Hoppe's #9 VS Mr. Flintlock

[MuskratMike]

Two questions:
Does Hoppe's still make the #9 bore cleaner and patch lube? All I seem to find is Hoppe's black powder bore cleaner, which isn't near as slippery as the patch lube.
Hoppe's black powder bore cleaner and patch lube or Mr. Flintlock?
I use T.O.T.W. Mink mixed 50/50 with pure Neatsfoot oil and am always looking for something to compare it to.

[smokinbuck]

I've used both and switched to Mr Flintlock before #9 was discontinued. Slick as snot and easy to clean up.

[MuskratMike]

So #9 has been discontinued? I figured as much as I couldn't find it on Hoppe's own web page.

[Darkhorse]

I was a user of LeHigh Valley for a good while. When it became unavailable I tried Mr. Flintlocks with good results. I only use it for target practice, never for hunting where a loaded round might stay in the gun a few days. But for just general shooting I like it very much.
I can't compare it to Hoppe's #9 because I've never used it, or seen it in a store or noticed it on a website.

[Tony N]

I’ve used Mr Flintlock for targets for years with good results, straight totw mink oil
 for hunting

Tony

[David Rase]

Lots of Hoppes #9 for sale on Amazon. 

[Hungry Horse]

 I for one am not going to buy patch lube, or cleaning solvent for my muzzleloaders. I might break down and buy some gun oil, if I don’t have any bear oil.
 The old timers survived without all the fancy prepackaged  fixens and we can too. Lube your patches with bear, or venison tallow, and clean with creek water.
I want to be shootin’ when everybody else is standin’ around lookin’ dumb.

Hungry horse

[Daryl]

Used to be Hoppe's #9 for smokeless powder solvent and Hoppe's #9 PLUS for black powder.
They they dropped the #9 PLUS and went with BP Solvent and Patch lube.
I'm pretty sure #9 Smokeless solvent is still sold by them. It is not BP solvent. 'Course, names change from time to time.

[Jeff Murray]

Daryl, I think you are correct.  I searched the internet last year looking for some PLUS but could not find it.  the regular #9 and the BP solvent were available at multiple sources but none were PLUS.  Maybe we should start a campaign at Hoppes.

[alacran]

The best patch lube I have ever used as far as accuracy goes, is no patch lube at all. Teflon coated patches, and plain water to swab between shots.
In my cross-sticks/chunk rifle the Teflon coated patches gives me tighter groups than mink oil, bear oil, or Lehigh valley lube.
I have tried them all in this particular rifle.
I used to hunt with Teflon patches, and carried wet patches in a tin to swab between a reload. After I decided that I did not really need that level of accuracy
for hunting, I settled on TOTW mink oil until I was given a quart of bear oil.
I use bear oil now on all my rifles except for my cross-sticks/chunk rifle.
The only time I shoot that rifle is for competition. At 13.75 pounds, I will never hunt with it.

[Daryl]

In my .69, all lubes, from spit, through 10:1 WaterSoluble oil/water, to Track's Mink oil, Neetsfoot oil and LHV/Mr. Flintlock, the POI doesn't change. In my smaller calibres, the POI changes
with each lube used, except for the .32. It also shot the same, no matter the lube. WEIRD!!

[Dphariss]

Two questions:
Does Hoppe's still make the #9 bore cleaner and patch lube? All I seem to find is Hoppe's black powder bore cleaner, which isn't near as slippery as the patch lube.
Hoppe's black powder bore cleaner and patch lube or Mr. Flintlock?
I use T.O.T.W. Mink mixed 50/50 with pure Neatsfoot oil and am always looking for something to compare it to.

The BP cleaners are all mostly water. I Use pure Neatfoot Oil in some rifles or go to the butcher shop and get some kidney fat and boil it to make tallow. I boil it 3 times letting it cool and harden  then replace the water and reboil. Its completely inert and will not cause any rust in a clean bore even if left loaded for months. At least where I live. I prefer tallow to oil but some rifles may not like tallow.

[Flint62Smoothie]

Hoppes formulas … Note below where the Product# is the same.

Not sure 'why?' Hoppe's had changed the label from BP Gun Bore Cleaner & Patch Lubricant to just say BP Gun Bore Cleaner. So I sent them an email and asked them that ... as I believe they are really missing out on a marketing aspect for use of this solvent as an excellent patch lube. If I hear anything ... I'll report back!

Anyways to me, it is the BEST of the liquid lubes! Never have to swab a bore and accuracy is maintained, winning 1st place @ the 100-yards offhand match for the past 3 years running at the NE Flintlock Championship shoot.

[Marcruger]

I have used Teflon, Hoppe's BP Lube, Hoppe's BP lube and cleaner, LVL and Mr Flintlock.  My experience is that:

Teflon is slick, but over time will build up in the bore.  There is NO known solvent to remove it.  I quit using it.  Also, wiping between shots allows grunge to build up on the breechface that does not happen with wet lubing.

