AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: Joe R on July 17, 2025, 12:41:56 AM
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Like many here I have been a user of TOW’s Mink Oil for some time. I have been trying to restock some for many months only to find it out of stock every time I check . I finally reached out and Ethan at TOW replied, “ The man that makes the Trappers Mink Oil is an older gentleman and is having health issues. Unfortunately he does not have any succession.”
So it looks like we’re gonna have to come up with a Plan B.
May have to shoot a bear, whales being hard to come by.
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I am very sorry to hear this. This is my go to lube.
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This is the primary reason I don’t use materials sold specifically as a bullet, or patch lube, or cleaning products. If you develop your most accurate load around a product like this, and it goes away, you have to start from scratch to find a new product. I wasted years doing this, and I am done. If it wasn’t around back then I don’t use it.
Hungry Horse
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I mix my T.O.T.W. mink oil 50/50 with pure neatsfoot oil (not the compounds or blends). If this product goes out of production I will use pure neatsfoot oil.
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I use pure Neatsfoot oil only. Yes, its drippy and yes it smells like cooked beef after each round. But it works great for me in all my rifle calibers and my double barrel 12. It's cheap, easy and readily available. Give it a try if you haven't already. I put dry patches in an old pill bottle and add enough oil to soak through the stack. But not leave any liquid oil behind.
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Once again, rendered raccoon fat comes through for me. Easily obtainable, with an almost limitless supply right outside my back door.
If you know coon hunters or trappers, they'd probably be more than willing to supply the raw material.
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Try Mineral Oil. Yeah....not traditional but when I was load developing my .45 rifle I tried Mink Oil and a few other products (Ballisto). So....my not so great thinking was....Oil is oil. So one trip out I took a bottle of Mineral Oil as a "what the heck".
The MO shrank my groups and it also helps keep the fouling down.
FWIW
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I usually use venison tallow, or mutton tallow for patch lube. If you hunt deer you can render your own, but if not, you can buy mutton tallow from some muzzleloader suppliers.
Hungry Horse
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I might now have to try mineral oil, just to see how it works.
Not sure the evaporation rate, or if it is suitable for hunting(longevity in the bore). If indeed ot softens BP fouling as well as Mink Oil or Neetsfoot Oil, it might come down to which is least expensive or works best.
The larger bores with their normally larger charges, are what will make or break this oil as a viable patch lube for hunting.
For targets I still use only a water soluble oil.
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Another option to try is Canola oil. I was looking for a hunting lube for my 40 caliber Rice B profile and I tried Canola oil. I get good accuracy and I can leave the rifle loaded for several days without rust (so far).
I have not tried it yet in my 54 as I already have a lube that works good for hunting.
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Tallow I like mutton but any will work as long as it's salt free . Bear, racoon , deer seem to not go rancid , like beef/hog. some like to mix with bees wax , not me
I forgot you guys north of the USA Moose tallow should work great(and your bears are bigger/fatter)
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Not having and marmot oil, bear, deer, caribou or moose tallow, I use Neetsfoot oil or Tracks Mink oil.
Guess now I'll try Mineral Oil, but then I don't hunt anymore. Guess I should try it just to see how it works, for this forum's sake. Might be good afterall.
I'm thinking canola oil might be too far synthesized to work, but then only way to find out, is to try it.
Heading home today for a few. Might get out shooting, if not too hot.
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Try coconut oil or grape seed oil from what I understand both have a high flash point and work.
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I mixed the non-hardening coconut oil with the mink oil. It worked fine and cleaning seemed easier.
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Tje Princess Auto chain store here sells a Mink oil that LOOKS very similar to what Track sells. Guess I'll have to try it in the .36 and "see" what she says.
Might even have a makers name on it.
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perhaps someone should Buy the business from the inventor
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Agreed. There are some very large mink farms in Utah. I do not know what for or what they do with the excess material.
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For what little it might be worth, as a patch lube Angelus brand mink oil (the paste, not the liquid) seems a near-direct substitute for Track's product. I say "near" because mink oil is not my usual patch lube, and I may be overlooking something. The stuff has been available forever, and as far as I can tell the recipe hasn't changed.
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For what little it might be worth, as a patch lube Angelus brand mink oil (the paste, not the liquid) seems a near-direct substitute for Track's product. I say "near" because mink oil is not my usual patch lube, and I may be overlooking something. The stuff has been available forever, and as far as I can tell the recipe hasn't changed.
