Lubing patches with mink oil ?

[kyron4]

Got a tin of Mink Oil from TOW for cold weather shooting and hunting. What is the proper method to lube patches ? I had been just rubbing one side with the mink oil but recently saw a video where a guy melts bear grease in a tin and drops the patches in allowing them to soak up the liquid grease. I realized any thing and any way will work , but for consistency and accuracy what is the preferred method ? Thanks

 

[HighUintas]

Got a tin of Mink Oil from TOW for cold weather shooting and hunting. What is the proper method to lube patches ? I had been just rubbing one side with the mink oil but recently saw a video where a guy melts bear grease in a tin and drops the patches in allowing them to soak up the liquid grease. I realized any thing and any way will work , but for consistency and accuracy what is the preferred method ? Thanks

Some extremely experienced and expertly PRB shooters over on ALR forum will melt the mink oil in a double boiler (direct heat can easily ruin it) then dip a stack of about 10 patches in the oil with tongs or something, let them become saturated, pull the stack out and let cool enough to touch, then squeeze out a bit of the extra with the finger and thumb. Then let solidify.

I haven't started shooting yet but have been researching lube methods alot recently.

 

[dave951]

Experiment.

I've been using mink oil from a local shoe store. I'll put some on patches the night before and let it sit get absorbed. What I've found is too much has no benefit.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Experiment.

I've been using mink oil from a local shoe store. I'll put some on patches the night before and let it sit get absorbed. What I've found is too much has no benefit.

One of the principles of Dutch's "dry patch" system was that it kept you from using too much lube. I have found that any non petrolium oil will work for a lube as long as you don't use too much.

 

[hanshi]

I use well lubed patches and that works for my shooting. With TOW mink oil I wipe it across the grease cake then rub it in well with thumb & index finger. Any excess collects on the muzzle when seated.

 

[kyron4]

I use well lubed patches and that works for my shooting. With TOW mink oil I wipe it across the grease cake then rub it in well with thumb & index finger. Any excess collects on the muzzle when seated.

Just one side of the patch, correct ?

 

[golden sky]

can I use bacon grease,? Bears and MInk are hard to find in my area

 

[Bushfire]

can I use bacon grease,? Bears and MInk are hard to find in my area

It will have salt in it is all, I personally wouldn't want to be caking that in my bore.

I use olive or Peanut oil, cheap and easily available. Works a charm, only pain is its always liquid, some guys mix it with bees wax to solidify it a bit.

 

[Thomas.bill92]

I use mink oil that I get off Amazon for $6 a tub. I just take a 6x6 square of pillow ticking and a glob of mink oil paste and work it in to the fabric. Twisting, mashing, rubbing, until it is all evenly distributed, then I load up the ball board. With any greasy material, if you only apply to one side, it will either soak through the patch with time or be forced through with ball seating. That's why a nice tight patch and ball combo works so well. If you can retrieve a ball relatively intact from a soft target, the fabric will have imprinted around the circumference of the ball and no amount of grease is going to overcome a grip like that.

 

[golden sky]

i found some coconut oil in jar at the market, it seems to solidify below 65-70 degrees and gets liquidy above that temp . now who makes a round patch punching tool?

 

[colimr]

CS OSBORNE TOOLS ARCH PUNCH 1 1/4" for 50cal 1 1/8" for 45cal find the punches on EBAY or Mcmaster -Carr

 

[golden sky]

CS OSBORNE TOOLS ARCH PUNCH 1 1/4" for 50cal 1 1/8" for 45cal find the punches on EBAY or Mcmaster -Carr

thanks you guys are awsome on this forum

 

[Grimord]

thanks you guys are awsome on this forum

You can also make round patches using a cheap hole saw. Grind off the teeth and then sharpen the edge. Chuck it in your drill press or electric hand drill, fold over several layers of your patch cloth and star cutting patches. You can cut 100 patches in about 5 minutes. Less work than using an arch punch.

 

[Bushfire]

CS OSBORNE TOOLS ARCH PUNCH 1 1/4" for 50cal 1 1/8" for 45cal find the punches on EBAY or Mcmaster -Carr

You'll have to excuse my stupidity, but what size would I need for a 62/20G?

 

[colimr]

Sorry 45 and 50 are the calibers I have .If I had to guess 1 1/2" If you have a prelubed or unlubed patch measure it that's how I found my punch sizes

 

[HighUintas]

You can also make round patches using a cheap hole saw. Grind off the teeth and then sharpen the edge. Chuck it in your drill press or electric hand drill, fold over several layers of your patch cloth and star cutting patches. You can cut 100 patches in about 5 minutes. Less work than using an arch punch.

Any idea if sharpening the outer edge or inner edge to a bevel works better?

 

[golden sky]

i would guess , keep the inner edge straight, and sharpen the outter

 

[jdw276]

can I use bacon grease,? Bears and MInk are hard to find in my area

I have and rendered it to get the salt out. Boiled the grease, water added if I recall correctly, freezer brings grease to the top, water retains the salt, allow ice to melt and remove the water. I did it two or three times to remove the salt.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

i found some coconut oil in jar at the market, it seems to solidify below 65-70 degrees and gets liquidy above that temp . now who makes a round patch punching tool?

I use arch punches…I’ve gotten mine off Amazon, though prices have increased.

 

[tenngun]

can I use bacon grease,? Bears and MInk are hard to find in my area

The salt mentioned above, I don’t know if that is a real problem or not but heard it all my life.
However lard sold in tubs works well. I’m a snob and buy mink oil, but I can’t say it works any better then lard, and I use more lard then mink