General Patch Questions

[clevalley]

I am amazed at the amount of information on this site... just in a day I have picked up a ton of tips. I do have a few questions;

Do people mainly cut their own patches or buy in bulk? Either way could you share your tips/place of purchase?

Spit patch - either wet it with saliva or windex/water and run it down the barrel and right back out correct? Just like running a patch from the breech end when you are cleaning but in reverse (from the muzzle).

Spit Patch - I have not done this, but how do I know when I have to do so? I hear some people say after every shot - others say after every 4 or 5... does it have to do with accuracy or the sabot not seating down on the powder charge due to powder crust from the 209 primer? or both?

TIA!!!

 

[ctomegaman]

I'm still a newbie myself, but was taught to do a wet patch after every shot, and then follow it up with a dry patch. As for the patches I use, I buy them in bulk from like Bass Pro or Cabela's. -- Van

 

[cayuga]

For INLINE RIFLES I use a 50/50 mix of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol and car windshield washer fluid. I buy my patches in bulk from Wal Mart. $1.99 for a large bag of patches.

Lightly dampen a patch with the solution. Now with your loading jag on, push that patch into the barrel and work it back and fourth in 3-4 inch strokes. Work down the barrel to the muzzle. If you feel something is getting tight, slow down and work in even smaller strokes. When you get near the breech of the rifle you might have to scrub a little.

Now pull that patch up the barrel. Again work that in short strokes. Once out of the barrel turn it over and work the other side of the patch down the barrel in the same manner you did the first.

After you pull that patch run one or two dry patches down the barrel to insure that the bore of the rifle is dry. Now load as normal.

Depending on the powder and the projectile, you might have to swab between every shot or at least every other shot. The main thing is consistency. Try and make all the shots consistent.

 

[clevalley]

Thanks!

I have not done a lot with ML'ers but I am steadily shooting it more and more... I know have my 11 y/o son shooting my .50 cal Omega with a 30 grain charge - he loves it!

 

[cayuga]

Young people for some reason love to shoot muzzleloaders. Maybe it is the smoke, noise, and all the effort to shoot it. When we used to get together to shoot, friends would bring their children and we always let the kids shoot. Normally with traditional rifles we loaded them 70 grains and a patched roundball. It was amazing to watch some of the little ones shooting them rifles. One young man used to have to rest the barrel on the railing because he was too little to hold the rifle up. But he'd shoot it, grin ear to ear and beg to shoot again...

 

[clevalley]

Can unlubricated shooting patches be used for cleaning patches? Like these?

 

[cayuga]

Can unlubricated shooting patches be used for cleaning patches? Like these?

What you might find with these.. they are too small and they will come off the cleaning jag. Hit your old sock drawer, T-shirts, any diaper factories that wash them around you?.. they make good patches.

Anything 100% cotton works. Like I said, I go to Wal Mart and get a bag of patches for $1.99. They claim there are 200 patches in there, but the patches are so large you can normally cut some of them in half, and still use them. They work real good.

 

[clevalley]

Went to Walmart and bought the BIG Bag -o- Patches like you said! Cheap and looks like this will work!

I have old socks, underwear and t-shirts in a rubbermaid trash can in the garage I use as rags and cut patches/swabs for the shotguns.

Thanks again for the advice!

 

[Mike Vaccaro]

What gun you shooting? I know with several of the front loaders I have run across the cleaning jag supplied made life tough when using cotton\thicker patches. Getting the ram rod stuck at the range is a pain. Don't be afraid to go to a slightly smaller jag or thinner patches to make life a little easier. Don't get to loose, still need some pressure to get her clean.

Henry

 

[Vadeerhunter]

something i have not thought about for awhile or maybe just taken for granted is the cleaning jag.when i am swabbing between shots or cleaning my omega seems it is somewhat of a loose fit.i normally purchase the 2 in pre cut patches.think i should cut my own just alittle bigger or change jags........right now i use the super jag made by t/c.any ideas on this?

 

[clevalley]

I am shooting a .50 cal Omega - I did not know there were smaller jags... I am assuming the one on the end of the ramrod (it came with it) is what you are talking about right? Concaved on the end with three or so ribs on it?