Wiping between shots

[French Colonial]

So......
As many here know from my ramblings I have been a spit patch, blow down the barrel guy since the 70's.
It has worked very well for me, won more than my share of matches and woods walks back when my vision was 20-10, 20-15 and I did not understand why any one wanted to wipe between shots.

Grenadier and I have went back and forth on this so one of my recent replies to him was I was going to give it a try to see what all the fuss was about.

I turned down a 54 caliber jag a little bit at a time until it felt like it was sliding down smoothly but bunching the cleaning material up when pulling up on the rod and ended up with a jag that measured .491, in retrospect I should have started with a 50 caliber jag.

Here are the cleaning patches using a damp patch with a 10% Ballistol 90% water mix with the excess squeezed out using a potato ricer.

I was surprised by how much crud the patches pulled up and my group at 50 yards was pretty good considering I can not see for schlitz anymore (Can not wait for cataract surgery!). For those of you still blowing down the barrel I encourage you to give it a try as I was pleasantly surprised.

I think I will start wiping between shots when I am at the club and we are loading at the bench but will not when doing woods walks etc. still do not want to mess with it while walking and loading.

Thanks Grenadier! I guess you can teach old dogs new tricks!

 

[hanshi]

I blow down the barrel more often than not. I also do not wipe between shots mainly because I don't have to. Been working for me for the past 67 years and I see no reason to change. I didn't do it when I was in the hunting bush but everywhere else, absolutely. I don't go to matches and have only been to 2 rendezvous/woods walks.

 

[Pratt]

I wipe every two shots. The accuracy is still good enough to bring home a ham from the shoot.

 

[64Springer]

My best three shots touching group happened because I swabbed the bore before reloading and shooting.

A damp patch followed by several dry patches.

I am solidly in the clean between shots camp.

If practical.


Never say Practicable. It's a sure way to lose a battle you should have won.

 

[wiscoaster]

I wipe every two shots.

That's my custom as well. A damp patch followed up by a dry patch.

 

[wiscoaster]

.....

Never say Practicable. It's a sure way to lose a battle you should have won.

Hah!! That's a term much used (and abused) by lawyers and government bureaucrats.

 

[JBird]

Since I'm stuck at a public range, I only get 15 minutes of shooting before range goes cold. As long as I'm using a wet lube I can typically fire the entire stint, usually 5-8 shots. Although I always start cleaning when we receive a 2 minute warning. So i can start the next session with a clean bore and pan. You never know how long some of these folks are going to hold up the range changing targets.

In the field I've not been lucky enough to come across a horde of squirrels to see how many shots I can get off with mink oil loads. Maybe tomorrow I'll find a few.

 

[longcruise]

I'm a wiper. I've shot wet lubes without wiping through 25 shots in a five target match. I always fired two fouling shots before any record shots.

But in the end, I'm a hunter and darned if those deer and elk refuse to stand still for two fouling shots. Heck, not even one!

So, when hunting or shooting out of the bag I pop a wiping patch in my mouth and wipe with spit.

 

[ETipp]

Its not absolutely necessary to do so but I wipe between each shot, or at the most, every other shot, while target shooting. Reason why? Because I am a big game hunter first and foremost. Its always that first or second shot that matters most. I want to know for sure that my critter tool is ready and accurate. With conical(s) I find that after two shots I can feel a crud ring forming.

However, while squirrel hunting with my Crockett Squirrel Rifle RB shooter I have shot up to 11 times while squirrel hunting without running a cleaning patch down the bore. I doubt I will be doing that again. Most likely after 6-7 shots I will be wiping the bore out from now on.

I haven't blown down the muzzle for a long time except to see if it was getting plugged up. Even then it is rare I do so.

 

[smo]

I was a wiper for years…
Now the next load does the wiping.

 

[flatcreek]

Next shot does the wiping. The difference to me is the crude is on top of the powder instead of behind it and I don't have the dirty patches to deal with, they get blown down range.

