Straight Peanut Oil for Patch Lube?

[Licespray]

Hey guys,

Read about people using many, many different patch lubes, including straight plant based oils.

Peanut oil has a higher burn temp than olive oil so some people prefer it. Some mix it with bees wax and some just seem to use it straight.

I’m wondering if anyone’s given straight peanut oil a go, as both a target and a hunting lube? My interest is in a simple, easy to get, easy to transport, temperature stable lube that can stay in the barrel while hunting for hours on end.

Cheers,
Troy.

 

[Carbon 6]

Peanut oil has a higher burn temp than olive oil so some people prefer it.

All things are debatable and preferable. I prefer olive oil, and have always advocated against using "Extra virgin", in place of more refined olive oil
Also, keep in mind that most commercial lubes contain mineral oil, which has a maximum operating temperature of 600 F.
That said, I have never seen a muzzleloader patch lube fail thermally, (Too hot) so I don't know how important smoke point really is.

My interest is in a simple, easy to get, easy to transport, temperature stable lube that can stay in the barrel while hunting for hours on end.

I've left lube made of beeswax and olive oil lube in the barrel loaded for months on end without issue.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Lubricants are one of the most forgiving components of a load. When you use a very tight fitting load slickness is less of an issue than when using an easy to start, loose load. After all, lubricants from spit to the most exotic work for somebody. Peanut oil should work. Oils do mix in with powder fouling so use a degreasing soap in your cleaning solution.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

My interest is in a simple, easy to get, easy to transport, temperature stable lube that can stay in the barrel while hunting for hours on end.

Temperature stable?
I'm confused about what you mean. Do you mean a melting point above a hot air temp where it might liquify and then contaminate your powder, or do you mean a lube that would remain pliable in a cold air temp,....or both?

Basically the ratio of beeswax to the oil will determine that. More beeswax boosts the liquifying temp higher, but at freezing temps the lube becomes stiff. So I have a lube that I use for about 8 months of the year, and one when the temp gets down to freezing that uses less beeswax. (Well technically I have a third that has even more beeswax for lubing conical bullets)

I've left lube made of beeswax and olive oil lube in the barrel loaded for months on end without issue.

Yes indeed I've had the same experience with beeswax/olive oil, and I've left a cake of beeswax and plain lard on a shelf in a ziplock bag as well as on lubed bullets, for a couple of years and the lard didn't go rancid.

LD

 

[Licespray]

Yeah Dave, that’s what I meant.

Hmm so lube type isn’t super critical, it’s just more important that it’s there then?

What’s a good recipe of beeswax/olive oil? I won’t be going out in any freezing temps. All the things online I read just say “a mix of beeswax/olive oil” and don’t give amounts.

The thing I was worried about is a patch starting a fire as it can get very dry around here.

 

[Carbon 6]

Hmm so lube type isn’t super critical, it’s just more important that it’s there then?

Yes and no
Lube does a lot of things, like managing the fouling so you can get repeated shots without wiping, for example.

What’s a good recipe of beeswax/olive oil? I won’t be going out in any freezing temps. All the things online I read just say “a mix of beeswax/olive oil” and don’t give amounts.

Everyone like their own consistency For summer I mix it a little stiffer, For winter a bit looser, For maxi balls, looser and stiffer for my grease hole, and looser for my tin, i also make it looser for all-purpose uses like hand cream, lip balm or water proofing.

The thing I was worried about is a patch starting a fire as it can get very dry around here.

The type of lube play only a minute role in determining that, and smoke point should not be confused with auto ignition temperatures.
If it is really dry, and the danger of fire is high, it's best not to shoot.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The ratio of olive oil to bee's wax varies depending on the temperature. In winter when temperatures are freezing or lower, then about 7 parts of oil mixed with 1 part of bee's wax in a double boiler. I use this mix to lubricate the ball top of my paper cartridges. A summer mix from equal parts of wax and oil is good. Mostly for summer weight hunting lube would be 4 or 5 parts of oil to 1 part of wax. One problem with the waxy lube is that the fouling builds up to the crusty ring pretty quickly. This call for frequent wiping with something ( denatured alcohol) to cut that crusty mix of wax and fouling.

At the target range, I like a mix of 1 part of Ballistol to 7 parts of water. Just dampen the patch. Even this may result in the crusty ring. This is easy to overcome with the alcohol patch using a slightly undersized jag that passes over the fouling but bunches up to pull it out.

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

You can use your patch lube to fry up the squirrel meat. Some ramps and morels would make a fine dinner.

 

[Barry Strickland]

Carbon6, Very interesting list of temps. One I did not see on the list is castor oil. I use it quite a bit since I have plenty. It works well for me. Of course just about anything works I have seen some fine shooting by those using Redman chewing tobacco. When they are talking to you that they are on the level when you can see brown stains running down both corners of their mouth.

 

[bcbdmorrison]

I have used patches soaked with dish soap. Cleans a lot of fouling every time you run a ball down. You get a lot of shots befor e you really have to clean.

 

[longcruise]

As regards temperature resistance (see how I can throw the tech lingo around? ), while ignition temps are high, the exposure time is very low. I have shot spit patch and liquid soap/water lubed patches and picked them up to find them to be wet and unsinged. So, I'm in agreement with others here in saying that temp resistance is not an issue. At least not with any lubes I've tried.

