An Embarassing Question

[butterchurn]

I'm a bit embarassed to ask this but.....

Most of my BP shooting has been with tefflon coated patches left over from my NMLRA shooting days.  I want to be traditional and I know I need to used lubes that don't include cookware coating.

Track sells the mink oil lube and I've got some beeswax and olive oil mix sent to me for Christmas from one of our members.  Both seem to be quite solid.  To use do I just rub patches on it and see what rubes off?  Do I make pre-lubed patches by melting the mixture and pouring over patches?

I have shot using Borebutter before by lubing patches with it before each shot.

Now I think I will take my red face and crawl into my corner.

[Sir Michael]

Butterchurn, you have just opened a hornet's nest.  There are as many types, kinds, and varieties of patch lube as there are shooters.

Be prepared for the fun to begin.

Personally I use a "Moose Milk" made from the following formula (Beware there are as many definitions of "Moose Milk" as there are folks using it.)

Moose Milk

Castor Oil  -  3 oz
Murphy's Oil Soap  -  1 oz
Witch Hazel  -  4 oz
Isopropyl Alcohol (91%)  -  8 oz
Water (distilled)  -  16 oz

Shake before using and dampen your patches, they shouldn't drip.  You may want to soak them and then let them dry and then re-dampen for better effect.

I am also currently trying out a new lube of 1:5 Ballistal to Water mixture.  It also seems to clean pretty good too.  Once less container of liquid to carry around.  :peace

PS Borebutter is ok.  The best way to use it I've found is make little sandwiches of a dab of borebutter and two patches, stack them up and wrap in saran wrap and microwave for 15-30 seconds or until completely melted.  Store them in a period container and use them until they are gon.

[Chairslayer]

Never used mink oil, but the beeswax/olive oil mix I just rub into the material until its lubed up good. Using bore butter I would melt it in microwave and then stuff the patches into the liquid. At the range when I'm doing a lot of shooting, I just use spit.

[Groundhog]

spit

[rollingb]

I've used spit for target shooting for nearly 40 years,.... and I make my own "bear-oil/bee's-wax" patch lube for hunting ('cause it doesn't dry out).

My patch material is pillow ticking.

[mike rumping]

like the man said, spit works fine for a day at the range, but if your
 looking for a long time betwixt shots on a hunt or whatever, then use
somethuing else other than spit or water, it'll dry out.  on a cold day,
i'll use something that won't freeze.

[edwardamason]

It might not be Period PC but I have always had good luck with TC bore butter.Never contaminates the powder and always give me a better grouping than other products of a similar nature.

[Three Hawks]

I've been having some really good results lately with plain ol' supermarket Manteca.  Lard, if you will.   I heat a little bit in a saucer in the microwave, then sop it up with strips of patch material.   A thirty five or forty year supply costs less than $3.

A yard of .010 fine weave cotton broadcloth 42" wide was $4.  Altogether enough patches (over 1500) and lube to last a loooooong time for four bucks and change.  

Cheap ol'

Three Hawks

[melsdad]

Butterchurn, you have just opened a hornet's nest.  There are as many types, kinds, and varieties of patch lube as there are shooters.

Be prepared for the fun to begin.

Personally I use a "Moose Milk" made from the following formula (Beware there are as many definitions of "Moose Milk" as there are folks using it.)

Stumpy's Moose Milk

Castor Oil  -  3 oz
Murphy's Oil Soap  -  1 oz
Witch Hazel  -  4 oz
Isopropyl Alcohol (91%)  -  8 oz
Water (distilled)  -  16 oz

Shake before using and dampen your patches, they shouldn't drip.  You may want to soak them and then let them dry and then re-dampen for better effect.

I have been using the same receipt for a lube. I am now on my second batch, and this time I used 2 oz. of Murphys Oil Soap. With the first batch, I noticed when I got towards the last few ounces of lube it was not quite as slippery so I am experimenting with this mixture. I soak my patches twice letting them dry for a day on wax paper in between soakings.


Here is another lube I made That has a consistency that closely resembles bore butter

 Moose Snot

Beeswax 2 oz.
Castor Oil 8 oz.
Murphy's Oil Soap 1 oz.


