Author Topic: Patch Lube?  (Read 10772 times)

Offline DMacKay

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Patch Lube?
« on: October 14, 2021, 05:47:22 PM »
I’m a little newer to black powder, there seem to be a ton of options. I’ve read a lot of historical accounts referencing bear oil. I would like to know among other questions is that a good lube or just what they had available.
What do you use and why?

Offline Hungry Horse

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2021, 06:07:28 PM »
 It’s probably one of the best patch lubes, but venison tallow, or mutton tallow, is a good close second.

  Hungry Horse

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2021, 06:14:36 PM »
I would agree with HH as I have used all three, with bear oil/greese and deer my most used lube.

Offline Semisane

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2021, 06:15:09 PM »
I use Liquid Wrench Penetrating Oil (Oh, the HORROR). I use it because it gives me better accuracy than any of the many lubes I've tried and, as a bonus, I have no rust problems if I don't clean the bore for a day or three after shooting.

I use the "dry lube" method with it. Soak a stack of patches with it. Wrap the stack in some paper towels and squeeze the bundle to take up the excess oil. The patches will feel almost dry and are pleasant to use. And no, the fouling is no different (or less) than other lubes I've used and cleaning isn't any more difficult.
My wife says I'm totally nuts, but I think I'm Semisane.

Offline Marcruger

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #4 on: October 15, 2021, 12:23:48 AM »
The Mr Flintlock Lube is really good stuff for target and range work.  It is a wet lube.  It also does a super job as your final cleaning stage, as it gets the graphite out of the barrel.  Few other cleaners will do that.  Lehigh Valley Lube will also cut graphite, but they are out of business. 

For hunting 100% mink oil from Track of the Wolf will not hurt your bore or contaminate the powder over the course of a day.  It's obviously not a wet lube. 

If you are looking for historically correct products, think about how your current barrel is made versus 250 years ago.  Much of what we do now is not historically correct.  Not many folks forging a wrought iron barrel from a skelp these days.  Just something to ponder. 

God Bless,   Marc

Offline Jerry

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #5 on: October 15, 2021, 02:07:39 AM »
Marc, A very good way to look at different lubes. I have pretty much used them all. I can’t tell any difference in bear lube to mink oil. I also, like using the Wonder Lube Liquid. With care, cleaning needs to be thorough. As been said before, hot water and dawn dish liquid has been used for sometime. Thanks Marc. Jerry

Offline Mark Elliott

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #6 on: October 15, 2021, 04:21:24 AM »
I use a dry lube approach using a 1:7 solution of Ballistol:water.  I soak the  strips of patches (I use pillow ticking) in the solution and lay the strips out flat on a plastic counter top or table to dry.  I always end up with at least a 3” group with 1.5 X the caliber powder charge.  I generally use a ball .005” under the bore size.  If I have a hard time starting the ball,  I go down .010”.

Offline alacran

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #7 on: October 15, 2021, 02:05:57 PM »
3 inch group at what distance?
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Offline Mark Elliott

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2021, 02:33:19 PM »
3 inch group at what distance?

50 yards.   I always shoot from a bench at 50 yards.    Actually,  my eyesight is usually the limiting factor in my groups.   I have a very hard time seeing open sights.  The gun almost always shoots better than I can.

Offline poppy

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2021, 01:11:54 AM »
canola oil , clean shooting  .

Offline Lucky R A

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2021, 01:40:46 PM »
     Murphy's oil soap cut about 50% w/ water.  shoots 25-30 shots w/o cleaning, cleans easily when done---and no bears to skin...
Ron
"The highest reward that God gives us for good work is the ability to do better work."  - Elbert Hubbard

Offline elkhart

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2021, 05:53:14 PM »
I've been using Wonder Lube, pre-lubed and the paste. It seems to work well for target and hunting.

Have also tried Sno Seal in the past. It worked well but seemed to leave a waxy deposit in the barrel.

And don't forget to read your patches after you shoot, they will give you good information about the correct thickness and lube for your particular gun.

Offline BJH

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2021, 12:42:41 AM »
I think I’ve tried about all of the popular lubes. I settled on Simple Green detergent for casual shooting and Olive or Canola oil for hunting. My eyesight is the real limitation.  BJH
BJH

Offline Bob McBride

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #13 on: October 17, 2021, 03:11:27 AM »
JB Weld fast setting epoxy works a peach as well….

Offline flinchrocket

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #14 on: October 17, 2021, 03:18:52 PM »
JB Weld fast setting epoxy works a peach as well….
Don’t that gum up the barrel? ;D :o :'(

Offline Greg Pennell

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #15 on: October 17, 2021, 03:33:28 PM »
Like most of you guys, I’ve probably tried everything under the sun.  For me, I’ve settled on two…spit for range shooting, and Track’s mink oil for hunting.  I’ve yet to run out of the first, and always have it with me. The second works as good as anything I’ve tried, and a tin lasts a long time.

