Best Patch Lube Yet

[AZbpBurner]

For the past 43+ years I've been an advocate of tallow + beeswax blends for patch and also for cap & ball use. It was accurate, an ancient recipe, and didn't seem to foul any more or less than any other mixtures I'd tried.

Recently I got some Castor Oil, with the idea that since it was used in hi-temp aeronautical use throughout history, it would be a good candidate for a better patch lube. Castor Oil is pretty viscous, and leaves sufficient residue in the bore that powder fouling builds up on it quickly. Zonie mentioned that to thin it with denatured alcohol may make it workable.

I mixed up a 5:1 ratio of DA to Castor oil, and saturated a bunch of patches, leaving them to subsequently dry as the DA evaporated and left an essentially dry-feeling patch.

At the range, I usually wipe after every 4th round fired, as ramming the next PRB becomes more difficult as fouling builds up.

Today after about 25 rounds, I finally decided to run a cleaning patch down the bore. It came out clean enough to use the patch later in the day. I fired another 35+ balls before running out of patches, and the bore was dirty but not fouled enough to make loading difficult.

I hate to admit it, but I'm retiring the tallow-beeswax formula in favor of the DA+ Castor oil blend.

Eventually when I run out of castor oil, I'll try olive oil dissolved in denatured alcohol and see if it works as well as castor. I'm just speculating, but I think that the very light amount of oil absorbed into the patch material, which leaves little to no oily residue to trap powder fouling in the bore, is more important to keeping the bore clean for extended times than the actual composition of vegetable-based oil. And I won't need separate summer and winter blends anymore.

 

[M. De Land]

Ever try any winter grade windshield wash? It works well year around as well and has no oil in it to bake on to the bore.
Liquid soap is the lube in it and it is compatible with black powder fouling not forming tar.
The other ingredients are alcohol and water to dissolve fouling and dry the bore.
Look at it as a spit patch that won't freeze up on you!

 

[AZbpBurner]

Ever try any winter grade windshield wash? It works well year around as well and has no oil in it to bake on to the bore.
Liquid soap is the lube in it and it is compatible with black powder fouling not forming tar.
The other ingredients are alcohol and water to dissolve fouling and dry the bore.
Look at it as a spit patch that won't freeze up on you!

When my patches are ready for use, the denatured alcohol has already evaporated out, leaving a really light application of castor oil soaked into the patch fibers - you can squeeze a treated patch between paper towels and no residue comes out onto the paper towel. I was amazed at how clean the barrel was after 25 or so shots fired - unheard of while I was using tallow + beeswax for all these decades.

For any barrel swabbing (anymore I'll have to do it only before heading home) I have a little squeezy bottle with a mix of water, GoJo hand cleaner (without pumice) and a drop of dish detergent.

 

[FishDFly]

A favorite at Friendship is WD40 and synthetic motor oil mixed 50/50 with the pistol shooters.

 

[nit wit]

I have used castor oil and bees wax, olive oil and bear oil and bees wax. All very good!
Castor oil isn't cheap, olive oil is, as is bear oil if you hunt them. I have never mixed olive oil and bees wax, I bet it would be great. As for cleaning, I have been using Mr. Flintlocks patch lube and bore cleaner with great success.
If you are in the Northeast Feb 28-March 1st Mr. Flintlock will be at the Ancient Ones outdoor sports and gun show at the augusta armory 179 western ave augusta maine.
George is a fine fellow and a great shot, so stop by and meet him.
Nit Wit

 

[Spikebuck]

I mixed up a 5:1 ratio of DA to Castor oil, and saturated a bunch of patches, leaving them to subsequently dry as the DA evaporated and left an essentially dry-feeling patch.

Essentially sounds like Dutch's dry-patch system only different lube components. Was there any change to your accuracy? Did the inherent consistency of lube using this method tighten groups up at all? Fouling is one thing...how's accuracy?

 

[ohio ramrod]

You beat me to the reference to Dutch 's dry patch system. The main problem most people have with lubes is they use too much. By mixing the lube with a solvent (either water or alcohol) and allowing the solvent to evaporate reduces the amount of actual lube , yet allows for uniform coverage. Dutch realized this long ago and shared his knowledge with any and all. We owe Dutch a big thank you for all he has done to spread knowledge about this game we play. :idunno:

 

[S.Kenton]

We owe Dutch a big thank you for all he has done to spread knowledge about this game we play. :idunno:

Well said good sir!
I use Pure Olive oil for my patch lube...however its VERY oily and if you shoot a whole match with it is gets messy. I try and squeeze out the excess oil from the patches before loading.

