So have been out of the game for a while ... what is the preferred lube these days?
Depends ... well, lots of options and there will even be MORE opinions, haha, but I do see BB going out of favor in COLD weather. Once did a shift at scoring at the last shooting station as a MZL snowshoe biathlon event up in Vermont, whilst a balmy
17-degrees-F out, and within one1-hour I witnessed 8 broken ramrods on arms like T/C Hawkens and Lyman GPRs, 7 with Bore Butter and 1 with spit lube.
Note that none the flintlock shooters broke their rods, but whereas flints are a different animal and
typically require somewhat more 'care',
dare I say it ... maybe they were more experienced shooters or familiar more with lubes, loading, and/or issues in cccold weather.
What I like ....
WARM weather - Hoppes' BP Patch Lube 9Works fantastic ... shoot all day without swabbing!
COLD weather - aka below freezing ... Pire, rendered Mink Oil from Track of the Wolf, $6 a big tin, the last time I ordered.