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Cut at the muzzle

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Most fieldsman and longhunters of today seem to have a decided preference for “cutting at muzz” as it were.

There seems to be many reasons for that. More practical in the field and when shooting from a Bag seems like a few.
 
I'll probably get flak for this, but I'm going to say no.
Guns were weapons of war and at least as early as matchlocks we see the development of pre-loads. Then paper cartridges were developed. No man wants to be cutting at the muzzle when speed is the difference between life and death.
Cutting at the muzzle developed out of necessity from a lack of alternatives. But alternatives were the preferred.

Imagine trying to reload by cutting at the muzzle in battle or fighting Indians, and then being overrun. Chances are you will be left without both a loaded gun and a knife .
And your hair.

Now cutting at the loading block, that's a different story.
Precut patches in correct size and thicknesses are so easily available nowadays. I've seen guys at gun shoots whip out a giant Bowie knife to cut a piece of ticking cloth 4' long. I know it's an interpretation but seems over the top. I'm way more interested in shooting then reenacting. I buy pre solvent, prelubed and dry patched. After I shoot, I run a solvent patch down the barrel, then a dry patch followed by a ball in a lubed patch. Works awesome. It's one extra step to reload but the gun is cake to clean when I get home and consistent at long ranges (100 yards)
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When I am shooting the bench rest matches I use strips held over the barrel with my left hand while right hand places ball on strip peg started and then cut at muzzle. The cloth thread pattern is always the same orientation that way. When I am shooting pistol LTF I use patches I prelube and line up in a tray so they can be loaded as quickly as possible. We all have our own way of loading.
 
Precut patches in correct size and thicknesses are so easily available nowadays. I've seen guys at gun shoots whip out a giant Bowie knife to cut a piece of ticking cloth 4' long. I know it's an interpretation but seems over the top. I'm way more interested in shooting then reenacting. I buy pre solvent, prelubed and dry patched. After I shoot, I run a solvent patch down the barrel, then a dry patch followed by a ball in a lubed patch. Works awesome. It's one extra step to reload but the gun is cake to clean when I get home and consistent at long ranges (100 yards)
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What is this "solvent" of which you speak? :)
 
In this case, the solvent could be any liquid applied to a patch that will soften or dissolve black powder fouling. It could be simply water, water with a little bit of soap, rubbing alcohol, some commercial black powder solvents, some commercial black powder liquid lubricant, the famous mixture of Murphy's Oil Soap, rubbing Alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide in equal parts (MAP), Winter blend windshield washer solution, or the list goes on. Capnball has a source for some commercial patch with solvent that he uses.

The point here is that the identity of the solvent is less important than the fact that he is wiping the bore with a dampened patch after each shot.
 
In this case, the solvent could be any liquid applied to a patch that will soften or dissolve black powder fouling. It could be simply water, water with a little bit of soap, rubbing alcohol, some commercial black powder solvents, some commercial black powder liquid lubricant, the famous mixture of Murphy's Oil Soap, rubbing Alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide in equal parts (MAP), Winter blend windshield washer solution, or the list goes on. Capnball has a source for some commercial patch with solvent that he uses.

The point here is that the identity of the solvent is less important than the fact that he is wiping the bore with a dampened patch after each shot.

I think my facetious question was poorly constructed. I was questioning what I'm pretty sure is the use of one of the bp solvents that is widely advertised (there are many) but can't hold a candle to H20. :)
 
I, too am more interested in shooting than reenactment. I have tried both methods. Precut patches have their place but cut at the muzzle is more consistent for rifles in my opinion. For pistols, though, cut at the muzzle is a PIA; precut patches for my pistols.
 
For 40 years I have always precut my patches. But, I have almost always used spit for lube. So when I grab my trusty Black Powder rifle I open a tin of precut patches and pop a few in my mouth. They taste like washed pillowcase for some reason. I don't chew 'backy, so they go in the place 'backy would. When I'm ready to load I take a patch from my mouth, center it with a RB, and down she goes.

The one time I bought prelubed/precut patches was a disaster. Not to mention the time I grabbed the wrong tin and got some lubed patches in my mouth...NOT a good day! But they were terrible, kept tearing and coming apart, so I ditched them.

But I'm not trying to be Historically accurate, I just enjoy shooting these things.
 
