My Experience with Hoppes 9 +

[M Tornichio]

just wanted to post my experience. I shot my latest rifle which is a 58 cal and also my old stand by which is a 54 cal. I shot the entire time with out wiping between shots. My last 5 shot group had 4 shots touching at 25 yards 1 flier. I am still testing, but am quite happy about not having to wipe between shots. I will try at longer ranges next time. Does anyone know if it could be used as a hunting load? I will probably try it just to see.
I have learned alot from this board and just wanted to take a few minutes to give back.
Marc

[Harnic]

Hi Mark,  I use Hoppes #9+ in my 42" .50 cal fullstock flint Hawken with the same results you got.  Accuracy is great & no wiping, even when I shoot well in excess of 50 shots in a day.  I have a small pipe gong which is about the same size as a beer can on a chain & from a rest I can hit it until I get bored at 100 meters.  Hoppes #9+ should work fine as a hunting lube if you used an over powder wad to keep your powder from absorbing it.

[LynnC]

Harnic - I'm curios about what affect a wad might have on point of impact, velocity & group size.  More load development I guess.  Anyone try it?...............Lynn

[roundball]

I use Oxyoke prelubed wads over powder on all my hunting loads...but I use NL1000 patch lube for hunting...Hoppes No9 BP+ for the range sessions

[Scott Bumpus]

I did some testing with overpowder wads to see how they work.  I could not find any difference with or without at 25 yards in my 45cal flint.  might shoot some at 50 both ways just to see if impact changes. i was using ballistol for lube

[Harnic]

Harnic - I'm curios about what affect a wad might have on point of impact, velocity & group size.  More load development I guess.  Anyone try it?...............Lynn

I too would be interested to see if anything changes Lynn.  I don't hunt, so haven't tried it, but I have a lathe so I could make a wad punch.  I made one for my 45 Sharps & use cork wads in it, they should work in the correct diameter for a muzzle loader too.  Hoopes #9+ is thicker than many liquid lubes & being down the bore away from any air currents, I doubt it would dry out noticeably in a day afield.

[Daryl]

I found using a wad between the patched ball and powder reduced accuracy in all barrels tested, except for the 14 bore.  Your results may differ. This amounts to the individual gun and it's preferences.  I assume with the barrels that lost accuracy, had I retested a variety of loads, I'd have come up with a hunting load that would have duplicated the original patched ball's accuracy. It may take another 5 or 10gr. or perhaps 5 or 10 gr. less - perhaps one would even use a looser patch? Testing is the only way to find out. There are no 'pat' answers in this game.

[sonny]

Did anybody try mixing a little bee's wax with hoppes to slighty thicken the lube for hunting?.........sonny

[William Worth]

I wouldn't want to it's already so thick.