Using a Blow tube

[jesilva]

Question is; can you blow too much moisture into the barrel?

Jim

[danthman114]

i imagine you could. with my hawken i always run a wet patch town the barrel followed by a dry one. that canned air for dusting computers works well...

[Hickok]

Watch out for the Copenhagen and Skoal too when using a blow tube!:kidding:

[Don McDowell]

No you can't put to much moisture in the barrel using a blowtube. Most folks are lucky if they get enough moisture in the barrel with a blowtube.

[aspangler]

Forgive my igernance. What is a "blowtube"? If it is something to put the embers out, I have always just tried to blow the smoke out of the nipple with my mouth over the muzzle.

[Hickok]

It is a tube you insert into the chamber of a black powder single shot like a Sharps or Remington rolling block, and then you blow moisture into the barrel to soften the fowling of BP.

[danthman114]

"Forgive my igernance. What is a "blowtube"? If it is something to put the embers out, I have always just tried to blow the smoke out of the nipple with my mouth over the muzzle. "

i wouldnt do that, lead poisoning. having it on your hands is one thing but to directly expose it to your lips is probably not a great idea...

[country gent]

I use a blow tube on most of my BPCR rifles. I have found wetting your mouth throat with a swallow of bottle water every few shots helps keep the moisture level up better. A deep breath and long slow exhale works for me. Also dont INHALE thru the tube.

[montana_charlie]

with my hawken i always run a wet patch town the barrel followed by a dry one. that canned air for dusting computers works well...

Forgive my igernance. What is a "blowtube"? If it is something to put the embers out, I have always just tried to blow the smoke out of the nipple with my mouth over the muzzle.
You muzzleloader types will have to go get some trigger time with black powder cartridge guns if you don't want to be confused all of the time when browsing this section.

CM

[Southern Son]

I don't know about "too much." But inconsistant will be a problem, if you vary the amount of moisture, then you won't get good results.

Another thing that will contribute to varying moisture levels in the bore is if you failed to keep yourself hydrated. I suspect that Arizona would be a good place to de-hydrate yourself. When I was shooting in southern Queensland at a range called Captains Mountain, temperatures varied, and when it was hot and dry, you could de-hydrate as the day went on and you sat in the sun shooting. The amount of moisture that you got out of something like three good breaths at 9.00am when you started would be considerably more than at 3.00pm in the afternoon if you did not drink enough water during the day.

[kokomokid]

A 32" barrel will test your lube and blow tube form on a hot dry day. One of the top shooters i shoot with came to the line with a mouth full of chicklets on a hot dry august day.

['74 sharps]

Tried blow tubing, and did not find it that effective. A single Ballistol/water patch thru the bore works well for me.

[Lumpy grits]

You can have 'water' left in the chamber if your BT does not go all the way to the front of the chamber.
LG

[Don McDowell]

When some one gets things figured out with a blowtube and the conditions permit it can work very well. I watched Chill Wills just about walk away with the whole enchilada at the BPTR nationals in 13 , shooting just a blowtube....

[Chill Wills]

Using a blow tube is not that hard but like anything, there are many myths about their effective use. There are conditions they will not get the job done. Some of the factors include ambient temperature and humidity, the bullet lube you use. One large factor in the warm months that will change everything is the answer to this question. Is your rifle barrel in the sun or shade?

Generally, I have found that in the American south west or anywhere low average humidity is the rule the following applies; if you have a covered or shaded area to shoot from in the warm months up to about 85-F you can use the blowtube (BT).

Anytime you are shooting in the sun and your barrel becomes hotter that you can handle (carry the rifle with your hand on the barrel), you should be thinking “wiping” as your fouling control.
No matter the shade or other conditions, when your barrel is converting the liquid condensation from your breath to the BP fouling and makes it soft, BT has a good chance of working well. When this condition is not met, that is, the barrel heat is vaporizing the H2O as fast as you can get it in, you are behind the curve and will be putting your carefully crafted bullets through a very rough barrel and accuracy suffers.

I prefer to blow tube whenever possible. It has its strong positive quality’s. When I anticipate conditions outside the BT’s range, the wiping rod comes out.

[Chill Wills]

Hey Don, I think I was typing when you posted.:-P

As you know but a lot of people don't, there are some pluses and minuses with both wiping and the BT however. .... The above was written with GG bullets in mind using the PP bullet v the GG bullet come into making your choice too.

[Don McDowell]

Yessir greaser and patched are different worlds, altho I think I'm about zero'ld in a a combination with patched that can shoot with just blowtubing for midrange and the like if the heat and humidity stays within reason, but I need to do a bit more shooting under match conditions to with it to see if my theory will hold..
One thing about wiping, it's a bugger to get things right as to what solution, routine etc, but once a person gets that all figured out it works anywhere anytime,,,, but then you have to spend a halfhour pickin up patches when the relay is over...:holysheep

[rfd]

gg boolits and wiping for me - wiping is just easier for me to control under all conditions. too many variables using a bt.

[bedbugbilly]

Not to go sideways here but a comment in regards to a ML and blowing on the end of a barrel . . .

