Confused newbie

[DMacKay]

I’m new to this and today at range I was trying to figure out what type of load my gun likes. I was running a dry pouch down the barrel after every shot and had some black (wet appearing)fouling on every patch.
After about 6 shots when I went to wipe the barrel I met a tremendous amount of resistance and after struggling to even pull the range rod out the patch was covered in a gray (drier) almost crumbly fouling. I left after that shot and returned home and cleaned it thoroughly. Did I do something incorrectly? 

[Stoner creek]

What caliber? How much and what kind of powder?

[Berksrifle]

I never run a dry patch down a dirty barrel anymore. When I did, I got your results. If I wipe, it is a damp patch followed by a dry patch.

Ken

[DMacKay]

58 cal 90 gr 1.5 F

[Brokennock]

What was in the bore when you started?
Do you use an oil as a protectant? Worse yet, a petroleum based product?
Also, dry patches in a dirty bore tend to be asking for trouble.
I don't swab between shots, but some folks swear by it, some even swear at those of us that don't.

Also, generally speaking, the coarser the powder, the worse the fouling will be.

[DMacKay]

I’ve been running a “rust prevention” patch down it after I clean it.

[Herb]

Is that Swiss 1 1/2F or Olde Eynsford 1 1/2F?

[DMacKay]

Swiss

[Daryl]

Your load is not excessive, DMacKay, far from it, however you did not mention the patch you use.
With a snug load & decent lube in a smooth barrel, rifled or not, there is no fouling buildup, shot to
shot and no wiping at any time is necessary. When target shooting, many of us use a water soluble
patch lube. Others use a commercial lube like www.trackofthewolf.com's Mink Oil, or Neetsfoot Oil as a lube.
They all work. Stay away from commercial lubes like bore butter, or Lube 1000. Some of these will actually
build up inside the bore themselves and ruin accuracy after a few shots. Not only that, but they are then
difficult to remove.
Others of us use a water soluble oil and water, 5:1 or 10:1. This is quite a slippery lube and works well.
Other use Balistol mixed with water. I have not tried that one.
I do use the Water Soluble oil and water 10:1, as well as winter windshield washer fluid -35 stuff mixed with
just a touch of oil, maybe 10:1. fluid to oil.
Swiss 1 1/2 should work just fine in a .58, as-will 2F. Some guys even use 3F in .58's, although I don't. I use 2F
in calibers .50 and over and worked up accuracy loads with 2F even in .45 and .40 calibers although I used 3f
mainly in those small bores.

[DMacKay]

So I’m using .570 ball and .015 patch with bore butter. Guy at store told me it’s “great” and I’ve been trying to figure out why my first couple shots are good then it starts being inconsistent. I was thinking I needed to clean the barrel better and let barrel cool

[smylee grouch]

If those 15/1000 patches are store bought I would check them with a caliper. Most of those patches are not what they are advertised to be. It could be the store guy said the lube was great because that is what he sells.  I have heard of people having to use brake cleaner to get the bore butter residue out of their barrels. Welcome to the forum, stick around and the people here will get you started down the right path. 

[Hatchet-Jack]

My understanding is that Bore Butter is just Chapstick. I would suggest you experiment with some other lubes. A friend of mine got me hooked on using Murphy's Oil Soap and water. Just a little bit of Murphy's is all you need to create a very slippery lube that breaks down fouling while you load. Put it in a spray bottle, spray the patch pretty wet. I can shoot for quite a while before I need to wipe the barrel. For hunting I use bear oil or tallow and beeswax or mink oil.

[Daryl]

So I’m using .570 ball and .015 patch with bore butter. Guy at store told me it’s “great” and I’ve been trying to figure out why my first couple shots are good then it starts being inconsistent. I was thinking I needed to clean the barrel better and let barrel cool

Interesting. When I measured OxYoke .018" patches, I read off .015/6" thick.  I use 10 ounce denim which I measure at .021" in the last batch I bought.
Great stuff and shoots in every one of my rifles and smoothbore, just great. No wiping necessary - and that is over a 50 and once, up to 100shots in 1 day.
NO WIPING needed.