I think my facetious question was poorly constructed. I was questioning what I'm pretty sure is the use of one of the bp solvents that is widely advertised (there are many) but can't hold a candle to H20. :)
They come packaged that way and whatever it is, it doesnt evaporste so I'm guessing it's as stated, soap, alcohol etc. I clean the gun with boiling water. And dry swabs.
 
In this case, the solvent could be any liquid applied to a patch that will soften or dissolve black powder fouling. It could be simply water, water with a little bit of soap, rubbing alcohol, some commercial black powder solvents, some commercial black powder liquid lubricant, the famous mixture of Murphy's Oil Soap, rubbing Alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide in equal parts (MAP), Winter blend windshield washer solution, or the list goes on. Capnball has a source for some commercial patch with solvent that he uses.

The point here is that the identity of the solvent is less important than the fact that he is wiping the bore with a dampened patch after each shot.
Exactly!
 
Historically they cut at the muzzle. Daniel Boone is described by Audabun as doing so.
Of course wait a moment here. Pre cut patches are described In loading manuals from sixteenth century Germany. Early military rifles used precut. Even triangular shape.
It’s thought that Butt traps are called patch boxes on American guns to carry pre cut patches in.
I like pre cut, one has no advantage over the other. Both are historic. What do you want to use?
 
Historically they cut at the muzzle. Daniel Boone is described by Audabun as doing so.
Of course wait a moment here. Pre cut patches are described In loading manuals from sixteenth century Germany. Early military rifles used precut. Even triangular shape.
It’s thought that Butt traps are called patch boxes on American guns to carry pre cut patches in.
I like pre cut, one has no advantage over the other. Both are historic. What do you want to use?

What 16th C Europeans used and what 18th C Americans used is an entirety altogether amongst itself.

Trimming at the muzzle is the most period for the time period and location that this forum best represents.
 
Patching at the muzzle is foreplay for me. Several have said they aren't interested in reenacting, only in shooting. I get that, but to me shot preparation is valuable to this hobby. I use pillow ticking strips that I've soaked in Ballistol and water then let dry. I cut at the muzzle. All the while reciting in my head, "powder, patch, ball". The whole process is a cherished ritual for me, the same every shot.
 
Patching at the muzzle is foreplay for me. Several have said they aren't interested in reenacting, only in shooting. I get that, but to me shot preparation is valuable to this hobby. I use pillow ticking strips that I've soaked in Ballistol and water then let dry. I cut at the muzzle. All the while reciting in my head, "powder, patch, ball". The whole process is a cherished ritual for me, the same every shot.
Good enough!
 
Patching at the muzzle is foreplay for me. Several have said they aren't interested in reenacting, only in shooting. I get that, but to me shot preparation is valuable to this hobby. I use pillow ticking strips that I've soaked in Ballistol and water then let dry. I cut at the muzzle. All the while reciting in my head, "powder, patch, ball". The whole process is a cherished ritual for me, the same every shot.

Foreplay ????? I'm definitely doing something wrong here...lol. :ghostly:
 
For 45 years of shooting I have ALWAYS cut at the muzzle, added insurance that the ball is sitting centered in the patch.
 
I've heard pre-cuts improve accuracy, but always attributed it to muzzleloader campfire tales. Anyway, I cut at the muzzle, even though a friend of mine sliced his hand badly when his rifle slipped & I've managed to remove a fingerprint or two. I used pre-cuts for matches where speed is required, such as NMLRA's Limited Time Fire & some rendezvous events.
 
I have used both, prefer cutting at the muzzle. I do use a loading block when hunting. I don't know which is more accurate, might be interesting to try some off centre patches and shoot off the bench to see what the story might be.
 
I've heard pre-cuts improve accuracy, but always attributed it to muzzleloader campfire tales. Anyway, I cut at the muzzle, even though a friend of mine sliced his hand badly when his rifle slipped & I've managed to remove a fingerprint or two. I used pre-cuts for matches where speed is required, such as NMLRA's Limited Time Fire & some rendezvous events.
Lead balls are not very smart. Sometimes they don’t even go where they are told.
They can’t tell if patch is cut at the muzzle, pre cut round, square, triangular, daisy, hex,.... as long as it covers the bearing point of the ball.
 
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