3 oz on Amazon is the same price as 8 oz at Track. Ugh.
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Has anyone tried Fluid Film?
I spit patch on the range and use bear grease when hunting, but have been tempted to try Fluid Film. For those that don't know, Fluid film is lanolin based. Lanolin is extracted from sheep's wool and FF is super slippery and creeps well. It is, in my opinion, an outstanding lube for case sizing. Not sure how it would stand up to ignition temperatures.
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I saw this product online.{ Fiebings golden mink oil} if you look in the Q & A part it has the list of ingredients by %. I don't know if it would be any good or not. I've been using neatsfoot oil as a lube.
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Hate to hear this, glad I still have a couple tins left
Tony
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Is there any readily available hunting patch lube substitutes for mink oil?
Maybe could mix some neatsfoot oil with just enough beeswax to solidify it so it doesn't soak into the powder?
I've got some of this https://www.bs-bp.com/bearoil.html (https://www.bs-bp.com/bearoil.html) but I don't think it softens the fouling as much as mink oil, or at least it doesn't seem to go down the bore as easily. Not sure if I like it or not
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Maybe could mix some neatsfoot oil with just enough beeswax to solidify it so it doesn't soak into the powder?
I don't think "oil soaking into the powder" is anything to be concerned about. I've used oils for patch lubes for ~40 years, and have been using a chronograph for ~30 years. In that time I have yet to see any significant velocity loss, even when the rifle was left loaded for as long as a month. The velocity of the previously-loaded load has always been in the velocity range of the same loads fired on the same day.
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I used TOW's mink oil for years. A few years ago, I bought 2 tins that were spoiled for some reason. The grease was much darker and smelled almost like it was rotten. I normally like the tallow aroma of TOW's mink oil, but those two cans smelled like something you wanted to forget you ever smelled. I tossed it. The next two cans were normal.
Bob
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Maybe could mix some neatsfoot oil with just enough beeswax to solidify it so it doesn't soak into the powder?
I don't think "oil soaking into the powder" is anything to be concerned about. I've used oils for patch lubes for ~40 years, and have been using a chronograph for ~30 years. In that time I have yet to see any significant velocity loss, even when the rifle was left loaded for as long as a month. The velocity of the previously-loaded load has always been in the velocity range of the same loads fired on the same day.
Interesting! I can get pure neatsfoot locally, so maybe I'll try it.
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I’m not a terrific shooter and it’s not because of lubes. That’s what I tell myself. Target shooters I know use spit patch quite a bit. But I can’t get the best shooters to line my patches that way for me. ;D
I know slipperiness impacts velocity. After that, I don’t understand why some lubes are better than others IF each lube keeps some consistency across commonly encountered temperatures. I’ve used sunscreen when I had nothing else, for hunting. Loaded nicely.
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I to am sorry to hear T.O.T.W. Mink oil/grease may be coming to an end. When I needed more I simply bought a 12-can case from them. Popped 11 of them in the freezer and I am good for a few years since I mix it 50/50 with Fiebings 100% pure Neatsfoot oil so it lasts a long time.
I do the same with powder. When I get low I buy a case or two (25 or 50 cans) then I don't have to worry. Still using powder I bought for $12.50 a can.
As a substitute for T.O.T.W. mink oil/grease I would buy Fiebings Golden Mink Oil. You can order it directly from their web page. If you want it thinner just mix it 50/50 with their pure Neatsfoot oil.
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I know slipperiness impacts velocity. After that, I don’t understand why some lubes are better than others IF each lube keeps some consistency across commonly encountered temperatures. I’ve used sunscreen when I had nothing else, for hunting. Loaded nicely.
Other tasks performed by lubes include keeping fouling soft and ensuring bore conditions are consistent shot-to-shot, without contaminating the powder charge. Some lubes do a better job of that with one powder than another ( e.g. I have problems with the build-up of a hard ring of fouling when shooting Swiss, if the patches are lubed with neatsfoot oil; switching to olive oil will usually "stretch" the number of shots before that happens, but I have to tweak the powder charge a bit to retain the same POI). But yeah, almost anything even slightly lubricous will work for one shot, or just a few shots.
V. M. Starr's solution to this in his shotguns was to use dry wads. After loading the shot but before seating the over-shot wad, he'd spit down the barrel onto the shot. It worked for him, and still works today (with the added benefit of eliminating the competitors who get the swoons at the very idea!).
