Pre Lubing Patches?

[Mike from OK]

Introduced myself over on the "Builders" thread, now have a question on patch lube:

16 or so years ago, when I last shot a muzzle loader, I did not worry to much about lubricating patches. After reading a bit here, I am giving it more thought. Yesterday, I cleaned out my smoker and took a new view of the pork and chicken fat that had accumulated in the water tray of my smoker, a big gelatinous mass of the stuff......would this fat work OK as a patch lube? I mean, it was slick. I don't think I would pre lube a bunch of patches and let them stand stored, but for lubing patches one at a time while at the range?

Best,

Wayne

I rarely haunt the builders forum so I will use this opportunity to say 'welcome' to the site.

And as already mentioned, the fat in your smoker should be avoided... Rancidity (is that a word?) aside, the possibility of salt in the fat would steer me away.

Mike

[tennjed]

Thanks for the quick responses. Yes, tennjed is derived from Tennessee Jed.........."Cold iron shackle, ball and chain. Listen to the whistle of the evening train. Like I told you, what I said, better get back  to Tennessee, Jed. "

Best,

Wayne

An old "hole snipe," destroyer sailor in God's Greatest Blue Water Navy.

My dog is sure going to happy to hear there is no other use for smoker fat.

[lou helsel]

  Ishoot pistols a lot, most matches are 10 shots requiring fast loading. Pre-lubed patches are essential.  40 years ago some of the old guys gave me their lube which is 50/50 mixture of wd-40 and synthetic oil.  Works for me.     Lou Helsel

[recurve]

Ok not traditional but  I pre lube by melting  lamb tallow (local butcher shop) in double bailer I dip cut patches in and pull out then put then in a pill bottle every 3rd patch is dry(undipped) I fill the pill bottle till I can barely fit the top on and  micro wave till hot (top off) then while still hot I place the lid on tight. seems to even out the tallow so patches are greased but not stiff
For strips same double boiler I then dip and pull strip through melted tallow then on a warm plate/flat tin with a spatula I squeeze out extra, I  get a greased strip then roll up with an ungreased strip and place in the pill bottle and you guessed it   micro waved till hot evens out the tallow ( I have way to many pill bottles at my age )

[walks with gun]

  As Flinchrocket said, a Altoids or other little tin with the paint burnt off is great for storing a mess of pre lubed patches in as well as a few balls.  As long as your reaching for a patch a ball is right there as well.  I also keep one of my cleaning jags in the tin as well.

[hanshi]

I always precut patches and carry a few in an old cap tin and lube them a few at a time.

[cjrown_2000]

I melt my lube and just dip one in and set it on a dry one. Alternating dry with dipped allows the dry to soak up excess lube and all come out soaked through.

This is what I do.  I also put the patches in the oven on low to help the dry patch soak up the extra lube from the wet one above.

[smylee grouch]

When using pre cut patches I do as the others, one wet with bear oil/Tracks mink oil between a dry one. I have used deer tallow also with good results but I only make up as many as needed for a couple days or up to a week. It seems that I forget about the left overs and the fabric deteriorates by the time I remember about them and they will fail for sure with rotten material.

[Nordnecker]

I figured your name when I saw it. "I woke up a-feelin' mean, went down to play the slot machine. The wheels turned round and the letters read, better get back to Tennessee Jed. Who was it that kicked his doggy?

[Leatherbark]

Take your thumb and smear them in the TOW mink oil in a circular fashion while watching TV.  Lay the greasy side down on the less greasy side of the previous patch.  Squeeze them and put them up in a warm place. They'll be just as greasy as melting and dipping. I used to melt and dip and wasted too much as it saturates the patch too much.

Bob

[smylee grouch]

Different strokes for different folks I guess. I myself like my patches to be soaked. The only patches that I shoot that are not soaked are the teflon coated for my bench, cross stix, and chunk guns.

[Rifleman1776]

In my experience (50+ years) with ml I find that the pre-cut and pre-lube crowd way overthink the issue. e.g. patches do not need to be a certain size, just enough to grip the ball; patches do not need to be lube soaked through, only need lube on side that contacts bore. Soaking with lube wastes lube and you benefit nothing. I lube my patch material by rubbing the bore side with cakes, like soap bars, on the one side only. I prefer saving the fuss and cut at muzzle. But, still, I always advocate "do yer own thang".

