Author Topic: To Swab......Or Not to Swab..... (Read 761 times)

Birddog6 · « **on:** October 17, 2004, 02:25:10 AM »

Quote : "Same with wiping your bore. Maybe at the territorial and national matches, it's a good thing because it gives you a 1/4 inch advantage. But in the real world, it just don't mean one heck of a lot. "

So it appears, for over 35 years+ I have been just a wasting my time swabbing the bore & etc. And here I thought in those years I had learned a few things from others & etc. That Really pi$$es me off.... Here all of this time I could have gotten off probably 5 shots per outing & dryballed at least one more time per outing !! Aawwwh ha ha ha ha ! :-D

When I target shoot, I generally swab the bore between shots. I get much better groups & it loads easier, more consistant, etc.
Old fashioned ? Possibly so & no doubt about it, I am old fashioned & I like me that way.

Waste or time Swabbing ? Well, that depends on what ya want to do with your time & what you consider of it to be a waste. I usually consider a great improvement on what I am doing Not a waste of time.. But your mileage may vary...... Also I have always considered ANY improbvement to my marksmanship skills a Real improvement.

So, am I the Only One that thinks that Swabbing the bore makes a BIG Difference ?

Heck, If I been doing this all wrong all of these years, I think it's time I find out for sure & finally get it right now ! ha ha ! :grin:

dbm · « **Reply #1 on:** October 17, 2004, 02:37:34 AM »

Depends what I am shooting as to whether I clean between shots. I have no interest in hunting but shot a lot of target rifle.

In my .577 Enfield I do not clean betwen shots as it is not permitted for military rifle matches under international competition (www.mlaic.org) rules.

For my .45 cal match rifle shooting paper patched bullets (at ranges out to 1200 yards) I do clean between shots.

David

crow_feather · « **Reply #2 on:** October 17, 2004, 02:51:29 AM »

Birddog6,

I guess it's whatever makes your clock tick. I use moose milk and never touch my rifle with any patroleum product. I can shoot all day without ever swabbing tween shots and the last shot is as accurate as the first shot iffn I do my part. It's what works for me. I would like to think that others can do the same.

But if someone believes that swabbin tween shots makes their rifle more accurate, I wish them the best.

It is amazing how much can be written on this topic. Some do, some don't and both probably will keep on doing what serves them best.

I did hear one time that the South (Civil War) swabbed tween shots and the North just let fly. It was said that the rebs were better shots, but were beat by the shear volume of lead being poured at em from those quick loaded Northern guns. Course I don't know if it is true or not...............but one could believe so.

C F

Birddog6 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 17, 2004, 02:58:01 AM »

Well, never thought about the conical side of the picture...

However, what I am referring to is not cleaning... but swabbing.

Making the bore consistantly the same amount of fouling from shot to shot when shooting patched round balls.. But not cleaning the bore out after every shot.

I shoot all patched RB's in my rifles, so how you would do a conical bullet I have no input on what dif. it would make, but it I am glad you brought it up as I just never thought of swabbing between shots on a conical bullet too.

So are you swabbing or actually cleaning it between shots ?

roundball · « **Reply #4 on:** October 17, 2004, 02:59:43 AM »

Quote from: Birddog6

So, am I the Only One that thinks that Swabbing the bore makes a BIG Difference ?

I'm no authority on how big a difference that would make as I've never gotten into sandbag shooting to really experiment trying to squeeze the ultimate precision out of a muzzleloader yet...but I would assume if someone is really into precision shooting, the cleaner a barrel is to factory specs for each and every shot would probably be beneficial.

I mainly just like shooting my flintlocks on the weekends, 99% of it is done only at 50yds sitting in a chair, and I'm satisfied with cloverleafs doing that without wiping between shots at all due to the lube I use.

This year I started doing a little practice standing offhand and thankfully my steel hanging target is a full 5" round...looks like a spec at 50yds standing up...lord that muzzle does wander, huh !!

Ramrod · « **Reply #5 on:** October 17, 2004, 03:55:58 AM »

Quote from: Birddog6

However, what I am referring to is not cleaning... but swabbing.

