AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: drago on November 14, 2019, 05:11:06 PM
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OK just for fun, which lube gives you the most accurate target load?
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I use Liquid Wrench Penetrating Oil as the patch lube on all of my guns, from .32 to .58 calibers. It equals or exceeds (usually exceeds) the accuracy of any other patch lube I've tried. I wet a stack of patches with LW and massage the stack to distribute the oil evenly, wrap the stack in a paper towel and squeeze the bundle so the paper takes up any excess oil. The patches feel almost dry. Some of my guns like the patch a little wetter or drier than others. As a bonus, you can go two or three days after a shoot without cleaning the gun with no harm to the bore.
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drago I see you've been registered here for a long time. Have you read the other 13,000 patch lube threads?
I understand you've specified accuracy, but I think lube is the last thing affecting accuracy once all the other variables are nailed down. One of the most important is consistent loading pressure. Also I understand that the bench folks use non-period materials, so we don't talk about that much.
Just what level of accuracy are you seeking to obtain? Everyone has his own notions and they vary quite a bit.
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LeHighValley lube, Hoppe's #9 Plus, WWWF+ a tich of Neeetsfoot Oil, and Mink Oil - oh yeah and spit.
All are about equal, but do 'need' different powder charges.
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What Daryl listed except for LeHighValley lube. I've had more experience with Hoppes and spit and seem to recall my best shooting was with Hoppes. Eye is so bad now that No way could I tell a difference.
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Have you read the other 13,000 patch lube threads?
....and heaven forbid we get off on cleaning solutions. :o
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For accuracy, hands down LeHigh Valley lube if you can find any. More recently Mr. Flintlocks lube. Same thing or close to LeHigh valley lube.
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Just given a bottle of Mr. Flintlock. What makes it so much better than neatsfoot oil or mink oil? Not doubting you just want to learn.
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As noted, I found all about equal and capable of 1/2" or slightly 5-shot tighter groups at 50 yards, rest shooting.
Also, some of them needed modified powder charges to do their best. I shoot/shot the same 10 oz. denim and
.0235" ticking patches with all of them. No difference in accuracy between the two patches, either. All used with bore
sized, or .005" undersized balls as well.
Generally, the slipperier the lube, the more powder that was needed to achieve the same accuracy level as the water-
based, non-slippery lubes. such as (WWWF+oil and spit)
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Just given a bottle of Mr. Flintlock. What makes it so much better than neatsfoot oil or mink oil? Not doubting you just want to learn.
Truth be told, I've managed to get almost equal accuracy with all the lubes I've tried. However with the Lehigh Valley and Mr. Flintlocks I never need to clean when loading, something in the formula just cuts right through the hardest fouling, regardless of how tight the prb combo is. Anytime I will shoot soon after loading either one of these seem equal. However, they will dry out and shouldn't be left loaded overnight or longer.
For my hunting loads I use a grease type load like Mink oil, Wonder Lube or even Crisco.
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Patches wet w WWF.
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Mutton tallow was used by the British for over 200 yrs
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Hoppes is the best lube I've used for general shooting and it keeps the bore "clean" (in a BP sense). Mink oil also leaves the bore in great shape and allows extended shooting sessions. Much of that is thanks to the good patches I use. Mink oil does get used at the range a good bit and is always used in the bush. I really see no need to look further.
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An Interesting (perhaps to me only) aspect of Track's Mink Oil, was when using it in my .32, one winter. I melted the mink oil in a tin (1/2 soup can) on a hot plate, then poured it over the patches in a tin (Sucrets), pressed them to squeeze out the excess.
The patches were 10lx denim, I measure at .0225" with my calipers' compressed. I was using a .311" ball at that time, in the .32, with 008" deep rifling, the grooves narrower than the lands. about 1/2 the width of the lands. This is normally not a good ratio.
All my loading was done with a short starter and the rifle's 5/16" hickory rod. I did not wipe the bore before loading. The first ball went down about normal for a water-based 'lube', but subsequent loading, was easier than the first. I shot the entire trail, maybe 45 shots that day, without wiping the bore. In thinking about the first loading being harder, perhaps the residual oil or residue in the bore from the WD40 was not compatible with the mink oil. Doesn't matter much as that first load was not difficult to load, just that subsequent loading was easier. Once started, the loading was with forefinger and thumb only, on the rod. With the first one, took a hand hold on the rod.
The muzzle crown of the .32.
(https://i.ibb.co/WKF81pF/PB141918-zpsbd7b72c5.jpg) (https://ibb.co/ys5vJB5)
This is the crown in the new .36 & on my "new" .50. As you can see, they are not quite as rounded as the .32, however, the sharp machine cut corner is 'broken'. which is the most important
aspect of the crown. That little rounded edge means the ball and patch can conform to the grooves and lands.
(https://i.ibb.co/7yJTC98/IMG-2809.jpg) (https://ibb.co/5cWz47t)
(https://i.ibb.co/6vTxzG5/IMG-2813.jpg) (https://ibb.co/CJYZg4F)
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I was wondering if it cleans up with just water? I think I'll try some.
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I was wondering if it cleans up with just water? I think I'll try some.
You may need a bit of soap in the water with the Jojoba Oil. I played with it back in the mid-1980s. This oil comes from the seed of the Jojoba plant that grows in the American Southwest. Chemically it is something of a duplicate from the old Sperm Oil that was extracted from the head cavity of the Sperm Whale. Over time it evaporates. Indians in the Soutwest used it on their hair. There are also several waxes that come from the Jojoba plant. But the waxes did nit give good results. Can't vouch for it as a rust prevention in ml barrels shooting black powder.
In my experience nothing beat Tom DeCare's Lehigh Valley lube. A fairly close second to that is Mr. Flintlock's version. As far as I know Tom no longer makes the Lehigh Valley lube for shooting. He worked the lube up into other applications that earned more profit and in volumes far greater than the ml patch lube.
Bill K.
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It seemed a lot of people liked it, wish it was a home brew I'd try it if it was something you could always get.
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Mr. Flintlock's lube is very close to LHV from what I've seen.
I use water only for cleaning my barrels, after using WWWF+ a tich of Neetsfoot oil, or after using Mink or Neetsfoot oil. There has
never been a need for using any soap in the water.