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Bore Butter For Real?
- Thread starter crockett
- Start date
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I'm one of many who use non-oil based lubes like Natural Lube 1000 / bore butter, etc...I've used it as a bore lube and on prelubed shooting & cleaning patches since the late 80's with both Pyrodex or Goex in every muzzleloader I own...and I don't wipe between shots...however, I don't believe in "bore seasoning" and don't attempt to employ it, just the opposite.
I heat the barrel up hot to the touch with steaming hot soapy water and use patches & a bore brush to scrub it 100% clean, then rinse with clean hot water. Then patch dry the bore quickly to avoid any 'flast rust', and the bore has now been returned to it's factory bare raw metal condition each time after a shooting session...I don't allow any buildup of any kind...hence, I don't "season" the bore.
Then with a popcicle stick, screwdriver tip, etc, I pack NL1000 into the grooves as far into the muzzle as I can reach, then using patches heavily coated with NL1000 (use a putty knife, etc) I lube the bore...repeat this 2-3 times until I'm satisfied every square inch of the bore is heavily plastered with NL1000.
I also use a cleaning rod with a small .30cal brush on the end to push a lubed patch all the way down into the tapered cone of TC's patent breeches (if your rifle happens to have a patent breech). I then Q-Tip NL1000 into the threaded nipple seat or vent liner seat, then NL1000 the nipple or vent liner threads themselves, and snug them finger tight.
I use prelubed shooting patches which minimizes fouling and keeps what little fouling there is very soft...when you load the next patched ball, the tight fitting patched ball simply pushes the soft fouling down on top of the powder charge.
When the next shot is fired, the fouling residue sitting on top of the powder charge is expelled, and the bore is then left with a fresh, single shot's worth of soft fouling.
Loading the next patched ball repeats the cycle...so the amount of fouling in the bore is only from the most recent shot.
The past couple of years shooting flintlocks I've settled into a routine of a range trip almost every Saturday morning year round where I shoot 40 shots without wiping between shots using the above shooting / cleaning / lubing regimen.
I think the key is starting with a bore that is bare, raw metal, with every trace of petroleum oil type products removed, and restore it that way after every shoot...then at all other times, keep the bore under a heavy influence of NL1000...has worked great for me for a long time.
I heat the barrel up hot to the touch with steaming hot soapy water and use patches & a bore brush to scrub it 100% clean, then rinse with clean hot water. Then patch dry the bore quickly to avoid any 'flast rust', and the bore has now been returned to it's factory bare raw metal condition each time after a shooting session...I don't allow any buildup of any kind...hence, I don't "season" the bore.
Then with a popcicle stick, screwdriver tip, etc, I pack NL1000 into the grooves as far into the muzzle as I can reach, then using patches heavily coated with NL1000 (use a putty knife, etc) I lube the bore...repeat this 2-3 times until I'm satisfied every square inch of the bore is heavily plastered with NL1000.
I also use a cleaning rod with a small .30cal brush on the end to push a lubed patch all the way down into the tapered cone of TC's patent breeches (if your rifle happens to have a patent breech). I then Q-Tip NL1000 into the threaded nipple seat or vent liner seat, then NL1000 the nipple or vent liner threads themselves, and snug them finger tight.
I use prelubed shooting patches which minimizes fouling and keeps what little fouling there is very soft...when you load the next patched ball, the tight fitting patched ball simply pushes the soft fouling down on top of the powder charge.
When the next shot is fired, the fouling residue sitting on top of the powder charge is expelled, and the bore is then left with a fresh, single shot's worth of soft fouling.
Loading the next patched ball repeats the cycle...so the amount of fouling in the bore is only from the most recent shot.
The past couple of years shooting flintlocks I've settled into a routine of a range trip almost every Saturday morning year round where I shoot 40 shots without wiping between shots using the above shooting / cleaning / lubing regimen.
I think the key is starting with a bore that is bare, raw metal, with every trace of petroleum oil type products removed, and restore it that way after every shoot...then at all other times, keep the bore under a heavy influence of NL1000...has worked great for me for a long time.
My experiences are similar to Roundball's. I lube at the muzzle (or a loading block) and I have gone 15 rounds without wiping between. Probably could have gone on much farther.
