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Thread: burning patches

  1. #1
    Boolit Master

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    burning patches

    I had an experience this weekend that I have never had before. I took my new to me Plains pistol out and shot it with Goex 2F, round balls, and Ox yolk .010 bore butter pre lubed patches. I used 30 and 40 grs, it shot well but every single patch had to be put out with my shoe after the shot. I used 1 .018 pillow ticking patch lubed with mink oil and it didn't burn, but it's too hard to load to use regularly. I've shot BB patches from rifles in years past and never had this happen. Anyone seen this? Was it the patch (cotton) or the lube, or both? I like the thinner patch for easy loading in the pistol, but I'm not gonna shoot these pre lubed ones anymore. I could start a forest fire. "Smokey" would be pi$$ed!

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy
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    Probably insufficient lube.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master



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    I think the problem is likely the material of the wad itself and perhaps the amount of lube they have on them. I have never had a problem with patches for my rifles lubed with Bore Butter, but they are very saturated with the lube.

    I have had a few of my home made felt wads for my revolver smolder a bit and one even caught my paper target on fire. For lube on the felt wads, I use Beeswax, Lambs fat, and Paraffin, which is also my lube that I use to seal the throats of the cylinders as well as for lube on conical bullets.

    But the revolver's accuracy does not seem to make a difference if I even use a wad at all, so on very dry days, I might just forego the wads completely.
    Last edited by HamGunner; 02-27-2023 at 07:28 PM.
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  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Definitely not enough lube. I lube mine as much as they hold and let the excess run off. To test, take your pre-lubed patches, and smear them with something before loading. Crisco, olive oil, butter, whatever you have. As much as they will soak without making a big mess. If the problem goes away, you will know why.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master

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    ok, I'll try that. I lubed some .010 patches that I got from TOW with mink oil today. gonna try those tomorrow. I love being retired and owning my own land. I can go to the range whenever I want!

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy Brokenbear's Avatar
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    That is a very thin patch ..if you are "shredding" the patch you are therefore making it much easier to burn ..as said also not enough lube can also be a contributor ..
    Your best bet is to go to a smaller ball size so your soaked in olive oil and bee's was .018 pillow ticking is a good snug fit
    Remember your patch goes 180 degrees around your ball ..so if your "easy to load" .010 patch and current ball is the starting point then you need a ball that is this ....018 + .018 = .036 - .010 + .010 = .020 final answer you need a ball whose diameter is .016 small than you existing ball to shoot the .018 pillow ticking
    It takes a highly highly polished bore to shoot a .010 patch and not shred !

    Bear

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by T-Bird View Post
    I had an experience this weekend that I have never had before. I took my new to me Plains pistol out and shot it with Goex 2F, round balls, and Ox yolk .010 bore butter pre lubed patches. I used 30 and 40 grs, it shot well but every single patch had to be put out with my shoe after the shot. I used 1 .018 pillow ticking patch lubed with mink oil and it didn't burn, but it's too hard to load to use regularly. I've shot BB patches from rifles in years past and never had this happen. Anyone seen this? Was it the patch (cotton) or the lube, or both? I like the thinner patch for easy loading in the pistol, but I'm not gonna shoot these pre lubed ones anymore. I could start a forest fire. "Smokey" would be pi$$ed!
    Forget the pre lubed thing - do it yrself and put plenty on

  8. #8
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    I have had a couple patches smolder after shooting. Insufficient lube. I took them home and re-lubed them and didn't have the problem anymore.
    A vote for anyone other then the conservative candidates is a vote for the liberal candidates.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

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    Last thing I want BB is to have 2 sizes of 54 cal mold and RB!

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy
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    If you have hornets in your area try using the outer paper material from a dead nest between the powder and patched ball. Sounds odd but it does work. The nest material doesn't burn and acts as a buffer.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    Could be that the barrel is rough enough to slice and dice your patches and allowing enough fire to surround them that they set fire. In a rifle doing the same the same the fire might get blown out at the muzzle.

    I've fired heavy rifle loads with un lubed patches and no burning at all.

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master


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    I had patches "Blown out" and never had one smolder. I gotta go with the "not enough lube" gang.
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

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  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    If you can get an old hornet's nest take the outer wrapping and use a good sized pinch on top of the powder. Your burnt patches will stop being a problem.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master

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    I did use a felt wad on one at the end of the day, it didn't burn. I've shot muzzle loaders a lot in years past and I'm returning to them, I've never had THAT problem. I've had others tho!

