Patch lube for round ball shooting..........Lawdy.

[ETipp]

Been a long time since I shot patch and RB, and actually, that's all I really wanted to shoot. However, after owning a few TC ML rifles that did not play well with RB, I took the route of conical bullets. They have served me well overall. Took a lot of critters with them. But my heart is in shooting RB.

With that said, and before anyone makes the comment of "whatever your rifle likes best" or something along those lines, I am well aware of how some rifles prefer different recipes. What I am looking for is an overall patch lube, or a good starting point, if you will. The only lube I have ever used, to the best of my memory, was either Bore Butter or whatever some commercial patches were lubed with.

Reason for inquiring on this is simple. From my research I have found about a million different patch lubes that people swear by. From homemade to commercial. Its enough to make anyone's head spin. And yes, I have been taking notes.

Accuracy aside, there are other reasons why so many claim they like this or that lube better. Many swear some lubes will dirty up the barrels more than others. Yet many will say just the opposite. Some claim weather conditions is a factor. Some do not using spit due to it putting moisture down the barrel. Some use a wad on top of the powder due to concerns of the lube soaking into the powder. There are other reasons people site.

Moving along, I will certainly make my own patch lube if I know of a good starting point. If there's a commercial lube that is pretty darn good in many aspects, as well as many people have had good results with, then so be it.

Just looking for a general consensus on an overall good patch lube that has served many well in the past.

Oh, one last thing to note. I will be shooting a Crocket Squirrel rifle and a .54 Lyman Great Plains rifle.

Thank you.

 

[Widows Son]

If you are hunting, meaning maybe firing a shot now and then, there are numerous lubes that pretty much all work as well as each other.

If you are target shooting and doing lots of repetitive load & fire, I recommend a liquid lube on the patches because they clean the fouling better. Again, there are many to chose from.

I use a ‘moose milk’ of water soluble cutting oil & water 1:7 ratio and a squirt of dish soap.

 

[Okie Hog]

All kinds of stuff makes good patch lube. The original GoJo hand cleaner is excellent patch lube. Simply smear a light coat on the patch. Great for cleaning the bore too.

 

[ETipp]

All kinds of stuff makes good patch lube. The original GoJo hand cleaner is excellent patch lube. Simply smear a light coat on the patch. Great for cleaning the bore too.

I have on hand now, Bore Butter, Mink Oil, and Go Jo. The Bore Butter I have on hand is an older can that is fairly firm. The other is in tubes and much thinner.

And indeed, there is all kinds of stuff people use for patch lube.

 

[ETipp]

If you are hunting, meaning maybe firing a shot now and then, there are numerous lubes that pretty much all work as well as each other.

If you are target shooting and doing lots of repetitive load & fire, I recommend a liquid lube on the patches because they clean the fouling better. Again, there are many to chose from.

I use a ‘moose milk’ of water soluble cutting oil & water 1:7 ratio and a squirt of dish soap.

So the moose milk is made from water soluble cutting oil, water and dish soap or is moose milk an actual product?

 

[cositrike]

Been a long time since I shot patch and RB, and actually, that's all I really wanted to shoot. However, after owning a few TC ML rifles that did not play well with RB, I took the route of conical bullets. They have served me well overall. Took a lot of critters with them. But my heart is in shooting RB.

With that said, and before anyone makes the comment of "whatever your rifle likes best" or something along those lines, I am well aware of how some rifles prefer different recipes. What I am looking for is an overall patch lube, or a good starting point, if you will. The only lube I have ever used, to the best of my memory, was either Bore Butter or whatever some commercial patches were lubed with.

Reason for inquiring on this is simple. From my research I have found about a million different patch lubes that people swear by. From homemade to commercial. Its enough to make anyone's head spin. And yes, I have been taking notes.

Accuracy aside, there are other reasons why so many claim they like this or that lube better. Many swear some lubes will dirty up the barrels more than others. Yet many will say just the opposite. Some claim weather conditions is a factor. Some do not using spit due to it putting moisture down the barrel. Some use a wad on top of the powder due to concerns of the lube soaking into the powder. There are other reasons people site.

Moving along, I will certainly make my own patch lube if I know of a good starting point. If there's a commercial lube that is pretty darn good in many aspects and the many people have had good results with, then so be it.

Just looking for a general consensus on an overall good patch lube that has served many well in the past.

Oh, one last thing to note. I will be shooting a Crocket Squirrel rifle and a .54 Lyman Great Plains rifle.

Thank you.

Neat Murphys oil soap. Keeps any fouling soft and easy to clean after shooting. Also, I shoot my guns all day without cleaning between shots

 

[nchawkeye]

Something we seldom mention, not all barrels are created equal...Production rifles may have the correct twist rate to stabilize round balls but the rifling is not as deep as those barrels made for round balls, this makes a difference....Custom barrels are more forgiving...

Another point, all that residue in the barrel can be reduced by dropping your powder charge and going to FFF vs FF powder...Many use more powder than needed...Less residue, less fouling...I started with 120grs FF in my .54 back in the '80s...For the past couple of decades, I've gone to 80grs FFF and frankly I think 70 in our eastern woods, with shots within 75 yards would be plenty...

I've used SnoSeal for years, have also used the Mink Oil patch lube from Track of the Wolf and have mixed up Moose Snot in the past with good results...If memory serves me right, Moose Snot is a mix of bees wax, castor oil and Murphys Oil Soap...The good thing about Moose Snot is you can make is as thick or thin as you want...Google it and it will bring you back to this website with the recipe for that and Moose Milk...

