Bees wax/oil or just oil patches?

[Jarikeen]

What is the advantage, if any, of using a bees wax/oil blend patch over just a oil patch?
Does it reduce patch burn out?
Does it reduce bore wear?
Does it reduce between shot foulling?
Or is it just personal preference or what the muzzleloader likes.

 

Oh, boy! Now you've done it!! You have opened the proverbial can o'worms! Lube types and recipes rate near the top in topics discussed (argued over) here and on some other sites! I must confess to not having ever tried most of them and not having tried beeswax in any (unless it is an unnamed ingredient in Wonder Lube). For many years spit was all I used (any many old time range shooters still use only spit.) The real old timers used tallow (bear oil was preferred). Its (beeswax) main use would seem to be as a thickener for any oil used. I am sure others will pipe up here soon!

 

[Norskie]

Here's my two pence:
I use beeswax in my crafts because it's documented and works well.
While I don't know either way about beeswax as an historical patch lube, I know the stuff was a premium item, usually expensive and hard to find compared to the various animal tallows.
So unless it has some other advantage, I don't see a reason to use it for authenticity's sake, because I can't picture the everyday shooter using such an expensive material, back in the day.

 

[NORD]

Well I like beeswax and olive oil mix for lubing my 45 ACP bullets but have never tried it for patches. I have really like and still use the Mink Oil from Track of the Wolf.

 

[shmrck1]

Or is it just personal preference or what the muzzleloader likes.

When all is said and done I believe this is
what it comes down to. IMHO
snake-eyes :hatsoff:

 

[TN.Frank]

I have a boat load of 50/50, Beeswax/Crisco lube that I made up for a 45/70 ctg. gun when I was loading it with Pyrodex and cast bullets. It worked well in that application BUT I tried it as a patch lube and the wax seemed to leave a ring in the barrel that made it hard to swab with a spit patch(something I do between shots) and hard to load the next shot so I gave up on beeswax as any part of my patch lube. Now I use either pure Crisco or olive oil with NO WAX and I have no more problem with wax build up. JMHO, YMMV. :v