Problems with "Bore Butter"

[Cruzatte]

Ok so I regularly read that somebody on these forums doesn't like "Bore Butter" for some reason or another. What I'm curious about is what is it you don't like . I have used it as a patch lube , conical bullet lube and to wipe the bore down and have had no issues. I don't use it for long term storage but it might work for ths . What's the rub and what are your experiences?

My complaint is neither with the quality of the product, nor its capabilities. I'm just a tight-wadded Dutchman and I see no advantage to Bore Butter/TC 1000 lube over home made patch lubes using animal fat as an ingredient, or a spit patch.

One thing I dislike about Bore Butter/TC 1000 is its tendency to harden in cold weather, and turn to soup in hot weather. I live in N.E. Kansas, and we'll have a couple of weeks of intense cold in the winter. Our summers are long, hot, and pretty humid.

 

[Josephg]

I had a tube of Bore Butter back about 1973-4. Think I lubed maxiballs with it. I didn't know it was still manufactured till reading about it on this forum. It must be some perty good stuff or it wouldn't still be around. Interesting history on it.

 

[Grenadier1758]

As long as one doesn't believe the misinformation printed on the Bore Butter tube about using it to "season" the barrel, Bore Butter makes a reasonably good patch lubricant or groove lubricant for Maxi-Balls, REAL bullets or grooved conical bullets. If the Bore Butter and fouling are cleaned out after shooting, Bore Butter is OKAY. Its too runny in hot weather and freezes up in cold weather.

 

[Josephg]

I always wondered about that "seasoning" thing. Steel does have voids in the surface and I have a barrel that has some perty dramatic longitudinal cracks in the bore. Maybe the lube fills these voids and cracks? Is that seasoning? I think a lot of lube comes out with a good cleaning. I always thought seasoning was a bunch a hooey. When you clean your barrel, it as been unseasoned.

 

[Reno]

I like it and use it. Yea on the seasoning. I fairly routinely clean my MLS and see the brown. But I use solvents and it comes clean. I’ve checked and no rust. ( knock on wood). So I am thinking the seasoning is doing its job.

 

[Trooper]

I've been watching many videos on youtube for muzzleloading instruction. One thing I've noticed is that one fellow has an image of a tube of TC bore butter in a red circle with a diagonal line going through the image. So why are so many experts against this product? after all, isn't this product put out by a reputable company like TC? I've started to use Track of the wolf mink oil as a patch lube instead. Can mink oil be also used as a long-term preservative as well?

 

[user 36911]

There's much better patch lubes.
It blows out patches in cold weather.
It's chap stick.
It's not PC.
Butter is for my toast.

Patch lube should be animal tallow.

Grumpy old man and proud of it.

 

[Stony Broke]

I've used it for a lot of years, but I don't lube patches with it. After cleaning the gun, I swab the barrel out with it and leave a good amount to protect the bore and then I give the rest of the rifle a wipe down with it as well. It always seemed to protect the finish on the wood as well as the metal. It's never given me a problem with the way I use it, so I'll just continue with it. Just like a lot of other stuff in this hobby, lots of guys have lots of ways to do the same things and most of those guys figure their way is the best.....

 

[Jim]

I’m of the mind that Bore Butter is really just Crisco with yellow food coloring added.

I’ve used it in the past but now just use Crisco . . . .no coloring added!

 

[cynthialee]

I like it for Summer shooting. But I don't hunt it down to be sure I have it.
I use what is available at the time.

 

[Reno]

Ive used it and gave not had any issues that I am aware of. I’ve hunted with it but have not used that. I’ve used just a plain old spit patch but when cold it’s not the best.
I’ve used a mix of rendered deer ir beef fat mixed with beeswax and that seems to work well. Plus I can grease my moccasins with it. I grease my boots with it to.
I will say you should be careful of salts in any animal fat used. So I do not use it for long term storage. Not saying it would cause an issue. Just saying care should be used.

 

[Big Tom 52]

I'm fairly new to muzzle loading and still in the try and see mode but I use bore butter and so far-so good! My main use is for patch lube until I find something I think is better.

 

[LME]

I understand that Bore Butter is very popular, it also comes on pre-lubed patches. The problem comes out west and south west in dry conditions. About 90% of our shooting is done at large ranches on trail walks shooting over dry grass small twigs and such. Grease patches such as Bore Butter, tallow, can and have caused fires. At any shooters meeting out here you will hear.
“absolutely no grease patches allowed“
I am sure at times everyone has seen smoldering patches. We use either water soluble oil or plenty of spit .
Doc,

First time I have heard this?

 

[Danny Ross]

I have seen a many of these arguments in the past about Borebutter, I have never seen (to my memory) the same arguments against Wonder Lube. Is it because Wonder Lube isn't as popular (available), possibly not made anymore, or are they lumped together? DANNY

 

[tom_in_vt]

I use it to lube maxi balls. It seems to work well for that. I have no problems with accuracy and it seems to soften the fouling well. I’ll continue to use it for this purpose

 

[rocullen]

Probably stems from the advertising..season the barrel.

I've seen a few barrels ruined by someone believing that.

 

[leadhoarder]

I have never used actual bore butter but when I was starting out I stocked up on patches prelubed with "wonder lube" which I have deduced to ne the same thing.

The patches have worked fine for me. I even got a 60-70 round marathon session one say wiping the bore with ballistol and water every 8-15 rounds when loading got difficult.

The pretreated patches do get stiff when cold and when cleaning the barrel I do get some brown patches from the lube as I am cleaning but things clean up nicely with warm water and a tiny bit of dawn.

 

[Surrywoodman]

I have only used bore butter over the years, but I follow these type threads with interest because I would like to find a lube that I can lube up a bunch of patches with ahead of time and use as needed. I have about 5 lubed patches left from my last batch I lubed up about 10 years ago, which I kept in a plastic bag inside of a plastic bullet box. They shoot fine but in the tube it does get rock hard in the cold and soupy in the summer time, and, I can rarely get more than 2, maybe 3 shots before I have to swab with alcohol. I do get the brown crud when I clean up after hunting season with hot water and Dawn. I use a 50-50 Crisco and beeswax for conicals but that is a recent change, use to only use Crisco

Overall no complaints with bore butter but I would like a stable, long term old school lube recipe if there is one out there. Most of the recipes I have seen so far seem to be more for lubing at shooting time. Is there a recipe that will hold up for say a year?

 

[mooman76]

Not the best but it does work.

 

[MAC1967]

Bore butter works well for cap and ball pistols …
As for patch lube on patches I tend to wonder how much patch lube matters in terms of one kind over another … it can matter for hunting in various weather … but I think what matters more for accuracy is consistent amounts on the patch every time … that’s just my opinion … I use Ballistol and water mix which is a dry patch that I make up in advance. . . As per the Dutch scholtz method.