Aspiring marksman.

[Kyle smith]

So I have gazed over the top 3 pages of this forum and I have questions to be answered.
1) i wipe after every shot yet in a matter of 5 shots I have a build up of crude where my ball seats to that I have to use a puller to retrieve my ramrod from. Why? Can I fix this. I have never had this problem with my percussion rifle. So why does my flinter do this?
2) what are some dry lube mixture you guys like? Let's drop the this is best, that's best b's just help me out with some stuff to try.
3) also I wanna know the moose milk formula also.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I'll try to answer your questions, but there will often be several different correct answers depending on your specific rifle and location. I'm going to go with the simplest solution I can put out from a key board.

1) The fouling ring build up will depend on the brand and granulation of your powder. Wiping after each shot will help to remove the fouling. Use a damp cleaning patch. If you are using an oil based patch lubricant, you need a bit of solvent. Dry patches will get stuck. I use rubbing alcohol because it cuts the fouling ring and evaporates quickly. You may need to use a smaller diameter jag so the patch slides over the fouling and bunches up to clean as you remove the ramrod. Some people have success with an over powder wad that can keep a wet patch from spoiling the powder and never wipe between shots. You do not want to have the wiping patch push fouling onto the breech face and into the touch hole.

2) A good dry lubricant can be made from a mix of one part Ballistol and seven parts of water. The resultant milky liquid is often called "Moose Milk". There are other recipes. Your patching is soaked in the mix of Ballistol and water then spread on a sheet of waxed paper or other surface to dry horizontally. Hanging the patching to dry results in an uneven distribution of the lubricant as the patch material dries. In use the patching can be dry if you wipe between shots or a quick spray of water is good. I use the solution as the lubricant on my dry patches.

3) "Moose Milk" Any of the vast number of mixes of water soluble oil and water that results in a milky mix is "Moose Milk". Presently Ballistol is most often used as the water soluble oil. Castor Oil can be added. Murphy's Oil Soap can be added or some other oil dissolving soaps. There really is no "best" as all of them will work. Some seem to work better in dry area of the country. Others seem to work best in the humid parts of the country. Time of year adds an additional element and rubbing alcohol is added to prevent freezing in cold times.

Perhaps better answers or at least more specific answers can be provided if you tell us about your flint lock. What is the caliber, ball size, patch thickness, powder brand and granulation, manufacturer of your rifle and where you are shooting.

 

[hanshi]

I'll just add that spit patch works very well as does some commercial lubes. The best I've found for practice shooting is Hoppes BP Lube and TOW mink oil for hunting in the bush. Nothing wrong with wiping after each shot as the appearance of a "crud ring" near the breech is not all that unusual. Flintlocks require more of the human element than do caplocks; flinters are more 'individualized" as well. With a flintlock one has to spend time with it and get to know its idiosyncrasies and what it likes. A percussion can belong to anyone but a flintlock is a very personal companion.

 

[fleener]

I use moose milk for my patch lube. Equal parts of murphys oil soap, rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.

My patches are damp, I have never had an issue with loading, or the ring. I also do not wipe between shots. My damp patch wipes the bore for me when I load the round. Pushes the crud on top of the powder.

Fleener

 

[Stony Broke]

fleener has the right idea ^^^

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I use moose milk for my patch lube. Equal parts of murphys oil soap, rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide.

This was the formula I was taught 20 years ago...
I never used it for lube...., maybe I should try it...,
I spit-lube at the range. Swab after every shot, with a damp patch, BUT (iirc) every fourth or fifth shot, I take an extra spit patch and double swab.
We have very high humidity (when they picked a spot for DC, it was swampy ground ) So that may give me softer residue in my .54 than if I was shooting in Phoenix with my cousin.

LD

 

[Kyle smith]

Perhaps better answers or at least more specific answers can be provided if you tell us about your flint lock. What is the caliber, ball size, patch thickness, powder brand and granulation, manufacturer of your rifle and where you are shooting.

