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Patch lube.

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WarDawg

WarDawg

32 Cal
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Ga boy hanging out in North Carolina
I got several things to use and try out. Bore butter. Hoppes oil . Ballistol. I found some Culver’s paste wax I made years ago. It is a wood stock paste you rub into the wood and buff off. It consists of 1/3 beeswax 1/3 turpentine 1/3 boiled linseed oil. It’s something you make yourself. Melt it down , stir it together and pour it into your containers and it will cool to a paste. Anyone see anything with the ingredients that says don’t use it as lube ? It has slightly harden over the years. I made this about 25 years ago for my Garands , and 1903’s. Just a pondering 🤔 WarDawg
 
You have two options, a wet lube like dawn and water or windex, or a natural oil like olive oil or a grease like mink oil. If you are just target shooting a wet lube works just fine. For hunting, you need something that won't soak into the powder like mink oil.
 
Among the 19,000 or so patch lubricant formulas we use, and each one is the best, is the mix of water soluble oil and water. Use one part of Ballistol and between 4 to 10 parts of water depending on how slick you want the patch to feel. More Ballistol makes the mix slicker. The patches can be soaked in the mix and allowed to dry. When using dry patches, one must wipe the bore with a damp patch to control the fouling between shots. I prefer to use the mix of 1 part oil to 7 parts water to dampen the patch. When wiping between shots, take care to prevent the fouling from blocking the flash channel. Perhaps best at this time for @WarDawg to use a mix of dish washing soap and water to keep the patch fairly wet to wipe down the fouling during loading. Mink oil is best used while hunting.
 
Mink Oil or SPG for hunting Loading, "SPG Doesn't need a plate lube warmer in the winter like other lubes neither does mink oil". other than that at the range I use Three Rivers Black Powder Solvent,

Cleanup,
Boiling water or Gunzilla and Ballistol
 
WarDawg said:
Is all mink oil created the same ? I see it in a paste . I see it in a liquid style bottle.
Click to expand...
I have two kinds of mink oil, the kind I get at the hardware store in the horse harness section, and TOTW mink oil for shooting. The hardware store kind I use on most of my leather. The TOTW mink oil lets me shoot with out wiping with all my guns from .36 to .75 caliber. It also works well in both hot and cold weather.
 
WarDawg said:
I got several things to use and try out. Bore butter. Hoppes oil . Ballistol. I found some Culver’s paste wax I made years ago. It is a wood stock paste you rub into the wood and buff off. It consists of 1/3 beeswax 1/3 turpentine 1/3 boiled linseed oil. It’s something you make yourself. Melt it down , stir it together and pour it into your containers and it will cool to a paste. Anyone see anything with the ingredients that says don’t use it as lube ? It has slightly harden over the years. I made this about 25 years ago for my Garands , and 1903’s. Just a pondering 🤔 WarDawg
Click to expand...
What @Rifleman1776 said. Don't use any of those.
As you said, the wood finish concoction hardened over time, doesn't sound like it will soften just from the warmth of your hands. What do you think the linseed oil (used in furniture polish and for wood protection by some, also sold as flaxseed oil to keep your guts shiney) is going to do when it dries in the barrel?

There are countless topic threads on this forum lining out making homemade patch lube, plenty to read and try. There is a topic on using plastic shot cups to make premeasured beeswax ingots to match with an oil/fat source for easy part:part ratios.

Get to searching and reading 👍

WarDawg said:
Is all mink oil created the same ? I see it in a paste . I see it in a liquid style bottle.
Click to expand...
NO. No it is not. Much of what is sold for shoes and similar purposes has silicone added. You want pure minkoil such as Track Of The Wolf sells. It should be solid at room temperature but soft and greasy, like lard or crisco but softer.
 