Someday I'm going to make a list of all the lubes I have ever used. Probably can't remember all of them!

Getting to peanut oil, I have used it both full strength and diluted with various ratios of alcohol. It worked just fine, so if you have it use it.

My own requirement for lube is the ability to apply it consistently. The most consistent application method for me has been mixing it with a soluble liquid. This was a take away from the Dutch Schultz system. His method of mixing the oil be at Napa oil or ballistol with water or alcohol allows very consistent application. What I am currently using is olive oil mixed into alcohol denatured alcohol would probably be the best choice but I'm using 91% isopropyl.

Shooting shot after shot after shot without wiping seems to be an important feature for many shooters. It certainly can be easily done simply using spit or mixing your own preferred ratio of dish soap with water. I use the oil rather than soap or spit because I want my lube to work at the range as well as on the hunt so no water down the bore. I'm sure there are a number of other good shot after shot lubes I just simply go for economy. Nothing more economical to spit.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

What’s a good recipe of beeswax/olive oil? I won’t be going out in any freezing temps. All the things online I read just say “a mix of beeswax/olive oil” and don’t give amounts.

I usually give folks ratios of beeswax to oil. So you may find an earlier post in another thread where I mention something like 1:2, for winter, and 1:1 for summer, and like 2:1 or 3:1 for black powder bullets ... so the second ratio (1:1) is also expressed 50/50.

So if you make a tiny amount of my Winter ratio, you take 1 tablespoon of melted beeswax and mix with 2 tablespoons of very warm oil or melted lard (unsalted lard). Then let it cool. If you made a huge batch, you take 1 cup of melted beeswax and mix it with two cups of very warm oil, and let that cool.

Since I like stuff that works for other tasks too, I have used the 1:1 as bullet lube, or as candle fuel, or as water "proofing" for mocs, and for chapped lips. I even once bought some food-grade wintergreen, to give it a scent. I stopped adding the scent as it was a waste of money.

LD

 

[rednexx]

I'll throw in my 2 cents worth might not even be worth that, years ago I had read about old timers( I now am in that class) using sweet oil, took me years, okay after the innerweb come about to find out it was referring to olive oil. Now I don't know what grade or pressing or refinement they were talking about I would believe it to be what was common back around say the American Civil War. I have personally used bear grease, well that gets rancid and if you get it on your lips it don't taste too good.I also have read that again old timers used sperm whale oil to lube and clean and so forth black powder and muzzleloading firearms, not to be found in these days of political correctness, an alternative is jojoba oil. I have used it and is a bit expensive and stays very useable from temps of about 100 F to 0 F never gummed up or fouled. I have also used Corona salve, nope nothing to do with the virus. Just my thoughts and 2 cents worth. Oh yeah most cooking oils of today are pretty refined and have chemicals added for many reasons I won't and can't go into, unless they possibly are"organic", but that is just a term to make snowflakes feel all warm and fuzzy.

 

[nkbj]

Just something I've run into using thicker oil and beeswax based lubes, a patch that is essentially glued to the ball doesn't always release as cleanly as would as oil or water based "lube". And, it can affect accuracy, at least with smaller calibers. More so if smoothbore and the circumference of the patch isn't being thrust outward by spin.
Just another something to tinker with.

 

[Licespray]

I picked up some heavy ticking, 2 different oils (peanut oil and Spanish olive oil), some beeswax, and this furniture balm - gunna probably give each a go this weekend if I can get a break from uni.

Fingers crossed..

 

[dave951]

I don't shoot PRB nearly as often as minies, but during all this plague stuff, I decided to play around with some different lube combinations. After reading on the results with coconut oil, I decided to experiment with it a bit. Results were varied and depended on the gun.

Point of my post, going to the range and shooting the experiment was great fun!

 

[Carbon 6]

Just something I've run into using thicker oil and beeswax based lubes, a patch that is essentially glued to the ball doesn't always release as cleanly as would as oil or water based "lube".

This is true if you lube both sides of the patch.
If you use beeswax and olive oil, only lube one side of the patch being careful not to over lube it.
This is also why evaluating your spent patches is important.

 

[longcruise]

Just something I've run into using thicker oil and beeswax based lubes, a patch that is essentially glued to the ball doesn't always release as cleanly as would as oil or water based "lube". And, it can affect accuracy, at least with smaller calibers. More so if smoothbore and the circumference of the patch isn't being thrust outward by spin.
Just another something to tinker with.

How on earth did you ascertain that the patch was sticking to the ball??

 

[Mulebrain]

Dawn diluted with water is my go to patch lube. Just shot a five day match and never cleaned the rifle till I got home.
Learned this from a champion competition black powder shooter.

Now for out in the field hunting, spit would be doing the job

 

[JeffG]

I’m wondering if anyone’s given straight peanut oil a go, as both a target and a hunting lube? My interest is in a simple, easy to get, easy to transport, temperature stable lube that can stay in the barrel while hunting for hours on end.

I have used peanut oil, and olive oil on the range, but for sitting in the gun, it tends to leach and affect the powder a little. We made jokes about peanut oil being jiffy lube, but it works fine. Just wring out your patches so there isn't much excess.