Coconut oil

[longcruise]

The neatsfoot oil topic got me thinking about our previous discussion on the use of coconut oil as lube. 

I gave this a try last August and here are the results.  First off, it was a hot dry day so a good day for a lube test.  My method of applying the lube was to warm it and mix with alcohol and then apply to the patch material.  Once the alcohol evaporated the oil was evenly distributed through the strips of patching.  It wasn't heavily saturated with oil but neither was it scant.

The rifle was a .45 caliber mildly loaded with 45 grain of scheutzen 3f.  Patching was Jo Anne's #40 drill.  This is my standard components and load with this rifle.  It's mostly a range rifle and the typical lube is spit without wiping or 10:1 water and liquid dish soap without wiping.  Both of those lubes give good accuracy with this combo.

The coconut oil?  Well not so much.  I did wipe with spit after each shot.  Accuracy was somewhat erratic with a number of surprise uncalled fliers.  The lube seemed to harden in the bore.  Loading a second shot without wiping was very difficult.  And lastly I had several misfires apparently due to lube crud being pushed down the bore and into the flash channel (TC breech plug so it's susceptible).  Along with misfires were a quite a few hangfires which I also attribute to crud pushed down the bore.

So I'm looking for another use for coconut oil!  Wonder how it would do as a leather dressing.

[Joe S]

Coconut oil: Rub on significant other. Roast in sun.

[horsetrader]

Mike,
Similar results at our club last year when one of my shooting partners tested coconut oil also. He also had a lot of trouble cleaning after he was through. Too many better options out there.

Ed Radzinski

[Daryl]

Thanks Mike - good enough for me not to bother with that test.

[hudson]

Strange problems with coconut oil just the opposite for me.  .54 cal, .020 Teflon, well lubed on back side only, yes not the Teflon side. I have found you  can overdo it with this stuff. If lubed both sides accuracy drops off a bit and a lube star on the muzzle. I can usually shoot without cleaning through a whole match.

[Daryl]

Come summer, if someone reminds me, I'll have to try it for myself. It feels like it should work.
I am Not impressed with Olive Oil. I tried it in a bullet lube with Beeswax, same formua as with Vaseline and was dissatisfied
with it's propensity for leading.

[Curt Lyles]

I have had very good results with coconut oil as a patch lube( 76 degree melt).I have tried it in all calibers 36 ,40 54 .I shoot 3 shots wipe the bore shoot 3more and have the best groups .Im using flint type breech plugs in all my rifles and sm bore so i dont have problems with miss fires or other things that some other s might deal with.so far it has worked REAL well for me and i have a full shelf of other stuff to use and alot of it works too but its what i like the most.I say use what works for you or keep trying new stuff.  Curt

[OldMtnMan]

So I'm looking for another use for coconut oil!  Wonder how it would do as a leather dressing.

Bear tallow is best for leather.

Not sure what to use coconut oil on? Salad?

[Brokennock]

So I'm looking for another use for coconut oil!  Wonder how it would do as a leather dressing.

Bear tallow is best for leather.

Not sure what to use coconut oil on? Salad?

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature, so no good for salad. It has a significantly higher smoke point than many other cooking oils, and none of the toxins of seed oils (corn, canola, etc.) so is great for sautees and stir frying. Also good for "bullet proof coffee. And good for one's skin, I use it blended with tea tree oil for shaving my head.

[EC121]

I use non-hardening coconut oil to soften the mink oil.  No problems with loading or cleaning.

[Daryl]

Years ago, I used marmot oil for patch lube and for waterproofing my books. Excellent stuff for both.  It was better than the bear grease I had, which was rendered with too much heat, so was more of a shortening than an oil. It did work, but not as good as marmot oil, "harvested" from hoary marmots atop Hudson's Bay Mountain in Smithers, BC. .458'd they were.

[Pukka Bundook]

Old friend sadly now passed on said "Rat grease..........never underestimate rat grease".

I Hope he meant Muskrat!

[OldMtnMan]

I draw the line at rat grease. Nope! Not using it.