Best Cold Weather Lube??

Hello,

Was wondering if any of you have settled on a good cold weather lube. I have a 44" barrel Virginia style flintlock and have been searching for a cold weather lube for it. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Two Flints

 

[Stumpkiller]

Stumpkiller's Moose Milk

Castor Oil 3 oz.
Murphy's Oil Soap 1 oz.
Witch Hazel 4 oz.
Isopropyl Alcohol (91%) 8 oz.
Water (non-chlorinated) 16 oz.

(Mix cold and shake well before each use)

For REALLY cold (below -10

 

[roundball]

Plain old Bore Butter/Natural Lube is good to pretty durned cold conditions.

:: ::

That's another reason why I like bore butter...when it gets so cold bore butter doesn't work, I'll be home under the electric blanket with the Chief-of-Staff anyway!!
:crackup:

 

[sonny]

I use.....three liquid parts of bear oil/to one liquid part of melted bee wax.Heat the oil/wax to boiling and stur the ingrediants for two or three more minutes until the mix is well mixed.Put the melted liquid into tins and put in the freezer to let harden up.It comes out like soft butter and will melt with finger heat when you dunk your finger and spread into the patch.Work the patch with fingers on both sides until saturated(not gooey).store in the patch box when hunting.you are all set an using period correct formula for lub......bitterwind

 

[uncrichie]

How about mink grease?

 

[PA_flinter]

Stumpy,
I mixed up some of the Moose Milk detailed above and dipped/dried some strips of ticking. It doesn't seem like there is much lube in the ticking. Is this normal? Do I need to "freshen" it before I use it as in spraying it a little to make it moist or just use as is?

Thanks

 

[Stumpkiller]

It doesn't seem like there is much lube in the ticking. Is this normal?

That's why they call it a "dry lubed" patch. ::

I can't say for "normal" as I only have my own experience to judge from. No one ever called me "normal".

I double-dip mine with a day of drying in between. It looks just slightly darker than a undipped patch, but weighs noticably more (in the 1-3/8" x 36" strips I use). One of the members here pointed out to me that they shouldn't hang to dry, as the lube might migrate downwards. So I lay mine on wax paper on a newspaper covered table.

After mine dry for two days I fold each strip up in wax paper to keep them from leeching out or eveporating any further.

Just use them as is. In one of my rifles I have to spit-wipe between shots as the fouling is too "hard" and the balls sticks part way down. The other is good for multiple shots with the dry-lubed patches. Find out what yours likes cautiously (the ol' place-the-ramrod-against-the-tree-and-drive-the-rifle-carefully-against-it trick is hard on ramrods).

I've carried several since Nov 21st in a ball-block in my pouch and they still work fine just as is as of last Sunday. After the initial smack out of the block they go down with one smooth push of the ramrod (.490" ball & 0.021" patch).

I'm going to try a 0.015" & 0.018" patchs to see if I can't get multiple shots in my "persnickety" rifle.

 

[CG6018]

Here is an off the wall idea for extremely cold temperatures, don't use any lube. I've done this for quite a few years with my .54 cal., and I don't see much difference in performance. I load in the usual manner, pushing a .535 ball wrapped in a .015 dry patch down onto the powder charge. Then, I push a cleaning patch with WD-40 down onto the patch and ball. I haven't killed a PA deer beyond 50 yards because where I usually hunt the laurel and rhodendron is too thick to offer a shot beyond this yardage. I appreciate Stumpy's recipe and use it, but a dry patch when the after Christmas temperatures drop well below freezing, seems to work for me. Just my honest opinion, so take it for what it is worth.