How much bore butter do I use?

[pepperbelly]

I am about to wash my ticking and cut it into strips. I figure to use a little plastic bowl to melt the bore butter in and soak the patches in.
About how much do I squeeze out into the bowl?
I don't want to waste any more than necessary.
I will mix some moose milk maybe later this weekend, but for now I have a tube of the bore butter so I will use it.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[BrownBear]

First thing I would do is try lubing at the muzzle as you shoot, just to get a feel for how much lube your gun likes on a patch. Keep cutting back till you blow a patch, then you'll know the minimum you need without waste. Duplicate that look when doing your prelube.

In prelubing, I melt some into a bowl, then keep drawing the patching through it till it's used up. Start with less than you think you'll need, and you can always add more to the bowl.

 

[roundball]

I am about to wash my ticking and cut it into strips. I figure to use a little plastic bowl to melt the bore butter in and soak the patches in.
About how much do I squeeze out into the bowl?
I don't want to waste any more than necessary.
I will mix some moose milk maybe later this weekend, but for now I have a tube of the bore butter so I will use it.
Thanks, Jim

I've tried the microwave melting approach and thought it was more trouble than it was worth.
And I've tried just wiping NL1000 into patches by hand and thought that was simple and easy.

Unless you're getting set up to do hundreds of them, I've found it pretty simple to just sit down on an old beach towel in the den and watch the news while just rubbing NL1000 into patches with my fingers...you quickly get a feel (no pun intended) for the amount of lube...ie: see it and feel it in the material and on the surface but without it being caked on, etc.

 

[pepperbelly]

I was planning on putting some pre-lubed pre-cut ticking patches in a baggie to take shooting. I wasn't going to lube at the muzzle.
I had read to melt the bore butter, put the patches in and squeeze the excess out then let dry some before placing in the container.
I guess I can just try a 1/2" or so in the bottom of the bowl.

Jim

 

[jtmattison]

I just melt it, soak the patches, and squeeze out the excess.

HD

 

[paulvallandigham]

I just take one patch, swipe it over the bore lube, to get enough on it, then put another patch on it and rub the two together to spread out the lube. Then I wipe the two patches into the bore butter to get lube on the face of the second patch. I put a third patch on top of the second, rub the three together, and repeat the process, until I have at least 10 patches lubed. Those go into a tin, and I begin another stack. I leave them stacked together in the tin, and by the next morning, the lube has spread throughout all the patches with very little excess left. Since excessive bore butter doesn't do any harm, I just wipe it up with the first couple of patches I use, and run it down the barrel. You have more problems using too little lube, and using patches that have not had time for the lube to filter down through the fibers, than using too much lube.

I don't recommend lubing at the muzzle for that reason. I did that with spit patches, and it took awhile for me to learn when I had put too much spit on the patches. Lord, those patches taste bad!

 

[boar]

Heres what to do. Mix up the moose milk, soak them twice. After you soak them, lay them flat. Let dry, then rub the bore butter to them. If you don't get enought, still be alright to shoot as you could shoot them without the Bbutter. Dilly

 

[pepperbelly]

Boar-Dilly I don't have any moose milk mixed up yet. I am just going to melt the Bore Butter and soak the patches, then dry and pack in zip lock bags.

Jim

 

[jtmattison]

Stumpy's moose milk recipe works great. I soak the patch strips and lay flat to dry. Soak again and dry. It makes a patch that is just oily enough. However, they don't work too good when it's really dry outside. I use a lube of beeswax and olive oil, heavy on the oil when it's dry. Just melt, soak, squeeze.

HD

 

[pepperbelly]

How long do I let them dry? I know they shouldn't completely dry out, but they shouldn't be wet either.

Jim

 

[Stumpkiller]

I dry mine overnight and then fold them and store them in zip-loc baggies. Probably depends A LOT on the relative humidity of your basement or drying area. You want them to look dry but leave oil on your fingers when handled.

For a more traditional looking package I have wrapped them in butcher paper and they keep well.

When I carry them in my hunting pouch I have small beeswax lined deerskin pouches and I roll the patches and start pulling from the center of the roll. Works great.

