Squirrel hunting patch lube

[tddeangelo]

So, about to dip into the smaller caliber flintlock world, and hunting squirrels with a flintlock.

For deer hunting, I use a bear fat/beeswax for patch lube. I will get 4-5 shots with that lube before the bore would need to be swabbed to permit further loading.

When I'm at the range, Hoppes 9 shoots to same POA as the bear fat lube, and I can shoot as much as I want without cleaning.

For squirrel hunting, I have a place to hunt that is fairly "target rich," but I wouldn't say I'll be shooting as fast as I can load. I might have a half hour or so go by between shots...? How long will Hoppes or some other wet lube "last" in the bore while awaiting my next shot opportunity?

[RichG]

since you'll never know how long it will be between shots while hunting, I would use a grease type lube. If you want, you can run a damp patch down after each shot and you should be able to shoot all day. I don't use wet lubes for anything but target/plinking where I'm loading and shooting right away. 

[L. Akers]

I use neatsfoot oil.  Never had a problem with it drying out.

[WaterFowl]

I have used Hoppe's for years...I keep my lubed patch's in an underjacket pocket below 15 deg..
Kept my deer rifle loaded for 2 days with out side effects  now a week it will start to matter.
I have found small bores to shoot better swabbed..YMMV.....I wet patch.
Just use it and enjoy the hunt....Good luck....

[Fyrstyk]

I use Mink Oil as a patch lube in my .32's and .36's, and find I only have to swab the bore after the fourth shot if I am so lucky as to get four shots in one outing.

[Hungry Horse]

I suspect it is the bees wax that is causing the problem. I make my patch lube with bear grease with a little venison, or mutton, tallow melted in to give it body. I've shot all afternoon with this lube without swabbing.

  Hungry Horse

[Daryl]

If you use tighter ball/patch combinations with either Neetsfood Oil or Track's Mink Oil,  there is no need for wiping for an entire day's shooting.

I shot the trail once using Mink oil for lube in my .32 and noticed right off the bat, from the lightly oiled barrel (WD40) the first load down, although quite easy as it was, was harder to load than EVERY one of the next 50 rounds shot that day, without any wiping needed- at any time.  Yes the 50th loaded easier than the first one - and identically to the second shot.

I will also note here & now, that my barrel's rifling was bass-ackwards - the grooves were very narrow and the lands very wide.  Grooves were .008" deep.  I was using a .311|' ball that day and a 10 ounce denim patch which I measured at .0225" compressed in my calipers as hard as I could squeeze the tines with my finger and thumb.

 This, is that barrel, showing it's crown.  A short starter is not necessary, however, I use one to ensure a perfectly centered entry of the patched ball.

[hanshi]

When I hunt, the first load of the day is lubed with mink oil; this means I don't have to clean unless I get a shot.  I likes Hoppes #9 BP lube and use it when shooting will be, more or less, frequent.  And as Daryl said, a tight ball/patch combo is the way to shoot and shoot without patching the bore.  I had already smoothed the crown on some of my rifles; and if I can manage to get off my lazy butt I'll do the rest.

[tddeangelo]

I've been meaning to play with the ball and patch I use in my 62, so that may help with fouling, although when I use Hoppes 9BP, I can just go all day if I want. I'm shooting a 600 ball with 030 patching, and loading is not a major exertion. A 610 will not go down with the same patch (don't ask how I know, but I do).

I've got some 610's left, though, so I may try a 025 or similar patch. The rifle is not shooting tiny groups, but is plenty accurate for hunting purposes, and has killed three deer with that load so far, so it's not horrible.

For the 36, I will getting that later this week, and will start the experimenting process. I have some 015 patching left from other combo experiments, and figured I'd hit the local fabric store this weekend and get something in the 020-025 range. Or just look for some precuts at Lewisburg when I'm there to get the rifle. I'm sure Dixon's will have something if no one else does.

Was planning to run Hornady 000 buck for balls in it. Had that recommended (350 sized balls) and it makes sense. And is cheap enough, too. Figured I'd try the 015's, but was suggested I try in the 020-025 thickness, and that's likely where I think it'll wind up. I have tons of the 030 thick ticking I use in the 62, so I can cut some from that if needed, too.

Squirrels here in PA run till 2/28, so I plan to get the rifle out after them at least once, just to try it.

[Daryl]

The Hornady 0 buck I bought in the 5 pound box, were too hard for use in my .32 rifle as they are 3 to 5% antimony, not pure or soft lead.

On the other hand, I bought a .319" DC Lee mould for that barrel, that case a .320" ball. It was a bit more accurate than the .311" ball I had been using.  The .320" ball, with .0225", 10 ounce denim compressed, did not need a short starter although I did use one.  The smaller the ball, they easier they are to get to conform to the bore, with simple pressure.
8 ounce denim at what I measured as .019" compressed, also worked just fine.

