I mean no disrespect towards anyone here. However, I’m simply amazed at how, or why, some folks can complicate something so easy. Why, pray tell, would anyone even want to use Ballistol to begin with for a hunting lube? Why would anyone feel the need to unload a ML at the end of a day as long as one has not been out in the rain or subjected to very high humidity?
Unless a particular ML is more accurate with Ballistol, there’s other choices out there. Also, if using real black powder in drier country, and using a non-petroleum product for a patch lube, that rifle is going to fire days later. That is providing the ignition system type is kept dry. Why even subject oneself to using a patch lube that might cause issues or give one doubts? Or for that matter, in terms of a round ball, why would anyone want to use a card over the powder on a hunting load?
I am a big fan of Ballistol. I use it to clean and lube all of my ML. However, I’m not about to use it as a hunting patch lube, especially when there’s other, better options available that is not petroleum based.
For the record, I lived in and hunted several NW states. I elk hunted a lot. I packed my ML’s for days on end in some very rugged county. I never felt the need to discharge my ML at the end of the day when I arrived back at my camp. Yet they fired just fine when I finally did discharge them. Even now that I live in the SE, as humid as it is here, if I plan on going back out the next day, I still find no reason to fire my ML’s at the end of the day unless I had shot and reloaded earlier, or perhaps I’ve been out in some rain.
FWIW, years ago when I was young and dumb, at the end of the ML season in TN, as a test, I kept a .50 Renegade loaded with 80 grains of Black powder, and a maxi ball lubed with Bore Butter hanging over my fireplace until the the next year season. I did not block off the nipple nor the muzzle. A couple of days before season I took it down and capped it. It fired just fine. TN is a humid state.
This is not to push any particular product nor to be used as a plug for any company. However, I have squirrel hunted for up to 6 hours in light to medium intensity rain. It was also foggy and the humidity was very high. I was using TOTW Mink Oil as a patch lube. All of my ML’s likes the stuff. At the end of the day it fired just like it ought to. I did not have anything to cover the muzzle with, I also had nothing to cover the cap with other than the hammer and my hand.
This really is easy stuff here. Hunting is not repetitive competition shooting. The most one is going to shoot on one hunt is 2, maybe 3 shots. If fouling is a concern, that’s why God gave us moist cleaning patches. One or two followed up by a couple of fry patches, reload and be on your way.
Although I am satisfied with TOTW Mink Oil, I just received some real bear oil a good friend that was kind enough to send me. Together with real bees wax, I plan on mixing up some patch lube as well as conical lube. Might be an interesting option considering it’s not oil based.
I digress.