[Brokennock]

I’ve been running a “rust prevention” patch down it after I clean it.

Okay, but, what, are you using for "rust prevention" and are you cleaning it out thoroughly before loading?

It does sound like a large part of the issue is probably the bore butter.
 But, do make sure any oils are removed from the bore before loading. A few patches with alcohol should generally do this.

[Don Steele]

Welcome to our world..THIS:

I never run a dry patch down a dirty barrel anymore. When I did, I got your results. If I wipe, it is a damp patch followed by a dry patch.

Ken

Some lubes will allow you to shoot multiple rounds with little or no wiping between shots. If you're going to wipe between shots, use a "slightly moist" patch with any one of a thousand recipes of your own making, typically referred to as "Moose Milk", or non-ammonia window cleaner, spit, etc,etc. ( there's a LOT of choices). Point is, don't wipe with a DRY patch.  
And..stop using Bore Butter. 
There are too many excellent patch lubes available either commercially, or of your own making.

[bones92]

I have found a mix of Ballistol and water (about 1:4) is a simple and effective lubricant.  I use a fairly wet patch, almost dripping.  It dawned on me that a lot of the moisture from a patch is sucked out and left on the bore as you seat the next ball.

DMackay, also, you probably don't want to swab between shots, unless you are going to have a period of time where you're not shooting, in which case a couple wet patches, followed by one dry patch, will serve you well.  I use the dry patch to soak up any excess lube and water that might be in the bore, but ONLY after having used some wet patches to soften the fouling and pull a good bit out.

Swabbing between shots, however, will likely build up fouling at the breech, and eventually it will block the flash hole. 

[smylee grouch]

If you swab between shots a lot of people have better luck with a slightly smaller dia. jag so they don't push as much fouling down but still pull it out when the patch bunches up on the reverse pull.

[badwolf]

What do you all recommend for a rust preventative? I always seem to get rust/brown on my patch when i run one down the barrel.

[bluenoser]

I swear by RIG grease.  I realize that runs counter to the often-seen admonishment to not put petroleum products in the bore, but RIG has never caused any problem and I have never had rust in the bore.  I just run a dry patch through the bore before the first shot.

[smylee grouch]

There are some who get rust/brown patches because they use hot water to clean.

[Hatchet-Jack]

After cleaning with hot water allowing it to dry I scrub the barrel with a patch soaked with Clenzoil Field and Range Rust Preventative, then I oil with Ballistol. I wipe the outside of the barrel and metal furniture with Clenzoil then Ballistol. For hunting in wet weather I'm trying out Renaissance Wax. It seems to really protect the metal and wood, water just beads up.

[rich pierce]

You’ve gotten great advice.
Basics are that if you want to shoot without cleaning between shots, use plenty of water soluble lube and a patch/ball combo that gives a perfect seal. Then the lubed, patched ball cleans all the fouling as it is rammed home. Because it is well-lubed, it rams home readily.

If you, like most target shooters, want to clean between shots you must use a water soluble lube on a patch that fills the grooves. The patch must be wet, not damp. Ram it down, withdraw, flip it over, repeat, follow other a dry patch and load your gun. This is how most do it at my ML club.

Folks will advise based on what works for them and what they consider the most logical and least problematic or least effort. But both these techniques work.

[Daryl]

Well written, Rich.

[Paul from KY]

I use cooking oil as a patch lubricant.  Canola, corn, or olive oil work well, as well as Pam cooking spray.  I use PB Blaster (the aerosol can)  to prevent rust, but I wipe the bore dry before I shoot.  I have learned through experience not to use WD40.

 

[smylee grouch]

Curious Paul what experience you have had using WD 40. Did you use it for patch lube or after cleaning?