I've fired entire aggregates with neatsfoot oil without problems, and it is consistent across a broad temp range. Olive oil will do about the same. Jojoba oil works well, but it can be hard to source a consistent product. Some of the commercial mink-oil leather dressings seem to change occasionally, judging by their melting points. I know match shooters who swear by Vaseline Intensive Care hand lotion. Petroleum-based lubes are easily available but tend to cause fouling problems.
Castor oil and cod-liver oil work for match shooting, but I don't use them when hunting. I've seen deer when they notice the strange scent: their eyes dart around and they get a bit jumpy.
One things good lubes have in common is consistency and availability. I mostly use neatsfoot oil because it is generally available, and remarkably consistent. Same with olive oil, if you use the same brand of "extra-virgin olive oil"; other grades, and between brands, aren't as consistent.
If range conditions are not what you were expecting, and fouling buildup makes it hard to load, you can "tallow" the barrel each shot. After loading but before firing, run a patch lubed with your patch lube (but a little wetter than usual) on a snug jag down to the ball and back out. This will give you consistent shot-to-shot bore conditions, but you may want to fire the first tallowed shot as a sighter to see if your POI has changed.
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Well rendered lamb and bison tallow is available online from multiple sources. There are even several sources for lamb, bison, or beef fat chunks from sources like The Bearded Butchers whereby one can double-render their fat into tallow until it is hard, white, and as odor-free as possible.
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I am wondering if TOW mink oil is truly pure mink. I have found other sources of 100% pure mink oil online and they are a liquid. It makes me wonder.... How could one have a 100% mink oil that is liquid and another that is 100% pure mink that is solid, even at really warm temperatures?
When I use TOW mink oil, I melt it in a boiler and dip a stack of patches and squeeze out the excess. It cools very quickly on my fingers, burns my fingers after a couple of stacks, and when it cools on my fingers it reminds me of candle wax or possibly bees wax melted and cooled on hands.
Could it be it's actually a mix of some type of wax and mink oil?
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Most "mink oil" these days has nothing to do with minks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mink_oil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mink_oil)
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Most "mink oil" these days has nothing to do with minks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mink_oil (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mink_oil)
I know that... But it is a commonly held belief that TOW mink oil is pure mink oil. It says Trappers Pure Mink Oil on the can.... But doesn't give a percentage or anything.
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I don't know if it is pure mink oil or not, but suspect not.
Now, how it is rendered can change it's post cooling texture I suspect, just as this does with bear oil. Too much heat and all you get is hard(when cold) tallow. Low heat rendering produces more liquid oil.
The auto store here in town called Princess Auto sells a product they call mink oil and it has the same consistency as Track's product. I was going to test it, but haven't gotten around to that, yet.
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Someone earlier mentioned Fiebings Golden Mink sounds very much like T.O.T.W. Mink. You can buy a tin directly from them for less than Track charges. If too thick for winter use Fiebings 100% pure Neatsfoot oil is what I blend into my Track mink. If anyone tries it please post how you like it. I am down to my last 3 or so tins of Mink oil/grease.
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I started using Frontiers with bear oil about a year and a half ago and haven’t looked back.
https://www.bs-bp.com/bearoil.html
Bob
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Someone earlier mentioned Fiebings Golden Mink sounds very much like T.O.T.W. Mink. You can buy a tin directly from them for less than Track charges. If too thick for winter use Fiebings 100% pure Neatsfoot oil is what I blend into my Track mink. If anyone tries it please post how you like it. I am down to my last 3 or so tins of Mink oil/grease.
I looked up the golden mink oil and it's SDS shows it has a good bit of petroleum and other stuff, so I decided to not be the first to try it. I am not sure, but I think I created that asphalt like surface in my barrel once from leaving too much rust inhibitor in there before starting to shoot. Not sure, but seemed like it and took 3m pad to get out. So... I want to make sure I'm not using a petroleum product on my patches unless someone else verifies it's ok haha.
I did some researching and yes I think it's possible to render mink fat to be just like the TOW tallow is. Wish I had a few mins to test it out.
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I started using Frontiers with bear oil about a year and a half ago and haven’t looked back.
https://www.bs-bp.com/bearoil.html
Bob
How tight if a patch and ball combo do you use and do you swab between at all? The problem I ran into with the frontier is that it doesn't go down as easily. It sort of goes, then wants to stick. Then goes. Then sticks. Not as smooth as the mink. If I can figure that issue out, then I'll only use that.
