Moose Milk question

[PAlongrifle]

I just got into blackpowder shooting this past summer. I originally bought some store bought products (Bore Butter, Hoppes, No. 13, ect...), but I like what I have been reading about Moose Milk over the past two days (I just found this forum).

My question is, after cleaning the bore with moose milk, should I lube, or is this an all-in-one product? What lube would you suggest? I read about Moose Snot, but I don't know where I can find the bees wax, and I really don't have any work area for melting it down.

Would Bumblin' Bear Grease or Sagebrush work? I read that Sagebrush works well against rust, but what about the Bear Grease (it sounds more authentic)?

 

[rusty]

After useing the moose milk,you should use a lube,I have never used the products you mentioned,but I have used Bore Butter and it works well.I mosly use olive oil now.hope this helps. rusty

 

[Stumpkiller]

Welcome.

. . . after cleaning the bore with moose milk, should I lube . . .

I do. There is water in the moose milk and it needs a follow-up to protect the bore. I either give a squirt of WD-40 (I use the pump-spray bottle variety) or an alcohol soaked patch. Then, after it sets muzzle down for a time, I lube the bore. Bore Butter/Natural Lube is pretty good, as is Moose Snot or CLP Breakfree. Something that leaves an oil or grease film.

You can get beeswax via the Internet at

www.beeswaxfrombeekeepers.com

As a point of interest: I did some rust tests last summer and the test strip with the T/C No. 13 rusted faster than the control or the steel with a water only wipe off! Negative rust prevention there. It, and the Hoppes Blackpowder Solvent, are mostly water.

 

[cayugad]

Like Stumpkiller noted.. Moose milk is a great patch lube. It will probably be all I ever use, but I do not swab with it or use it to protect my barrel.

I swab between shots with a lot of differetn items, depending on what rifle I am shooting. Isopropyl alcohol makes a great swab liquid between shots. Isopropyl alcohol and car windshield washer fluid makes another great swab liquid if your rifle is not fussy...

To protect the barrel after the rifle is nice and clean, I use Birchwood Casey Sheath, REM OIL w/teflon, or Breakfree CLP to protect the metal...

 

[PAlongrifle]

I mosly use olive oil now.

Does the olive oil prevent rust? And (I know this might sound stupid) do you use regular, virgin, or extra virgin?

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use olive oil on all my carbon steel knives as a rust preventative. It allows a bit of "toning" but I've never had one rust.

I had an in-the-white Bess for 15 years and used olive oil to wipe the metal, and she had just the slightest light patina going after that time. (Don't use oil on the frizzen and wipe the pan and frizzen with alcohol before use).

 

[Bearbait2]

Same with us. Have used olive oil on our knives for more years than I care to remember. We switched to olive oil because we were using the knives to prepare food that we were going to eat. Whether it was field dressing an animal in the bush or butchering at home. Not to mention when dinner time came around. Helps to remove one additional chance of tainting (or worse) the meat. Have never had a problem with the olive oil becoming rancid and no problems with rust on any of the steel we have used it on.
Best Wishes

 

[brushbuster]

I use olive oil on all my carbon steel knives as a rust preventative. It allows a bit of "toning" but I've never had one rust.

I had an in-the-white Bess for 15 years and used olive oil to wipe the metal, and she had just the slightest light patina going after that time. (Don't use oil on the frizzen and wipe the pan and frizzen with alcohol before use).

you also mentioned in one of your previous threads about substituteing olive oil for castor oil i am going to do this with my next batch of moose snot and may use it in the milk recipe .

what say you

 

[Stumpkiller]

Never tried, but I know several shooters who use oilve oil & beeswax/olive oil lubes. It's authentic, to be sure (used to be called "sweet oil").

The only concern I might have is that it tends to gum after time and I don't know how it holds up in a tin over extended time (castor seems to never evaporate, though I'm sure it will eventually). The olive oil/wax mix might dry out a bit. How a thinl coating of it holds up on metal (inside a bore for storage) is another test. You'll never know until you try.

 

[PAlongrifle]

I saw in another post a recipe for "Moose Marrow". What are the differences between this and the Moose Snot? Which would be better for long-term storage (2-3 months)?

Also, does anybody have any recipes for sweet oil (praportions for the oil and the wax)?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Moose Marrow is a conical lube. It is more solid that the Moose Snot (more beeswax & less castor oil). That's the only difference. It's less messy on a Mini