Olive oil patch lube?

[Poynor Family]

How do you apply the lard to patches. Just rub it onto the patch.

[Three Hawks]

Almost all of the commercial vegetable cooking oils dry up, turn nasty and get gummy and sticky as all get out.  I tried Olive oil and it was ok.  I use plain old supermarket lard now and like it.  Cleaning after shooting is dead easy, my loads slide into the bore like they were  greased (hee hee hee!) and it's incredibly cheap.  I do like me some cheap.  

If push comes to shove you can fry your breakfast spuds and eggs in it as well.

To grease my patches, first I tear my patch material into strips, 3/4" for small bores and 1 1/4" or so for .50cal.  Then I warm the lard in a 6" frying pan, it doesn't have to be hot, only good 'n warm.   Soak the strips in the liquid lard and squeeze out the excess by pulling the strip between your fingers.  Then I lay the strips between layers of newspaper and press out some more.  Store 'em in ziploc  freezer bags.   I burn the greasy paper in my fireplace, I don't like having it laying around, it's a fire hazard.

Three Hawks

[Firewalker]

I use a combination of olive oil and bees wax. Melt the wax and add olive oil to get whatever consistency you want. I use it for lube on musket minnies and also in a softer mix, like butter, on patches. Smear it on a patch and nuke them for a few seconds and it melts into the fabric.
Works great.

[Loyalist Dave]

I do too, but I only rub it into the side that comes into contact with the bore, and leave the bullet side free.  I am probably fooling myself, though, as I bet the grease pretty much permeates the patch through and through, but I seem to have a bit better groups with it.  

LD

[Fletcher]

Personally I think the wax is a bad idea.  It will gum up forming a creosote in your barrel.  That is the burning nature of any wax, although bees wax is cleaner burning that any other.

Any natural oil will lube a pacth - animal or vegetable.  I have heard lots of pros and cons about each.  I just would not use a petroleum base since it will creosote as well and cause more fouling.  Such as Vaseline - bad ju ju.

For my hunting Ilike the Wonderlube since it has good waterproofing and barrel seasoning properties.  A bit expensive, but I use very little - have had the same tube over 15 years.

For range shooting I have fallen head over heels for the waterbased lubes - Ol' Thunder being at the top of the list because it essentially 'self-cleans'

The accuracy is fine - I can use a tight ball with a thin patch and that works best for me (e.g. - .495 ball and .010 patch)

Any oiled patch is going to add to the powder fouling - some just a bit better than others - but you will have to clean after a number of shots.  I have shot over 50 rounds from waterbased lubes and never had to stop to swab the barrel.

If I had to pick an oil - I think I would go the bear grease.  It is high in lanolin which has excellent lube and cleaning properties and is good for barrel seasoning.  Bear fat will go rancid - it will still lube well as long as you can take the stink.

I use a lot of olive oil - but that for cooking and other medicinal things.

Bottom line - use what works for you, but don't be afraid to try other things.  Just be safe and look to be economical.

And I will also defend to the death your right to use it!!!