Historically correct patch lubes

[Dale Halterman]

So I am trying to be more HC in shooting from the pouch at the local club range. I have been using patching strips soaked with Lehigh Valley spray lube and cut at the muzzle.

Tried spit with uneven results. Need to experiment more. The other option is some kind of grease. The thing that worries me about grease is getting it on my hands and making them slick and getting it all oven the stock and ramrod.

I like having patch material cut in strips and hanging on the outside of the pouch, just looking for a more correct lube without making a mess.

Thanks

Dale H

[Eric Kettenburg]

Historically your options are basically spit or various tallows/fats.  Whale oil also although I don't think it was particularly common everywhere.  Animal fats imho were everywhere, easy and relatively free.

[recurve]

bear, hog ,whale. mutton deer tallow /oil
and I bet possum and racoon

[rich pierce]

bear, hog ,whale. mutton deer tallow /oil
and I bet possum and racoon

I used to render raccoon and possum fat in the 1980s when I was trapping. A cup goes a long ways. It’s pretty thin and good for cold weather.

[Daryl]

Marmot oil was the best animal lube I have used. I suspect a Sept. groundhog might also be fat enough to render good oil from.
The marmot oil was the MOST water resistant oil I have ever seen. After handling the interior fat for rendering, I had to wash my
hands twice in dish detergent to get the oil off. One washing didn't work. A good lubricant it was, too. That is what I shot in my
.58 with Bill Large barrel, with .575" ball and .022" "brushed" denim patch.(washed twice and dried in a dryer)

[MuskratMike]

In the early days I imagine they used many forms of animal oil, grease or tallow depending on the area and animal availability. Sperm whale oil was probably used by people on the seaboard who could afford it. Patches were no only cut from strips at the Muzzle but people did precut and pre-lube patches.

[Dale Halterman]

OK, let's say I want to lube patch strips with some form of animal fat/grease/tallow. Is there any validity to my concern about getting slick gunk all over my hands and gun during a range session of twenty to thirty shots?

Thanks

Dale H

[Daryl]

If handling a strip, I suspect so. With lubricated pre-cuts, we've never noticed this.
When using a strip, I use spit for lube, cutting them at the muzzle.
These are my containers for lubricated (or non lubed) precuts.

[MuskratMike]

I don't find using pre-lubed cut patches any problem and I really grease the heck out of them. I have seen some carry a wiping towel on their belt that I think is a great idea. I don't cut at the muzzle because I have almost all my gun barrels coned. With a coned barrel once I have the patched ball just below the crown of the barrel when I lift up on the strip to make the cut t often times just pulls the ball out of the barrel. Plusses and minuses to everything.

[Pukka Bundook]

Dale,
You need to experiment to  find out.
Sort of experimental archaeology.

Never had trouble myself with patch material dipped in deer tallow.
Muskrat grease is a good grease too.

[Darkhorse]

I keep a hand towel handy and wipe my hands after each reload. It also helps control sweat in the summer.

[Dphariss]

I like tallow. I suspect the bear oil was a common choice back in the day. Hunting bears for the oil and maybe hides was likely a paying operation but transporting the oil might have been an issue. I have used neatsfoot oil a lot. Putting oiled patches in a patchbox is probably a bad idea. Would find a way to soak into the wood even if it were sealed with finish. Tallow Works well and is documented and was also used to wipe the bore from my readings.

[Pukka Bundook]

What Dan says above about tallows.
Some are Pretty dry to the  touch, and if a bit softer in summer still not a problem.
On a hunting pouch a strip of dressed patching can be hung, And a strip of dry cloth for degreasing hands if required and also for if a bore needs a wiping.

[Eric Kettenburg]

OK, let's say I want to lube patch strips with some form of animal fat/grease/tallow. Is there any validity to my concern about getting slick gunk all over my hands and gun during a range session of twenty to thirty shots?

Thanks

Dale H

I don't worry at all about getting greases on my hands (helps keep my fingers from splitting) or on a gun (more waterproofing).  And while now I'm just speculating, I don't think anyone historically did either.  These guns were functional items and I don't think anyone at all worried about keeping them pristine or as-new, as evidenced by the condition of most survivors to the present day.

If the gun has a decent finish of any kind on it, some added animal grease/tallow isn't going to hurt anything.

