Patch Questions?

[Ames]

Target shooting= Spit patches and spit wipe between shots.
Going hunting?= Mink oil patches, leave it loaded for weeks.
Real black powder only.
We like things simple up here.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I shoot standing and don't like juggling, so I prefer a lube that lets me load (without a short starter) from a pre-filled ball block without wiping between shots. Every fifth shot I spit wipe.

Can't prove the lubes linker to below were like anything ever used in the 1700's or 1800's, but the ingredients were available. As a test I left a barrel loaded with the grease style and fired it off after 11 months - along with four other patched balls left in the block (I dripped a couple drops of liquid lube on those first). A little high and scattered for a group but any would have been in the deer's lungs at 100 yards.

Link back to the how-to on this forum below: http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/203261/

 

[Dr5x]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLY.
IF YOU EVER GO HUNTING SOMETHING MUCH SMALLER THAN A BARN DOOR I MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE OF HELP.
I LIKE YOUR AMISH APPROACH TO ALL FOR ONE AND VICE VERSA SYSTEM

THE OLD COLORADO GUIDE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS A TENDENCY FOR GAME THAT RUNS AWHILE AFTER BEING SHOT TO ALWAYS RUN IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM YOUR VEHICLE.

DUTCH

 

[DarrinG]

Good evening, Dutch.
My grouping the first session was good. I was using a .015 patch with Mink Oil, 70g ffg Goex. At 40 yards I had 7 ball holes basically all touching, some almost through the same hole.

Yesterday I changed up a bit, moved the target out to 65 yards, shot the same thickness patches but pre-lubed out of the package. Same powder charge, 70 grains ffg Goex. The grouping was not even close to what I experienced last week. The distance was a wee-bit further. I also tried a couple .018 ticking patches, pre-lubed also. With the pre-lubed patches, after a few shots, the prb got very difficult to load. I was shooting at a small-bore rifle target and although the shots never missed the small target, they were scattered about with no real "pattern".

Question:
At a fabric shop, ticking is ticking? I guess I need to take a micrometer and gauge it uncompressed?

Thanks in advance.

 

[azmntman]

If you succeed in nailing an Elk, how in hell do you work with that immense animal?

Last one I got required quarting and hiking (thank you Lord) down hill a mile to the truck. Thanks to cell phone technology (flip phone so HC) I was able to get 3 other foolish (& young) outdoorsman to meet me at the kill and I only had to make the one trip. But 1 trip or 4 the meat is well worth it :grin: . Solo you quarter and bag, hang three in a tree and start burning calories :shocked2:

 

[Dane]

Tighter patch and ball combo!

 

[Dr5x]

DarrinG,
If you were using the same patch yesterday as you were a week ago we can begin with that
Take a compressedmeasurementof that thatching and we will call that a beginning point.
Bring your micrometer up snug in the uncompressed manner then holding with just your thumb and fore finger tighten the barrel of the mic and write down what reading you get. Uncompressed measurements of cloth fabrics are meaningless. The compressed measurement tells you what kind od seal the patch is putting around the ball.

On your next visit at the range load your rifle as usual but place a single sheet of thin paper between patching and ball and fire five rounds in that manner at 0 yards bench rest You say you lubed with mink oil but I have no idea how much you use I would suggest using as little as possible There are way to adjust the amount of lubrication but we'll go into that another day. If your groups with then first experiment with the paper are still wild try anoth five shots with two or maybe three sheets of paper between patching and ball and see if the group isn;t tightening up a bit.
a wild non group of no pattern is as igne of a variety of causes. Usually it means too thin a patching which allow some of the power to by pass the projectile,
OR too light a load, but I think your load is close to all right
OR too slick aPatch lube which allows the patched ball to zip out of the barrel like a hot suppository before the powder has been able to build up its maximum pressure.

If you get get a appreciably better group with a combination of patching and say 3 sheets of paper, take a compressed measurement of the patching and the same number sheets of paper.
that will be your new starting point.

I think your problem is going to be both too slick a lube or too thin a patching.

Let me know how you do.

You might send your results tp

[email protected]

We don'twant to clutter up the forum with all these instructions.

I hope you have been giving your bore a quick wipe between shots and that your wiping patches big enough to gather in the narrow neck behind the jag headand sweeping the bore clean.

Att the range we could accomplish more immediate success than this laborious method over the internet. but we may yet amaze yourself.

Dutch All replies should have the word Dutch in it or I won't see it.

Dutch

 

[Grenadier1758]

On your next visit at the range load your rifle as usual but place a single sheet of thin paper between patching and ball and fire five rounds in that manner at 0 yards bench rest.

Dutch

I believe that Dutch meant 50 yards.

 

[Rifleman1776]

They look OK to me. Other factors should be considered when looking for your fouling/loading problems. e.g. humidity, brand of powder, moon phases, etc.

 

[azmntman]

Yes, moon phases are to be considered for optimum accuracy. As we have just experienced a BLUE MOON on 03-31-18 we all need to switch over to the BLUE STRIPED ticking now until the next color phase is experienced. Happy shooting!

 

[Rifleman1776]

Yes, moon phases are to be considered for optimum accuracy. As we have just experienced a BLUE MOON on 03-31-18 we all need to switch over to the BLUE STRIPED ticking now until the next color phase is experienced. Happy shooting!

:wink: :v

 

[Dr5x]

Grenadier,

Thank you,
I am too impair visually to proof my own posts,
I was a little confused as DarrinG has a tendency to change more than one thing each time. He moved from an earlier shorter range and on his second visit moved up to 60 yards.
I like to do do my experimentation at 60 yards.

I need a keeper. Cute, if possible.

Dutch

 

[DarrinG]

Thanks, Dutch. I'll keep my range the same next time out and only change one thing at a time.

 

[hanshi]

Hi, Darrin. I'm one of those who would rather shoot than wipe. There are some things to keep loading easy and prevent fouling buildup. One thing is, sorta like that mentioned by Dutch, pay attention to compression measurement. Doesn't matter if you use a caliper or mic, just do it the same way all the time. Another thing is smoothing the rifles crown, evenly and all around it. This makes it easier to start the prb and the more shooting you do the smoother the bore. Fairly tight loads work well for my rifles and I use mattress ticking, canvas duck and sometimes denim. And unless you can produce enough spit for lube, I no longer can, use something that cleans the bore.

Actually, plain water works really great for lube. Problem is that it dries rather quickly and can't be left in the gun for too long. There are many testimonials advising windshield washer fluid, DGW "Black Solve" - I like them a lot - and many others. But I use two proven favorites, TOW mink oil (for hunting) and Hoppes #9 BP Lube and Cleaner. Hoppes is mostly used at the range with mink oil for hunting and the range. With these lubes I find I can shoot all afternoon with NO wiping and accuracy is unaffected. While your patches don't look bad at all, the right lubes will make seating much easier. With mink oil you can leave a rifle loaded for months with no problems arising.