Acceptable Lube for Minnie Ball

[Blueliner67]

I saw a thread in which it was said that one could use Crisco as lube for a minnie ball from a civil war reproduction rifled musket. Would this be accurate?

The thread said to make sure you just put it around the minnie ball in the groves be careful to not get any on the bottom or around the powder.

For those of us that are just shooting for some fun occasionally, and do not shoot competition, hunt or are not very concerned with too much historical accuracy, would just using Crisco be OK?

Thanks!

Scott
Blueliner67

 

[dave951]

I saw a thread in which it was said that one could use Crisco as lube for a minnie ball from a civil war reproduction rifled musket. Would this be accurate?

The thread said to make sure you just put it around the minnie ball in the groves be careful to not get any on the bottom or around the powder.

For those of us that are just shooting for some fun occasionally, and do not shoot competition, hunt or are not very concerned with too much historical accuracy, would just using Crisco be OK?

Thanks!

Scott
Blueliner67

Crisco works ok but I've found lard works better. You'll never know till you try. I've experimented with quite a few and some are decidedly better than others so don't get hung up on Crisco.

But hey, I only sent 50+ downrange today

 

[Christophero]

CRISCO is a perfectly good lube, just use the white shortening, not the imitation butter type. I've used it for target and hunting with success. It will work well for your purposes.

 

[ohio ramrod]

I like to add some beeswax to my mini lubes to keep it firm in hot weather.

 

[bang]

80% wax to 20% veggie oil cooked together.
Melt a bit at just melt temp and dip the minis.

 

[dave951]

I saw a thread in which it was said that one could use Crisco as lube for a minnie ball from a civil war reproduction rifled musket. Would this be accurate?

Scott
Blueliner67

What do you mean by "accurate" when a later statement says you aren't interested in competition? Historically speaking, tallow mixed with beeswax was the lube of choice. BUT know this, there are more things to deal with than lube in a minie ball rifle

The thread said to make sure you just put it around the minnie ball in the groves be careful to not get any on the bottom or around the powder.

Since you read the thread and if you've researched this, you'll find there are a bunch of opinions, but at the end of the day, you'll have to experiment.

For those of us that are just shooting for some fun occasionally, and do not shoot competition, hunt or are not very concerned with too much historical accuracy, would just using Crisco be OK?

What you need to decide is what you're really wanting to do and what results would be satisfactory. If you want to just chuck lead downrange, anything will do but don't whine about not being able to hit anything. If you care about being able to hit a target, things change. A properly set up minie rifle can be scary accurate but that means you have to care about variable control.

 

[mark_fare]

Crisco works ok but I've found lard works better. You'll never know till you try. I've experimented with quite a few and some are decidedly better than others so don't get hung up on Crisco.

But hey, I only sent 50+ downrange todayView attachment 140651

Dave951, dont be bragging!

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I like 50/50 bees wax to olive oil.

 

[dave951]

Dave951, dont be bragging!

It ain't bragging if it be true mate

 

[mark_fare]

It ain't bragging if it be true mateView attachment 140701

How are the Spring Nationals going?

 

[dave951]

How are the Spring Nationals going?

Hot. We placed 9th in Smoothbores out of 30. At least we weren't last in Carbine. We're short 3 guys but that makes for a target rich environment

 

[Rifleman1776]

Crisco is about the worstest stuff ever. It is too soft and gooey in warm weather and too hard to work in cold. Plus it picks up dirt from places you didn't even know were dirty. Stay with a hard commercial lube.

 

[mark_fare]

Hot. We placed 9th in Smoothbores out of 30. At least we weren't last in Carbine. We're short 3 guys but that makes for a target rich environment

My time at Fort Shenandoah was always marked by temperature extremes!

 

[ZUG]

I like lard and beeswax and mix it to a thickness of soft wax. I vary this depending on the time of the year - harder in the hot summer and softer in the winter.

 

[loflyr55]

Nothing starts a long chain quicker than LUBE.
btw I use olive oil, beeswax, and 20% ballistiol, for what it’s worth.

 

[hawkeye2]

My time at Fort Shenandoah was always marked by temperature extremes!

It's not just the temperature that can be extreme, we had a tornado watch Friday. Fortunately there was no "Shenandoah Sunshine" so boots weren't needed.

 

[dave951]

"Shenandoah Sunshine" so boots weren't needed.

Maybe on your end of the line but Frame 43, rubber boots weren't a bad idea

 

[TFoley]

Nothing starts a long chain quicker than LUBE.btw I use olive oil, beeswax, and 20% ballistiol, for what it’s worth.

I've used 60/40 bees wax and olive oil for the last nigh-on fifty years. We don't get your crazy temperature variations here in UK.

 

[hanshi]

Decades ago when I still had a Zouave I often used a Crisco & Vaseline lube mix. But I took a single ply off pieces of double ply bathroom tissue. I would carefully wrap this around the minie. The reason was mainly to make sure the minie didn't creep up toward the muzzle when the rifle was handled. But it also shot very well.

 

[charlesk]

SPG