Wet patch

[Brittany]

I only target shoot any more. I dry patch after every shoot and me and my 2 shooting buddies chew on a lot of BS some times it takes us 2 hours for each of us to shoot 20 rounds. I was reading that some of you wet patch after ever couple of shoots. So will some one tell me about this wet patch stuff.

Thanks Charlie

[bigted]

I used to do so a lot till I found a trick that ... [so far anyway]... has served me well in my efforts for accuracy as well as repeatable shots up to 15 in a row so far.

I have always been a fan of pre lubed patch's. only thing that has been a fly in the ointment has been the fouling control that enables accuracy as well as those repeated shots with no muss nor fuss.

I would in the past shoot a shot ... then have a patch in my nasty mug for a spit patch ... which I would run down and back out for a wet patch followed by a dry patch in and out. then powder and the next patched round ball.

now my procedure is quit strange if I were asked about it. I set out to be able to shoot more and swab less. so in a fit of trying something new here is what I came up with;

I install the powder followed by a vegi wad of .060 inch thickness ... after I seat the vegi wad on the powder I ... take my prelubed patch and smear Crisco shortening on the side that will be on the barrel side of the patched ball ... then the extra lube left over gets smeared into the muzzle and then I install the patched ball and shove it down on the powder. cap and let fly.

my groups came into nice group size with way tighter groups AND I found that doing this every shot ... I was able to shoot up to 15 shots in a row without any attention being given to the bore and the last ball seated home with the same ease as the first did.

so no I don't have words of wisdom with the wet patching ... just something I have found that is cheaper ... faster ... and more accurate then when I wet patched.

after so many shots tho ...[the 15]... I do see that it is best to have a container of water to set the breech in and swab in and out to wash the breach plug good as it gets kinda mucked up with so many shots in a row without any wet cleaning being done to it for that many shots.

good luck in your endeavor.

[fouronesix]

For best groups, I usually run a moose milk patch followed by 2 dry patches between shots. The one thing I've found with wet patching between shots is that it can cause hang fires or mis fires if not done correctly as I think it has a tendency to push wet fouling down into the flash hole. I see it happen to quite a few ML shooters when they are careless about how it's done. One way to help prevent the hang/mis fire problem is to not over saturate the wet patch. When running the dry patches after the wet, I use a snug fit with a fairly large absorbent patch and really push and pull hard and fast. I think that helps dry the breech area and helps clear and blow out any junk around the flash hole. Plus, I can hear the air whistle in and out of the nipple or flash hole to confirm it's clear.

I usually don't do any kind of between-shot swabbing or patching when shooting Miniés. And only clean the bore when seating becomes too stiff. Miniés are designed to scrape fouling when loading and a good soft lube helps keep the fouling soft- shot to shot.

[dikman]

I run a damp patch down after every shot, if I don't then after the second shot I have to hammer the ball/patch down! As has been said, don't use a wet patch and don't push it all the way to the breech or the crud in the barrel will build up at the breech plug. If you have some sort of patent breech it's even more critical not to go all the way to the breech!

Last time out I experimented with a wad over the powder, as bigted talked about. It's early days yet, and I have to see if I can repeat my results, but it looks promising as I managed several shots without swabbing. The theory, I'm guessing, is that the lubed wad pushes some of the crud on top of the powder (which doesn't matter) during loading and also lubes/scrapes the bore on the way out thus reducing the overall fouling in the barrel.

Bottom line is you have to be prepared to try all sorts of different things in this game!

[JSnover]

I had a couple of old-timers preach the virtues of blow-tubing between shots. I never tried it but they swore it would help keep the fouling soft because your breath is moist, if you put a short piece of tube into the breech or over the nipple and blow through the barrel after every shot.

[ihuntbear]

I only target shoot any more. I dry patch after every shoot and me and my 2 shooting buddies chew on a lot of BS some times it takes us 2 hours for each of us to shoot 20 rounds. I was reading that some of you wet patch after ever couple of shoots. So will some one tell me about this wet patch stuff.

Thanks Charlie

I clean between shots with windex on a patch,once down and up turn it over and again down and up..then pour powder ,then lubed patch and ball,cap then shoot..i can shoot 1" groups all day long...The lube I use is ballistol and water 7 to 1 mix..I make the lube in a bottle,cut some pillow ticking in strips,soak in the bottle,wring it out and then dryed on the heater for a day before I go to the range...I don't like moose milk as it cruds my barrel..the mix is 1 part ballistol 7 parts water

[Toymaker]

Do what works. My rifle likes a damp (DAMP) patch down and up between shots. The guy next to me will shoot all day without any "cleaning". Another guy wipes every 5 shots. Test, try, experiment and do what you and your rifle like.

