Patch Lube Experiment(s)

[Leatherbelly]

 Fellow Shooters,
  I'll try not to bore you with a little story.
 Yesterday I got sent on a mission to pick up some large tires for our front end loader(work). I noticed the tire man slopping some sort of slippery fluid on the bead of some tires he was mounting. Being curious,I asked him what it was. He said it was a vegetable based soap and gave me a handfull of this stuff that is in gel form. He said they mix it 70-30,water to soap. I wetted my fingers with this concoction and it feels very slippery. Too slippery! My little mind starts to thinking,maybe a new lube?  So my first experiment will be Winter Washer Fluid,(the blue stuff) and half a cup of the gel.I'll try that first for sliptivity and if it feels "right", I'll give it a try in my .40. If I can shoot all day without problems due to fouling etc...
 Then give it the ultimate test in the smoothgun. Anyone else do this kind of experimenting?

[Harnic]

After that Murphys oil soap fiasco of a couple winters ago I think I'll stick with Hoppes #9+ Roy!  That !@*%&@ soap was pretty hard to get out of the grooves at the end of the day!  Made for gobs of brown goop!  Just keep your pre-lubed patches in your pocket where they don't freeze buddy!  Then you can forget the wwwf.

[BrownBear]

I'm experimenting, but using local natural materials.  Kind of in the spirit of homemaking everything else I use.  No big emotional attachment to the project, but lots of satisfaction.  Been using tallow from the deer I shoot with different blends as the temps shift through the year.  Till now olive oil has been my softening agent, but next will be bear oil and seal oil, whichever I can get first.  Haven't tried beeswax in the mix yet, but a neighbor has hives now so that will be fair game in my quest.

[northmn]

The experimenting is fun.  So much so that it is hard for some of use to settle down on one concoction or whatever.  I remember a very good shooter who showed up to matches with a different rifle practically every time.  He never really shot to his potential, but had a lot of fun.  I usually shot a rifle for maybe one season and sold it and moved on.  That's what it is all about.

DP

[Mike R]

With all the posts we get here [and no offense meant to the posters ] on patch lube recipes and new ideas, one has to wonder how our ancestors possibly got along with just tallow or spit?   

[William Worth]

I expect our ancestors had more pressing issues to deal with.

I enjoy the experimentation ideas people come up with.

Never stop learning.

[Daryl]

I agree with William, LB and the other testers out there. Testing is fun, rewarding some times and frustrating at others.  Getting down to the crunch here now with the commitment to go to the hunting camp as camp-sitter have arrived. We leave on Monday for 10 days.  That gives one day to pack all my junk, and 2 days, today and Saturday to play. Looks like a nice day today, so perhaps today is a 'range day'.

 For target shooting I've pretty much fallen back on the spit for lube, but depending on the load (or gun) being used, LHV will get used as well.

 As to Murphy's leaving crub in the grooves, it must be getting burn by blowby to do that. That means to me the patch isn't heavy enough.  Taylor and I have used the Moose Snot (murphy's/beeswax/castor) recipie in 4 different guns now, with NO residual fouling.  I just didn't like it as well as spit or LHV.  I still have a quantity stored for further testing or perhaps hunting.  I think the $#@* in the bottom of the grooves that harry experienced might have been burnt castor  oil- it leaves a heavy brown residue, gummy at worst, in the heads and on the mufflers of our model airplane engines. Again. we didn't experience any residual fouling when using this substance in our rifles.

 Nice day - think I'll head for the range.

[Harnic]

I don't know what the brown goop was from Daryl, but I got it with the wwwf/mos mox too, no oil.  I was using the same ball/patch combo that is working so well now with Hoppes 9+ & I have recovered many fired patches with no burning or tearing.

[Daryl]

Yes- i know what you've said about it and what you experienced. Sounds something similar to what some guys get with Bore butter.  Just that Taylor used it for a long time in his Bess and the Jaeger with perfect results and no goop left over.  The Bess is a smooth bore and the Jaeger has a round bottom grooved barrel.  Maybe that has something to do with it.  My .45 barrel didn't goop up, but then one test was all I needed to decide it didn't shoot as well as spit or LHV.

[Harnic]

I was likely just holdin' my mouth wrong while shooting Daryl... you saw how I shot at Heffley this year.... I NEED A LOT MORE PRACTISE! :S  Experimenting is a lot of fun & I do a lot of experimenting with lubes for my Ruger old Army with the Lee conical bullet & my 45 Sharps.  Beeswax has been a part of every lube that showed much promise.  I was glad to meet that lady from Oregon at Heffley this year who was selling pure beeswax for $6.50 a pound!  Great price!

[Daryl]

@!*% - too bad you didn't tell me to bring you a few pounds to Hefley, Harry. $6.50 is a good price, though.  My stock of beeswax (better than Marilyne's) is for trade only, pound of beeswax per pound of powder.  HA!

[Leatherbelly]

Dayrls,
 I'm off to the range. Care to join Ratchet Jack,Crusty and me?> Hurry up,we'll wait for ya! Going to test my new concoction!

[Leatherbelly]

 Seems this combo works very nice in the 40 cal rifle. not quite as slippery as LHV but did a good job. .395 RB, .021 patch,WWW fluid and tire soap,LOL!! The tire soap is 100% vegetable. I think I'll try just a bit more soap. Used one level tablespoon to the 12 oz. jar  full of WWW(winter windshield washer), and will try with a teaspoon more soap. The rifle loaded great all  day,taking about 40 shots. No wiping,of coarse.
ps., cleanup was a breeze. Six patches.Accuracy, no change,very good.

[Daryl]

Sounds good, LB. I'm packing today, getting ready to go to camp.

[ironsights1]

Northmn...One of several tuna cans -I use an opener that cuts under the lid so that the can is usable- shows that my homemade lube of deer tallow (4 parts), olive oil (7 parts), and bees wax (1 part) was brewed in January, 2003.  These are volume measurements. It has been stored on the shelf by my muzzleloaders in the spare bed room and has not turned rancid.  I used some of it this past week in shooting my .25 flintlock and went 10 -12 shots before needing to swab the bore. This is my hunting lube and it seems to shoot to the same spot as Lehigh Valley lube. Tom