Cold weather patch lube.

[Mtman725]

So with a late season hunt meaning cold to very cold, what is a good patch lube. The bear grease that I was given is so hard, when you try to start a ball and patch you just punch out a donuts. And you have to keep it close to your body to make it work. SO???

 

[Stony Broke]

When I hunt in really cold weather, I like to use my regular lube which is just a mix of Murphys and Windex. When shooting matches, I just drop the prb on top of the powder, step forward and shoot it....but when hunting where it will be loaded longer, I always use something between the patch and powder. Normally I just use a thicker paper wad, but I have used wasp nest and things like that also.

 

[Rendezvous Valley Trading]

I have used both bore butter and also mink oil. Both have worked for me with no problems. I hunt alot in the cold and just usually use bore butter because that’s cheap and I have a bunch. Has always worked.

 

[Grimord]

Mink oil for me. It gets stiffer in the real cold, but is still smearable (sic) on patches.

 

[Stony Broke]

I've used both the Bore Butter and Mink Oil as well and they did the job just fine. I think between the two, the Mink Oil is probably the better choice though as it doesn't seem to get solidified quite as much as the Bore Butter.

 

[Rendezvous Valley Trading]

Agreed! I had some rendered mink oil liquid for years that I used on my boots. Worked fantastic but I ran out and just haven’t purchased more. Got it online from a place in Idaho I think. They make it themselves and it’s only ingredient was rendered oil. Think I will do that right now...

 

[Dobermans]

I use patches soaked in 1:7 ballistol:water. I let em dry out for a couple days and they are ready.

 

[Maven]

You could make a batch of Stumpy's Moose Snot (google it) and adjust he proportions for cold weather use: It is an excellent patch lube.

 

[LongWalker]

Neatsfoot oil (the real stuff, not "neatsfoot oil compound") works well for a cold-weather patch lube.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Mink Tallow year round for me.
It works great hot or cold weather.

 

[ord sgt]

I use Wonder Lube all year round. My shooting is at the rifle range so the rifle is loaded and shot straight off.

 

[sdhunter]

Just shot
My rifle at
The range in -4 F yesterday morning and killed a deer at 6 F yesterday afternoon using mink oil. Easy, cheap, and it just flat works!

 

[ohio ramrod]

For warm weather shooting I use a mixture 80% lard 20%beeswax, for colder weather I use either 100% lard or the synthetic sperm whale oil Dixie sells. (It looks and even smells like the real stuff, I still have a few ounces left from the early sixties!)

 

[Daryl Crawford]

I mix olive oil and bees wax, that's my lube year round. When I get into deep winter I put my tin on the stove and add more olive oil. At room temp it should be quite soft. By Spring I add more wax to stiffen it up.

 

[Rendezvous Valley Trading]

Still haven’t tried the ballistol. I use it for lubricant in my gunshop but have never tried it for patch lube. Must work though. Alot of people on this site love it. Never tried neatsfoot oil either but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Great ideas and stuff to try!!

 

[Mtman725]

Thanks everyone I just happen to have a gt of Ballistoll on hand I use it on everything.

 

[Rodd Boyer]

I use a mixture of Lamb tallow, beeswax and canning wax. It sets up hard and I melt it into my patch strips, but it works no matter the temperature.

 

[Billy Boy]

So with a late season hunt meaning cold to very cold, what is a good patch lube. The bear grease that I was given is so hard, when you try to start a ball and patch you just punch out a donuts. And you have to keep it close to your body to make it work. SO???

Squares of pillow ticking lubed with mink oil for cool weather ( down to zero F), and same squares wetted with windshield wiper fluid, in a baggie, for cooler weather (15 below zero F). No one in living memory can remember seeing a brass monkey in this area.

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

I use Frontiers Lube, the one with bear grease. Frontiers is very slick. I am able to easily pull the ball at the end of the hunt.

 

[pwbsmokey]

I use a mixture of Lamb tallow, beeswax and canning wax. It sets up hard and I melt it into my patch strips, but it works no matter the temperature.

Why canning wax?