I don't know about the whole "seasoning" thing. I run a jag and greased cleaning patch down before I load the first round to lube the barrel well. At the end of the day I try my best to scrub EVERYTHING out of the barrel with a dash of detergent soap (Murphy's Oil Soap) in boiling hot water, followed by a rinse in fresh soapless boiling water and then a good greasing once it is dry, to heck with 'seasoning." I want it clean. I think it's important to lube the bore before the first shot, just as you oil a dry, clean pan before you start cooking.
Bore Butter, Natural Lube, any grease lube, still seems to work best for accuracy when you wipe frequently, whether it's necessary or not. Wiping every other shot with a saliva soaked patch is not too inconvenient in a hunting situation.
Try some. It is definately worth testing in your gun to see how it works.
I don't know about the whole "seasoning" thing. I run a jag and greased cleaning patch down before I load the first round to lube the barrel well. At the end of the day I try my best to scrub EVERYTHING out of the barrel with a dash of detergent soap (Murphy's Oil Soap) in boiling hot water, followed by a rinse in fresh soapless boiling water and then a good greasing once it is dry, to heck with 'seasoning." I want it clean. I think it's important to lube the bore before the first shot, just as you oil a dry, clean pan before you start cooking.
Bore Butter, Natural Lube, any grease lube, still seems to work best for accuracy when you wipe frequently, whether it's necessary or not. Wiping every other shot with a saliva soaked patch is not too inconvenient in a hunting situation.
Try some. It is definately worth testing in your gun to see how it works.
Couple quick things....
There's nothing special about bore butter. Use any type of non-petroleum grease and you will get the same results. I don't like to use grease type lubes when I'm shooting target, I prefer water based. You shoot your first shot, then when you reload, you're basically cleaning the bore as you seat the PRB down the barrel. I do clean after about 6-8 shots. It's not a big deal. The reason I do this is to get the fouling clean at the bottom of the barrel.
That said, I do like grease type lubes while hunting that way the patch doesn't dry out. You have to be careful though and not use to much lube. Just use enough to cover the patch and run it threw your fingers a couple time to get the extra off. It's common for shooter to use to much lube, it will open up your groups and serves little purpose.
Finally, seasoning the bore is a myth with modern barrels. Barrels today are made of harder steel than in the old days. You'll hear people talking about "I season my barrel just like a cast iron frying pan" but their barrels in 99.9% of the time are made from modern steel, not cast-iron.
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SP
There's nothing special about bore butter. Use any type of non-petroleum grease and you will get the same results. I don't like to use grease type lubes when I'm shooting target, I prefer water based. You shoot your first shot, then when you reload, you're basically cleaning the bore as you seat the PRB down the barrel. I do clean after about 6-8 shots. It's not a big deal. The reason I do this is to get the fouling clean at the bottom of the barrel.
That said, I do like grease type lubes while hunting that way the patch doesn't dry out. You have to be careful though and not use to much lube. Just use enough to cover the patch and run it threw your fingers a couple time to get the extra off. It's common for shooter to use to much lube, it will open up your groups and serves little purpose.
Finally, seasoning the bore is a myth with modern barrels. Barrels today are made of harder steel than in the old days. You'll hear people talking about "I season my barrel just like a cast iron frying pan" but their barrels in 99.9% of the time are made from modern steel, not cast-iron.
Marketing, Marketing, Marketing
SP
I don't care for Bore butter. In this climate, in the summer when it is so dry, the bore fouls after ten or so shots. below freezing, it gets so still it is hard to get down bore. I use Moose Milk, using windshied washing fluid in the winter months, and can shoot all day with the same clean bore condition.
For those who don't know, the ingredients in Bore Butter are beeswax, and olive oil, with a little stinkum goody.
Moose Milk is one part water soluble machinist oil, to 10-12 parts water. A gallon of the oil at $14 makes a lot of lube.
For those who don't know, the ingredients in Bore Butter are beeswax, and olive oil, with a little stinkum goody.
Moose Milk is one part water soluble machinist oil, to 10-12 parts water. A gallon of the oil at $14 makes a lot of lube.
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