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy Brimstone's Avatar
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    Tried straight Jojoba oil as a patch lube last weekend while shooting at my uncle's house.

    A few patches caught fire and should have been a stern warning. I commented that it seemed like it wants to burn and we ought to be careful. Foreshadowing.....

    Conditions were and still are super dry. At the time there was a steady super dry wind from the west clocking about 20-25 mph.

    The back yard is butted up against an orange Grove. In the corner of the back yard was a large brush pile waiting for rainy season and the orange Grove? Mostly dead trees, heavily over grown with waist to shoulder high dead, dry grass.

    We finished shooting and I walked the adjacent brush pile because the stout wind might have carried a patch into the pile.

    We saw nothing. 10 minutes of sitting around and nothing.

    We head to my uncle's pole barn to kick back, talk shop, guns, reloading. Question comes up about cartridge capacity, weight and black powder settling.

    I head to the truck to get my adjustable measures and see a 100 foot wide fire raging just a few feet from my bumper. That brush pile? Most charcoal now. The wind blowing the fire right to the monster kindling box that is the dead orange grove.

    Oh and the water hose on the pole barn that can reach? Oh yeah the pump is dead.

    We were forced to go old school fire brigade with 5 gallon buckets and open an irrigation valve for filling grove sprayers. That pump will fill a 5 gallon bucket in about half a second.

    I can tell you that we were precisely 11" from disaster we couldn't control. 11" was the gap between the flames and a 5 foot tall stand of dry weeds and grass.

    We're hooking up a 2" hose to the irrigation pump to spray the area before we shoot anymore.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Brimstone View Post
    Tried straight Jojoba oil as a patch lube last weekend while shooting at my uncle's house.

    A few patches caught fire and should have been a stern warning. I commented that it seemed like it wants to burn and we ought to be careful. Foreshadowing.....

    Conditions were and still are super dry. At the time there was a steady super dry wind from the west clocking about 20-25 mph.

    The back yard is butted up against an orange Grove. In the corner of the back yard was a large brush pile waiting for rainy season and the orange Grove? Mostly dead trees, heavily over grown with waist to shoulder high dead, dry grass.

    We finished shooting and I walked the adjacent brush pile because the stout wind might have carried a patch into the pile.

    We saw nothing. 10 minutes of sitting around and nothing.

    We head to my uncle's pole barn to kick back, talk shop, guns, reloading. Question comes up about cartridge capacity, weight and black powder settling.

    I head to the truck to get my adjustable measures and see a 100 foot wide fire raging just a few feet from my bumper. That brush pile? Most charcoal now. The wind blowing the fire right to the monster kindling box that is the dead orange grove.

    Oh and the water hose on the pole barn that can reach? Oh yeah the pump is dead.

    We were forced to go old school fire brigade with 5 gallon buckets and open an irrigation valve for filling grove sprayers. That pump will fill a 5 gallon bucket in about half a second.

    I can tell you that we were precisely 11" from disaster we couldn't control. 11" was the gap between the flames and a 5 foot tall stand of dry weeds and grass.

    We're hooking up a 2" hose to the irrigation pump to spray the area before we shoot anymore.
    Wow, catching Florida on fire is quite the accomplishment. Even the air there feels under water.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    You would probably have had a devil of a time convincing the fire marshal that you weren't burning out of season. Good you got it under control before you had to call the fire department.
    A vote for anyone other then the conservative candidates is a vote for the liberal candidates.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master

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    Dang!!! When I was a kid, I burned off a 5 or 6 acre field of broom sage and fruit trees on a similar windy day in the winter with a cherry bomb. ( you older guys know well what they were.)
    Last edited by T-Bird; 03-03-2023 at 10:48 AM.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master


    dondiego's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by T-Bird View Post
    Dang!!! When I was a kid, I burned off a 5 or 6 acre field of broom sage and fruit trees on a similar windy day in the winter with a cherry bomb. ( you older guys know well what they were.)
    I did it with an M-80. The fuse was the culprit!

  20. #20
    Boolit Master

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    Oh, for the days when a 13 yr old kid could get fireworks like that.

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BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
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GC Gas Check