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Need advice Re, Moose milk

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SwanShot

36 Cal.
Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
336
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Location
Perth Western Australia
I gather that Moose Milk is basically cutting oil and water. I thought I would try it in my 54 Kentucky pistol, because it does not like my standard olive oil lube, but is ok with spit patches.
I mixed up a batch of 10 to 1 cutting oil and water to try.
The question is: How wet do you guys use it?
If 1 is as dry as you can get it.
and 5 damp to the touch.
and 10 is dripping wet, how do you get best results?

I shoot a 535 ball with 12 thou patch, over powder felt wad and 25 grains #3

I thank you in anticipation.
 
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The late Dutch Schoultz was an advocate of the oiled, but dry patches, but they didn't work well for me. For target work, I use 1 Ballistol : 6 water and use the patches wet. I.e., I squeeze most of the excess liquid out of them: Never had a problem with misfires and the bore stays reasonably clean to boot.
 
I use my mix of water soluble oil (1 part) to water (7 parts) to barely dampen the patch. The slightly damp patch keeps fouling soft at the range. Damp to the touch. A wet patch can wet the powder, but not much when shooting. However, a wet patch can be used when trying for the not wiping between shots method.
 
I don't use moose milk, but in regard to wet/dry I keep my patcheds in an old cap tin with Peanut oil. When I take them out they are quite wet, my fingers usually need to be wiped on my clothes after loading. Hasn't affected accuracy or ignition.
 
Machine cutting fluid,1 lube to 10 water. Water is bottled water.
My machine lube is also UV sensitive. So when it sits in the sun it will turn white from blue


In place of expensive Ballistol , 1 part mineral oil to 4 parts alcohol. You may want more or less alcohol depending on your patch material and powder used.
 
I stopped fiddling with moose milk after I was introduced to dawn detergent and water. I keep it in a small spray bottle and give the patch a light spritz before loading.

I use that method too if shooting a match for a day or more.
 
When it gets warm enough for me to get out and shoot, I'm trying bear oil. I recently traded an elk pouch for some bear oil from a member. My understanding is bear oil doesn't go rancid. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
When I first started shooting muzzle loaders long ago there was very little info, a few books and no internet so a lot was figured out on your own. I was working in a machine shop at the time and thought why not use water soluble oil for patch lube. I mixed it 1 to 1 because I didn’t know any better and it worked great. I still use a damp patch when target shooting but a dry patch when hunting. I know a 1 to 1 mix is oil heavy but it works for me and in my rifles, has provided excellent accuracy as well as easy loading. Anyway, that’s my 2 cents
 
When it gets warm enough for me to get out and shoot, I'm trying bear oil. I recently traded an elk pouch for some bear oil from a member. My understanding is bear oil doesn't go rancid. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
I have been using bear fat or as you say bear oil for years for 40 cal and larger I don’t have to swab very often at the end of a shooting season my hands are soft. I melt the oil and then soak the patches which I squeeze out the excess oil. I will not go back to something else until I run out of oil. Ike
 
Hoppes patch lube and black powder solvent is what I use if not using my ballistol dry patch. 50 years in formula the same and works great. Dont bother using it as a cleaner, waterbworks as well
 
Hoppes BP Lube is about as good a patch lube as anything around. I used mink oil in the woods and Hoppes for everything else. Wet, but not drippy, patches work in every gun I own. And I'd rather be shooting than cobbling up some liquid combo. I've used a few other substances with very good results but prefer Hoppes & mink oil.
Moose milk.
moose-milk.jpg

Hoppes, the way I used to be able to buy it.
PICT0593-1.jpg
 
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