 

[robinsroost]

Thanks for this post. I, like some others, thought this was similar to the Dutch Schultz method. Now, when it warms up, I would like to try denatured alcohol mixed with neetsfoot oil, in a 5 to 1 mixture.......Robin :wink:

 

[AZbpBurner]

We owe Dutch a big thank you for all he has done to spread knowledge about this game we play. :idunno:

Well said good sir!
I use Pure Olive oil for my patch lube...however its VERY oily and if you shoot a whole match with it is gets messy. I try and squeeze out the excess oil from the patches before loading.

You may want to dissolve some olive oil in denatured alcohol and dip a handful of patches. Once the alcohol evaporates, you won't have any excess oil on your fingers to contend with.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I mixed up a 5:1 ratio of DA to Castor oil, and saturated a bunch of patches, leaving them to subsequently dry as the DA evaporated and left an essentially dry-feeling patch.

Essentially sounds like Dutch's dry-patch system only different lube components. Was there any change to your accuracy? Did the inherent consistency of lube using this method tighten groups up at all? Fouling is one thing...how's accuracy?

Still getting one big raggedy hole in the target - accuracy is no better or worse than with my old beeswax + tallow mix, & groups with it were already outstanding. It's just leaves the bore a lot cleaner throughout an entire day at the range.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I've been using a castor oil/beeswax lube for about the last ten years. Works great and lets me shoot 10+ shots between spit-wipes.

I make up a "dry" dipped patch strip with castor and alcohol.

Check out the "How To" forum sometime . . .
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/203261/

 

[Dr5x]

I appreciate all the "Thanks" from you good folk but you all seem to have missed the popint of my method which has as its goal and increased resistance in the patched ball beginning to move as the black powder begins to bold up pressure.
If your system does that then we are OK and on the same page Some of the alternative methods suggested would still seem to be too slick for proper resistance.


The only real way to judge the effect of anything you do in loading your rifle is to judge buy the accuracy you achieve.
So comments on how great a patch lube is have small meaning without the accompanying comment on its effect on your grouping.

But thanks anyway.

Dutch

 

[S.Kenton]

You may want to dissolve some olive oil in denatured alcohol and dip a handful of patches. Once the alcohol evaporates, you won't have any excess oil on your fingers to contend with.

Can I get a recipe from ya for that? or at least the ratio that you use? I'm for sure going to try it. Tired of greasy messy fingers..

 

[Shifty]

You are right about the grouping i have one barrel that i can shoot with my favorite hunting lube 20 times or more without running a cleaning patch through it loads easy but after the 4-5 shots accuracy is gone gone gone,run a alcohol patch through and acuuracy is right back.


Also i purchased your info yrs ago and it works.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I appreciate all the "Thanks" from you good folk but you all seem to have missed the popint of my method which has as its goal and increased resistance in the patched ball beginning to move as the black powder begins to bold up pressure.
If your system does that then we are OK and on the same page Some of the alternative methods suggested would still seem to be too slick for proper resistance.


The only real way to judge the effect of anything you do in loading your rifle is to judge buy the accuracy you achieve.
So comments on how great a patch lube is have small meaning without the accompanying comment on its effect on your grouping.

But thanks anyway.

Dutch

Comments were already posted above in reply to Spikebuck:

Still getting one big raggedy hole in the target - accuracy is no better or worse than with my old beeswax + tallow mix, & groups with it were already outstanding. It's just leaves the bore a lot cleaner throughout an entire day at the range.

If you simultaneously hold down the CTRL key & press the + key, you will get enlarged text that may be easier to read - I use it all the time.

 

[AZbpBurner]

You may want to dissolve some olive oil in denatured alcohol and dip a handful of patches. Once the alcohol evaporates, you won't have any excess oil on your fingers to contend with.

Can I get a recipe from ya for that? or at least the ratio that you use? I'm for sure going to try it. Tired of greasy messy fingers..

Using any unit of measurement you want (eyedropper, pipette, graduated syringe, or even just one of those coughsyrup shotglasses graduated in mL, I use 1 part Castor Oil to 5 parts fresh denatured alcohol. I haven't yet tried olive oil, so you may need to use a little more or a little less. Dump it together in a small plastic bottle (those little snake oil energy drink elixirs that come in the little 2 oz. bottles are Ideal to store the lube) and shake vigorously to mix.

I put stacks of about 25 patches on a folded paper towel, and dribble on the mix until it is all absorbed from top to bottom. I then break down the stack into 2-5 patches, laid out on the paper towel for the DA to evaporate out. The result is a dry-looking patch that loads easily and doesn't leave enough residue to trap powder fouling.