"Re-Conditioning" the bore for 1st shot after relay change

[mehavey]

Back when I started w/ my first BPCR in `81 (a Wolfgang Sharps out of Farmington), I settled on paper patch which required (and responded to) wiping between shots.

My newest acquisition -- a 45-90 Rolling Block -- is set up for grooved and lubed. It also does remarkably well w/ blow-tube technique to provide a smooth ride down an effectively-lubed bore from the previous bullet. But this is at RamBash relay speed -- about a shot every 60-90 sec for 10 rounds.

But what is the accepted method for starting the next relay... wiped bore/dry? ...extra blow-tube work on a fouled bore allowed to sit? ... or wiped & pre-conditioned w/ ballistol and/or a light swipe using a thin patch with some actual lube?

Any long-time Ram Shooters' experience would be appreciated.....

(Have already read the link HERE. But it left me with the message "...sometimes this happens, ... and sometimes that happens")

[kokomokid]

We shoot with several shooters that do not clean for the whole match. They just give a couple extra blows on the tube before each round. They are all shooting .45s and do very well. Our .40s are another matter.

[Cimarron Red]

mehavey,

At the few ram bashes I've shot in (along with quite a few more 'buffalo shoots'), the targets were full size rams at 200 meters, so I never worried about first shot bore conditioning. At the various buffalo shoots, the largest target was usually a buffalo or bear silhouette at 300 or 325 yards that was quite a bit larger than a full size 300 meter pig silhouette, so here, too, I just fired the first shot with a clean bore. Unless your rifle throws a shot from a clean barrel wildly off mark, I think you'd still hit the ram if your hold and shot break are good.

[NickSS]

My club holds monthly silhouette shoots at 200 yards is using black powder in several different calibers. Most shoot 45-70s, 40-65s and 38-55 rifles but a few shoot odballs like 38-56, 5650 Spencer and 50 Maynard percussion. none of the guys clean between shots and use blow tubes. As for cleaning between relays its about 50-50 of those who wipe the bore out with a couple wet patches and those who do not untill the match is over. We use reduced size targets so that they look like the full range targets when you are shooting at them but of course you do not have the extra yardage for wind to work on your bullets.

[mehavey]

Thanks guys. I settled on 5X blow tube between shots for the 10-rnd relays, and then a single/loose-fitting/saliva-moistened patch for the 1st shot of each relay (15-20 minutes between relays)

Seemed to work OK at the RamBash this weekend.

For what it's worth, blow-tubing appeared work magic in terms of consistent precision (10 rnds in barely more than an inch) from sandbags. It also all-but-eliminated any leading as compared to cleaning between shots.

I understand there's a theory that the breath moisture effectively turns fouling into "soap" (nature's best lube). Any thoughts on that?

[Southern Son]

What is your lube? I know that when I used Bees wax and Crisco, I didn't notice any soap stuff, but with Matthews No. 2 (which contains soap) it was quite obviously soapy when it got any type of moisture near it.

[mehavey]

My original lube from 35 years was 1:1:3-4 NRA(Alox)Stick:Beeswax:Crisco, ...then tried SPG...... finally settled on DGL of late.

I was thinking less that the lube reverted to soap, as much as the dried combustion products from the BP became "soapy" upon moisture application.

See the bottom of THIS ARTICLE




post: Half the fun of this game is that there are so many "theories" to play with.

[Southern Son]

Ann easy expriment to find out if that article was right would be to fire an unlubed boolit, then push a wet patch though the bore. With the Matthews Number 2 lube (contains Neutragena(sp) Soap), any moisture will result in the fouling feeling soapy when I push it out the bore on a cleaning patch. I only used the bees wax/crisco lube a couple of times before finding the ingredients for Matthews Numbder 2 in one of his books (he also called it the "Shows Promise").

I have tried SPG (only a couple of times), but it is really expensive here (in Australia). Finding other BP lubes down here is also a PITA. Importing them could be a problem, if I don't know what the ingredients are, then what do I say when Customs or AQIS ask me. I have heard a little while ago that bees wax is not allowed to be imported at the moment because AQIS is worried about the disease that is killing all the bees off over seas. Rather than run the risk, I have been going with the Matthews No.2 for BP and trying home made Felix World Famous for anything else.

[Dumasron]

Best results so far for me have been:
1. before the match, use a degreaser to obtain a clean, dry barrel.
2. wipe with Bore Butter on a patch.
3. after each shot, push a water wet patch thru the barrel using a cleaning rod with no brush. This replaces the blow tube function. We are in a dry, dry climate.
4. at the end of the relay, clean and use Bore Butter again.