Hoppe's BP products in both variants are very slippery.  I have used both and guns work the same with either of these wet lubes.   Not the same, but both work.  Great "owl snot" lubes. 

Mr Flintlock and LVL are extremely similar, and are thinner than Hoppe's offerings.  Bill Knight (MadMonk) told me that the LVL creator gave his formula to the Mr Flintlock maker.  There is a small difference, but both are great lubes and cleaners.  Note - these are pretty much the "go to" for getting graphite out of any bore.  Most cleaners don't touch graphite buildup.  I find both Mr Flintlock/LVL to be slippery, but not nearly as slippery as Hoppe's BP of either sort. I save my LVL and Mr Flintlock for cleaning, but nothing wrong with it as a patch lube (wet lube). 

Frankly, when wet lubed all four of these lubes/cleaners shoot to the same point of impact for me.  I don't think there is a bad choice.  Combined with The Minute-Men heavy canvas patching any of these make a fine choice. 

Folks never cease to amaze me with what they'll use as patching and especially lube.  I stick with what I know works very well.   

I hope this helps someone.   God Bless,   Marc

[P.W.Berkuta]

As I mainly shoot targets now a days, I find that Mr. Flintlocks lube to work best for me. I use to use Hoppie's #9 black powder patch lube (older stuff in white plastic squeeze bottle with black lettering) before they discontinued it.
If I was going to use Mr. Flintlocks lube for hunting, I would use a veggie wad or some other such thing over the powder to prevent powder contamination from the lube.

[Daryl]

If you are going to use the Hoppe's product, make sure you read ALL OF THE LABELS on the bottle.
This is smokeless powder fouling solvent. It will not work well with BP fouling. It might work well on phony black powder fouling, or not.

[JBJ]

Saw this today at the Walmart site. May be out-od-date. But it does indiacte both cleaner and patch lube.


J.B.

[Darkhorse]

As I mainly shoot targets now a days, I find that Mr. Flintlocks lube to work best for me. I use to use Hoppie's #9 black powder patch lube (older stuff in white plastic squeeze bottle with black lettering) before they discontinued it.
If I was going to use Mr. Flintlocks lube for hunting, I would use a veggie wad or some other such thing over the powder to prevent powder contamination from the lube.

Contamination of the powder charge is not the problem with Mr. Flintlocks or LVL. It will rust your bore where the powder charge is, that's the problem. I'll tell you how I know....I rusted 2 bores using it as a hunting lube and leaving it in the bore only a couple of days.
Mad Monk told me it was. I think, galvanic corrosion, and explained what was happening, which I no longer remember. This is why I only use it for a practice lube where it will be shot immediately. No problem using it like that.
My hunting lubes are canola oil in the .49 and borebutter in the .54, both of these are proven from years of use and shoot well in my rifles.

[Daryl]

Taylor did a test with LHV, but I think just an overnight or perhaps a 2 night test. Upon removing the patched ball from over the powder, there was no fouled powder, nor any rust.

[Flint62Smoothie]

Off-Topic - We use mink oil from Track of the Wolf for hunting loads due to our ccccold northern NE climate) where temps hunting the late seasons WILL be below freezing. The rifle could stay loaded from the VT early season (late OCT) to the VT late season (mid DEC) and both to and through the PA flintlock-only season that runs most of JAN of the New Year.

If he doesn’t bag a deer, one gent will will leave his flintlock loaded - as an experiment - until he attends the SoVT Biathlon held in midFEB … and it always goes off and he always hits the 6” gong set out at 40 odd yards.

No corrosion or ill effects in the barrel … but once loaded, the rifle is not put into a warm area/place.

[P.W.Berkuta]

As I mainly shoot targets now a days, I find that Mr. Flintlocks lube to work best for me. I use to use Hoppie's #9 black powder patch lube (older stuff in white plastic squeeze bottle with black lettering) before they discontinued it.
If I was going to use Mr. Flintlocks lube for hunting, I would use a veggie wad or some other such thing over the powder to prevent powder contamination from the lube.

Contamination of the powder charge is not the problem with Mr. Flintlocks or LVL. It will rust your bore where the powder charge is, that's the problem. I'll tell you how I know....I rusted 2 bores using it as a hunting lube and leaving it in the bore only a couple of days.
Mad Monk told me it was. I think, galvanic corrosion, and explained what was happening, which I no longer remember. This is why I only use it for a practice lube where it will be shot immediately. No problem using it like that.
My hunting lubes are canola oil in the .49 and borebutter in the .54, both of these are proven from years of use and shoot well in my rifles.

You have the definition of "galvanic corrosion" incorrect or you misunderstood your source. Read this <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion#:~:text=Galvanic%20corrosion%20%28also%20called%20bimetallic%20corrosion%20or%20dissimilar,with%20another%2C%20in%20the%20presence%20of%20an%20electrolyte. What most likely rusted your bore was the corrosive effect of the black powder and humidity from the outside and fluctuating temperatures you were hunting in not the lube.
Pay close attention to the "wikipedia example given in the article "Royal Navy and HMS Alarm"

[Bassdog1]

A few years back I made a slight error when Buying Hoppes #9 BP Cleaner and Patch lube online and ended up with 2 cases of it. I have given it to new shooters and shared with friends but still have about a dozen bottles. Use it for lube and cleaning and it works very well.

