In luck! Founds some patches.

[Greg Blackburn]

Well I am in luck. Found some .45 patches that I've had for years along with .58 caliber patches. Apparently I used shotgun cleaning patches for swabbing. All good finds. Won't have to order these now.

 

[Carbon 6]

I make all my own patches.

 

[FishDFly]

Me too. I sit in front of the fire place during the winter and make them. It's relaxing and kinda fun to do. The wife even helps.

 

[Grenadier1758]

If the patches you found were prelubricated, I would be looking for unlubricated patches. Lubrication on a cotton or linen patch will deteriorate the fabric and the result is shredded patches and no accuracy on target.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

Oops...the patches are pre-lubed.

The .45/.50's are likely 20 years old and the .58's about 8 years old.

 

[Nutnfancy]

I make my cleaning patches out of old T-shirts and my shooting patches out of pillow ticking. Only cost involved roughly $20 total is for T/C No. 13 Bore Cleaner and T/C Bore Butter, both last a long time.

 

[Carbon 6]

Oops...the patches are pre-lubed.

The .45/.50's are likely 20 years old and the .58's about 8 years old.

I make my own lube too.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

I bought a can of Crisco, I could use that to relube these patches, correct?

I have used pre-lubed patches that were pretty old before, had good results. I'll try them out when I get some .45 caliber balls.

 

[renegadehunter]

Won't hurt to try them, but the concern with old patches isn't that the lube has dried out, it is that the lube has broken down the weave/threads of the patch. Old patches that are damaged will return poor accuracy due to them shredding, getting holes, etc.
Shoot them, see what your groups are, and try to recover a few to see how they're holding up. If the accuracy is acceptable, no big deal what the patches look like.

 

[Carbon 6]

I bought a can of Crisco, I could use that to relube these patches, correct?

I have used pre-lubed patches that were pretty old before, had good results. I'll try them out when I get some .45 caliber balls.

IMO, Crisco sucks as a patch lube. It has the wrong consistency, and melts too easily.
I much prefer beeswax and olive oil mix.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

What about TC's "bore butter?" Is that a good patch lube?

 

[appalichian hunter]

45% Crisco 45% bees wax 10% olive oil you can adjust the bees wax up or down depending on the temp. A bit of A-LOX in the mix does not hurt either. Been using this in all my long rifles and smoothbore for years no problems even use it to lube bullets for the sharps. Part of the fun for me with these type weapons is the development of the needed things to go boom accurately. Why buy lube when you can go through your wifes cupboard and make it. And if she is like mine there is a bees wax candle or two somewhere in the house. You can even flavor it with oils such as cinnamon, mint what ever flavor you want. That way when you lick your fingers after loading it tastes nice. I like the cinnamon.

 

[Grenadier1758]

About the same, maybe a little better than Crisco.

 

[Nutnfancy]

Been using T/C Bore Butter for over 30 years, no problem.

 

[Greg Blackburn]

As fun as making my own may be, I just want to get to the range as fast as I can. Maybe later I can make my own but right now, just want to get the .45 shooting so I can practice up and hunt this year.

Thank you Nutnfancy. I have lots of TC Bore Butter.

 

[Nutnfancy]

I got lucky on my pillow ticking, it was free, I like free. Had been reading and watching videos about it and was online one day pricing some. Well, luck would have it I was needing a straight pin for another project, went to the wife's sewing box and on top was a bag of material and low and behold, about 2 yards of pillow ticking.

So, since I had that much I set myself up to shoot pillow ticking three different ways;
1.) Regular square patches
2.) In a roll I can cut off at muzzle
3.) In a roll with a slit every 1 1/2" that I can tear off at the muzzle (compliments of video by Black Powder Maniac Shooter)

Thus, I have two bags set up with these tree methods for shooting with pillow ticking patches; one for .50 cal. and the other for .54 cal. plus I have some T/C pre-lubed patches.

 

[Carbon 6]

What about TC's "bore butter?" Is that a good patch lube?

I'll pretend you didn't ask.

 

[Carbon 6]

About the same, maybe a little better than Crisco.

Yep, just slightly better but still poor IMO.

 

[Maven]

Nothing to lose by using what you have on hand, Greg. Just be aware that old, pre-lubed fabric may disintegrate because of the lube. (Don't ask....!)

 

[SDSmlf]

Find Bore Butter works ok at best in the Fall and Spring. Runs like water in the heat of Summer and is hard as a rock in the cold of Winter. There are many other options that work much better in my opinion.