Patch lube

[Duane Harshaw]

I need some idea's for an all season patch lube something that will not get sticky and gooey in my bullet bag.thx.

[g2608671@verizon.net]

I have been a proponent of Crisco for a very long time.  Give it a try. Just melt it in a pan, dunk in the patches and lay them on a paper towel to soak up the excess,  Then put them in an Altoids tin or other seal able container.  Lay them out so that they overlap with an edge exposed so you can peal off one at a time.

[Hungry Horse]

In the winter in Alberta, Crisco will be like concrete. I think you will be hard pressed to find a lube that will give satisfaction in summer, and winter, that far north. JMO.

  Hungry Horse

[Dphariss]

I need some idea's for an all season patch lube something that will not get sticky and gooey in my bullet bag.thx.

You will need a separate container in the bag. Tin of some sort. What you need to think about is the ACCURACY that the lube provides. Some barrels may not like slick lubes like tallow. I would avoid vegetable oils. I like tallow in the barrels that will shoot well with it but its going to get hard when the temp drops. Neatsfoot Oil (PURE NEATSFOOT) works pretty good year round and is less slick than tallow.
Water based lubes will work for matches.  Properly refined beef tallow will not cause any corrosion and a firearm can be left loaded for long periods with no lube related corrosion issues. Neatsfoot Oil should as well.

Dan

[kudu]

windsheild washer fluid I shot a match (woodswalk line shoot combined) in -12deg with it. mix with a touch of Balistol 25 part warsher fluid one part balistol
I took second in a shoot off tied for first.

[hanshi]

Okay, just IMHO. There are so many convenient, cheap(+ or -) simple and excellent lube substances out there that I see no reason or need to try and mix up, sometimes damaging ingredients, just to redo what's already available.  Things like "Crisco/ bees wax" and others can certainly be adjusted for extremes in temperature and I've done just that before.  I just don't see chemistry set concoctions serving much purpose when they may harm bores or stocks and do no better than the simpler lubes.

[Joe S]

Neetsfoot oil. 

[Daryl]

Both Neetsfoot Oil and Track's Mink Oil work for us in the winter freezing weather and work just as well for summer shooting too - even for trail walks.

I found in my .32 that Track's Mink Oil got easier loading after the first shot - indeed, the 40th shot loaded easier than the first - no wiping & that using a thin .022" patch and .311" ball.

It also shot well with .320" ball and the same patch. I could load that one, as Dan does, without a short starter, simply bearing down on it, choking up on the rod and it would form right into the bore, then down she went.

 I just find it simpler and faster to use a starter. After 40 years of practice, it's easy.

[Frank]

Track of the Wolf Mink oil grease.

[Joe S]

I find that mink oil is fine in warm weather, say down to about -10^o F (that would be -23^o Canadian).  Once it starts to get cold though, mink oil patches get a little stiff for my taste.

[bgf]

For target shooting( including woodswalks), spit, water or water based lubes are hard to beat.  It has to be a good bit below freezing before they stick in the bore, but adding some alcohol or using the winter ww fluid should be fine at any point shooting is practical here.  I'll defer to Daryl on that, though.  My real point is water-based lubes are cleaner and easy to use and I wouldn't eliminate them from consideration for appropriate situations just to have one lube solution.

For hunting, it never gets cold enough here to cause much of a problem with any suitable oil or grease, so I'd listen to those up North!  My only concern is that I did have problems with what was supposedly 100% natural neetsfoot oil fouling my barrel pretty badly.  I guess the definition of 100% natural is flexible, because it acted like a petroleum product.  Maybe I got a bad batch!

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

When you go to the tack shop for neetsfoot oil, you will see two products:  Neetsfoot Oil COMPOUND, and PURE Neetsfoot oil.  The PURE is what you want.  The other is useless, in your rifle, and on leather.

[little joe]

Bear oil.

[Standing Bear]

OP asked for ideas sooo..... 100% synthetic motor oil??  And before I get barraged from the no petroleum club, it's SYNTHETIC.

I don't think temps in nature will have an effect. 
TC

[Dphariss]

Both Neetsfoot Oil and Track's Mink Oil work for us in the winter freezing weather and work just as well for summer shooting too - even for trail walks.

I found in my .32 that Track's Mink Oil got easier loading after the first shot - indeed, the 40th shot loaded easier than the first - no wiping & that using a thin .022" patch and .311" ball.

It also shot well with .320" ball and the same patch. I could load that one, as Dan does, without a short starter, simply bearing down on it, choking up on the rod and it would form right into the bore, then down she went.

 I just find it simpler and faster to use a starter. After 40 years of practice, it's easy.

Not using a starter is harder on the wrist as well and some rifles I use a starter on. My swivel breech for example. I have a couple with antler turned and cupped for the ball. I have seen crowns damaged by brass ends when the design is not inline with the bore.  Modesty prevents me from naming names in this  . I do find that beef tallow loads very easy but it may need more powder in some rifles since its so slick (still need to experiment with this more). Neatsfoot loads a little harder that tallow, more friction in the bore.  Sperm Whale oil actually loads harder than Neatsfoot (now basically lard oil from what I have read not true Neatsfoot as it was historically). Patch lubes with some friction may actually shoot better than slick lubes and this might be one reason Sperm Whale oil was so popular in Ned Roberts day.  I use a water soluble oil if I shoot in chuck matches with the heavy rifle. Mix the oil. Soak the patches then set out to dry so only the oil is left. Patches hardly seem to have anything on them when dry.  The water is just a carrier. But this requires wiping every shot so for most uses its not viable. But with a good barrel it will shoot one hole at even 100 yards (if you live someplace where there is little wind.


Dan

[smokinbuck]

Over many years I have heard of, and tried, many different concoctions, but none has worked as well as Mr. Flintlock. I use it year around and it works fine. Even though I can't shoot my rifles as well as they are capable of, accuracy did improve with Mr. Flintlock on the patches.
Mark

[Daryl]

Most or many of us up here need a lube that will not freeze in the winter and not evapourate too quickly in hot weather - for target or trail walk shooting.  Thus, we buy Blue Thunder or some other brand of winter windshield washer fluid -35 to -45 degree fluid and mix in about 2 ounces per pint of Neetsfoot oil. The oil probably helps slippery it up a bit, but also slows the evapouration in the summer's heat. So- we use the same stuff all year- it works well and the gun shoots VERY cleanly.
After finished shooting for the day and clean the barrel (breech emersed in a container of water), the water is only slightly grayish in colour after we're done - almost drinkable - easily see to the bottom of the pail  that I use - stainless, from Princess Auto.


For hunting - Track's Mink Oil, or Neetsfoot Oil.  I carry my patches, pre-cut and pre-lubed in Sucrets tins, or brass, German Silver 'snuff containers from Trackofthewolf - I have even used the yellow plastic Speer Bullet boxes - 6mm or 7mm sizes are perfect for carrying more patches than needed.   .22 - 6mm bullet size are perfect for a bunny hunt.

[C Wallingford]

Over many years I have heard of, and tried, many different concoctions, but none has worked as well as Mr. Flintlock. I use it year around and it works fine. Even though I can't shoot my rifles as well as they are capable of, accuracy did improve with Mr. Flintlock on the patches.
Mark
[/quote

I agree, Mr. Flintlock's lube is excellent. Seems to me that it makes for faster and easier cleaning after a session at the range as well.