Swabbing between shots

tenngun said:

Well before any one starts getting breechclot in a wad I was just funning with you.
I like ball and don’t shoot any other but we all shoot what we like.
And conicals are unarguably better in every respect over ball

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Tenngun, I have no argument with anyone, not looking for an argument.

I'm really enjoying spending time on, and posting on, the "New and Improved" MLR Forum.
I started in 1980 shooting PRB's, and did so exclusively for almost 30 years. In 2010 when I bought a short musket, started shooting Minie's, and posted on here about it you'd have thought I had urinated in the Holy Chalice.
The most vocal opponent to my shooting minie's finally admitted he had never shot one...but knew someone who had (reminds me of a bad joke).

There is room enough for almost everyone here in the traditional black powder world. (No 209 primers and bolt action muzzleloaders please!!!)

Anywho...I'm gonna get another cup of coffee. I hope everyone had a safe 4th.

glidingdoc said:

Can I just check. Over here in the UK Murphys Soap Oil is sold as a wood cleaner. Are we talking about the same thing?

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RATROD56 said:

No swabbing between miniballs?

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Nope. Not one little bit

tenngun said:

The time was when I would say a bad thing about minie, maxi, real or such other projectiles in a round ball gun. But I’ve mellowed with age and realize to each their own.
Some folks eat ketchup on t bone, put macaroni in chili, mix fine whiskey with some sweet soda.
One can shoot a conical in a round ball gun. It’s ok. Just do it in private and wash your hands afterwards

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I never mentioned the type of gun. Since some benighted folks insist on shooting PRB in a 63 Remington (aka "Zouave") I feel turnabout is fair play.

I do shoot a PRB Whitemountain carbine with a rough bore. It has to wiped about every third shot. If you're shooting the right balance between lube on the patch and powder charge and type of powder, wiping shouldn't be necessary for a while.

the anti freeze mix is similar to ballistol in preformance. i mixed about a 1/4 to 1.

tenngun said:

And conicals are unarguably better in every respect over ball

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No, they're not.

RATROD56 said:

No swabbing between miniballs?

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dave951 said:

Nope. Not one little bit

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Can you guys, shoot the eye out out a squirrel with a mini ball ?

Carbon 6 said:

Can you guys, shoot the eye out out a squirrel with a mini ball ?

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Even if we don't get the eye, a 58 will pretty much put an end to a tree rat. This is with my musketoon at 100yds. Might not be minute of squirrel eye, but I think it will do.

Eterry said:

Tenngun, I have no argument with anyone, not looking for an argument.

I'm really enjoying spending time on, and posting on, the "New and Improved" MLR Forum.
I started in 1980 shooting PRB's, and did so exclusively for almost 30 years. In 2010 when I bought a short musket, started shooting Minie's, and posted on here about it you'd have thought I had urinated in the Holy Chalice.
The most vocal opponent to my shooting minie's finally admitted he had never shot one...but knew someone who had (reminds me of a bad joke).

There is room enough for almost everyone here in the traditional black powder world. (No 209 primers and bolt action muzzleloaders please!!!)

Anywho...I'm gonna get another cup of coffee. I hope everyone had a safe 4th.

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Here Here.
Being a flintlock snob I will give good natured ribbing to any one shooting a cap popper. Of course we know real men shoot wheel locks, or match locks. If you ain’t shooting a club butt you don’t have a real ML.
Ball cast up real easy, it very accurate and kills pretty well. I don’t doubt I could take my long smooth bore and live off the land, and not loose a lot of weight.
I recognize that conicals are better projectiles. I might give a fellow a ration of something bad smelling for shooting them but will take it with a chuckle when handed back to me.
Chuckle is the thing because it’s all just a bit of one upmanship.
Fact is I’ve ate a lot of good chili with macaroni in it.... and even drank scotch in 7up once or twice. I even had a navy arms zouave and shot o box or two of the devil’s projectiles( Mia Culpa Mia culpa)
You’ve seen folks on this thread that swab and them that don’t. It’s just Yankees is better then Dodgers stuff.
Folks can make fun of my smoothie rock in the lock all day ( since I know they’re just jealous ).

RATROD56 said:

What's best to use for stabbing in between shots? Can moose milk be used?

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It’s my preference to use Butch’s Black Powder Bore Shine, this is a product sold by Lyman.
https://www.lymanproducts.com/black-powder-bore-shine
The applicator bottle is very convenient to use and re-use for my moose milk mix at 7:1 water:Ballistol that on my shooting patches. (I use the dry patch method)
I only use this commercial cleaner as a between shot wiping fluid, so a bottle lasts a long time.
I like that this chemical has been formulated to clean up BP fouling.

I feel it’s important to have the same level of dampness on each wiping patch.
Therefore I count out a known number of patches, place them in a small glass bottle that has a tight fitting lid.
I add a measured amount of the Butch’s Bore Shine so each patch absorbs the same amount of fluid.
I am not at my notes right now but the fluid quantity is about .5 ml per patch.
Of course the level of patch dampness would need to be adjusted to what work best in your rifle, with your load.
In freezing cold weather I use an windshield antifreeze. GM Opticlean work well in the freezing cold.

Rarely, shooting more then a dozen shots per shooting session, I don’t swab. With initial load work-up I check the point of impact for shots 1 and 12 from the bench. Ball seating resistance is seldom different over the coarse of a dozen shots.

Carbon 6 said:

Can you guys, shoot the eye out out a squirrel with a mini ball ?

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I've killed squirrels with minies and prb from a .58 Zouave, not exactly ideal but..... Gotta admit much trouble shooting their eye out. Done it a couple of times but it's so dang difficult to keep the squirrel balanced so his eye is over the muzzle.

I've got a little squeezy bottle filled with a mix of water, alcohol, GoJo hand cleaner (without pumice) and a couple of drops of dish detergent.

I use water or that mornings coffee every five shots to simulate match conditions. Recently started using hand sanitizer the state requires for covid. Works well. I also use simple olive oil for patch lube. A patch with more liquid ( usually spit) is used if rifle becomes fouled on a woods walk. Never shot enough hunting to become an issue

sure sounds like anything works. the buffalo hunters of old when their sharps rifles got fouled urinated down the barrel. then swabbed it out. that worked also.