Lard didn't work

[prairie dog]

I got out this weekend and did some more load development with my GPR rifle.  I've found the rifle shoots well with 495 round balls, .018 thick patching and a lube mix of distilled water, TapMatic Aqua-Cut, and LessToil detergent.  It likes 40 grain charges (center group) and 90 grain charges (top right).  This will work for club shooting matches but I need to find a good load using a grease lube that won't dry out in the loading block or during a hunt.

I lubed some patching with lard and shot the lower right group.  Obviously, my rifle doesn't like lard.
 


I've already tried Bore Butter and that didn't shoot worth a darn.

I'm going to try Crisco next.  If that won't work I'll try the mink oil from TOW.

I'm looking for something that at least looks historically correct, doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and is easily obtainable.  (I don't get many opportunities to hunt bear or harpoon a Sperm Whale.)

I'm open to suggestions.

[Stormrider51]

I've always used lard or Crisco with good results but I've now made up some patching strips that I soaked in a 6:1 mixture of water and Ballistol.  I soaked the material and laid it out flat to dry on some waxed paper per Dutch Schoultz.  If this works it will be the perfect patch lube because each and every one will have exactly the same amount of lube.  Sure feels dry to me but we will see.

Storm

[Bigsmoke]

Lard works best in pie crusts.

[cb]

Well bigsmoke maybe so for you, but respectfully I've used lard in my shooters for 50 years (at least most of the time when I can't get bear grease or oil, my preferred period lube) and my Great Uncle who I learned from had used lard or tallow only since the early 1900's - he despised cartridge guns after using them in WWI and seeing the devastation in France - he saw no need for such "man killers" (his words) for hunting and used BP muzzleloaders only until he passed on in the late 1960's.

Also try adding about 10% beeswax to your lard and you might try a lighter load than 90 grains too - I only use 80 in my 54's.

Another period lube to try is cold pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (known in period as sweet oil) - I prefer it and not the cheaper Olive Oil which can "go off" with high heat, but some folks do use the latter.

Some other period or period type lube options: Beef or mutton tallow - beef tallow aka suet can often be found at the butcher shop and Dixie Gunworks carries mutton tallow which many BPCR and BP CAS types swear by

In teh end though find what that gun likes and stick with it - but on the other hand I tend to change patch thickness and loads before lubes - I also use a ball at least .010" less than bore size i.e a .526 or .530 in my 54's and a .490 in 50's.

[prairie dog]

cb,

I started with 490 balls with this rifle and all the patches burned through.  Accuracy was not good.  I've also tried 480 balls with .020 patching.  Those patches didn't burn through but accuracy wasn't as good as the 495 balls.

storm,

Thanks for the Ballistol suggestion.  Do you also use that mix to clean the bore?

[sse]

I've tried straight bear oil and the fouling was excessive.  I suppose some beeswax melted in would improve that, but haven't tried it yet.

[Stormrider51]

Prairie Dog - When I made up the mix I poured 1 oz Ballistol into a measuring cup followed by 6 oz of water and stirred.  I soaked 5 strips of patch material and removed the excess by pulling the strip between my thumb and forefinger.  There was plenty left over when I was done so I poured it into a bottle for use as wiping solution.  Should work well as long as temperatures are above freezing and any water-based solution should be avoided in a freezing cold barrel anyway.  I haven't tried the patching yet but Schoultz is very specific about wiping the bore between shots.  One pass in and out to keep the bore in the same condition for each shot.  BTW, his packet on muzzleloading rifle accuracy is well worth buying from him.  Much of his info matches what I found to be true over the years and he has some insights into why certain problems occur that are very well thought out and logical.

Storm