[Zouave 58]

I've used Blacksolve, one wet patch, two dry patches followed by a single snapped cap to clear the ignition channel as a standard procedure when target shooting for accuracy. I agree with lots of folks who've pointed out that consistency is the basis of good accuracy. I've used Blacksolve for spit patching for many years with excellent results; I use mutton tallow for grease patching. Most all of my RB shooting has been with shallow multi groove bores that tend to foul just ahead of the combustion area and will eventually build a ring of fouling that progressively will set the ball further ahead altering the powder compression and affecting accuracy. Ain't it grand that there are so many ways to skin the accuracy cat?

[Geezer in NH]

Try some competition Teflon patch, It was ordered from adds in Muzzle Blasts.

It came in Pillow ticking .015 or .017 thickness This is what the top winners use, from bench to buffalo matches use.

When I competed it was 20 bucks a yard, I bought the seasons worth (4-5 yards and kept it in the deep freeze.)

[Col4570]

I have an original .568 Whitworth Match Rifle that without exception misfires if I wipe prior to loading.I have taken to loading then wiping this ensures that no wet fouling gets into the breach area and is ideal for this particular Rifle.I believe that the small ring of fouling at the bullet nose is not a problem.I also use a wiping Rod with an hexaghttp://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s452/livebattery/TwoWhitworthrifles004.jpg (http://s1052.photobucket.com/user/livebattery/media/TwoWhitworthrifles004.jpg.html]http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s452/livebattery/TwoWhitworthrifles004.jpg)[/URL]onal tip so that the cleaning patch can reach the rifling extremities.
The top rifle is the one that doesn't like to be wiped before loading.http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s452/livebattery/TwoWhitworthrifles004.jpg (http://s1052.photobucket.com/user/livebattery/media/TwoWhitworthrifles004.jpg.html)

[44man]

The best wet patch is a BP bore cleaner like Birchwood-Casey, Black Powder solvent but a good cleaner is also 50-50 anti freeze and water. Run a stripe corner to corner on the patch and stack in a small jar, the liquid will distribute just right.
One stroke down and then 1 dry patch, keep strokes the same between shots.
I never patch and have done over 200 shots a day by using Young Country patch lube and I use a very tight ball and patch combo. If I feel a ball getting harder to get down I smear a little more on the next patch, clears it right up. Been shooting ML's near 60 years and never found a better lube.

[Zouave 58]

Question to COL4570: Does your rifle have in relative terms a narrow ignition channel? Is the same thing true shooting the volunteer
rifle with a musket cap? Years ago I tried experimenting with "softer" ignition and substituted an Ampco #11 nipple for the musket nipple and found with the small cap and the small nipple venturi any moisture would kill the spark. I've found as well that the Ampco musket nipples with small venturies would occasionally misfire. With a standard musket nipple I've never had a problem but I do snap a cap before loading. Do you find you get a fouling build up in the combustion area of the bore or does the rifle have a patent breech? Lovely rifles by the way-

[Col4570]

Zouave 58,I do use Musket Caps and agree that a cap snapped off prior to loading usualy clears it.If I omit to Cap it you can bet your Boots it will misfire.Therefore I have taken to wiping after loading and this does the trick.The Rifle has a Patent Breach,I have probed down to the breach and I would say it is narrow which might explain its peculiarities.The rifle was built in 1863 by Joseph Whitworths company "The Manchester Rifle and Ordnance Company".I have been experimenting for a while with it and it is starting to get on target using a "Hollow Based Hollow Nosed Bullet" with the Nose filled with a wooden Plug to Whitworths Specifications.The other Rifle is a Beasley Whitworth in the Normal .451 Calibre.
I see that for some reason my Photos have been removed?
Regards P S, just looked they are back again.

[Zouave 58]

Dear Col4570, love to hear about the casting and bullet development for your rifles. Another thread perhaps?

[Col4570]

Zouave 58,there is some of my input on this Forum in the Molds maintenance and design section page 9.
There is some on the MLAGB forum Musket and Rifle section.under Large Calibre Whitworth Rifle.The MLAGB Forum is down at the moment for updating but will soon be back.