[smylee grouch]

I also have over 50 years doing this and I would think if a guy lubed strips of patching and then cut at the muzzle you would waste the lube around  the outside of the patch. My supply of bear oil & deer tallow is almost endless for this shooter so I'm not one to skimp on lube. 

[Bob McBride]

I can’t claim 50 years of anything at all but I dunk strips of what I’m going to use for the day or week and cut at the muzzle. I don’t like fiddling with tins and don’t care much about wasted lube. I can hit a squirrel in the head and a deer in the heart, but the beauty is, those things are also done all the time by folks who do everything completely differently.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I was 20 years old when I joined the RCMP.  During our six + months of training we were often told:  there's a right way, a wrong way, and the RCMP way, of doing things.  You're going to learn the RCMP way.  It's easy for folks to retain that sort of narrow thinking and inflict their philosophies, methods and thoughts on others who may or not be willing to hear them, let alone adopt them.
Personally, I don't have that kind of ego, and offer what I have learned freely but without condition.  I am gratified and grateful for the success, prestige, and honour that has been bestowed upon me during my 52 years of competitive shooting, and will happily continue to try for excellence with my black powder firearms.  I have been relatively successful, as has been my brother, in our ALR postal matches, as an example of what works for us.  Those of you who expound on the nuances of loading and shooting longrifles would be well served to demonstrate just a few times, your methods that seem to work so well for you, here in our postal matches.  I submit that that would lend some credibility to your arguments.

[Bob McBride]

 

[walks with gun]

    HUH.

[Candle Snuffer]

I melt my lube and just dip one in and set it on a dry one. Alternating dry with dipped allows the dry to soak up excess lube and all come out soaked through.

The above is exactly the way I've done mine for over 40 years. After I get a stack of 20 to 25, I squeeze them together to take out any excess lube - then put them in a percussion cap tin, and into the shooting bag they go. Works great! 

[Daryl]

For rendezvous or trail walks, I use and like these items from Track, for packing pre-lubed patches, with water or oil/grease lubes.
They vary considerably in price.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/23/1/BOX-1790-B
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/23/1/TINDER-BOX-B


 This one, is my current favourite.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/23/1/SNUFF-BOX-S

I also use Sucrets tins along with air rifle pellet tins, with both screw-tops and friction fit tops.

[John SMOthermon]

I found a small Altoid’s can works well for my current set up...

I pre lube the patches as they’re needed  ... I’m currently experimenting with Shenandoah Valley Lube.. 

[Rifleman1776]

"I would think if a guy lubed strips of patching and then cut at the muzzle you would waste the lube around  the outside of the patch."

Smylee, you are right. But either way there will be some loss. I'm a cut at muzzle guy.

[Jeff Murray]

A lot of discussion on lubing while shooting which probably takes up most of our shooting time.  For hunting, (or timed events) I use a loading block with the lubed/patched ball pushed deep enough into the block to stick out the bottom side a bit.  I fill the groove around the bottom of the patched ball with some extra lube, avoiding the bottom center of the patch.  In theory this lubes the barrel but there is not a lot of excess lube on the bottom of the patch where it contacts the powder charge.  Seems to work.

[Daryl]

Can't prove it is true, but I am of the opinion that as the patched ball is pushed down the bore, lube wicks up from the base of the ball and onto the bore. I 'feel' that by the time the
patched ball is on the powder, there is very little dampness left. Then, as the ball is shot, the same thing happens in reverse. How else could the lube in the patch leave the fouling as
 soft as it does?  If the lube touching the bore and bottom of the grooves was only that which was in contact and the rest above and below was static, that lube would be "used up"
rather quickly- especially in a long barrel. No?

[kudu]

Balistol and water 1:20 soaked good and wet works good for me.

When its really cold on the woods walk Windshield washer fluid and Balistol 1:20

Shot the league yesterday 11 deg F and windy nearly froze but got it done to
turn in my score.  I shoot no matter the weather - its a running "score" I like to win
so I show up, no matter what, for 8 weeks. first Sunday in January.

Haven't missed a week in three years and seen some cold Sunday Mornings.

Is it Fun?  I Think so!!!

[mushka]

When I have nothing to do I lube patches with my fingers using tow mink oil.  I then store the patches loose in a 100 rd cci  .22lr plastic box with the sliding lid.  I'll usually lube 25 or 30 at a time.