult to speculate what the shooters were doing when they swabbed after loading, unless someone asked them to explain their method and
what they are using and doing during each step in their loading process and their reasons.

I tried to research Teflon coated patches and I'm still not sure if it accumulates in the barrel between shots or not as there are so many posts about it to read through.
What I did learn is that patches treated with it probably provide the most accurate groups possible, but that it may come with the cost of added money, time and effort.

I'm curious if any of the shooters in the competition that you watched were seen hammering patched round balls down their bores when they loaded?
That's said to be commonly seen during competitions at Friendship [U.S. nationals] and chunk gun matches.

Another patch lube is synthetic oil, perhaps folks perform another swabbing step after the loading process if using that.

One would think that any loading/swabbing method performed would be done to promote consistency.

[bob208]

it is all like a lot here. done because they think it makes a difference. not because it really does. I have tried them made no change good or bad. now think about this when you load a patched round ball you are wiping the bore when you seat the ball.

[DIRT Farmer]

I load a 400 ball with 20 thousands teflon patching in my Green Mountin barrel.Once the ball/patch is short started it slides easily down a clean barrel, same with the 500 ball 20 tho patch in the 50 barrel, Hammering the ball does all kinds of bad things. I load with the teflon to the ball. I have shot groups both ways and consistnly gotton slightly and I mean slightly better groups from teflon next to the ball. The theroy is better patch release from the ball. Over time teflon will build up in the barrel and cannot be removed. Groups will go down hill.
With my aged eyes does the teflon make a difference, not unless I would glue a scope on my barrel. You can change the group more by pressure on the loading rod or not using a consistant cleaning/fouling control. I have glued a scope mount on several barrels for load devolopment.
In chunk gun, where teflon is not allowed, as ten shot groups get close to 2 inches string mesured from center x to the center of the hole at 60 yards you cant give up anything

[indian joe]

Was watching some competition muzzleloader shooting on YouTube and one guy was loading with patch and ball then running what appeared to be a dry patch down the barrel before shooting.
I have a CVA Mountain Rifle that has caused accuracy issues with moist lube patches but shoots fine with Ballistol dry patches. So thought while at the range I would try the dry patch clean after loading with Olive Oil lube patches. Shot 6 shots into a ragged hole of about 1 1/2 inch at 45 mts. Any one else use the dry patch after loading?

I dont hunt - plink a bit at home and compete at ranges - been doin that with muzzle loaders 30 years now
my observation of guys at the range is ---- almost without exception the guys that can not shoot a decent target string without cleaning (either after every shot or they foul out before they get ten on paper) the common denominator is heavy lubes - bore butter - olive oil - dishwash concoctions - grease - you name it - heavy sticky lubes brings many shooters undone - most of this stuff is commercial - high price gunk that comes with a BS recommendation that declares it superior to any other patch lube ever invented ........I say try some moose milk -- nah mate that wont work -- ??? they wont try it tho !! -- dunno whats so difficult about finding a litre of cutting oil - and it would keep most blokes in patch lube till they die - its just not sexy enough I guess.

Hunting is different - my lube would damp your powder and cause ffffftttttt bang loads .

As far as the dry patch - I dont see how it would do much of use with the moose milk lube but with a gooey lube ?proly useful -
dunno whats up with your mountain rifle - I shot CVA's forever with damp patches and I can shoot long strings without cleaning ------they all different and we all different I guess.......

[reivertom]

The most important thing in muzzleloading is to do as close to the same thing as you can every time you load. If that means swabbing the bore with a dry patch after you load every time, and that's how you sight in the gun, then go for it. For most shooting and/or hunting, you probably won't notice the gains.

[Tasbay]

I dont hunt - plink a bit at home and compete at ranges - been doin that with muzzle loaders 30 years now
my observation of guys at the range is ---- almost without exception the guys that can not shoot a decent target string without cleaning (either after every shot or they foul out before they get ten on paper) the common denominator is heavy lubes - bore butter - olive oil - dishwash concoctions - grease - you name it - heavy sticky lubes brings many shooters undone - most of this stuff is commercial - high price gunk that comes with a BS recommendation that declares it superior to any other patch lube ever invented ........I say try some moose milk -- nah mate that wont work -- ??? they wont try it tho !! -- dunno whats so difficult about finding a litre of cutting oil - and it would keep most blokes in patch lube till they die - its just not sexy enough I guess.

Hunting is different - my lube would damp your powder and cause ffffftttttt bang loads .

As far as the dry patch - I dont see how it would do much of use with the moose milk lube but with a gooey lube ?proly useful -
dunno whats up with your mountain rifle - I shot CVA's forever with damp patches and I can shoot long strings without cleaning ------they all different and we all different I guess.......

Joe: I agree with what you and others have written , If you remember you helped me out with this CVA when it had a coned barrel that I removed the last 15mm or so to get rid on the cone. Its shot fine since with Ballistol dry patches but was still inconsistent with olive oil patches when I tried them. The dry swab after loading seemed to help with the wet patches. I will continue to use Ballistol dry patches as the rifle remains loaded for periods while hunting.

[bob208]

for matches I use spit.

[oldracer]

Sounds like some "voodoo magic" to me to mess with other shooter's minds? Similar to when Doug Knoell told the man that came in second place in the CA state BPCR long range championship by ONE point "you have to make sure the printing on the milk carton wads goes DOWN". He'd asked him beforehand and he didn't know so...….

Anyways if you wipe with a damp patch then wipe with a dry patch after a shot, there should be little fowling in the barrel, unless it is made "loose" for running matches where you can't wipe after every shot. After loading the powder if the ball and patch are sized right the patch material should wipe the barrel nicely? I used a patch on a jag when setting up ball and patch size only once or twice to make sure the metal surfaces were ready to assaulted by the firing of the load. They should have been pretty clean except for a tad residue in rifling corners. My long guns have rounded rifling so that is never an issue.
John

[charlie b]

Keep in mind I shoot PP bullets.

If I decide to wipe the bore between shots it is AFTER I load the powder and a tight veggie card wad. That keeps me from shoving some crud into the patent breech. Most of the time I will shoot a full string without wiping. The veggie card 'scrapes' most of the crud leaving a cleaner 'path' for the PP bullet.

Between strings I will clean the bore (and breech) with windex and then flush from the nipple with alcohol and a dry patch.

[OverMax]

No I haven't yet tried the OP's technique. But you never know?
I once was told how to go about dimpling-ball for better accuracy > with a bathroom towel.
Thought at first doing was a waste of time until I tried the suggester's technique. "Dimpling did help to achieve a bit better distant accuracy." But a slight change in my loading routine? there was little to no improvement achieved.__ Although a try. Certainly was worth my effort.

[oldracer]

On the rifles I have that have a patent breech, I use a jag that is able to get into the breech area when wiping the bore. My mentor said to wipe with Ballistol/water damp patch then a dry one and so far it has proved the way to go except on the "mountain rifle" that is made for no wiping.