Swabbing between shots

I'm new to black powder shooting. I have been swabbing my Lyman Great Plains bore after each shot with ballistol soaked patch with no problem after 3 range sessions. Tried using a dry patch yesterday between shots and it did not work. Swabbed bore with dry patch after 2nd shot and the rod with patch was so tight had to have help pulling rod out of bore. After 3rd shot used spit soaked patch to swab the bore. The 4th shot was weak, ball did not hit paper at 50yds. Spit patch bore swab again, short started a ball and was unable to move ball down the bore all with ramrod...stuck ball 6" down bore. With that experience I am back to using the ballistol patch after each shot, read where some use alcohol swab.....what is best swab between shots?

I'd say that if Ballistol is working for you, stick with it. I don't believe that there is any one magic material with which to swab your bore But, I do believe, as Dutch Schoultz teaches, that it is important to swab your bore between every shot with a patch that is just damp. One stroke in and one stroke out with no pumping. Fouling is kept down and at a constant level by doing this.

You will likely get a plethora of answers on what is the "best" material with which to swab your bore and I am sure that each one works, but if Ballistol is working for you, I'd say that you should stick with it. It's a great product.

I'm also fairly new to black powder, I'll be interested in the responses to your question by the more knowledgable members. Meanwhile, I'll tell you my experience, which was similar to yours. I was wiping with alcohol followed by a dry patch, but after 8 - 10 shots the patches, particularly the dry patch, would jam. I sometimes had to clamp the T handle of my range rod to the bench and pull the rifle off the rod.

After reading this forum, I tried using spit for lube, just putting the patch in my mouth. This let me shoot as long as I liked without wiping between shots. However, last time out I found that accuracy fell off after 10 shots so I wiped with spit on a cleaning patch. This restored the accuracy and I shot my best group to date.

Experimentation continues. I have purchased Dutch Schoultz' system but haven't fully adopted it yet as I wanted to find a way to avoid wiping while on a woods walk. I plan to use Dutch's system on the firing line once I've recovered some skills. It's been half a century since I shot regularly.

Jamie

PS I shoot a Lyman Trade Rifle.

The ways are many and varied, this way works for me.
I use .22 caliber cleaning patches and spit.
The small patch is consistent in size and thickness and of sufficient size to fit the cleaning jag of 40 through 58 caliber well.
Once down and back removes fouling in a consistent manner every shot.

On the range I swab between shots every time. As you found out a dry patch isn't good. You need something that will dissolve the fouling. Tons of stuff out there from water to high priced store bought things.
I've been using with great success this recipie. Stumpy's moose juice. It's the best and very cheap. I use it to swab, as a patch lube.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/203261/

After 3rd shot used spit soaked patch to swab the bore. The 4th shot was weak,

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Soaked? Did you say SOAKED?

That will kill yer bp charge fer certain fer sure everytime. I use a spit patch for swabbing between every shot. But my patch is only spit dampened. Cut down on the slobber.
And, my experience is Ballistol should never come near any firearm, of any kind. Never ever. It will gum up bore and moving parts sumptin awful.
Remember, Ballistol was developed for use by the Germans in WWII, and they LOST the war. :wink:

When shooting at a Rondy or range I used to set my most battered tin cup on the bench with water and squeeze the excess moisture out of the patch. You might want to experiment with different material, I prefer a pretty loose patch for swabbing the bore. For general shooting or hunting, a loose fitting spit patch seems to work fine. It seems to me that many commercial cast balls and patching, are to danged tight for a lot of bores anyway, smaller dia. balls and thinner patch make life easier all around.

This is often a controversial topic, but depending on the ambient conditions and patch lube you are using, you may not need to swab the bore after each shot. E.g., when temperatures are above freezing and for target and woods walks where the interval between loading and firing is shot, I use 1 Ballistol : 6 water for all my BP guns*, including a Great Plains, and I rarely need to swab between shots. For hunting purposes or when you don't want a wet patch atop your powder charge, I use Stumpy's Moose Snot, an easy to make home-brew (Google it) and only need to swab after every 2nd or 3rd shot.

Btw, if you don't want to use Ballistol, winter grade windshield washer fluid + a few ounces of Murphy's Oil Soap + a few ounces of canola, neatsfoot, or olive oil in a 750ml bottle works just as well (You can even omit the Murphy's oil soap if you choose). Just remember to thoroughly shake up the mixture before applying it to your patches and, as with the Ballistol solution, use them wet, i.e., just shy of dripping.

*Patched RB's; patches are at least .018" thick and require moderate effort to start and seat the RB.

I use a very light "spritz" of Windex on a cleaning patch at the range between every shot (a tip I picked up on this forum). I don't "soak" the cleaning patch, it's just barely wetted. I go down once, let sit a few seconds, remove. Since Windex dries so quickly, no need to run a dry patch after and I've never had issues using this method. It's very handy and quick and it works.

I cut baby wipes into pieces and use them to swab the barrel. I then use one dry patch before reloading. I think that you should find a system that works for you and use it until you find a problem with it. That's part of the fun, finding the right combination of things that work for you.

use a very light "spritz" of Windex on a cleaning patch

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Gotta be good. That's how the original mountain men did it. :grin:

I prefer a pretty loose patch for swabbing the bore

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I use baby blanket flannel bought at Wal-Mart. Be sure to check that it is pure cotton and wash before using. Or you can often find cotton bedding at used resale shops.

A 100% cotton cleaning patch and spit between shots works for me.

It also worked for Boone* (who didn't have Windex or Ballistol).

* Ok, Boone probably used linen instead of cotton, but the point is you don't need fancy or exotic solutions to swab between shots!

I used to swab between shots with a "spit patch" . But for the last few years I have went to a heavier lubed patch(80% lard 20% beeswax ) with a leather over powder wad. This "power swabs" each shot. The effect is the same as if taking a "fowling" shot, then loading. I find it is simpler and easier than swabbing with a separate patch. :idunno: :idunno:

Old t-shirts or whatever, I refuse to by cleaning patches. Patches for ball are from pillow ticking or Super Muslin from Wal-Mart. I did pick up a couple TOW worms and use them with jute twine or unraveled baling twine, does a good job of scrubbing the bore.

In reference to the spit patch. That's what I was thinking. My technique must be off!
Thanks

A trick to prevent getting your ramrod stuck.....is to place the jag near one of the corners of the patch instead if placing it in the center. and having a jag with a relief area behind it.

I always swab between shots, and use 91% Isopropyl alcohol dispensed from one of those little 3oz travel bottles sold in drug stores for airline travel. The flip-up dispenser cap makes it really handy.



Bought these at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

:shocked2: REAL men don't shop at BB&B. :nono:

:wink:

I normally at the range use saliva on my patches, and then cut the patch at the muzzle. This after about three shots leaves a damp remnant, and I swab the bore with that. Works quite well, but I have round bottom rifling in my barrel. IF the second shot is really hard to load, I merely cut a small patch off the strip I'm using for patches, and soak that with saliva, and swab.

When hunting I use a lubed patch, and reload without swabbing. There is more resistance the second time, but it does load.

Some folks like alcohol as it tends to evaporate faster than water or saliva, especially from a warm or hot barrel.

LD