I would not use the 000 (Hornady's .350" buckshot) due to the antimony.  000 buck is supposed to be .360"- same diameter as Special SG.  Hornady 000 s undersized, not that it makes any/much difference.

Hornady does, however, make .350" pure lead swaged balls and sells them by the hundred, just as they do other sizes for muzzleloading guns.  This is not hardened lead 000 buckshot.

[tddeangelo]

I have some cast 350 balls I got with the rifle, so that's what I'll work with for now.

I picked up some pre-cut 010's and 015's. The rifling is not super deep, so we'll see what they do. If they don't work, they don't work, and I'll look at something else for patching.

Off to the range tomorrow to see what I see!

[Darkhorse]

tddeangelo, You've seen a couple of my targets shot with my .40 on another forum. That target was shot with .390 roundballs and .015 patch. So give the .350's and .015 a chance and you might get lucky.
Ron

Update post 2/4/17  Tom, I am not shooting .390 RB's, I'm shooting .395's, for some reason .390 was stuck in this old brain. Some years back I bought 10 boxes of .395's and have 3 boxes remaining. Good thing I decided to check the size or I might have run out of projectiles.
Good luck with the new rifle. I know you can't wait to put that Allen Martin to the test.

[tddeangelo]

Thank you!

I shot it today with 350's and 010 and 015 patching.

The 010's gave pretty inconsistent results on paper, so I went to the 015's. Huge change.

Groups at 25 yards were nearly all touching, probably not covering much more than 1/2-2/3 of a square inch. That was with charges ranging from 20-35 gr of 3F.

I went out to 50, and groups are about 1-1.5". I need to drift the sight a tad to get it spot on (it hits about 2" to the left for me), but I shot the last two shots of the day off hand at 50 yards. They landed within 1" of each other. One was literally right where I wanted the ball to hit, the other was about 1" lower. For offhand at 50, that'll work.

I've got a rebounding frizzen on this one, so a little work to do there. I've read some suggestions for tweaking the flint angle that I want to try before goofing around with the frizzen spring. It does beat the flint up pretty good. I started with the flint that was in the gun and was pretty worn. Got maybe 10-12 on that and it stopped sparking. Installed a new flint, and it was beat up fast, had to knap it once and take a good bit of material off to get it going again, but then it kept going. Probably put 20-30 shots on that flint, but if I get 10 more, I'll be lucky. It's worn pretty hard.

Didn't have a chance to get after the bushy tails today, but I'll get on it ASAP.

I also want to try 020 patching and see what comes of it. I didn't have to clean at all with the charges and patching I was shooting today. I recovered 6-10 patches of the 015 thickness. They're not shredded or burned, but they're not pristine. The edges got thinned/fringed pretty good. I want to try 020's and see if the patches look better and if it tightens the groups any more. It cleaned up pretty quickly when I got home, which is always nice.

I shot both Hoppes 9BP and spit patches. The rifle didn't seem to care, shot both the same. I took my hunting patch lube (for deer hunting) along, but forgot to try it.

I completely blanked when I was at Lewisburg about getting a horn for this rifle. D'oh. Need to get that or a flask for my bag. I'd be ok with either. At 35gr per shot, it doesn't tear through powder.

[Curt Lyles]

 tddeagelo    Try coverin your flint with the leather that holds the flint in place and it should save on your flint life ,just make sure it dosent intefere with the frizzen.You will be surprised how long a flint can really last.your bear grease  bees wax lube should work good with the right patch,and you might try coconut oil for lube also it has been workin great for me. Curt    love the small bores

[Eddie Southgate]

Usually use Bore Butter but now and then I will use some of the last real whale oil I have been hoarding for the biggest part of my life . My pap got it from Turner in the 50's and still had a quart left when I came along . He gave it to me with two oval cans of Dupont (1 FFG and 1FFFFG ) and several yards of Indian Head for my 16th birthday . I still have 1/2 pint of oil and most of the powder as well as a fair few pounds of the same I have picked up over the years . The Indian Head is I guess no longer available as every time I have asked for it in a cloth shop they look at me like I got two heads and tell me they never heard of it .  On the range I usually spit patch but would not do so in the woods unless it was for a quick follow up shot .

    Eddie

[hanshi]

I like fairly tight pbr combos.  So far I've been using .311" (.32), .350" (.36) and .390" (.40).  The ticking I use  runs about .022" and the prb is still easy to seat.  I'm definitely going to a .005" ball increase and/or an even thicker patch.  The .445" ball from my Lyman mold loads no differently than the .440" ball from My Lee.  I'm figuring maybe a .315", .360" (or whatever I can find) and a .395".  Also be trying denim from old jeans.

[Frank]

Track of the Wolf Mink Oil will fill all of your needs.

[tddeangelo]

Spit worked....