Patch lube for round ball shooting..........Lawdy.

[MedicMike3762]

I’m fairly new to the sport so these are just my humble observations. I have tried quite a few patch lubes both commercial and otherwise and there is one method that I started with that I think is one of the best for shooting continuously and that is spit for me. It’s easy and like was mentioned before you always have it! I have used moose milk ballistol and water 7:1 and made pillow ticking trips soaked and then left to dry. That works OK but doesn’t do much for fouling build up. Also used bore butter and that’s fine but, not remarkable by any means. I have also just begun to make my own bullet and patch lube with bees wax and crisco and that works great for a hunting or one shot every so often situation. What I like best about spit is it’s simple and you don’t have to carry a plastic spray bottle of something and spray each patch before loading. To me that sounds miserable and ruins the charm of shooting traditional muzzleloaders in my opinion. It’s just too much of a production for me whereas with spit you have a strip of pillow ticking hanging from your bag keep the end in your mouth between shots and cut at the muzzle boom your done. No looking or messing with a spray bottle and individual patches between shots. That’s just me but I also enjoy shooting from the pouch even if I’m shooting from a bench I’m wearing my bag!

 

[pacanis]

Do you use mink oil only or do you mix it with anything?

Straight up. Right out of the tin it comes in.

 

[ETipp]

Straight up. Right out of the tin it comes in.

That will be my first choice then. I have plenty of mink oil.

 

[azmntman]

Per the bore butter suggestions.....this has never done as good as the above several suggestons for me (why more after I granted the wisdom??? LOL). BUT I have a .36 Bobcat that would never ever shoot a group and after 5 years and quite by accident I tried a insanely thin patch saturated in bore butter (pine scenet if it matters) and that gun is now a squirel weapon! NOTHING else in the lube, power, progectile etc sections of why would work., This gun will ONLY shoot loose wet thin bore buttered patches! In re to the spit patches on this gun I even tried 4-5 different kinds of shew and though Wintergreen Kodiak shrunk the 25 yard group from3.5 inchs to 3, ONLY the secret above worked and now getting sub 1" all the time.

 

[ETipp]

Per the bore butter suggestions.....this has never done as good as the above several suggestons for me (why more after I granted the wisdom??? LOL). BUT I have a .36 Bobcat that would never ever shoot a group and after 5 years and quite by accident I tried a insanely thin patch saturated in bore butter (pine scenet if it matters) and that gun is now a squirel weapon! NOTHING else in the lube, power, progectile etc sections of why would work., This gun will ONLY shoot loose wet thin bore buttered patches! In re to the spit patches on this gun I even tried 4-5 different kinds of shew and though Wintergreen Kodiak shrunk the 25 yard group from3.5 inchs to 3, ONLY the secret above worked and now getting sub 1" all the time.

Well I have plenty of Bore Butter. Most likely I will try it on my two new ML just to see. Lots of experimenting can be done for sure. As I have said, I'd like to keep this as simply and accurate as possible. Not looking for a hobby in patch lube making, but it may come down to that. Just have to wait and see.

 

[Ed C.]

I am also on a quest for a good loading procedure. So far I tried durofelt over the powder wads soaked in a 1:1 beeswax/olive oil mix using wonderlube patches. Not accurate, severe fouling. Wonderlube patches alone...pretty accurate, but fouls a ring just above the combustion chamber. Using a jag attachment to load with a dawn/water dampened patch over the ball will help clean each time you load, but does not get the crusty ring and if you let it go too long it will give you a stuck jag when you go to clean it if you don't run the jag in stages. I am going to try unlubed OP felt wads with wet moose milk patches next. The idea that the wet patches will clean the bore and the dry felt will protect the powder. Bore butter is a mess most of the time here in Florida. Maybe resign myself to swabbing between shots and avoid difficult loading and cleaning at the range? Gathering some stuff over the internet while I fight off this pesky covid.

 

[longcruise]

Reason for inquiring on this is simple. From my research I have found about a million different patch lubes that people swear by. From homemade to commercial. Its enough to make anyone's head spin. And yes, I have been taking notes.

Looks like you just found another million!

I've tried a huge number of lubes. I found that they all work when used with consistency. In fact, I've come to think that consistency of amount of lube and application technique is the most important thing.

I like the Dutch Schultz system but found it difficult to load my tight hunting loads. But, the DS system meets the consistency requirement very well. I ended up incorporating part of the DS system by mixing cooking oil and alcohol. I've played with different ratios and didn’t detect much difference in the results. You can use 90% rubbing alcohol (cheap) or denatured alcohol.