[Darkhorse]

As I mainly shoot targets now a days, I find that Mr. Flintlocks lube to work best for me. I use to use Hoppie's #9 black powder patch lube (older stuff in white plastic squeeze bottle with black lettering) before they discontinued it.
If I was going to use Mr. Flintlocks lube for hunting, I would use a veggie wad or some other such thing over the powder to prevent powder contamination from the lube.

Contamination of the powder charge is not the problem with Mr. Flintlocks or LVL. It will rust your bore where the powder charge is, that's the problem. I'll tell you how I know....I rusted 2 bores using it as a hunting lube and leaving it in the bore only a couple of days.
Mad Monk told me it was. I think, galvanic corrosion, and explained what was happening, which I no longer remember. This is why I only use it for a practice lube where it will be shot immediately. No problem using it like that.
My hunting lubes are canola oil in the .49 and borebutter in the .54, both of these are proven from years of use and shoot well in my rifles.

You have the definition of "galvanic corrosion" incorrect or you misunderstood your source. Read this <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion#:~:text=Galvanic%20corrosion%20%28also%20called%20bimetallic%20corrosion%20or%20dissimilar,with%20another%2C%20in%20the%20presence%20of%20an%20electrolyte. What most likely rusted your bore was the corrosive effect of the black powder and humidity from the outside and fluctuating temperatures you were hunting in not the lube.
Pay close attention to the "wikipedia example given in the article "Royal Navy and HMS Alarm"

I have no doubt I have the cause wrong. This was a good many years ago and I can't remember exactly. My source was "
"Mad Monk"  But here is the conditions on both rifles. Clean bore. Hunting shot loaded in the morning but I didn't get a shot and it was left in the rifle for several days then shot. When I cleaned the rifle I could feel the rust, It started where the ball and patch was sitting and went all the way to the breech plug.
It is humid here year round and the temp. can fluctulate a good deal. Thing is I've been hunting BP since 1975 or 76 and never had this happen before but I was using a grease type lube.
Those lubes will dry out and cause a fire hazard when shot. During turkey season one year my rifle was loaded with LVL lube and cotton patch. A couple of friends watched me shoot and when we walked to the target I noticed something smoldering on the ground. It was part of a patch and it had already started a fire in the pine needles and leaves. We found 3 or 4 of these. My patches had never came apart before so think it started burning on ignition and just burned into several pieces all burning. Those are the 2 reasons I don't use either for a hunting lube.
Perhaps in a more northerly location such as Daryl's with lower humidity the same problems may not exist. I can't say. I only speak for my personal experience in my area.
I don't intend to demean either as I really like them for general shooting. But I do think other shooters should  be aware of a possible problem and make their own decisions.

[P.W.Berkuta]

As I mainly shoot targets now a days, I find that Mr. Flintlocks lube to work best for me. I use to use Hoppie's #9 black powder patch lube (older stuff in white plastic squeeze bottle with black lettering) before they discontinued it.
If I was going to use Mr. Flintlocks lube for hunting, I would use a veggie wad or some other such thing over the powder to prevent powder contamination from the lube.

Thank you for your update. We all have experienced rust issues from time to time. As long as we keep on top of it this issue will be keep it to a minimum or eliminate it totally.
I've never experienced the rust issue that you have had, and I lived in NJ till 1998 and now live in CA but do not hunt in CA only target shoot. During a woods walk in CA I was using Dutch Schoultz "dry patch method" and started a few fires. I gave up on that method at the end of that shoot. I've used Dixie's Old Zip Patch Lube with good results and made some of my own. For my money the Mr.Flintlock Lube is my go-to-lube for target shooting. Good shooting to you and have a great day!

[Daryl]

I have used Track's Mink Oil/grease for a hunting lube as well as Neetsfoot Oil & have left both loaded over an extended period of time, one to
3 months at a time. I've never had a rust or powder saturation problem. It is dry here, but my shot, when fired, always worked as intended, whether
on target or game. By the time those extended time loads were fired, it was winter time AND there is always snow on the ground. I've never even looked
for those patches.
Early on, in the 80's when up for the special weapons moose hunt, the rifle would be loaded for 1 through 7 days of the hunt, but usually only 2 to 4 days
before being shot at a moose. NP. Then, I didn't know about Neetsfoot oil or Track's mink oil at the start and I used baby oil. Not the best and hard loading
the second shot, but it still worked for a couple shots. Neestfoot oil or Track's Mink Oil is much better. I also used a "barrier card" between patched ball and
powder, but found that was not necessary, later in the 80's after I switched to Mink Oil.
Inside my house right now, the relative humidity is 30%.