Track Of the Wolf Mink oil

[doulos]

Any body here use TOW Mink oil for a patch lube?
Ive been using it as a cold weather hunting lube for a few years now. Im starting to notice that I'm getting some build up in the barrel. Ive been cleaning with luke warm water for a couple years now sometimes with a little soap in it.. However tonight I cleaned with very hot water and picked up a lot what looked like lube on the patch.  Im thinking of going back to that method just for this reason to prevent this buildup.

[Kaintuckkee]

I use it for hunting.....never had that problem with the buildup....I would think you are getting some flash rust with the hot water

[D. Bowman]

have been using TOW mink oil for a few months now, close to 200 shots I clean with room temp water ,no buildup in my rifles

[Daryl]

I don't get any build up with Mink Oil either. perhaps it has something to do with ball/path combinations & how tight they are?

[Roger Fisher]

have been using TOW mink oil for a few months now, close to 200 shots I clean with room temp water ,no buildup in my rifles

You tellin me you are killin those poor little minkies just to schmutch your shootin patches?  Why not kill vegies and use vegie oil.? 

Come to think of it I smear it on my leather boots sometimes, so looks as though I'm guilty of minkie abuse also 

[Daryl]

Considering only the hides get used from Mink at most 'farms' it's rather nice to see some other part being used.  It does make a good cold weather patch lube for most calibers, however further testing will be necessary in the 14 bore with hunting loads. Trying to remember a few minus -40 or colder hunts back in the early 90's with mink oil, seems to me that with 165gr. of 2F, it allowed some fouling buildup after a number of shots, maybe 5 or so- but my memory of that is a bit thin. I did try Crisco oil and some other vegetable oil but the Mink oil was superior. Neetsfoot oil got pretty heavy and stiff at those temps & most of it resulted in my using paper ctgs. for other than the first shot.

I used Mink oil in the .40 and .32 this year, with supurb results on target and in the barrel.  Seemed even better than a water based lube for target work (trail walk) as to loading, with accuracy on par with the water based lubes, WWasher fluid or spit.

[Darkhorse]

I used it for several years as a hunting lube in winter. Never had any problems with it.
Then I discovered LeHigh Valley (the real LHV) and haven't used anything else since.
However, since my supply is limited and my .40 needs LHV the most, I've been looking at that old tin of TOW Mink oil and considering going back to it in the .54's.

[Gene Carrell]

I've used ToW Mink Oil for hunting as well as target work for several years  with no buildup problem. Cleanup with room temp water (a little Dawn added), dry and oil with Clenzoil. I do tend to load  somewhat tight  ball/patch combinations and that may have an effect.

[littlefat]

I mix it with SPG and it works good for me. It gets real greasy in the summer so the SPG thickens it. I have no problems in winter with this combo either

[MikeC]

I use it as a hunting lube with no buildup.  Maybe your using to much on the patch.  I lightly lube the patches then squeeze them between two paper towels.  When I'm done they do not have a slimy feel to them

[Daryl]

I'm not so particular with wastage - mine are almost boiled in it - very thick and greasy in the tin - yet no buildup. Each time I load, the ball/patch combo scrubs the groove bottoms, corners and all - going in as well as coming out.

[elk killer]

whats the differance between tow mink oil ,,and the regular mink oil you can buy in about any store???
i dont use the stuff,,,just wondered was all

[bob in the woods]

Most of the stuff I;ve seen is meant for boots etc, and has other chemicals/additives in it, like silicon.

[BrownBear]

About 5 months ago I started using it in comparison to my usual lube of a deer tallow/olive oil blend.  I was looking for something that was "stable" in texture over a wider range of temps, rather than having to adjust my blend to match the ambient temps.  While the I have to move between 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 on the blend as it ranges from a low of around 15F to a high of around 70F, the mink oil stays approximately the same through that full range.  I'm impressed, and not having to deal with lube that's either too stiff or too gooey.

Hope that's clear.  It seems really versatile in temp stability.  I've probably put 200 shots each through 50,54 and 58 cal rifles with no apparent build up.  I clean each time with a little soap in cold water and plenty of scrubbing with patches. 

[Ray Nelson]

I've used the TOW mink oil for years for hunting but I do add a little Neatsfoot oil to it to make it a little thinner. Squezze it into the patches so it doesn'r run or absorb into yer powder. It's cold here during deer season so I want nothing frozen in my barrel. Put in your freezer if you like to test it out. I've left my hunting loads in the barrel for the entire hunting season plus some and had quick, accurate shots and no buildup or rust implied in the barrel.

Ray

[doulos]

I use it for hunting.....never had that problem with the buildup....I would think you are getting some flash rust with the hot water

Im pretty sure you were right that was a bit of flash rust on the patch not lube.

[Daryl]

Same here, Ray - the .69 was loaded for 3 or 4 month's once - Mink oil pressed into the patch and it went off without any hesitation when I got around to clearing it late January once year. It had been loaded since October- maybe the end of September.

[Skychief]

I have used TOTW mink oil for the last year or so.    I have no complaints and plan to continue use of it!

[octagon]

Is that what TOTW`s pre-lubed oiled patches are lubed with?

[Daryl]

No- the pre-lubed are something else.

[octagon]

No- the pre-lubed are something else.

OK, I see. I wish they would say what oil they use on them.

Thanks

[Daryl]

I stopped using the pre-lubed as they don't measure what the bag says.  I mic'd their .018" ticking patches at .014". I think some are lubed with "OIL" while others have Lube 1000 or bore butter. The older Ox-Yokes had bore butter on them, I think. If they're yellow, that will be bore butter.

It's a lot cheaper to buy cloth by the yard and cut your own, either at the muzzle or pre-cut them with arch punches or a bearing race and large ball bearing, or ground circle cutter through a plywood board. Ron, one of our members uses that system. He purchased a hole saw, and cut a hole through a 1" board.  He then ground the teeth off the circular saw and sharpened it.  The hole in the board keeps the saw straight and clamps the cloth as it cuts easily through it. You could cut 50 patches at a stroke using a drill press if you wanted to.  The black block is 2" thick DHDPE or UHMW.  I purchesed this chunk from the plastics shop in town for $10.00.  It is quite superior over other materials when cutting patches using arch punches.