Heat beeswax in a soup can set a pot of water. ( A double-boiler. I keep my beeswax in a one pound coffee can and measure out what I need by melting it and pouring it into measuring cups). Add just enough water so the inner can does not begin to float (should be just short of the lube level in the can). Heat the water to a low boil. In a separate can, add the castor oil and Murphy's oil soap (cold). Once the beeswax is melted, swap the castor oil can in the pot of water for the beeswax. Add the beeswax to the oils. It will clump up. Stir with an ice tea spoon as the mixture heats up. When it fully melts there will be a scum that floats to the top and just won't mix in. Be patient. DO NOT COOK THE MIXTURE. Once the solids are dissolved there is no need to heat further. Skim the scum off. Remove the mix from the heat and wipe the water off the outside (so it won't drip into the container when you pour it out). FINAL TOP SECRET STEP: Add a teaspoon of Murphy's Oil Soap and stir vigorously. This last step makes the lube frothy and smooth - really adds to the appearance; though it doesn't seem to matter to the function of the lube. Clamp the can in the jaws of a vice-grip pliers and pour into the waiting tins. Allow to cool a half hour.

Note: it if is a hinged tin - line the edge that has the hinges with a strip of aluminum foil so it doesn't ooze out before it cools.

[Ohio Joe]

I shoot against folks that use that teflon patching.  I'm not sure they get any better results then I get with the TC Bore Butter, or have gotten with the Mink Oil.  As said above, spit works good for a day of shooting at the range, or on a woods walk, but not for hunting.  You'll want a lube for hunting and I to have never had a problem with the TC Bore Butter for my hunting loads.

[butterchurn]

When I got into BP shooting I was taught by NMLRA competition shooters.  That's what I started out doing.  Came in third in the Minnesota Territorial once.  Now I'm not as much into that as I am in just fun all around shootin' and hunting.

I do use moose milk to clean between shots and clean the bore. My formula:

2 oz Cutting Oil
1 or 2 oz Lestoil
16 oz water

I will experiment with lubes and see what I get.

I also have a couple of smoothies I have been using borebutter as a lube for wads.

I appreciate the replies!

[Kirrmeister]

I bought 2 tins of a Sharps bullet lube, which a guy from Hamburg/Germany makes. I put it out with my fingers and rub it on the patches. Between the PRB and the bp charge I set a bore button. Works well and keeps the fouling soft.

Regards

Kirrmeister

[sniper68]

Butterchurn, seein as you're a match shooter, I know you appreciate consistency, perceived or otherwise. Go ahead and use your olive oil bees wax. You will be very happy with it(I think!). If you want to kick it up a notch, add 1 tablespoon engine oil treatment(DuraLube, STP, Restore) per cup cup of lube mix.
 Cut a strip of material wide enough for 3 strips(5 to 6 ins.). If your using material that is plain, draw your cut lines on the material. I use stripped pillow ticking so's I have plenty of reference lines.
 Melt your lube however you wish. Immerse the material in the melted lube and make sure it's saturated. Clamp or band two sticks together(I use Popsicle sticks) and drag the material thorough the sticks. This will force out a lot of the excess back into the mix. Then lay it out flat on a nonporous surface. Kitchen counter top works fine. Take a 4 or 6 inch putty knife and squeege until you get out "all" you can. With sissors or a roller cutter, cut your strips. roll them up and secure with a bobby pin. For storage, put them in a baggy and store in the freezer or better yet use a vaccum sealer if ya got one. No matter what kind of lube your trying this system will give you complete and even saturation.
sniper

[Stryker]

unsalted lard and spit

[R.M.]

Like Sir Michael said, there's so many recipes out there, and their users believe that theirs is the best.
I've used many, though I haven't done enough range testing to say that one is better than the other.
What I'm doing now is pre-cutting my patches 1 1/8 square. Like Sniper said, stripped pillow-ticking makes it easy to get the strips the same width. I stack them end ways in a plastic .22 ammo box so they're fairly snug. It holds about 250 patches. Then I pour the concoction that I'm using over them. It's equal parts Murphy's Wood soap, olive oil, and 91% rubbing alcohol. All these ingredients are in the cupboard, so it's easy to make. The stuff separates, so it has to be well shook up. When they're all soaked, I take them out and let the alcohol evaporate. I store them in a plastic tub, and use them for shooting and range cleaning patches.