Using TOTW Mink Oil?

[ORBushman]

For those of you who use it, do you lube up a bunch of patches before heading to the range/outdoors, or just lube one at a time as you shoot? I'm sure either way is fine but, was just wondering what y'all like to do?

 

[TDM]

At the bench I lube 5-6 at a time in the can. On a woods walk I pre lube what I need and put them in a small leather pouch.

 

[tenngun]

I do one at a time. I have a small tin, old cap box that was burned black full of the grease and patches in another. I just lube one side.
Been about fifteen years buying the stuff. But…. I can’t tell it from lard in shooting.
It has a lot of snob factor. … but I still buy it

 

[ORBushman]

It has a lot of snob factor. … but I still buy it

Will be using it exclusively if it works well. Forgive me for not being in the know but, can you explain the above comment? Thanks!

 

[kyron4]

I lube one at the time on the bench, but prelube several patches if hunting or woods walking. For hunting/shooting in sub freezing temps, nothing works better.

 

[TDM]

@ORBushman, Track’s mink oil is an excellent lube. But you can accomplish the same result with a beeswax/crisco/oil mix or a lard/suet/tallow/beeswax mix. I make and use my own homemade mixture but I use mink oil too out of convenience and it works. There are pages and pages of lube recipes to be found if you use the forum search.

 

[ORBushman]

but I use mink oil too out of convenience and it works.

Yeah, this works for me too. I live in a very small trailer and am not really looking to make my own. As often as I get to go shooting, it's easier to just buy and have on hand when I need it.

 

[Iceman]

I always prelube when I use it. I’m in Michigan and you might have the same problem being in Oregon. It is stiff when it is cool outside and really doesn’t absorb into the patches very well. Plus I found I could use less if I just rubbed a little on the patches and then microwave and pressed them.

 

[tenngun]

Will be using it exclusively if it works well. Forgive me for not being in the know but, can you explain the above comment? Thanks!

It’s mink oil, we could have bear oil or whale, but minks up there as a very fine fat.
So how’s it work?
Well, it’s a good lube and even preservative. It can well liberate a lock if you don’t just glob it on,
It stays good from uncomfortably cold weather to uncomfortably hot.
But it’s neat to have them little tins of MINK oil… the good stuff.
Whale is illegal and bear isn’t easy to find and I understand illegal in some states.
So how does it work?
I can’t tell a difference between it and plain old hog lard from the grocery store. Lard that’s a lot cheaper.
I’ve shot a lot of lard, and after cleaning and drying used it to oil the barrel.
I’ve lubed lots of locks with lard, taking care not to glob it on.
So cheap lard in my left and more expensive mink oil in my right, why do I buy tins of mink if I can’t tell the difference?
Well has to be because it’s MINK.
Snob factor… IUse MINK!
Silly, no it’s not, it’s all part of the fun
French amber, English grey and ozark white flints all spark, gun goes boom, but I have me some French flints for my TFC
Have some antique clay pipes, they don’t smoke any different , it’s just neat to have them
Buy your mink oil, you won’t be disappointed, I never have been.
I just chuckel at myself for doing it.

 

[pacanis]

I use a pillow ticking strip when I use mink oil. I hold the fabric against the mink oil with two fingers and drag it across the surface with my other hand. So I guess that would be called prelubed.
If I don't use the whole strip I fold it lube side in and put it in my bag or box.

 

[Daveboone]

using precut patches, I prelubee a bunch. I melt the mink oil in the microwave, separate and add the patches to saturate. I add another glob of mink oil and reheat until it is all absorbed and I have as many as I want (usually a couple hundred). Most of my shooting is league. the darn mink oil is so stiff, I really dont want to use it with my preloaded hunting tubes. I have some patches still made up with Bore butter (which stays much more limber) to get me through this season, but I have to experiment thinning the mink oil down.
Anyone know if Bore Butter is out there again, or a good equivalent? I know, most anyting from Crisco to arm pit grease will work...

 

[Thingamajiggy]

at the bench, I lube as I go. When hunting, I'll have about a dozen prelubed in an empty cap tin to use.

 

[oldwood]

As long as the goo is sticky enough to make a pile of patches stick in my rifle's grease hole in the stock , It's good enough. I coat the patch , and rub all excess lube off , before loading. I like simple utilitarian solutions that work.

 

[Kmcmichael]

I use an old tin for caps and keep it full off lubricated patches. I do it at home before going shooting.

 

[mushka]

I pre lube patches with the mink oil. Just rub some onto them, it doesn't take much, then I put them into one of those plastic .22 cartridge boxes from cci with the sliding top. They keep for a good log while.

 

[LANEY REECE]

Will be using it exclusively if it works well. Forgive me for not being in the know but, can you explain the above comment? Thanks!

THANK YOU SIR for your service. I know off topic but i seen where HE served.

 

[The ole Marine]

I prelude about 20/25 patches. Never had a problem with hot or cold weather.
I prelude my .018 pillow ticking for my .58 Hawken and prelude .015 patches for my .50 PA Hunter.
I swab the barrel out after 4 or 5 shots with Windex. I F Lund out that this procedure works for me.
Good Luck!!!!!!!!

 

[Des52]

If just shooting I rub the patch over the tin, if hunting I prelube and use a bullet board. Don't ever swab till I am done and the mink oil works in the hot summers and cold winters here in Wisconsin.

 

[acavdragoon]

I’ve graduated to the Dawn soap and water mixture. Works so much better.

 

[kyron4]

I’ve graduated to the Dawn soap and water mixture. Works so much better.

Until it gets below 32* F , that's were mink oil really shines.