Thanks guys and possibly gals? I'll try my best to feed you some required information that was asked of me. I'm shooting a 45 cal. Rifle with a 48 inch bill large barrel, the rifle is a verner style build by me. I'm using 70 grains of goex, 3f. Pushing a .440 ball patched with .015 patching lined with bore butter. I get 50 yard groups that cover with a quarter.

 

[KeyLT]

I had same trouble when i used bore butter i used it on patch and after cleaning try something different for awhile but before you do clean bore real good get all that butter out

 

[KeyLT]

Oh and very nice looking rifle great job

 

[Kyle smith]

Thanks keylt. Took me most my winter to finish her up. Names her Katie. So far she takes everything I do to her in stride. I have wonder lube ordered and also some ballistol. So maybe I can find another system that works better. All I know is after about 25 to 30 shots she needs a thorough cleaning or she goes to he'll in a handbasket.

 

[azmntman]

DITCH THE BORE BUTTER and your crud ring issue will likely go away. Use dry patch or Hoppes, I have the bst results with these two. NICE rifle.

 

[Juice Jaws]

I use Ballistol and water and works great for me. But each firearm is different, some of mine I can shoot all day without cleaning and others ever 5 shots have to wipe the bore. 25 or 30 shots and needs a good cleaning, there's nothing wrong with that, about average. As far as bore butter goes, use it many years ago and never did like it. Here is one good bit of advice I can give you, everyone has there own way, keep a open mind and try different methods and then use what works for you.

 

[Griz44Mag]

I use mink to lube ball patches with and every 3 or 4 loads I use a dry patch and soak it with MAP.
Works great for me especially on smaller calibers. YMMV.

 

[KeyLT]

I agree 100 percent juice jaws well said

 

[Brokennock]

Nice rifle.
To question 3, from the "member resources," section,
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/stumpkillers-lube-recipes.26771/

There used to be a rather experienced individual here who was an advocate of brushing after every few shots, I can't remember how many, tipping the rifle muzzle down and using a properly sized bore brush he would brush the bore dry breaking up that crud forming your ring and letting it just fall out.

 

[azmntman]

Here is one good bit of advice I can give you, everyone has there own way, keep a open mind and try different methods and then use what works for you.

Exactly. I used to have an old CVA .54 Hawken that I built from a kit I bought or $89.00 at a Frys supermarket......that old rifle LOVED petroleum jelly as a patch lube (that was back before I new I couldn't use it, LOL)

 

[cositrike]

I use Murphys oil soap neat, as a patch lube in most of my guns, smooth or rifled. All seem to shoot well and I don’t get much in the way of crud rings or tight spots. Barrels clean up easily too.

 

[Don Steele]

A lot of good advice already. I'm going to emphasize a point Grenadier1758 made:
"...You may need to use a smaller diameter jag so the patch slides over the fouling and bunches up to clean as you remove the ramrod."
When we buy accessories for our rifles, we get the ones listed for our caliber. In your case...45 caliber.
Problem is...in the world of cleaning jags...45 caliber isn't 45 caliber. I have several jags for my 50 caliber rifles and every one of them is a slightly different diameter. Doesn't matter when loading, but when picking one to use for wiping...size matters.!! Of course the other part of the equation is the patch. Using a patch that's too thick will cause problems, the same as using a jag that's too big.
If your jag/patch is pushing everything down against the breechface you're going to have ignition problems. To resolve that issue just chuck it up in a drill and hold a file against it to take off some metal and reduce it's diameter. Go slow...a little at a time and you'll get there.
Wiping patch...JUST Damp, not sloppy wet. I use a small spray bottle to deliver my chosen wiping solution via a fine spray directly on the patch.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Another hint for wiping.
Aside from reducing the overall size of the jag you wipe with, put a nice bevel in the front end so the front face of the jag does not scrape the side of the barrel when going in. That will help to NOT dislodge and materials to fall into the breech but will instead pass over them and then be pulled/wiped off and out the bore on the extraction half of the wipe. And only make a single pass.

 

[smo]

Great advice Guys