Swabbing between shots?

[Armando]

I'm using a Traditions Hawken Woodsmen caplock, 50cal.

Reading the recent discussion about Ballistol got me thinking:

Last time on the range I used Ballistol to swab between shots and it made loading quicker and made clean up easier when I got home. I thought it worked great. Reading some other opinions got me thinking; what do you guys normally use to swab between shots (just spit?)

 

[Carbon 6]

M.A.P.

 

[EC121]

I don't. Too much trouble. As long as the ball loads smoothly, I keep going. Sometimes I wipe to just take a break from shooting, but not because it is needed. I use mink oil mixed with non-hardening coconut oil and clean with whatever is on the bench. Hoppe's #9 Plus, windshield washer fluid, Birchwood Casey BP cleaner, T/C blue colored cleaner, or water.

 

[dave951]

When I'm shooting prb, I'll swab between shots with either Windex or ballistol. Since I shoot mostly Minies, I just keep shooting till I run out of ammo.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Regardless of what we say, everyone does some form of wiping between shots to establish a consistent level of fouling in the barrel.

I use the liquid mix of 1 part Ballistol and 7 parts of water. I dampen a patch to wipe the initial fouling. I use a slightly undersized jag to slide over the roiling and then bunch up to pull the fouling out. Even then fouling can be pushed to the breech. You can use the Murphy's Oil Soap, Rubbing Alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide (MAP). MAP is a more aggressive cleaner than the Ballistol mix and a dry patch should follow. You can use dish soap in water, plain water , spit or some of the over-the-counter fancy solutions to dampen the wiping patch. Any method does a good job.

There are those who state that they don't wipe between shots. They are wiping when they soak their patch with their lubricating solution. That patch is wiping the fouling from the previous shot back to the breech. The fouling is pushed on top of the powder charge and may help minimize fouling at the flash channel. Any of the patch lubricants will work just need to find the dampness that pushes down the fouling and doesn't wet the powder charge.

Because conicals that engrave on loading fit to the grooves, fouling is wiped to the breech. In a similar fashion a minie' ball's grooves wipe the fouling from the previous shot as the skirt expands into the grooves.

It boils down to we use what we think works best as we developed our load.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I run a patch about every 5th shot or when it gets tough to load a ball. I use a mix of Murphy's oil soap and alcohol. I see no need to swab after every shot.

 

[Carbon 6]

There is a secondary reason why I use M.A.P.
When I use M.A.P. I'm not just swabbing, I'm actually cleaning, so when I fire the last shot it only takes me a few minutes to completely clean the rifle. This also means I don't have to carry any additional cleaners, only a protectant. I can clean the gun right there at the bench or in the field. Works great for me, your mileage may be different.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Years ago I discovered I could push a lubed 12 gage wool wad down on top of the powder when loading my .54 Hawken. The wad folds/mushrooms around the end of the ramrod making a very tight fit and scrubs the bore clean with each loading. I can shoot all day long without out having to swab and bore condition is consistent shot to shot.

 

[Rifleman1776]

spit. Every shot.

 

[azmntman]

Plinking, I use Hoppes # 9 (black powder solvent and patch lube) and it does the job. Seriuos rabge time or zero rifl I use Dutchs method of dry patch and swipe between shots every shot. Hunting I use mink oil and dont swab cuz I'm done after one shot

 

[AlanG]

Last time on the range I used Ballistol to swab between shots and it made loading quicker and made clean up easier when I got home.

There are a lot of good products, but since you already have some Ballistol- mixed 3 or 4 to 1 (3 parts water to 1 part Ball.) and used as a patch lube you will never have to wipe between shots- assuming you are continuous loading. Honestly if you are doing a partial clean before leaving the range why not just do a complete clean there with the Ballistol mix?

If you do swab with Ballistol between shots, there is no need to follow with a drying patch before loading.

No matter what patch lube you use, if you want the absolute gilt edge accuracy you need to use a dry patch after loading the ball- note- most ranges will not allow you to do this for obvious safety reasons.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Saliva/spit patch about every fifth shot.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Years ago I discovered I could push a lubed 12 gage wool wad down on top of the powder when loading my .54 Hawken. The wad folds/mushrooms around the end of the ramrod making a very tight fit and scrubs the bore clean with each loading. I can shoot all day long without out having to swab and bore condition is consistent shot to shot.

Tom, come on and admit it. You are wiping (or swabbing) the bore. The only difference is how you are doing it to get the bore to a consistent condition. Use wool, tow, shredded hemp, shredded manila rope, sisal twine, damp cleaning patch, over powder wad or whatever will grab the fouling and pull the fouling out or push the fouling on top of the powder charge.

Hey it works and there's no need to really raise a ruckus.

I guess the lubed wool wad pulls a consistent amount of powder from the charge.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Tom, come on and admit it. You are wiping (or swabbing) the bore. The only difference is how you are doing it to get the bore to a consistent condition. Use wool, tow, shredded hemp, shredded manila rope, sisal twine, damp cleaning patch, over powder wad or whatever will grab the fouling and pull the fouling out or push the fouling on top of the powder charge.

Hey it works and there's no need to really raise a ruckus.

I guess the lubed wool wad pulls a consistent amount of powder from the charge.

No ruckus at all.Yes,indeed. Perhaps not in the conventional sense. but the bore gets wiped down with each load. My method seems less trouble than attaching a jag and running a wet patch and then maybe a dry one. As far as pulling powder from the charge, I shoot 125 grains in the .54 and it doesn't mind a bit.

 

[tenngun]

A spit patch in none to humid weather can load over and over. A greased patch might a bit less.
Humid weather builds up a cake faster.
It’s easy to swab between shots. I can use my guns ramrod to load, but at a range I use a wiping stick. I run a damp patch down a dry, a couple to three swipes.
I never have to fight to get a ball down bore, and it’s easy peasy.
I wipe the pan with a damp patch and frizzen face.
I can, and have shot fast for a ml, ten patched ball in three and a half minutes, about three seconds worth with a simi auto.
I could shoot fast all day but what’s the point? I’m shooting a ml and if it takes me twenty min to shoot ten shots or thirty min what do I gain going faster?
A wipe or two cost you nothing

 

[hanshi]

I don't swab the bore and don't really need to. But as Grenadier1758 mentioned the bore does get swabbed with each patched load seated.

 

[RATROD56]

I run a patch about every 5th shot or when it gets tough to load a ball. I use a mix of Murphy's oil soap and alcohol. I see no need to swab after every shot.

Can I use "Moose Milk" to swab between shots?

 

[Idaholewis]

I use HIGH content Isopropyl Alcohol, HEET (In the Red Bottle) Fuel treatment to be exact

 

[TreeMan]

Can I use "Moose Milk" to swab between shots?

For years I’ve been using -0 degrees windshield washer fluid to clean between shots. It has detergent of some sort, cleans well and evaporates almost immediately. You can buy a gallon jug for a couple bucks and it will last for years. Put some in a squirt bottle and clean away.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

I use HIGH content Isopropyl Alcohol, HEET (In the Red Bottle) Fuel treatment to be exact

IIRC, isn't HEET ethyl alcohol (corn liquor)? Same stuff they mix with gasoline, isn't it? I believe they "denature" it so you can't enjoy drinking it. Been years since I used any, so just going buy old memories.