It seems that if one did not swab the bore between shots, that the process of pushing a PRB down the bore would cause a bit of a layer of fouling and soot to form between the powder and PRB by the time loading is complete. I say this based on the amount of black fouling stuck to a patch after swabbing (and the assumption that even more of the fouling was pushed and left at the bottom of the barrel).
Just curious what effect this might have on powder.
Also, I'm thinking of designs for an improved jag that would expand and tighten inside the bore only when it's all the way at the bottom of the barrel. This would enable one to pull all the fouling out of the barrel, instead of pushing most of it to the bottom of the barrel.
Wiping? It depends.....
If using an accuracy load. A load with a fairly dry patch like teflon coated material or patches soaked in water soluble oil then dried wiping is required. These and other relatively high friction "dry" lubes require wiping. I use a "heavily damp", fairly large patch, not dripping, on a loose jag. Both sides used then a dry patch both sides. in regards to the expanding jag...
The loose jag will let the patch ride over most of the fouling on the way down then bunch up and pull the fouling out when the direction is reversed. If you compete in a string measure rest match and don't wipe then you will likely not be all that competitive.
A lube like Neatfoots oil or tallow or a water based "lube" can be shot without wiping especially if the shooter blows through the barrel between shots (this can be climate dependent) but will still need to be wiped now and then in dry climates4g . Water based patch lubes can work very well since I consider these to be high friction. However, I quit using spit, for example, some (too many) years ago when I found a ring in a 58 caliber barrel where the ball sat in the bore. I have a 36 cal that I shot when I was a kid and it shows no ring. So (?) Anyway I don't use water based lubes and where I live I "blow" if I don't wipe. But these slick lubes
usually will not give the necessary precision for over the chunk or other string measure matches. Paper matches shot on scoring ring targets are more forgiving. Hit and miss matches on steel targets even more forgiving and generally require less accuracy.
This is why I use one load for accuracy and another for hunting IF shooting matches that allow time for wiping. If shooting steel or other novelty targets I use a hunting load.
Cautionary note. While few FL shooters use the product a letter Hodgdon wrote to "Rifle" magazine some years ago explained that if ANYTHING liquid was used to wet the fouling from Pyrodex that ALL the fouling had to be removed immediately. This stemmed from a subscriber wetting a rifle bore (in this case a modern brass suppository arm) with a very common smokeless bore cleaner overnight and the barrel being so damaged that it required replacement. It turns out that the product has alcohol in it and alcohol always has a greater or lesser amount of water in it.
Dan