As for the Bore Butter, try laying the strip out on glass and wiping the lube on with a putty knife. You can work it in, and (INHO) you only need a little - just enough to fill the weave. I like it but it was too messy for my satisfaction. Stains my clothes and gear when I carry a pre-loaded ball block on my chest or in a pouch.

 

[Thunderchild]

I use bore butter for my patches.

I have been using a kitchen knife to butter the precut patches. I lube one on both sides and then put the next one on top dry. Then I butter one side of that patch. Then I put another dry patch on top of the last one and start the process over until I have done about 25. Then I start on another stack. Once I have completed 100 I put the pre lubed patches in an old Musket cap tin. So far it has worked for me.


I have thought of using Peanut oil on my patches, but I do not know how that is going to work. peanut oil is cheaper and I always like cheaper. I might even try to get some bulk patching material at the local fabric store to save some more money.

 

[pepperbelly]

Maybe I misunderstood something. Doesn't anyone melt Bore Butter into their patches? That's what I thought I should do but it seems as if ya'll just spread the BB onto the patches and pack them away.
Stumpy, I am not worried about being pc right now. If ya'll saw what I carry my stuff in you would cringe. I have several white canvas tool bags I bought from Harbor Freight that I use for range bags. They work great, have a lot of pockets on the sides and the main area is big enough to carry 2 1911s and a MkII when I shoot matches. I have one dedicated for BP, for now. I will get a possibles bag, ball bag, etc. later on.

Jim

 

[Stumpkiller]

I won't criticize. That's about how I started out. When I went to college (more importantly - got my own wheels) I had two foot lockers full of stuff I would take to the range. One for shooting and one - I kid you not - for reloading centerfires at the range. I still have my RCBS RockChucker II on a portable tabletop stand I built out of 3/4" plywood. I was just as bad with muzzleloaders. I mean, they wouldn't sell these gadgets if they weren't necessary, right? I went to the range between classes and could shoot weekdays starting at 9:00AM, and frequently did. Much changed when I got a job and had to fight the mob on weekends and work around their events. That's whan I started to pack light and walk into the local woods to do all my shooting. I was fortunate to back onto one square mile of umposted woods where I lived. BIG difference. For a while I shot PPC and that's sixty round on your feet (or butt for the "long" shots) and that's what got me used to wearing everything instead of working out of a box on a bench. I went from sixty pounds of gear to six in short order.

In fact, just for stuff and giggles, I just weighed my m/l shooting gear. Including the horn and bag I carry 4-1/2 pounds for enough to fire 35 shots. That's plenty for a good shooting session and includes the cleaning materials for afterwards. I can add a second ball bag and another roll or patching for 25 more shots and maybe a pound more in weight. I tack a target to a plywood frame or stump and have at it.

 

[jtmattison]

Maybe I misunderstood something. Doesn't anyone melt Bore Butter into their patches? That's what I thought I should do but it seems as if ya'll just spread the BB onto the patches and pack them away.
Stumpy, I am not worried about being pc right now. If ya'll saw what I carry my stuff in you would cringe. I have several white canvas tool bags I bought from Harbor Freight that I use for range bags. They work great, have a lot of pockets on the sides and the main area is big enough to carry 2 1911s and a MkII when I shoot matches. I have one dedicated for BP, for now. I will get a possibles bag, ball bag, etc. later on.

Jim

I melt it, soak the patches, squeeze the excess out, enjoy.

HD

 

[Mike 56]

I spread BB on pre cut patches put them in a stack then microwave them for 20 seconds. Here is a link on how to make a free possibles bag. Its not traditional but it is a handy bag. [url] http://www.castbullet.com/makeit/pbag.htm[/url]

Mike

 

[Cosmoline]

Moose milk? Butter? Spit? Something tells me I'm not shooting smokeless anymore!

 

[MrMarine79]

Moose milk? Butter? Spit? Something tells me I'm not shooting smokeless anymore!

smokeless?

Not spoken here.

There may be a very small number using smokeless.

It's not traditional. :wink:

Pull up a log these guys have a lot to share around the fire.

Marc

 

[irataylor]

I do the same on my felt wads for my 51 colt navy. I like to have more lube than I grt from commercial wonder wads.