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I started using Frontiers with bear oil about a year and a half ago and haven’t looked back.
https://www.bs-bp.com/bearoil.html
Bob
How tight if a patch and ball combo do you use and do you swab between at all? The problem I ran into with the frontier is that it doesn't go down as easily. It sort of goes, then wants to stick. Then goes. Then sticks. Not as smooth as the mink. If I can figure that issue out, then I'll only use that.
I’ve had no problems like that. I’ve only used the lube he makes with bear oil, never tried his other one. I run a pretty tight patch and can shoot my little .29 or .32 a whole match (20-25 shots), without wiping. Though I usually do after 10 shots or so out of habit, I have shot matches without wiping.
The first shot goes down pretty tight, but the rest go pretty smooth. Maybe it’s my getting older brain, but the rifle seems to clean easier, also.
I prepared my patches the way Ethan Yazel does in his video, melt a glob in an Altoids tin, completely soak a few patches, then squeeze out a stack in a paper towel.
To be fair, I never tried Tracks mink lube though I do have a tin of it. Just never got around to using it.
Bob
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Try it Bob. I used it in my .32 with a .320" pure lead ball and 10 ounce (.021") denim patch. The first one down a clean barrel was the hardest down, then the next 54 or so loaded more easily than the first. No need to wipe as the bore was cleaned each time a ball was seated. I didn't even need to use a short starter as that little soft ball was easily pressed into the muzzle with a choked-up rod, then shoved down onto the powder.
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After years of not paying attention to it, I've come to really like Track's Mink Oil as a cold weather hunting lube. By cold weather, I mean 20 degrees F or lower. But having skinned quite a few mink, I don't know how they can get enough fat off the carcass to render or process enough material for the commercial product, unless there's a lot of other additives. I assume that "domestic" mink from fur farms carry more fat.
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I've used Track's mink oil in -20C and it got impossible to load after a few shots. I don't know if I oversaturated them.
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I've used Track's mink oil in -20C and it got impossible to load after a few shots. I don't know if I oversaturated them.
Same here. I don't know what the temp was ... Maybe 15-20F... After one or two shots I couldn't load anymore
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Holding the patch between finger and thumb will liquid the lube.
-20C is -2F or -3F IIRC.
I used Neetsfoot ot Track's Mink oil for hunting moose down to -50F. I loaded the .69cal. Rifle in the "cabin", then went hunting moose. My second and third shots, if necessary were in paper ctgs. in my parka pocket. I carried my round capper in my top left parka pocket with a leather thong attached to it. I.practsed with these and could fire an aimed (moose are big) second shot 8 seconds after the first patched shot. My paper ctgs. had the same poi AND accuracy as a cloth patched ball.
Forum member Stricklin(I think) found my style of paper ctgs. worked all the way down to .54 cal.
Thus. There is a cold weather solution that works for freezing temperatures.
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I bought some "Mermac" mink oil the other day at Boot Barn. It is white and says on the container that it is "Compounded from natural oils". I google it up and the AI said the following.
Mink Oil: The base ingredient, providing conditioning and protection for leather.
Tallow: Another animal oil that is included in the blend to meet various user requirements.
Beeswax: Added to the product to increase flexibility in low temperatures and to help retain waterproofing while allowing leather to breathe.
It is soft enough to just wipe your patch on it. Not cheap. It cost $14.99 for 8 ounces. I have about 25 patches lube up with it to try. I'll shoot some in my 58 to see if they hold up. Made in USA.
Bob
(https://i.ibb.co/rRHycy7k/Mink-oil.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
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I bought some "Mermac" mink oil the other day at Boot Barn. It is white and says on the container that it is "Compounded from natural oils". I google it up and the AI said the following.
Mink Oil: The base ingredient, providing conditioning and protection for leather.
Tallow: Another animal oil that is included in the blend to meet various user requirements.
Beeswax: Added to the product to increase flexibility in low temperatures and to help retain waterproofing while allowing leather to breathe.
It is soft enough to just wipe your patch on it. Not cheap. It cost $14.99 for 8 ounces. I have about 25 patches lube up with it to try. I'll shoot some in my 58 to see if they hold up. Made in USA.
Bob
(https://i.ibb.co/rRHycy7k/Mink-oil.jpg) (https://imgbb.com/)
Thanks for that information. Their FAQ page has this information. Given it has no petroleum products, it might be the best alternative if the beeswax content is low enough.