Burning Patches

[Long-Shot]

Today I went out to the Rock Pit to do some shooting... without Sabotloader. He was tied up with other things. I did everything right. Using the same things as I did before:

80 grains Pyrodex RS Select pushing a .015 cotton patch treated with Wonderlube from the factory (T/C Brand. I think they actually call it bore butter) wetted slightly with moose milk. .54 Cal round ball. After a few shots, I went looking for patches. I couldnt find any!

So I loaded it agin and asked my father-in-law to shoot it while I watch for the patch. (He has no idea what to look for). I found it.... burned up. Not shredded from rifling, but brunt almost like char cloth.

My shots were all erratic and seemed uncontrolled. Well, as soon as I saw those patches, I put her away. Sabotloader will know whats going on and how to fix it.

We did a little test with a lighter to see what patch lube combination burns the least with open flame. Moose Milk burns the fastest out of everything we tried. Granted, I found nothing wrong with moose milk a week ago. Patches looked fine!! Now, they are all brunt! The only thing I did differently was JB my bore after the Spring Fling last weekend.

Sabotloader gave me some different, secret, hush hush lube to try. He doesnt even know whats in it. This stuff didnt even want to light the cotton! And he gave me some wads incase they are still burning up. I wont see him again probably until after the Troy, Oregon Rondy this coming weekend. Tomorrow I am going back out and trying some different things. Maybe something will work!

Any ideas why Pyrodex is burinng up my patches?? T7 I can understand, but not Pyrodex! Thanks guys!

 

[Swampman]

I've found one part olive oil, one part lard, and one part bee's wax to be a great patch lube. If it seems to stiff add olive oil to get it where you want. Spit, Windex, or windshield washer fluid also work fine.

 

[cayuga]

I am sure you are mixing the moosemilk good by shaking it before you use it. I use just moosemilk and all kidding aside, you could almost use my patches over again. The JB Bore paste only cleaned the bore of the rifle. Why the patch is burning, I would ask... are these pre cut patches? Are they old patches?

I really do not know what to tell you. Unless because you have the bore butter in the patch material, the alcohol in the moosemilk is just sitting on the outside of that patch wax and ignites.

Are the patched burnings and basically frayed, or are they just blacken?

 

[Long-Shot]

They are bits and pieces of chared cotton. I shook up the moose milk just before putting in on the short stack of about 15 patches. They are factory cut patches pre-treated with TC Bore Butter, again, factory. It the same thing I used last week and the patches looked great! Yesterday, they were bits and pieces of char cloth.

I am actually getting ready to head back out and shoot some more. Maybe what happened is I got them TOO wet with Moose Milk and didnt allow enough time to let the alcohol evaporate away. So I will try that first and see how it comes out. I'll let you all know how it turns out. Thanks!!!

 

[Long-Shot]

I've found one part olive oil, one part lard, and one part bee's wax to be a great patch lube. If it seems to stiff add olive oil to get it where you want. Spit, Windex, or windshield washer fluid also work fine.

This seems like a pretty good lube. What kind of Olive Oil do you use? Is it the really expensive stuff or the cheaper stuff. Is there a difference??

 

[Swampman]

I like Extra Virgin but the cheap stuff works just as well. In cold weather a little extra olive oil makes it easier to use. You can sub the kidney fat of a deer for the lard if you want. Just heat it up enough to get it all mixed together. Be careful because you don't want it to catch fire in your wife's kitchen.

 

[sabotloader]

Long-Shot

Hello from Missoula.... I think Dave (Cayugad) may have hit the coorect answer....

Unless because you have the bore butter in the patch material, the alcohol in the moosemilk is just sitting on the outside of that patch wax and ignites.

That might be exactly what the problem is....

Try using a non-treated patch treated with Moose Milk and see if that works for you.

I never use alcohol for anything - so I do not know all the tricks of it.... the blue stuff I gave you is not very flammable as you already know. Hope that worked for you this evening....

Dave these look really good compared to the patches he brout over last night.

The bottom row of pillow ticking all had a torn or burnt spot in them and the top row of cotton patches did not show any signs of tearing or burning.

The patches he collected from Sundays shoot were just blackened pieces of patching.... They were pretty well buned up.

These are not Long Shot's patches but the middle row of pillow ticking patches are what his patches looked like only totatally blackened...

 

[cayuga]

Those in the top pick are beautiful. When they shatter like the other pick you have a problem.

 

[Long-Shot]

what could that problem be? I went shooting again, sorry it took me so long to respond. My computer went down. Anyway, I went shooting again and tried several different things from dry cotton lubed with saliva, to Mikes Magical Mystery Milk with a wad behind it. They ALL came out shattered like those pillow tickers shown in the bottom pic. The only lube that didnt burn the patch was that blue stuff. They still came out shredded, but not burnt. All others turned the patch into char cloth.

However, I was able to hold tight groups with this combination: wad, mikes magical mystery milk on a wonder lube patch, 80gr pyrodex select. The patches were torn to ribbons, even had one that was somewhat intact, it looked like a little doughnut with the center (where the ball was) missing. I think, and this is just speculation because I really dont know, but I think something is tearing up the patch and THEN because its frayed so bad, its burning. Do I need a new bore??

 

[cayuga]

Those patches are terrible. But if the rifle is shooting good, something is going right. I just never had a rifle blow patches like that. If it is a ruff spot, you could try a gentle lapp. Or do another JB Bore Paste treatment and see if it smooths things out.