Round Ball Patch Lube?

[shguns]

I have heard of shooters using all kinds of stuff for patch lube when shooting round ball in their muzzleloaders.

What have you used? Both what worked and what didn't?
Also, how much lube and how do you apply it?

I have used bore butter by gently melting it and dipping pre-cut patches in it. I have used Track of the Wolf "mink oil", by rubbing it into the patches by hand. So far these seem to work about the same. I have "moose milk" mixed up and ready but have not tried it on patches yet.

 

[cayuga]

I have used just about everything under the sun for lubing patches. I like Moosemilk and use that. It seems to be very consistent.

 

[Semisane]

Liquid Wrench is all I use as a patch lube these days shguns, after giving it a try about a year ago under rather strange circumstances. For the full story on that, go here - http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/black-p ... world.html

Anyway, my first try with Liquid Wrench in a .54 caplock was so successful that I tried it in my .54 flinter, and in the .58 caplock and a .32 flintlock. In every gun it gave me better groups than I had gotten with any other patch lube (and I've tried many).

I use pre-cut square patches. For a shooting session, I take a stack of 30 or 50 patches and apply the LW to the top, bottom and sides of the stack. Then I squeeze and massage the stack to distribute the oil evenly. Then wrap the stack in one or two paper towels and squeeze/massage the bundle to take up as much excess oil as possible.

The patches feel almost dry when I use them and are very pleasant to handle.

 

[Muley Hunter]

This is all I use. I like to use natural lubes, and this stuff is not affected by the cold at all.

I just rub it in with my fingers. It doesn't take that much.


http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categorie ... 1/MINK-OIL

 

[GM54-120]

I wonder if that is real mink oil or pure lanolin. Its an awesome deal if its real mink oil. Pure lanolin isn't cheap either and i imagine it would also be a good patch lube.

Most off the shelf so called "mink oils" contain mostly lanolin and silicones.

 

[SteveH]

Liquid Wrench is all I use as a patch lube these days shguns, after giving it a try about a year ago under rather strange circumstances. For the full story on that, go here - http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/black-p ... world.html

Link did not work for me. Think this is it.

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/black-powder/344679-trip-bizarro-world.html

 

[StarGazer]

I use Olive Oil... I sneak it from the Kitchen when the wife is not looking! :twisted:

 

[Rattus58]

Moosemilk....

I have used just about everything under the sun for lubing patches. I like Moosemilk and use that. It seems to be very consistent.

I've heard of Moosemilk my whole muzzleloading life and still don't know what it is.

As for a patch lube, I now use water soluable oil or when out, balistol that I let evaporate after developing a mixture of between 6:1 to maybe 8:1, which I've found to work with most of my guns sufficiently.

Crisco works well too if its not sitting in your barrel all day.. but if that's all I've got... then all day it is...

Aloha... 8)

 

[cayuga]

LIQUID MOOSE MILK

Stumpy's Moose Milk

A general purpose black powder solvent and liquid patch lube. Shake well before using

Castor Oil 4 oz.
Murphy's Oil Soap 1 oz.
Witch Hazel 4 oz.
Isopropyl Alcohol (91%) 8 oz.
Water (non-chlorinated) 16 oz.

I dip my patching in this twice and let it dry between. I lay my strips out over old window screen. Makes a semi-dry patch material that's easy to carry & use. If you don't mind carrying a little bottle it's a GREAT liquid lube as is.

Be sure when making the Moose milk to mix the alcohol and castor oil together first. Then add the witch hazel. Add all of this to the water and shake. Finally after that mixture is all together add the Murphy?s oil soap.

This is another way to make it if you have no Castor Oil...

NAPA Moose Milk

4 ounces NAPA Auto Parts #765-1526 Soluble Cutting & Grinding Oil
1 ounce Murphy's Oil Soap
7 ounces 91% Isopropyl alcohol
16 ounces tap water

 

[Rattus58]

LIQUID MOOSE MILK

Stumpy's Moose Milk

A general purpose black powder solvent and liquid patch lube. Shake well before using

Castor Oil 4 oz.
Murphy's Oil Soap 1 oz.
Witch Hazel 4 oz.
Isopropyl Alcohol (91%) 8 oz.
Water (non-chlorinated) 16 oz.

I dip my patching in this twice and let it dry between. I lay my strips out over old window screen. Makes a semi-dry patch material that's easy to carry & use. If you don't mind carrying a little bottle it's a GREAT liquid lube as is.

Be sure when making the Moose milk to mix the alcohol and castor oil together first. Then add the witch hazel. Add all of this to the water and shake. Finally after that mixture is all together add the Murphy?s oil soap.

This is another way to make it if you have no Castor Oil...

NAPA Moose Milk

4 ounces NAPA Auto Parts #765-1526 Soluble Cutting & Grinding Oil
1 ounce Murphy's Oil Soap
7 ounces 91% Isopropyl alcohol
16 ounces tap water

I use Water soluable oil quite a bit,,, but I've just been using it in ratios with water only.. 6-8:1

If you're going to use alcohol, why the water? I use 91-99% alcohol and 25% Murpheys for a bore cleaner/swab and it works exceptionally well for me. My final cleaning of day is usually now eith marvel mystery oil following the alcohol swab or actually a pump cleaning and then when the patches come clean... I use Lucas gun oil... this combination I've found to beat all for me here in Hawaii Nei!

Aloha...

 

[cayuga]

I add the alcohol because the original recipe I followed, called for it. And it works very well. So I figure if it isn't broke, why fix it. I really like the stuff as a patch lube. I just recently started using Marvel Oil for different things around the house. That is some great oil. Hard to find around me, (it showed up of all places at a Wal Mart) but its a good oil. I never tried it as a bore protect oil. I will have to consider that. Thanks for the heads up on that.

 

[Rattus58]

I add the alcohol because the original recipe I followed, called for it. And it works very well. So I figure if it isn't broke, why fix it. I really like the stuff as a patch lube. I just recently started using Marvel Oil for different things around the house. That is some great oil. Hard to find around me, (it showed up of all places at a Wal Mart) but its a good oil. I never tried it as a bore protect oil. I will have to consider that. Thanks for the heads up on that.

Actually I use Marvel to help clean my bore then I seal the bore with Lucas Gun Oil which is really the best oil I've ever used on guns here.

Marvel I swab my bores with till the come out red.... then dry patch and then Lucas... I've some exposed machine parts that have resisted rust for months... where as before, it would be three or four days and I'd have rust powder... I don't know what marvel is... but it does some interesting things with things stuck, rust dirty and in my black powder bores...

Aloha...