Prelubed Patches

[iloco]

I didn't want to high jack the TOW Mink lube thread so started this one.
 How many people use the prelubed patches that can be purchased at TOW.

[smokinbuck]

I have used OxYoke pre lubes for years with good results. Don't know if you can get them from TOW Ny more. They used be more expensive than anyone else, not counting shipping.
Mark

[Candle Snuffer]

I haven't bought prelubed patch since, well I can't remember when?  This was one of the first things I learned when getting into muzzle loading nearly 40 years ago, it's cheaper to buy your bulk yard material (I like blue striped .018 pillow ticking), or what ever material you prefer, and cut and lube them yourself.  I like Mink Oil as a lube if my muzzle loader is going to remain loaded for a period of time, and I like to spit patch when shooting competition or practicing at the range.

So no, I don't buy prelubed patches.  

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Making patches, and pre-lubing enough of them to go shooting is one of the easiest things you can do.  The patches don't even have to be circular.  Square patches work just fine.  Buy your material from a yard goods store, make a slit in the short edge with a pair of scissors about 1 1/4" from the edge (for .50 cal) and tear off a strip.  Make several strips.  Lay three strips on top of each other on a table top, and with a pair of scissors, snip off squares.  you can make a hundred in just a few minutes.  Now take enough patches to do all the shooting you will do in one outing, and put them into a Sucrets tin.  Pour in the liquid lube...squinch it around until all the patches are wet right through, and pour off the excess back into the vessel.  Put the Sucrets tin into you pouch and head for the range.
I cut circular patches with a bearing race and a 1 1/2" ball bearing.  I cut single patches, and place a couple hundred into a 'zip-lock' bag for storage, taking only what I need for an outing and wetting them.
I cannot fathom buying them from someone else.  But I can't get over people buying water either.  Bottled water is more expensive then gasoline, for goodness sake.

[galamb]

I don't shoot a lot which is probably why I use pre-lubed, pre-cut patches and pre-cast/swaged balls right off the shelf.

If I'm shooting a ball .010" under bore size I use Ox-Yoke .018" pillow tick and if it's .005" under I switch to Ox-Yoke .010 cotton.

I don't fiddle around whether it's my Colerain, Green Mountain or Oregon barrel - they get what they get and when my next rifle is done, with it's Rice barrel, I'm going to "feed it" the same way unless it won't group the way I want.

But I'm only looking for a 2" group at 50 yards and found that is not difficult to get with "off the shelf" stuff.

[ken]

I do not use them . They can rot  over time. A freind of mine and I were on a wodswalk and I keep seeing confitty coming out of the sky every time he fired his rifle!!  He was not hitting anything.  Turned out to be his old pre lubed patches. Gave him a stip of pillow ticking and all was good again. Lesson learned. If you are going to use prelubed patches shoot alot.

[Bob Roller]

Taylor,
Down here,recycled,bottled water is sort of a prestige thing for the folks that like to
run around our big city park in 100 degree weather.The cost is for convenience packaging in the plastic bottle that will still look like new 600 years from now and still be a blight on the landscape.

Bob Roller

[DaveP (UK)]

the last lot of patches I bought for my LePage (repro!) were OxYoke prelubes. I ran out and it was all I could get on the day. They didn't seem to deal with the fouling as well as a dry one with a smear of Hoppes 9. The first shot was ok, but then it became hard work, so now they get a smear too. It doesn't seem to hurt anything except my pocket.

[Daryl]

Most of use use pre-lubed patches - just like Taylor, LB and I have said numerous times.  Buy the cloth by the yard or meter. Cut the patches using an 'Arch' Punch or bearing race with large ball bearing, then put them in a tin and pour the lube over them. Let it soak in, then gently squeeze them them against the bottom of the tin and pour out the excess back into the container.  Works perfectly.

[cunninmp]

When I got my first BP gun, I bought the pre-lubed patches. It was a .54.
Ask around at the gun club and started with 65 grains of FFg. Went to
85 grains all with the same results. Best was about 5" group at 50 yards.
Not to long afterwards bought an Allentown Flinter from a builder in New York.
It' s .45 with a Colerain barrel. He said he would send me some patches that he
used and to lube them with Hoppe's #9. They were .018 cotton from Joannes
Fabrics, used with a .440 RB. Take it to the range for it's first shots. At 50
yards, 4 shots, could cover them with a silver dollar.
So I thought maybe I'd try that in the .54. Same patch material, .530 rb,
70 grains FFg, lubed with Hoppe's #9. The groups shrunk to under 2"
Went to Joannes Fabrics and bought 2 yards of it for $8.25.
That was a long time ago and have never used a pre-lubed patch since.
As a sidenote, I've precut patches and cut at the muzzle, no change in
accuracy. I just happen to like the convenience of the precut.
Mike C.
Groveland, CA