Making the bore consistantly the same amount of fouling from shot to shot when shooting patched round balls..

Not swabbing between shots does not mean the bore fouling is inconsistant. When the lube is doing it's job, the fouling stays soft, and loading a patched ball pushes much of it down the bore and on top of the powder charge. So the act of loading is a sort of swabbing.

Some conicals are self-cleaning on the way out of the bore, If the lube is keeping the fouling soft. Enfield and Springfield muskets can and have been fired accuratley for dozens and dozens of rounds with no swabbing.

clodbuster · « **Reply #6 on:** October 17, 2004, 04:16:41 AM »

Crow-feather Isn't the oil in moose milk a petroleum product? Just curious. :?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #7 on:** October 17, 2004, 05:00:49 AM »

FWIW, I shoot moosemilk and swab tween shots IF the target warrants it. It's a confidence builder for me for a shot on a trail walk target that's a bit tougher than average. Swabbing tween shots when I bench a rifle does make a little difference in shot to shot consistency and does instill a bit more confidence in making that tough shot a hit. It's probably as much a personal choice that I make as opposed to what's best for everyone's shooting. :wink:

dbm · « **Reply #8 on:** October 17, 2004, 06:08:05 AM »

Quote from: Birddog6

Well, never thought about the conical side of the picture... However, what I am referring to is not cleaning... but swabbing.

Well whatever you call it my loading procedure for my .45 match rifles shooting paper patched bullets is:

a. Powder down barrel
b. Card wad on top of powder
c. Wipe bore with a damp patch
d. Wipe bore with a dry patch
e. Load bullet.

I don't know whether that's swabbing or cleaning, but that's what I do!
:-)

David

crow_feather · « **Reply #9 on:** October 17, 2004, 12:06:51 PM »

clodbuster,

No, it is a water soluable cutting oil, and it does not have patroleum in it. It has an agent that provides a lubricant at a high temperature, and it is a coolant.

When you push a patched round ball down the bore. the patch is wiping the bore, and groves, and pushing all that crud down on top of the powder.

In the olden days, men did not clean their rifles and put them away after a day of shooting. They dropped another load and put some lube in the barrel from the ball to the muzzle. The rifle was capped or I expect that a feather or other plug was placed in the touch hole. No air got to the charge, and the rifle stayed that way until shot again.

Except for target shootin where the 1/4 inch means somethin, I cannot find a good reason to wipe tween shots.

C F

Ramrod · « **Reply #10 on:** October 17, 2004, 01:28:09 PM »

I have worked with cutting fluids for almost 30 years. This much I have found out. Water soluable cutting oil is mineral oil based, whatever that is. Lots of additives to keep the machines from rusting and bacteria from forming. Mineral oil with fragrance added is plain old "Baby Oil".

propredator · « **Reply #11 on:** October 17, 2004, 02:05:12 PM »

The wso is a hydrogenated(sp) mineral oil,thats why it dont cause the tar fouling of reguler mineral oil an mixes with water.Good stuff,and yes it is a petroulem product that makes good moose milk.

crow_feather · « **Reply #12 on:** October 17, 2004, 02:29:29 PM »

When you wipe, or swab, or clean a bore, you are pushing the black powder fouling down into the area below where your cleaning jag stops. The cleaning jag dosen't get below this stuff and pull it up and out.

Usually, the next charge will blow this fouling out of the bore. But, depending on the moisture content, your powder could get wet enough not to fire or the fouling could just block the flame from the cap.

If you swab after you put powder down the bore, the crud will stop at the top of the powder charge, and not block the flame to the charge. The way to swab after you pour down the powder is to put a wet patch over your bore. Now, to make the patch get in all the nooks and crannies, put a lead round ball on top of the patch and push both down the bore. To remove the patch and ball, just put a cap on the nipple and pull the trigger.

C F

filmokentucky · « **Reply #13 on:** October 17, 2004, 02:46:59 PM »

Crow Feather--that's the way I was taught to do it, too, many years ago.
Only back then, we called it reloading. It seemed like everybody and his brother used a different solution on his patches, but the technique was the same. The main idea was to make the gun go bang and have some fun.