TO GREASE OR NOT TO GREASE?

Hi folks. I have been reading a few bits and pieces and thought it about time that I asked a question ( which has probably been asked before ) but here goes.
I am an Englishman now living in France where things are still quite layed back.
I have just bought a Pietta 1858 New Model Army Remington with progressive rifling. I shot it for the first time last weekend and used a load of 1.1 grams FFFG with similar amounts of maize flower and Speer .457 balls. I found it great fun and very accurate at 25 mtrs BUT---------the mess that the lube made - yuck!!
Now I understand that it stops chainfires but wouldn't a lubriacated wad do the same job without all the mess?
Answers on a 50€ note to:-
Duncan

Yes, numerous threads on just this subject including; "Found, Felt". (In Stickies)

Have been wadding it for quite some time and never looked back!

as long as the ball makes a good seal,the lube helps,and less leading the barrel.u only need alittle lube on top of the ball .u might want to check out some of the other posts has lots of useful info.and what with the 1.1 grams, whats that in english.

if you use felt wads the lube isn't necessary.

AFS

1.1 grams is about 17 grains, a pretty light load.

I agree with Oldnamvet. If that load works out to 17g it's really light! 30g of Goex is really an accurate load for me and I use 40g for a hunting load.
If you use a felt/wool dry wad then place a little lube over the wad before you seat the ball. Then place a little lube on the cylinder pin and the face of the cylinder. It doesn't take much. This will help keep it running smooth and the lube over the wad helps keep the barrel fouling down.
There are a lot of tuning tricks that you will want to do to that Remington in the near future but it's to much to go over in one post. Just enjoy shooting it for now and keep it cleaned when your done for the day.
Make sure you pull the nipples on that new gun and lube the threads of the nipples. It will make it a whole lot easier to take them out later for a good cleaning.
If you just do a search on the Remingtons on any of these sites you will get all kinds of info on them. They are a favorite of many of us. Mike

Duncaninfrance, There is another site that seems to really cator to the 1858 Remington and it's where a lot of us hang out. Over there I'm known as Remington Kid,Lol.
This whole site will really help you with any questions you may have and it's kind if a sister site to this one. It's called "The Fireing Line".
Here is just one of our talks on the Remingtons and it will take you a while just to get through this one:)
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182193

Some believe the chain fires come from behind when caps fall off and the flames can get into the open nipple. I suspect undersized bullets and balls were the prime cause. Looking at the old triangle-shaped Walker bullet, I can see how it could get seated crooked and leave an opening for flame to get to the powder. Also the needle-nosed shape of the bullet would encourage spill overs from other chambers forming a nice shape-charge ready to be set off.

I generally use over-ball lube to eliminate the extra step of seating a wad but either method works very well.

I use Wonder Wads and skip the grease. And I think that the lighter powder loads are often better for target shooting. Each gun, made by different reproduction compainies, carries a different suggested load maximum. The load maximum is not necessarily the optimum load and this should be kept in mind while discovering what works best for you and your particular gun and what you expect the gun to do. Often, less is more, as far as powder load is concerned. Just my observation.

Somewhere Elmer Keith wrote about loose caps that don't fall off but rather slam into the nipple when the gun recoils. We had a member over at the MuzzleloadingForum who held a torch over his ungreased cylinder (not mounted in the gun and no ball for safety sake) to see if he could get ingition. It was a no-go. You might want to try it in the safety of the woods (remember, no balls so there's no "missle" to poke your eye out or worse). He didn't direct the flames directly into the mouth of the cylinder but over it (horizontall). You might have to do a search there to find the thread.

BTW, I do grease mine since I've plenty of animal lard and it keeps the fouling down. I use rancid corn meal or farina for a filler.

Thanks for the input guys, I will spend some time reading up and then give it a blast in the new year. The guy I bouight the gun from is in the sam,e club as I am so is helping me to sort things out but he is 110% into lubing the chambers. perhaps that's why he sold the gun!!

The light load is a starting point with the assumption that light = accurate.

I live in Blaye which is on the banks of the Gironde north of Bordeaux. We shoot in the old range in the Citadelle fort every Saturday and Sunday morning but the weather is so frosty I decided to stay home today.
Cheers
Duncan