In regards to lead poisoning . . . if you don't want to do it, that's fine . . . but I've been shooting ML - both percussion and flint for 50 years and it's a common practice. A properly patched round ball, whether it is in a rifled or smoothbore barrel doesn't touch the bore - the patch rides it on the way out. Sure, I suppose you could have residue for some odd reason . . . but sorry, I just can't see it as an issue. I have cast and shot lead for the same amount of time and once I started reloading, I increases the output and handle many more lead slugs during the loading process, etc. - and my blood tests all come back just fine.

Whether you shoot BP or Smokeless - you're breathing in the results of combusted propellent. I'm surprised someone isn't concerned that a person might "suck back" on a blow tube and take in dangerous carcinogens . . . won't be long and I'm sure OSHA will put an end to it. :-)

dantheman114 - I'm not "poking" at you so don't take it that way please. It's up to the individual to do what they feel is safe and if a person is that concerned about lead poisoning, then don't do it . . but I'd also be looking at not casting and not handling lead slugs either.

A while back, I was shooting with a bunch of guys (much younger than I) and after the shooting was done, someone got started on "lead" and the "lead poisoning" bit. Some were quite concerned about it but I noticed that after they had consumed a few beers, they all got in their vehicles and left to drive home. Guess it's all a a person's perspective . . .

So, TO GET BACK ON TRACK . . . for the BP single shot shooters . . . what determines if you should be using a blow tube besides fouling? I'm starting to shoot BP (357) out of a Handi-Rifle (not a Sharps but hey, it's still fun). I'm using the same BP lube I've used for the past 50 years and it seems to be doing the job on keeping the fouling soft - but I'm running a patch through from the breed every couple of shots - a wet followed by a dry. Is a blow tube going to eliminate the need to run a patch through or is it just an aid to soften the fouling prior to running a patch through?

[country gent]

Powder type, charge wieght, ambient conditions on a given day, and barrel length among other things all determine the use of blow tube over wiping. In dry hot conditions evaoration becomes a consideration also. Shooting fast with large charges creates much more fouling. As has been siad above hot sunny days raise temps of the barrel to start with from sun and ambient temps. A blow tube under these conditions may not be enough to keep ahead of fouling. What you need to do is experiment and see what works for you your rifle and a give days conditios.

[rfd]

... Is a blow tube going to eliminate the need to run a patch through or is it just an aid to soften the fouling prior to running a patch through?

some say 'yes' always.

some say 'yes' but under certain weather conditions at the shooting venue.

for me, the blow tube is just too much of a guessing game and there are better, consistent, predictable results using a wet then dry patch for fouling control.

ymmv and to each their own.

[aspangler]

You muzzleloader types will have to go get some trigger time with black powder cartridge guns if you don't want to be confused all of the time when browsing this section.

CM
Who's going to foot the bill for another gun. I am on SS and can't just buy one all the time. ( I do have my eye on a 50-70 if he will come down a little more)

[Lead pot]

Bedbug I have to agree with you.
I retired from plumbing after 35 years of heavy use of lead. The lead pots burning in confined rooms that would glow red and all of the lead gas filling the room and lead joints that I poured and unwashed hands eating my sandwiches at lunch time so I know that I ingested a bunch doing it before lead was put on the dangerous list. I had a couple blood tests taken to check my lead level and it always came out good and I can still remember things :)
There is nothing wrong with taking precautions maybe it has adverse effects on some more then others, but I will say it never proved to be a negative for me working with lead most of my life.

As far as the BT. I get better accuracy using it when conditions permit. But there is a time when I put the BT away and get out the whipping rod with damp and dry patches. This is something you will have to work out yourself to see what works the way you shoot.
Some take fast hard blows and some take long slow blows inhaling through their nose and these guys will shoot a lot longer then the fast hard blowers do.

[.22-10-45]

I am shooting Swiss 3FG in an original Ballard No.3 .25-25 Stevens. I am using a .015" beeswax wad on top of drop-tubed charge, 1/8" grease wad of SPG, a thin wad under an Ideal 25730 lubed with SPG. If I blow tube only, groups at 50yds. run around 1" or slightly smaller. If I run 1 barely damp patch thru after each shot, groups are around 3/8". I suspect for hunting, the b.t. would be fine.

[MT Chambers]

Usually the blowtube will allow you to chamber the next (and fire it) without using a cleaning rod, I always use a blowtube with BP and wipe every 5 shot string or so, for hunting there is no time or convenience to use the tube.

[fouronesix]

"Forgive my igernance. What is a "blowtube"? If it is something to put the embers out, I have always just tried to blow the smoke out of the nipple with my mouth over the muzzle. "

i wouldnt do that, lead poisoning. having it on your hands is one thing but to directly expose it to your lips is probably not a great idea...


:) Then don't touch a bullet, a mold, a cartridge or clean a gun.

Actually, most ML shooters doing it, including me, simply cup their hand around the muzzle and blow into the tube formed by the hand. I really don't wrap my lips around the muzzle and blow. BP fouling tastes really bad so it is a self limiting thing anyway. :)

[Knarley]

At some of the "Rondys" around here, blowing down the muzzle is not allowed, as at one, the participants took part in a "Salvo". One guy's gun had a massive hang fire, and when he went to blow down the barrel............
Hence forth: no blowing down your barrel.
Urban legend? Perhaps, kinda hard to believe if ya ask me.

Knarley