WarDawg said:
I got several things to use and try out. Bore butter. Hoppes oil . Ballistol. I found some Culver’s paste wax I made years ago. It is a wood stock paste you rub into the wood and buff off. It consists of 1/3 beeswax 1/3 turpentine 1/3 boiled linseed oil. It’s something you make yourself. Melt it down , stir it together and pour it into your containers and it will cool to a paste. Anyone see anything with the ingredients that says don’t use it as lube ? It has slightly harden over the years. I made this about 25 years ago for my Garands , and 1903’s. Just a pondering 🤔 WarDawg
Click to expand...
good morning WarDawg. Everything you listed will work. Some work better than others, and you will discover that not every gun is the same. My friends 45 caliber percussion loves bore butter and my 50 percussion doesn't but his is A 1 in 60 twist and mine is A 1 in 48. Whatever works use. I've been buying a thin lubed patch from eastern Maine and the three rifles I've been shooting, think it's fine. I don't load heavy as I only kill paper turkeys. I don't mind the expense of the patches, is one of the more cheaper parts of by entertainment.
Squint
 
Yeah sorry for all the basic questions. But I actually never fired a black powder rifle. I have shot a lot of things. But not BP. I have watched many videos . I have searched and read a lot of things I ask here . The Opinions are so spread out. And in the end I know it’s a what works for me deal. I’m just trying to narrow it down somewhat. I got more opinionated questions to ask. But trying to spread them out. I have everything to go shoot. But not the time. Yet. Thanks for the reply’s. Wardawg.
 
WarDawg said:
Yeah sorry for all the basic questions. But I actually never fired a black powder rifle. I have shot a lot of things. But not BP. I have watched many videos . I have searched and read a lot of things I ask here . The Opinions are so spread out. And in the end I know it’s a what works for me deal. I’m just trying to narrow it down somewhat. I got more opinionated questions to ask. But trying to spread them out. I have everything to go shoot. But not the time. Yet. Thanks for the reply’s. Wardawg.
Click to expand...
Are you looking for a hunting lube, a target lube, or one for both so you aren't shooting two different things?
Your hot Georgia weather could make a difference in the efficacy of the various lube recipes that come up here. I'd probably just go with Track's mink oil or some type of well rendered animal far lube. If making your own oil/fat:beeswax combo you may want to stay on the more beeswax heavy end of the spectrum, and/or use refined coconut oil as your fat. The coconut oil on its own should stay solid up to about 70°f and the beeswax will improve this.

Remember beeswax is flammable, maybe try to find a cheap double boiler at a thrift store or use an electric hot plate to melt it. Melt however many parts you want remove from the heat and add your oil/fat source in whatever parts ratio you've decided to try and start stirring. Let cool and solidify, the more and longer you stir as it gets cooler and more solid the better.

If you just want a target shooting lube some of the wet/liquid ones will be more than acceptable as the gun isn't sitting loaded for any real length of time.
 
Brokennock said:
Are you looking for a hunting lube, a target lube, or one for both so you aren't shooting two different things?
Your hot Georgia weather could make a difference in the efficacy of the various lube recipes that come up here. I'd probably just go with Track's mink oil or some type of well rendered animal far lube. If making your own oil/fat:beeswax combo you may want to stay on the more beeswax heavy end of the spectrum, and/or use refined coconut oil as your fat. The coconut oil on its own should stay solid up to about 70°f and the beeswax will improve this.

Remember beeswax is flammable, maybe try to find a cheap double boiler at a thrift store or use an electric hot plate to melt it. Melt however many parts you want remove from the heat and add your oil/fat source in whatever parts ratio you've decided to try and start stirring. Let cool and solidify, the more and longer you stir as it gets cooler and more solid the better.

If you just want a target shooting lube some of the wet/liquid ones will be more than acceptable as the gun isn't sitting loaded for any real length of time.
Click to expand...
Definitely target lube.
 
YEUP! Just put a patch between your cheek and gum while shooting, then use that one to load or swab and replace the patch. when target shooting, I'll have patches in both cheeks. Spit is readily available and you carry it with you, works great for plinking. Before leaving the range I'll swab my bore with moose milk though.
 
I find pure bear grease works best but can be a bit of a pain carrying the bottle of liquid around and dose begin to solidify around...maybe 35 degrees.
I like TOW mink oil second, used it for years but it tends to dry out if pre-lubed and not used right away, also stiffness in cold weather.

But then I mixed the two, wiped into a froth about the consistency of toothpaste, it settled back down to a slightly denser paste.
Worked GREAT, stays soft for very long time on pre-lubed patch, stay very soft in 35 and below cold, and always slides right down the barrel.
 

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