Finally, the BS about a lube "seasoning" your barrel is BS...This was a marketing scheme dreamed up by the manufactures of those products...Many of us were shooting before those products hit the market and is simply isn't so...The old timers used animal fat because that is what they had...Their barrels were made from iron, ours are made from steel...While you can season a cast iron fry pan, you can't a modern steel barrel...Good Luck!!

 

[Urban Coyote]

If I'm loading and shooting, not leaving my gun loaded for an extended period, which is how most of my shots are fired, I use spit. It's easy to find, I pack it everywhere I go shooting or not, inexpensive, not too messy and works really well.

 

[Widows Son]

So the moose milk is made from water soluble cutting oil, water and dish soap or is moose milk an actual product?

“Moose milk” , as far as I know, is a general muzzleloader fraternity term. It’s called milk because the oil emulsifies into a white liquid.
You can also use Ballistol instead of cutting oil.

 

[pacanis]

I use spit or mink oil and strips of pillow ticking.
I can't say I like putting fabric in my mouth though.

The mink oil I can open the tin and use a couple fingers to hold down the strip of ticking, then pull it through.

 

[azmntman]

I have shot for competition and pleasure (against myself) and hunted for 50 years. Hands down best patch lube for plinking and range time is Hoppes #9 Black Powder Solvent and Patch Lube, (NOT THE REGULAR HOPPES #9 SOLVENT). You will shoot all day and have the same barrel conditions from shot #2 to the last. Almost as good as the Dutch Schultz system with ballistol n water.

Problem with hunting with it is its water soluble and some folks think it will rust your barrel if it sits too long. It never did mine but humidity here is rare.

I have found Mink Oil (I got tins of it from Track of the Wolf) is great for hunting and accuracy is very good (I swipe between shots unless using Hoppes which does it for you).

Now that I have granted my wisdom the thread can be locked and this will save the internet equivlant of 14 million trees as the thread could go on to several hundred thousand pages (seems folks have theyre own silly ideas that differ from mine?).

Carry on!

PS dont bother using it to clean, aint a bit better than water n drop or two of dish soap (I have been known to soak nipples n clean out screws in it while caring for the barrel though).

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Just found a you tube for making homemade bore butter.
Only thing Im wondering is how you get it in the spent tube?

 

[Frontstuffer070]

I take my strips of pillow ticking and put them in the pot of melted beezwax and Lambs tallow, then lift one end and strip the excess off with my fingers. Then all that goes in the bag and I cut the patches at the muzzle. It works great for hunting. When I'm at the range its Moose Milk. I will try some other suggestions mentioned here though. Good info

 

[rchas]

Spit patch on the range (sometimes "moose milk" if my mouth is dry- Murphys, WD-40 and water in about equal amounts).

Crisco when I hunt.

Simple enough and accurate enough for me.

 

[ETipp]

Something we seldom mention, not all barrels are created equal...Production rifles may have the correct twist rate to stabilize round balls but the rifling is not as deep as those barrels made for round balls, this makes a difference....Custom barrels are more forgiving...

Another point, all that residue in the barrel can be reduced by dropping your powder charge and going to FFF vs FF powder...Many use more powder than needed...Less residue, less fouling...I started with 120grs FF in my .54 back in the '80s...For the past couple of decades, I've gone to 80grs FFF and frankly I think 70 in our eastern woods, with shots within 75 yards would be plenty...

I've used SnoSeal for years, have also used the Mink Oil patch lube from Track of the Wolf and have mixed up Moose Snot in the past with good results...If memory serves me right, Moose Snot is a mix of bees wax, castor oil and Murphys Oil Soap...The good thing about Moose Snot is you can make is as thick or thin as you want...Google it and it will bring you back to this website with the recipe for that and Moose Milk...

Finally, the BS about a lube "seasoning" your barrel is BS...This was a marketing scheme dreamed up by the manufactures of those products...Many of us were shooting before those products hit the market and is simply isn't so...The old timers used animal fat because that is what they had...Their barrels were made from iron, ours are made from steel...While you can season a cast iron fry pan, you can't a modern steel barrel...Good Luck!!

I've seen where people use beeswax, Murphy's oil soap and castor oil. That sounds to be fairly common and something I might try brewing up. Actually have it written my my notes.

I gave up on the Bore Butter seasoning thing years ago.

 

[ETipp]

Spit patch on the range (sometimes "moose milk" if my mouth is dry- Murphys, WD-40 and water in about equal amounts).

Crisco when I hunt.

Simple enough and accurate enough for me.

Oh yeah, almost forgot about Crisco. The wife has some stashed here somewhere.

I would really like to keep this simple as possible yet produce good results.

 

[ETipp]

Just found a you tube for making homemade bore butter.
Only thing Im wondering is how you get it in the spent tube?

Bore Butter use to come in a smaller plastic jar. I still have some that's quite old. It is stiffer than the tubed Bore Butter.

So far its looking like spit or Mink oil or Crisco and maybe Go Jo.

Do any of you mix beeswax with any of those, other than spit.

 

[Okie Hog]

The mink oil I can open the tin and use a couple fingers to hold down the strip of ticking, then pull it through.

Works for me.

 

[Stykbow]

Well I’ll be the odd man out. I use bore butter and it works just fine for me.

 

[ETipp]

I use spit or mink oil and strips of pillow ticking.
I can't say I like putting fabric in my mouth though.

The mink oil I can open the tin and use a couple fingers to hold down the strip of ticking, then pull it through.

Do you use mink oil only or do you mix it with anything?