If you use rubbing alcohol it doesn't emulsify as well and needs to be shaken before application. Just lay out your strip of patching material and squirt it on. Wait for the alcohol to evaporate. It doesn't take long especially with denatured alcohol (less cheap).

Many issues experienced by round ball shooters are not lube related. Often they are caused by rough bores (including new) and rough crowns. Your GPR is possibly a good example of that.

 

[bang]

70% wax, 30% veggie oil.
Also good for water proofing and general lube.

 

[ETipp]

Looks like you just found another million!

I've tried a huge number of lubes. I found that they all work when used with consistency. In fact, I've come to think that consistency of amount of lube and application technique is the most important thing.

I like the Dutch Schultz system but found it difficult to load my tight hunting loads. But, the DS system meets the consistency requirement very well. I ended up incorporating part of the DS system by mixing cooking oil and alcohol. I've played with different ratios and didn’t detect much difference in the results. You can use 90% rubbing alcohol (cheap) or denatured alcohol.

If you use rubbing alcohol it doesn't emulsify as well and needs to be shaken before application. Just lay out your strip of patching material and squirt it on. Wait for the alcohol to evaporate. It doesn't take long especially with denatured alcohol (less cheap).

Many issues experienced by round ball shooters are not lube related. Often they are caused by rough bores (including new) and rough crowns. Your GPR is possibly a good example of that.

Indeed. Some things to keep in mind. Crowns is another subject but I will wait until I fire both ML before getting the wagon ahead of the mules.

 

[UndeadPoet]

Neat Murphys oil soap. Keeps any fouling soft and easy to clean after shooting. Also, I shoot my guns all day without cleaning between shots

Does it also blow bubbles when you shoot? That would be cool…

 

[Scota@4570]

I can confirm that MOS works very well. I works and behaves a lot like a fancy liquid lubes that come in the spray bottle. In fact I just topped up my spray bottle with MOS and could tell no difference. I now shoot a dry patch with ballistol, which give a little better accuracy for me.

 

[cositrike]

Does it also blow bubbles when you shoot? That would be cool…

Only if you blow down the barrel. Lol

 

[hanshi]

So the moose milk is made from water soluble cutting oil, water and dish soap or is moose milk an actual product?

The best ones I've used so far are TOTW mink oil (hunting), Hoppes BP Lube (best all around) and DGW "Black Solve".
If you want moose milk this is the only way to get the original.

 

[ETipp]

The best ones I've used so far are TOTW mink oil (hunting), Hoppes BP Lube (best all around) and DGW "Black Solve".
If you want moose milk this is the only way to get the original.

Thanks for the info. I'll have to pass on the moose milking. No moose in this neck of the woods.

 

[pacanis]

For swabbing I use alcohol swabs.

Oh hey, here's some lube

 

[1BadDart]

I tried the Water/ballistol dry patch and the fouling was horrible and hard to get out. Even wiping with a single damp patch after every shot I'd have to I'd have to use two or three wet patches to clean it after six or eight shots. I started using coconut oil and still wipe after shot, now my patches have very little fouling, it loads easier and shoots well too.

This and $1.75 will buy you a cup of coffee in some places.

 

[Scota@4570]

Hmm, rough bore maybe?

I use Ballistol and water 5:1. Saturate the strips, wring out, let dry. I use a single patch, damp with moose milk, between shots. Damp is wet the wrung out. I use that patch several times until it gets dry and looks very black. I try to shoot Swiss powder if I have any. Unless a bench rest 5-shot group is in the 1" range @ 50 yards, I am not happy with the load.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I use what I consider (since it works for me) a very good approach. I mix one part of water soluble oil to seven parts of water. I apply this mixture to dampen the path before I cut at the muzzle. That is enough oil to provide a little bit of slick. The water softens fouling, and the tightly patched ball pushes fouling down the barrel. A loise cleaning patch pulls out the worst of the real black fouling.

You do have to keep the flash channel clean. Easy enough with a vent pick in a flint lock. For a percussion lock, run a damp patch to the breech. Fire a cap and pull the fouling that was blasted into the patch, out.

The dry patch seems to set the shooter up for the build up of the crusty fouling.

 

[rafterob]

Water with enough Dawn dishwashing liquid to make it slippery between your fingers. Put it in a small spray bottle and spritz your patch prior to lubing.

 

[garypl]

A couple of days ago a ran across a tin of lube from Dixie Gun Works that I must have bought about 45 years ago. Price on the tin is $1.00! It’s pretty hard - might remelt it and see how it feels.