I am new to muzzle loading and am wondering if it would be alright to use unique case lube for patch lube. I use this in reloading ammo it will not degrade powder or primers it is not petroleum based it is all natural.I have unique on hand at all times because of my reloading I buy it quite regular. I will be using a TC Hawkins Caliber 45 .440 RB with .110 patch.
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Patch Lube
- Thread starter George C
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Short answer:....NO.
Long answer:
You could try it but it's a waste a good case lube.....
Some good patch lubricants are,
Spit
olive oil
lard/Crisco
Mineral oil
Ballistol
Mink oil
bear grease
and a whole lot more.....
Many of which are mixed with beeswax to stiffen them.
Patch lube has to do a lot more functions than just resizing a metallic case....
It has to:
seal
Lubricate/facilitate loading
prevent/ soften fouling
Be easily cleaned
And the most important.
Prevent patch burning.
Why pay good money for something you can easily make and obtain at a fraction of the cost?
FWIW...When I started reloading metallic cartridges many guys just used regular motor oil...10/40 on a lube pad.
:shocked2:
Long answer:
You could try it but it's a waste a good case lube.....
Some good patch lubricants are,
Spit
olive oil
lard/Crisco
Mineral oil
Ballistol
Mink oil
bear grease
and a whole lot more.....
Many of which are mixed with beeswax to stiffen them.
Patch lube has to do a lot more functions than just resizing a metallic case....
It has to:
seal
Lubricate/facilitate loading
prevent/ soften fouling
Be easily cleaned
And the most important.
Prevent patch burning.
Why pay good money for something you can easily make and obtain at a fraction of the cost?
FWIW...When I started reloading metallic cartridges many guys just used regular motor oil...10/40 on a lube pad.
:shocked2:
That's a mighty thick patch! (I bet you meant 0.011")
Might be tough to clean out after shooting - it's waterproof. (Hornady describes it as a wax).
Probably no better or worse than a lot of things that have been tried. If saliva is one of the best how hard can it be?
Try it and see. You'll know by the third shot or so whether it's going to help you or fight you in keeping the fouling easy to get the next load over.
Might be tough to clean out after shooting - it's waterproof. (Hornady describes it as a wax).
Probably no better or worse than a lot of things that have been tried. If saliva is one of the best how hard can it be?
Try it and see. You'll know by the third shot or so whether it's going to help you or fight you in keeping the fouling easy to get the next load over.
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So I looked it up.....
The chief ingredient of unique case lube is wool wax...AKA, Lanolin...
Which is used in some formulation of patch lube...it's also used in some rust preventatives from Fluid film to Automotive undercoats, you'll find it as a lubricant on drilling rigs, on ships, it's also used in a lot of cosmetics and hand creams.
Give it a try and report back.
The chief ingredient of unique case lube is wool wax...AKA, Lanolin...
Which is used in some formulation of patch lube...it's also used in some rust preventatives from Fluid film to Automotive undercoats, you'll find it as a lubricant on drilling rigs, on ships, it's also used in a lot of cosmetics and hand creams.
Give it a try and report back.
rdstrain49
40 Cal.
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Your patch material may be a bit thin. All of my TCs like a patch between .015 & .018
FWIW...When I started reloading metallic cartridges many guys just used regular motor oil...10/40 on a lube pad.
They had oil back then?? :rotf: :blah:
They had oil back then?? :rotf: :blah:
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azmntman said:
You quoted the wrong person..... :haha:
Yes they did and it worked ok....you just had to make sure it wasn't on too thick or it would oil dent....and you had to wipe it off after....
These days I like hornady spray lube, cause it dries.....But if I had to live with only one, I would choose RCBS in the small bottle ...That stuff lasts forever....Takes a decade or more to empty a bottle....
Cartridge reloading is just like muzzleloading with respect to a multitude of options....
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Lots of stuff makes good patch lube. GoJo hand cleaner works very well.
rafterob
62 Cal.
Most natural oils work as a good lube, as mentioned bees wax is often introduced to stiffen the oils up. Use wax sparingly because the more wax in the lube the more problematic it becomes. A firm tallow Like lamb (mutton) or beef works well and does not require any additive. Spit works great. A little dawn dish detergent in water works great. A myriad other formulations out there.