 

[Tumbledown]

I went to a woods walk with a new gun that I had not used before. I spit lube and only stopped to wipe after 7-8 rounds. I did well enough to place 2nd among 11 shooters. I guess the whole wipe or no wipe debate depends on your target and desired accuracy.

 

[Thingamajiggy]

At the range, I'm a 2 shot then 1 wet/dry patch guy as well. Probably started due to over patching when I first started, almost impossible to load after a couple shots. Now its just what I do, may not have to but works for me.

 

[IanH]

I think the point of the thread was not as much "Tell us what you do and why", but more "Don't get stuck in a rut because you worked something out long ago and keep doing it out of habit". Try something new once in a while, especially with a new to you gun. It may confirm your habitual methods are still the best for you, or you may learn something.

Since I can't resist the "tell us what you do and why" part either, here goes: When at the range or informal shoots, I use water-based lubes, water-soluble lubes, or spit. I don't wipe the bore unless the crud ring gets obnoxious. This method does not work for most hunting situations as Longcruise pointed out, so I have a method for that worked out, too, and it absolutely requires wiping after two shots and preferably after the first one.

 

[Des52]

I found out a long time ago you can spend your time shooting or cleaning. If you use a good lube and push the fouling down on the powder you can shoot all day without cleaning the bore. I for one would rather shoot and then clean when I am done.

 

[Ed C.]

I load the ball with a damp patch (6:1 water:ballistol) over a jag. I do not need to wipe between shots and at 50 yards shots are usually touching or one ragged hole. .50 cal Hawken. Under the ball I use a patch dampened with Olde Turkey Track.

 

[tenngun]

Good lines and the right combo can mean going many shots without a wipe.
Dry air vs humid air makes a big difference.
However I like Frank Herbert…. ‘Speed is the device of the Devil’.
Ml is fine wine and a pipe. It’s a performance of a great epic movie or an in-depth novel, it’s a fine dinner with friends, a walk in the woods during your favorite time of the year.
Slow down, take your time, relax.
So many say I can shoot a dozen shots with out a wipe. No doubt about it I’ve done that, but there is no advantage I can see in it.
There is times I dont, but it’s rare that I dont.
I got the time.

 

[ETipp]

I think the point of the thread was not as much "Tell us what you do and why", but more "Don't get stuck in a rut because you worked something out long ago and keep doing it out of habit". Try something new once in a while, especially with a new to you gun. It may confirm your habitual methods are still the best for you, or you may learn something.

Since I can't resist the "tell us what you do and why" part either, here goes: When at the range or informal shoots, I use water-based lubes, water-soluble lubes, or spit. I don't wipe the bore unless the crud ring gets obnoxious. This method does not work for most hunting situations as Longcruise pointed out, so I have a method for that worked out, too, and it absolutely requires wiping after two shots and preferably after the first one.

Good post! I Couldn't agree more. It boils down to a range session/target shooting or actual hunting situations. Sometimes I keep my ML loaded for days on end while hunting. The last thing I want to use is any kind of spit/wet type of patch lube.

 

[Art Caputo]

I’m not a wiper….Until my sense of feel tells me the next load may not make it down to the charge……Depending on the particular rifle/load, this can vary from 10-20 shots for me. Temperature/humidity can cause the number of shots to vary.

 

[TarponStalker]

Good post! I Couldn't agree more. It boils down to a range session/target shooting or actual hunting situations. Sometimes I keep my ML loaded for days on end while hunting. The last thing I want to use is any kind of spit/wet type of patch lube.

The same thought goes for me as well. With any hunting lubes, I can never shoot more than twice without wiping. Since I mainly use my rifles for hunting, I've never tried a soaking wet patch, but I may try it the next time just to see how it does for target shooting.
It's not that I am in a huge hurry, but there are times that it would be nice to shoot multiple shots without having to stop and clean the bore. I usually take a bottle of rubbing alcohol to swab after every shot or two, since it dries quickly.
I've always had the opinion that lube types depend on what you're using your guns for.