Blow tubes, relative humidity and huffing!

[ShortStake]

Gents and Madams,

As we've all come to know, black powder fouling is directly related to the bullet lube used and the amount of moisture present in the barrel to soften the fouling from the last shot.

The actual amount of blow tubing required between shots is directly related to the existing relative humidity.  Here in the Desert Southwest, where summer temperatures often hoover around 100 degrees and the humidity sinks to single digits, the fouling gets hard.  Hard fouling immediately in front of the chamber and especially in the last few inches of the barrel.

After reading Croft Barker's book on Black Powder Silhouette the quantity of huffs between shots becomes a recognizeable factor.  Barker intimates the quantity of huffing between shots can approach up to ten each between shots when high temperature and low humidity conditions exist.  Observance of shooters on the firing line will find folks mostly huffing a lot less and enjoying more fouling.

Bullet lubricant obviously fits into the scenario.  Maybe some of the lubes relegated to "no good" status during high temperature conditions are really not the culprit and more huffing between shots is the answer?  Many times when reading about persons with fouling problems and their bullet lubricants the missing information is the most important.  Actual location of the shooting event (latitude and longitude), relative humidity and temperatures.  Those that rave about their self made bullet lubes working so wonderfully seem to be living in climates equipped with lots of humidity and low temperatures.

When temperatures of 90 and 100 degrees are present, three and four huffs surely don't work.  Five, six and seven huffs sometimes aren't enough.  

Perhaps one full huff of moisture through the blow tube is needed for each ten degrees of temperature increase irregardless of the humidity amount?  As the temperatures continue to go up with the advancing of the seasons, my notes will be more copious as to what the barrel looks like after each bank of targets is shot.  Notes equipped with temperature and relative humidity figures.  Maybe at the end of the shooting season a reasonable equation relating to temperature, humidity, fouling and huff quantities will surface?

Anyone else keeping notes?

[Don in PA]

Windcutter
I've been keeping notes on this subject since I started BP two years ago and still don't have a clue on how many puff are needed for a given temp. humidity. Relative humidity doesn't give me a good comparison of the amount of water vapor in the air at different temps.  I usually start with five good puffs, shoot 5 rounds and push a dry patch through the bore. Depending on how the fouling looks I'll increase/decrease the puffs. It's almost always an increase in puffs that will be needed. I don't know how you guys in the desert get by with 3 or 4 puffs. I use Goex may be that's why all the puffs.
Keep me posted when you have a handle on the puff problem
Don in PA

[ShortStake]

Don in PA,

Accepted norm is to H/Puff after the first shot fired and then between each successive shot fired.

To delay H/Puffing until after five shots have been fired will create a  condition of hard fouling in this part of the world.  Suspect the same in your area, regardless of humidity present.

The humidity has to be induced into the barrel by H/Puffing.  Outside humidity isn't going to migrate into a hot barrel very rapidly.  At least not fast enough between shots.

Upon firing the last shot on the first three banks of targets it's a good idea NOT to blow tube after the last shot.  To do so will cause the fouling to set up like concrete.  Wait until just prior to firing the first shot on the next bank of targets to blow tube.  That should soften the existing fouling and ready the barrel for the upcoming shot.

Try H/Puffing between each shot fired.  One for each 10 degrees of temperature above zero temperature.  If it's a hundred degrees out, try ten H/Puffs....

[Don in PA]

Windcutter
I mis-spoke ... I do blow during the first five shots, (start with 5 puffs). The patch is to see how wet the fouling is, then adjust the puffs. I like your idea about puffs and temp. and will give it a try. Although I'm not sure if 4 puffs will be ok when the temp. is fourty degrees.

I've been trying to find a way to relate the actual amont of water vapor in the air to the temp/relative humidity reading. With this info. it would be possible to predict the number of puff needed at different temp/humidity.
So far I've had no sucess.
Are there any meteorogist on the list who can help with this?
How do other shooters solve the puff problem?   :?

Don in PA

[Omaha Poke]

Hi all, one thing that I have noticed in magazine pictures of BPCR matches and also on the firing line, is that some shooters use a blow tube that is way too long.  Some of these shooters have a soft plastic tube over a foot long.  A long blow tube doesn't allow the moisture to even get close to the interior of the barrel, all the moisture condenses in the blow tube.  I make my blow tube from a four inch piece of 3/8's inch copper tube soldered into the cartridge case and with a mouthpiece turned out of walnut.  works great and rarely have to give more than 3-4 blows between shots.  Even after a 10 shot string the fouling comes out nice and moist.    Omaha