Here's a link to the wax based and liquid lubes I worked up for my own needs. They have proven good in the long run. I wanted something that was accurate and allowed me to shoot without wiping between every shot. And I also did rust tests on sheets of steel.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/203261/
A good "out of the bottle" lube is olive oil. Level of morality doesn't seem to matter.
Years and years ago Lehigh Valley Lube was the way to go, but they closed up shop. There have been at least two later versions - I have heard good and bad for them. I do believe it is back to the original now in the latest offering but I haven't tried it myself.
Lately I have been playing with rendered bear oil and fat. Swampy (as I recall via RC), and then MooseinCanoe set me up with some rendered bear and I'm making a fine mess. I haven't tried mixing it with beeswax, yet.
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/203261/
A good "out of the bottle" lube is olive oil. Level of morality doesn't seem to matter.
Years and years ago Lehigh Valley Lube was the way to go, but they closed up shop. There have been at least two later versions - I have heard good and bad for them. I do believe it is back to the original now in the latest offering but I haven't tried it myself.
Lately I have been playing with rendered bear oil and fat. Swampy (as I recall via RC), and then MooseinCanoe set me up with some rendered bear and I'm making a fine mess. I haven't tried mixing it with beeswax, yet.
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Surprised me too. I remember when oil came single weight 10/40 had not been common then.azmntman said:
:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
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You guys know what I meant.... 
Colorado Clyde said:
I use lanolin anhydrous as a case lube, works great.
I have used it straight as a patch lube, worked well, but sticky.
It is the only rust preventative they (dies) have ever gotten.
Trying different things is half of the fun.
William Alexander
Micah Clark
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I've wondered for quite some time if patch lube affects accuracy.
All other things being the same, will one lube group tighter than another ? Will one rifle prefer one lube to another in terms of accuracy in the same way patch size variances impact accuracy?
Any thoughts?
MAC
All other things being the same, will one lube group tighter than another ? Will one rifle prefer one lube to another in terms of accuracy in the same way patch size variances impact accuracy?
Any thoughts?
MAC
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Yes!.....And the rabbit hole goes even deeper.Mac1967 said:
Micah Clark
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Oh great . . . one more calculation before finding the best accuracy.
I've got 4 patch lubes, 3 in my cabinet. . . one from Flintlocks Inc that is a grease in a round aluminum can that I really like but haven't used much at all yet . . . Hoppes BP which I use in my Lyman GPR .50 that seems to work OK . . . and Bore Butter, which I started with a few years back, still use with C&B revolvers some, but am not all that fond of. . the fourth, not in my cabinet is in my mouth . . I have used spit with my .32 rice barrel TVM late Lancaster and it seems to work fine. That is the rifle I need the best accuracy out of . . So I guess I ought to experiment with lubes at the range next spring or summer.
I've got 4 patch lubes, 3 in my cabinet. . . one from Flintlocks Inc that is a grease in a round aluminum can that I really like but haven't used much at all yet . . . Hoppes BP which I use in my Lyman GPR .50 that seems to work OK . . . and Bore Butter, which I started with a few years back, still use with C&B revolvers some, but am not all that fond of. . the fourth, not in my cabinet is in my mouth . . I have used spit with my .32 rice barrel TVM late Lancaster and it seems to work fine. That is the rifle I need the best accuracy out of . . So I guess I ought to experiment with lubes at the range next spring or summer.
Ok used Unique case lube as patch lube it worked like a charm. Accuracy of rifle was outstanding shooting in a 1 1/2" square everytime. Rifle cleaned up good afterwards. All I did was wiped the patch across the top of the lube, collected the patches at the end of the day and compared them to patches in the TC book patterns on the patches we're very good according to what I read. Will continue to use in the future. Less than a dollar an oz. and looks like a small container will last quite a while. Also used it to swab the barrel after every third shot.
