muzzle loader/patched round ball question

[Pulp]

Do any of y'all put anything between powder and ball to prevent patch lube from ruining the powder. I just got curious about it, I never have done it and it may not be anything to worry about. But here in SE OK it is still hot in the middle of the primitive firearms season, 85 right now, and I got to wondering how long it would take Bore Butter on the patch to soak into the powder.

I reckon I could get a modern muzzleloader and use saboted bullets, but somehow that just doesn't seem right to me. To each their own though.

 

[[email protected]]

Teflon coated patching is dry, so you could leave it loaded for as long as
you wanted. Excellcent for hunting.

 

[PRM]

I've never had a problem with it. I use unsalted lard on my pillow ticking. Some of it lubed months in advance. I would think it has more to do with how much you use. Even if the top of the powder charge is impacted by the lube, there is still a lot of powder left. I've had my Howdah loaded for up to six months at a time with no noticeable affects.

Been a lot of old muzzle loaders that were loaded for a half century or more and still had viable charges.

 

[Jim K]

Regular bullet lube should be OK for the purpose, using just enough to lubricate. You don't need to lather it on. For the few shots fired in hunting, I would see no problem in just using a dry patch, but that can cause fires in a dry area, so be careful.

Jim

 

[Busyhands94]

use grease, not oil. oil is less viscous than grease. the difference is that oil penetrates and soaks in. grease stays in one place between two surfaces. the two are both lubricants, and serve the same purpose. my advice is use some real thick grease for your patches, melt it and soak the patches in the grease. you can use beeswax with a little Crisco. i don't know if this is OK to do, but i thing just straight beeswax should work. i use beeswax over the chambers of my revolver if i have it loaded for home defense or if i am taking it with me fishing in humid whether for snakes, it won't soak or anything. i have also shot cotton patched round balls dry, that works just fine. i used cotton quilting fabric and a .490 round ball.

if you want a punch to make wads for a .50 just take a steel pipe with a half inch internal diameter, sharpen the end of it, get some real thick leather and moisten it, then put the leather on a stump and punch the leather wads out with that piece of pipe and a hammer. they should do what you want em' to. and i know what you mean about taking an inline hunting, it would make me feel dirty to use one for that. i get the "might as well just grab a 30-06" feeling when i think of taking one of those hunting.

 

[Pulp]

Good answers, thanks to all of you.

 

[PapaG]

For my 45/50/54 cal guns I used a disc cut from milk carton between the powder and patched ball. For my 58 I used a .070 20 ga. card wad.

 

[dprice3844444]

tandy leather has leather punches to use

 

[DuncanSA]

I use over powder wads on top of the powder charge. This keeps the powder from contamination and largely prevents patch "burn-through".

I punch them out of old cardboard cartons with a hollow punch.

 

[Pete D.]

I use a thin cardboard disc cut with a punch.
Pete

 

[the Black Spot]

Old timers used wasp or hornet nesting material. I lube with mink tallow, had my firelock loaded over a year, still fired first strike of the lock.

 

[ontarget]

Never Ever use grease or oil. Petroleum and BP don't mix. Creates a very funky fouling.

 

[AJumbo]

I use the dry Ox-Yoke felt wads over the charge and Bore Butter on my patches. I hunt in Arizona and have never had patch lube foul my charge.

 

[Omnivore]

I use patched ball for hunting, and have left the thing loaded for several days climbing trees in the snow, etc. Patches are pre-lubed with Bore Butter, or Wonderlube 1000 or whatever it's called. Similar stuff. The gun goes out in freezing weather and comes into the warm house overnight, then back out, etc. with the same load, until Bamby gets it. Never a problem here (knock on wood).

I have had revolver loads go soft, as in far less bang and less velocity, from wonder wads and lube pills sitting over the powder for months, but the rifle patches have so little lube in them, plus the powder charge is much greater. It just doesn't matter. Load clean to start with, i.e. proper cleaning of the barrel and clearing of the flash channel, use the right caps, and you'll get perfect ignition. I don't go for a bone-dry bore either, but lube it up pretty well after cleaning, then snap a couple caps and swab the breech channel before loading.

I should also say that I'm using black powder as opposed to a sub, but then I haven't had much problems with Pyrodex other than some delayed ignition once in a while.

I suppose a thin card between patched ball and powder couldn't hurt. I just don't see the point. There are other factors of more concern.

 

[husker]

I dont hunt with black powder very often. When I go out with the Kentucky it get's shot many times in a couple hours. I use a empty primer tin & a lil Hoppe's solvent & dampen the patches. Has worked fine for 25 plus years.