[moleeyes36]

Cunninmp,

Just for grins sometime why don't you try a tighter patch and ball combination to see what you get for group size.  I'm one of the many shooters that like a tighter patch and ball combo and if you haven't tried it you might want to see if that works for you even better than what you have now.  Try some .535 balls in that .54 caliber rifle and some .445 balls in the .45 along with the .018 patch material you have.  If you can find some .020 or thicker tight weave cotton cloth (look in the heavy denim, drill cloth, canvas sections) in the fabric store buy a quarter yard and give it a try.  You might see some significant improvement in the group sizes.  If you don't you haven't spent much money and had a chance to get in a little range time.  And that's always a good thing. 

[blaksmth]

I would agree with moleeyes,

I took my son in laws rifle out to rough sight it in , Its a .54 Douglas barrel and I was shooting at 50 yards , I had borrowed a .530 dia mould and cast some balls up and was using .016  GI patches and 110 gr FF.

 the rifle was loading very easy after 3 shots I noticed that it was shooting about 4 inch group.

I didn't have any thicker material , but I did have some wax paper in my loading bag ( I use this over the powder when hunting), I laid a piece over the patch and put the ball over both and seated the ball and cut the patch off and continued shooting .

The next 4 shots were in a 1 inch cluster!!!!! off of a rest .

 This made all the difference in the world , I now need to decide weather to go with a larger ball or thicker patch, I will try both 

[Candle Snuffer]

I didn't have any thicker material , but I did have some wax paper in my loading bag ( I use this over the powder when hunting), I laid a piece over the patch and put the ball over both and seated the ball and cut the patch off and continued shooting .

The next 4 shots were in a 1 inch cluster!!!!! off of a rest .

I've done this very same thing using old newspaper.  It does tighten the group up.  I use it on my X-Stick .50 caliber rifle, and shooting 49-3 to 4x, and 50-1 to 3x have not been uncommon.  Oh sure, I still throw a 47, 48 score up now and again at 50 yards off the stick, but that's just part of the shooting game on any given day.

[cunninmp]

Moleeyes,
I didn't include this in my post, but with my .45 I did try .445 balls
with my .018 patch material. Did not notice any improvement in my
group size. They appeared to equal the .440 balls. Have not tried
upping the ball size in the .54, but I do agree with you that it will be
a fun day no matter the results.
By the way, the .45 Colerain shoots best on paper with 57 to 58 grains
of Goex FFFg.
So today I'm getting a .40 built by Ross Westgate out of Paisley, Oregon.
It has a Colerain swamped on it. He has shot it using .380 balls and a .015 to
.016 patch with #9 as a lube. He's won a lot of matches at the Oregon Primitives
with it. Looked up the barrel on Colerains website and they state a .400 bore and .012
deep groves. So that comes out to a .424 grove diameter. So now the .380 ball plus
.032 of patching only equals .412. It would seem to me that you would need a
.022 to .024 patch to fill the groove diameter.
Oh, and he's been using Goex FFFg at 40 grains.
When it gets here later this afternoon I'll measure the groove diameter and see
what it actually is. Maybe I'll find the groove diameter to be closer to the .412.
Can anyone explain this anomaly?
Mike C.
 

[cunninmp]

So the Bucks County .40 got here. Ross Westgate is a great builder.
But now my question is answered as to patch and groove.
Winds up his patch material is .020 and groove diameter is more like
.417/.418.
So the .380 ball and .020 patch now equals .420.
So I guess I'm off to Joanne's for a couple of yards of .020/.021 ticking.
Have a hunch my .018 will be a tad small.
I also have some .389 balls so after I get used to the .40, might try those
with the .018.
Mike C.
Groveland, CA

[moleeyes36]

......Winds up his patch material is .020 and groove diameter is more like
.417/.418.
So the .380 ball and .020 patch now equals .420. ......

Mike C.
Groveland, CA

I think Daryl has made one of the better cases for using a very tight ball and patch combination.  Daryl, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe he's said he uses a slightly under bore or even bore size ball along with a thick patch.  A lot of other shooters do the same, including me, with good results.  I have a very accurate .40 caliber flintlock with an Oregon barrel.  I shoot this rifle, for serious target shooting, more than any of my other rifles.  I've found .023 patches and a .395 ball to be a great combination in that rifle.  Some of my friends are shooting very well using bore diameter balls, but I haven't tried that in this gun.  However, I have a .36 caliber flintlock with a Douglas barrel (which is coned) in which I shoot the same .023 patch material and a bore size .360 ball for the best results. 

I'm not suggesting you change what works for you, after all if it ain't broke don't fix it.  I'm just surprised you don't see an improvement with a tighter patch and ball combination.