Making / Experimenting with Patch Lube

[Ohio Joe]

That was a good read, doggoner,,,

I will say this about patch lube;

I will always prefer a spit-patch when target shooting as long as I can generate enough spit (which is mighty hard to do at times when the temperatures start tipping the 90 degree + mark)... Then I need a lubed patch 'cause spit can become in short supply.

I will always prefer a lubed patched ball combo for hunting as that load may stay in my rifle for days or weeks, possibly even a month or better - and I would never want to risk forming a "rust ring" where a spit patch may find itself repeatedly in my rifle bore...

Now I'm not looking for a "super" lube by any stretch of the imagination. I'm just looking for a lube that works that I can make from everyday items from around the house/kitchen. At the same time, it is rather enjoyable doing this "lube quest"

 

[Ohio Joe]

WHAT!?!  No sprinkles? 

Al, can you believe it,,, the kids and grand kids, along with grandma,,, well they used up all the sprinkles on Christmas cookies...  What a world...  

[Hank in WV]

The nerve of some people. 

[Ohio Joe]

I know, Hank! 

[Bigsmoke]

But Joe, it's for science.  Go down to the grocery store right now and buy some more.  You owe it to the world.  Get some glitter while you are at it.  I sure do miss the ROTF thingie.

[Ohio Joe]

You're right John. If we're a gonna do it, we may as well do it up right! 

[Nessmuk]

Since winter arrived and my bore butter froze up solid, I  started looking for a better, cheaper, all-weather lube. On another  forum , I   found a recipe that was simple, cheap, and only used household ingredients . I've used it since December and it fits the bill for me.

3 parts non-ammonia Windex and 1 part Murphy's  Oil Soap. It's  that simple.

I use this and a linen patch, it shoots great, never freezes. Post  shoot clean up is easier, too.

Does anyone else use linen for patch material? Old  white sheets make 100s of patches for free.

[rollingb]

Since winter arrived and my bore butter froze up solid, I  started looking for a better, cheaper, all-weather lube. On another  forum , I   found a recipe that was simple, cheap, and only used household ingredients . I've used it since December and it fits the bill for me.

3 parts non-ammonia Windex and 1 part Murphy's  Oil Soap. It's  that simple.

I use this and a linen patch, it shoots great, never freezes. Post  shoot clean up is easier, too.

Does anyone else use linen for patch material? Old  white sheets make 100s of patches for free.

Here is a link to an old lube recipe that works much like you describe, and has been around for many years. 

http://mamaflinter.tripod.com/id10.html

I've tried linen for patching and discovered it works well in rifles with fairly shallow riflings,.... my (current) rifles all have fairly deep riflings, so I use (and like) 0.018"-0.020" pillow ticking (measured with my calipers).

When choosing patch material,.... the first thing I do is take a lubed strip of material and a ball that's 0.010" smaller than bore size and "short-start" it in the barrel, then grab the excess material left sticking out of the bore with a pair of pliers and pull the ball and material back out.

I then check to see if there is a good "weave imprint" embedded around the ball and there are no cuts from a sharp muzzle in the material.

If everything looks good,.... I then charge the gun with powder and shoot 10-12 shots, then start looking for the used patches on the ground, about 5-10 yards in front of where I was doing the shooting.

Recovered patches can tell you if the patch material is sealing well enough to prevent "burn through" from hot gases which can effect accuracy. 

If the recovered patches look black and shredded, I then either, try balls that are 0.005" bigger, or hunt for a thicker piece of cotton material, and start over again. 

Recovered patches SHOULD look good enough to reuse. 

[Nessmuk]

Thanks, rollingb. That means I'm  golden. My fired patches are  light grey and frayed slightly  on the edges.

[Uncle Russ]

Thanks, rollingb. That means I'm  golden. My fired patches are  light grey and frayed slightly  on the edges.

Mark, FWIW, I'm not sure as why it is, but it has been a "Coon's Age" since I found a burned patch.
I used to, years ago, in fact I saw it a lot.
Better barrels, better patch material, better lube?
I have no clue as to when or it how it stopped, it certainly wasn't because I was shooting less powder.
However, I do have a strong suspicion it was better ball and patch fit.
I quit using "one size fits all, pillow ticking" and started adjusting ball / patch to where I needed the short-starter less and less.
I've yet to reach my goal of "thumb starting" on every different gun / caliber I shoot, but I am pretty close on several.
I look at every patch I find. Just a habit I suspect, while realizing I will never find 'em all, so I collect what I can find.

Like you say, there's a bunch of 'em that could easily be used again, perhaps even twice over, but then I think, "where did this round ball impact?"
Was it a 10? Or was it a flyer?
That 'uglier than usual patch' was it a 10 or was it a flyer?

 

Reading Patches is serious work, work that will make your head hurt trying to separate the wheat from the chafe.
But you have to admit, it's all fun!

Russ...

[Nessmuk]

Good advice, Russ. I suppose  I  could  number my patches with a pen but that would seem to much like work.