Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Shooting Traditional Firearms and Weapons => General Interest => Topic started by: sse on March 03, 2009, 05:07:56 PM

Title: Bore Preservative
Post by: sse on March 03, 2009, 05:07:56 PM

What are you guys using lately to preserve the bore between shooting?  I've been using bore butter, but I'm not sure I trust the stuff.  Thanks.

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Post by: pathfinder on March 03, 2009, 05:10:17 PM

I've been using mink oil for the last few years and it works pretty good. It's the trappers blend from Track of the Wolf

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Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on March 03, 2009, 05:20:30 PM

I've been using bore butter for a few years and if the barrel is clean and'"DRY". I also put mine on while the barrel is still good and warm from pouring the hot rise water through and over it. For the most part here in west tx. its so dry theree is little chance of rust anyway. I've also used this process in Fla. and up-state N.Y. so I know it works in a damp climate. I understand there are many who claim to have had poor luck using BB as a preseritive But for me it has worked well. I still think that the preperation of clean and "DRY" makes the difference.

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Post by: Bigsmoke on March 03, 2009, 05:29:28 PM

Used to use Bumblin Bear Grease.
Now I use Just Good Lube - works great.

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Post by: jbullard1 on March 03, 2009, 06:23:04 PM

For short term storage (2 months or less) I use olive oil
Longer I swab the bore with RIG

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Post by: melsdad on March 03, 2009, 06:34:14 PM

I have been using ballistol with good results. I have heard to much bad stuff about the bore butter.

The only thing I don't like about the ballistol is the smell

http://www.ballistol.com/ (http://www.ballistol.com/)

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Post by: Gambia on March 03, 2009, 07:23:03 PM

It doesn't get much wetter than SW Washington, Ballistol performs very well for me.One problem with bore butter and similar products is that they trap water so  you must get the barrel DRY. FWIW The literature thar comes with GM drop in barrells recommends against the use of bore butter.I have used Rem oil and RIG and they both d
id a good job preventing rust,problem is they are petroleum based. Everbody will have a different preference.

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Post by: BEAVERMAN on March 03, 2009, 08:37:02 PM

Ive been using break free for years now, never ever have a problem with rust! like Charlie said, dont get much more humid than here in the PNW!, heck, ya can tell a native or a transplant of 5 years or more by the webbing betwixed the fingers and toes!!!!!!!!

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Post by: Indiana on March 03, 2009, 08:54:49 PM

I haven't had any trouble with using TC bore butter, but what has everyone else had trouble with it with?  I may have to switch over to something else.

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Post by: Three Hawks on March 03, 2009, 10:27:04 PM

I've been using bore butter since forever, NEVER had a problem with it.   I've posted this story before.

Some time back, I was at a  Fall rondy and shot a course of sixty rounds with my T-C Hawken.  For whatever reason, I didn't clean it after the shoot, figuring to do it when I got home.  I simply ran a patch with a good gob of WL worked into it down the bore.  When I got home, I learned that my daughter had a medical emergency and was in the hospital.

She was only in overnight, but we  had a bad scare and most everything except her well being occupied us for quite a while.  Six months later, I remembered my Hawken leaning in a corner in the garage downstairs.

I heated a pail of water in anticipation of cleaning a ruined barrel.  I cleaned it the same way I always had, in very warm, not hot water with some Ivory soap grated into it with a cheese grater.  After I cleaned it, I looked at it with a bore light to find no damage whatever.  Then I ran a final WL saturated patch down the bore and put the rifle back in the rack upstairs.   That was about six or seven years ago.  I use WL 1000 or lard to grease my patches, whichever is handiest at the time and WL 1000 to grease the bore   after cleaning and under all the metal where it lays against wood.  No problems.

Three Hawks

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Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on March 03, 2009, 10:31:45 PM

It may be that ballistol, bore blaster and s few other types tend to displace any water that may have gotten trapped in tiny pockets and threads . I wouldn't reccommend BB unless your going to make certain
all moisture is gone before putting on the Bb .
Its a fact of life tha petroliem based preservitives interact with the chemicals in the bp residue to create a substance like ter. But if you wipe out thhe bore before shooting there should be little problem..

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Post by: Uncle Russ on March 03, 2009, 11:46:26 PM

I have posted this several times in the past, but with a lot of new folks coming and going it may be the right time to post it again.

The results of the experiment are something of an eye opener, considering what we have all believed over the years.
 

http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_exp ... sion2.html (http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/corrosion/corrosion2.html)

Uncle Russ...

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Post by: Indiana on March 04, 2009, 01:06:44 AM

Interesting.  Thanks for that link, Russ.

I wonder if there is any difference between TC Bore Butter (the yellow gunk) and the Wonderlube stuff?

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Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on March 04, 2009, 04:24:24 AM

I guess I'm a block=head but over the years I've used many things as preservitives including lard and animal grease. For many years all our cartridge guns were oiled down with Hoppes no#9. I've used hoppes on my BP guns and never had rust problems. On at least one trip I used the used oil off the engine dip-stick to hold the rust at bay.
                   Somthing to think about is the many old origanals that survive to this day in good shape.. We know that they didn't have the modern chemical based lubes that are on the market today. I still feel that proper cleaning and drying before the application of whatever material we app;y to seal out the air/moisture makes the difference. I guess johnsos paste wax would work or Ki-Wi shoe polish. This is just an old guys opinion and I know many will disagree with me. If everyone agreed it would be a dull world!

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Post by: Gambia on March 04, 2009, 06:17:38 AM

Birchwood-Casey Baricade and I love it. I had a very bad experience with BB and the tech from T/C told me to NEVER put that stuff in my barrel. It is too long of a story, or I would write it.

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Post by: sse on March 04, 2009, 08:40:18 AM

Thanks a bunch for all the replies.  I knew others would come in both ways on this.  I didn't know Ballistol functions as a preservative.  I guess I'm looking for a non-petroleum based substance.  I don't know what others have been mentioned aside from mink oil and olive oil...Thanks again.

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Post by: Riley/MN on March 04, 2009, 09:09:29 AM

Quote from: "sse"

I guess I'm looking for a non-petroleum based substance.

...which Ballistol is...

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Post by: Mitch on March 04, 2009, 02:40:08 PM

I've used nothing but "natural" lubes(except one time I hate to admit)....bear grease, olive oil, tallow, lard,etc...nothing petroleum based and nothing that cost a lot of $....clean and dry is most important....use what you like, but I'll stick with lube I can make myself or acquire cheap...

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Post by: paco97 on March 09, 2009, 12:29:27 AM

Ballistol here...However, I actually like the smell.  I guess I'm a little crazy that way.  I also like the smells of Hoppes #9 and CLP and just about every other gun cleaner out on the market.