smoothbore patch advice

[TA6319]

I am picking up a .50 smoothbore musket and wish to shoot ball with it, at an approved range. What is the best coating for the patch.
Thanks

[Flashinthepan]

Hi TA 6319

I have tried pre lubed patches and patch lube oil but have found the blended lubricant made and sold by Allwood stock and mouldings to be the best I've tried.

It is thick & sticky, comes in cardboard tube which is like half of a kitchen roll centre. If I am using patches I rub them across the gunge then smear it around with my fingers. I do get through a large number of baby wipes each session though.

I have also used it by rolling the ball across it then loading without a patch. I am now experimenting with discs cut from old cardboard boxes to make an over powder wad lubricated with the gunge and a closer tolerance ball rubbed in it, goes a treat.

Enjoy your musket

Cheers
Nigel

[robkayak]

There is a brilliant fellow by the name of JJ Tanner. He makes moulds and punches & his wife Chris, makes the patches. I have used her patches. I use 30% beeswax with 70 % Tesco lard in a Frey & Bentos tin. I saturate the patches and then press the excess mixture out of them. I managed to hit a DP2 target(Old charging Jerry 6 times out of 10 at a 100m with my Brown Bess from a rest, with JJ's moulds, Chris's patches & my beeswax/lard mix.
It is really worth ringing him, (google JJ Tanner moulds) and he will fix you up. He does not ask for payment until you recieve the goods.

[steve medlock]

I would second what Robkayak has just said exactly.

[robkayak]

My Brown Bess is .750" exactly at the choked muzzle. I use a .725" mould and a 0.25" patch. This gives me the best acuracy. It groups better than my 12 Gauge with solid slug, if I use a rest to minimise flinch.The patches are high quality cotton and cost about £25 per 1000

[kev357]

I can only tell you what i use, cut some 4x2 cleaning cloth into square patchs and fry them in beef dripping as they cool i squeeze the excess out and keep them in a zip lock bag, i find this works for me, in .451 rifled .577 rifled, 12g smoothbore .45 smothbore. hope this helps

[McTrucky]

and fry them in beef dripping

Mmmmmm... What does that smell like on the range? You don't have a side business with a burger van just outside do you?

[acmsarh]

A lot of the people in my club believe it or not use comfort fabric conditioner as a patch lube and it seems to work.

[Flashinthepan]

Hi acmsarh
Apart from smelling nice and making your patches smooth and comfortable, what do it do for the fouling?

cheers
Nigel

[acmsarh]

Apparently keeps it soft and easy to load next one and clean.

[Flashinthepan]

I will give it a try
Cheers
Nigel

[figure 11]

Pedersolli Brown Bess 12 bore over powder wad plus ontop of ball 1/2 fibre wad shoots very nicely.Keeps fairly clean.

[robkayak]

What do you use to soften the fouling? When I ram a 30% beeswax 70% lard patched ball down my Brown Bess; I push the softened fouling with it. This leaves a fairly clean bore for the ball to travel up. If I just drop the ball & tap the but, it will work for a few shots but the fouling builds up & eventually obstructs the ball. The accuracy of this latter method is best sumed up as 'His mind was as blank as a volunteer's target'
With the former method I can hit a man sized target (shooting from a rest) 6 times out of 10 at 100 meters.

[figure 11]

What do you use to soften the fouling? When I ram a 30% beeswax 70% lard patched ball down my Brown Bess; I push the softened fouling with it. This leaves a fairly clean bore for the ball to travel up. If I just drop the ball & tap the but, it will work for a few shots but the fouling builds up & eventually obstructs the ball. The accuracy of this latter method is best sumed up as 'His mind was as blank as a volunteer's target'
With the former method I can hit a man sized target (shooting from a rest) 6 times out of 10 at 100 meters.

I use plastic blow tube to put moisture into fouling,