Greg
“Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks” Thomas Jefferson

Offline little joe

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #16 on: October 17, 2021, 05:42:49 PM »
Same here Greg

Offline recurve

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #17 on: October 17, 2021, 06:22:15 PM »
Tallow >>>-->mine is mutton/ lamb,  melt it in double boiler dip patching squeese out extra, dry slightly greasy feel shoots great & does not go bad as other as other fats(red ;) coats/english used it for over 200 yrs)

Offline bones92

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #18 on: October 18, 2021, 03:49:02 PM »
I've been using a Ballistol:water combination, about 1:3 or 1:4.  Seems to work very well.  I have some old Neats Foot Oil that still looks good, so I may try that sometime.  But if it isn't broken, I see little reason to mess with it. 
If it was easy, everyone would do it.

Offline Daryl

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #19 on: October 18, 2021, 08:29:15 PM »
I only use the oils or greases for hunting with the ML, which hasn't happened for a number of years.
I use a water soluble oil or WWWF+ a tich of Neetsfoot Oil, or spit for target work. I find ALL of those
work pretty much identically & shoot with the same loads, in my rifles, roughly 5 to 10gr. LESS than the
oils or greases used in hunting loads need.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Drahthaar

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #20 on: December 02, 2021, 08:42:11 PM »
If not using the Ballistol / water ratio and shooting a dry lube patch, how much mink / bear / deer or other substance do you apply to the patch?  How "greasey" does it have to be?

Not new to shooting, just new to the Flintlock shooting.  I am a proud owner of a new .54 caliber Lancaster style flinter.
Aim small miss small

Offline Daryl

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #21 on: December 02, 2021, 09:25:32 PM »
I dip a stack of pre-cut patches in melted lube, then squeeze out the excess back into the container. I do that say with my wet lubes, soaked up by a stack of patches,
then squeeze out the excess. They are wet, but not dripping. When seated flush with the muzzle, there will be a ring of lube around the top of the crown, either one
of the greases or oils, or one of the water based - same as when using spit.  For years, when hunting with Track's Mink Oil, I would use a barrier patch, or a card wad
between the powder and patched ball. I stopped doing that after testing a load without the barrier wad on a target after being loaded for a week. There was no fouling
buildup, nor was there ANY point of impact change. I thus concluded the barrier was not needed.
Due to the tight loads I use and the action of shoving the patched ball down the bore, I can only assume that the excess lube is drawn up onto the bore as the patched
ball is seated, thus there is a smidgen of lube on the sides of the bore after loading, not a puddle of it on the bottom of the patched ball, which one might think, would foul
or wet the powder charge.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline barracudadave67

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #22 on: December 03, 2021, 12:09:20 PM »
I just came across two tins of Dixie Gun Works "Ole Zip Patch lube". Thats been gone for quite some time now.
I use Mr Flintlock Patch Lube, for target shooting, and TOW mink oil for hunting.
Now I get to try out the "Ole Zip Patch lube".

Dave

Offline WadePatton

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #23 on: December 03, 2021, 04:48:55 PM »
Bear grease/oil is a bit gooey at warm temps, so those of us down here in the South will nearly always thicken it up with deer tallow (which is a bit hard in cool weather). 

Of course if you're a spit-patcher and have a runny nose... like I've had lately   ;D

The OP (Mr. MacKay) should note that we have a new "patch lube" thread about twice each Winter and I'll call this the "early one'.  They go on for days/pages and there are no substances left out.  If it's wet or slick someone has shoved it down a barrel, and some insist that theirs is the absolute and ultimate bestest.  There is no universal best as I can tell--but only the best that you've found works for your loads in your rifle in your ways of doing things. Great luck finding your answers and satisfaction in these aspects of muzzleloading.  Lube ain't the only one. ;)

If you've not found Bob's youtube channel check it out.  He's the "JB Weld" commenter above and does have some good info for beginners in video form.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2021, 03:10:13 AM by WadePatton »
Hold to the Wind

Offline Cosmo

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Re: Patch Lube?
« Reply #24 on: December 04, 2021, 12:41:52 AM »
...There is no universal best as I can tell--but only the best that you've found works for your loads in your rifle in your ways of doing things. Great luck finding your answers and satisfaction in these aspects of muzzleloading.  Lube ain't the only one. ;)

And THAT is the truth of the matter!

Lube and lubricating concoctions are relatively cheap; experiment to your heart's content.
“If you are an American, you must allow all ideas to circulate freely in your community, not merely your own.”  Kurt Vonnegut