[Pukka Bundook]

Am sure you are right, Eric.

In Mark Baker's book on the longhunters, he mentioned greasy rock creek or some such.
It seems their buckskins were so impregnated with grease, it was hard to lie on this flat rock to get a drink, without slipping into the water.
Both themselves and the rock were plain covered in grease....

[Dale Halterman]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to my questions. I really do appreciate it.

So here is my thinking at this time. I need to spend more time with patch strips and spit. My last experiences were disappointing, but maybe I was using too much or too little. Maybe needed to use a different patch thickness. Who knows.

Then, I will try some grease. What I have is beef tallow. My wife and I often use ground beef for things like chili, tacos, sloppy Joes, and so on and that requires the ground beef to be fried and the grease drained off. So, I have a jar of tallow in the kitchen. Just needs to be re-melted and strained. Read some articles on line last night and it appears that many people mix olive oil or bee's wax with their fat to adjust the consistency to their liking. So, more experimentation there, too.

My concern about grease on my hands had nothing to do with aesthetics, I am concerned with being able to get a good grip on the stock or on the ramrod. The guns that I use show wear on the finish and a few dings here and there. I don't abuse them, but I don't baby them either. I use them.

Thanks again

Dale H

[Daryl]

We used to smack the flat top of the short starter down onto a ball sitting on the patch at the muzzle to get it started.
With a spit patch, the spit would splash when the knob of the starter hit the top of the muzzle. That's how wet we make
a spit patch. There is such a thing as not enough spit, that's for sure. The spit has to soften the interior bore fouling to allow
easy seating of the ball on the powder as well as lubricate the patched ball's travel through the bore AND leave enough moisture
on the bore to keep the fouling fairly soft for the next loading.
I tried olive oil mixes and they did not do well for me, accuracy or fouling softening.
BW makes a good stiffener for bullet lubes. I would not use it in a patch lube.
Track's Mink Oil is one of the best lubes there is, for a hunting situation. I use water soluble oil/water, or WWWF + a tich of oil, or spit
for target shooting. They shoot more cleanly than an oil or grease, except in my .32. Track's Mink oil was amazing in that rifle. After the
first shot using 35gr. 3F, 10 ounce(.021") denim patch and either a .311" or .320" round ball, the loading was easier than the first all the
way to 55 shots. 2 fingers on the rod after the patched ball was seated down 5" into the bore with the short starter. I will note that the
starter was not necessary with such a small ball and mere pressure on a choked up rod would form the patch and ball into the muzzle. Same
with the .40 cal. rifle.

[smylee grouch]

I'm thinking some people will take the rendered tallow and boil it in water to further purify it. After boiling place in fridge and let the tallow which will have floated to the top solidify then you can easily lift it off the top .
 

[Pukka Bundook]

That's about the best way to get rid of the bits, Smylee.

[smylee grouch]

Pukka, just recently one of my Doctors was telling me that all animals   such as beef, pork , sheep etc. produce sodium and it is present in the meat. Probably not enough to hurt any gun barrel in that people have been using tallow for many years.

[Prairie dog shooter]

I render black bear fat for oil and grease. 

[Dale Halterman]

Daryl, I was definitely not using enough spit. Not sure I have enough moisture in my whole body to last twenty shots the way you described, but I will give in a shot come warmer weather.

In the meantime, I will experiment with the beef tallow that I have and see how that turns out.

Thanks for all the input, guys.

Dale H

[Robby]

I don't have enough spit either so I use a balistol and water mix about the same viscosity as spit. One thing I have noticed is that with the fake spit lube, or even real spit lube, I get a substantial fraying of the patching, mostly pillow ticking, but also denim and canvass as well, with all my guns. Using the same load and patch material with TOW Mink oil i get virtually no fraying. I usually us a ball.005 under bore size, .023 thick patching. that measurement is with micrometer compressed to the point of ratcheting.
Robby

[Daryl]

I was that way about 16 years ago, now I seem to be fine developing spit. I don't know what changed, although quitting smoking might have had something to do with it.
Right now in the house, the Humidity has been running from 20% to 35% & still I have no trouble getting spit up.

[Bill in Md]

Deer Tallow would be the way to go. Easy to get and easy to render. Since I do not hunt predators it is the natural choice for me. Beef Tallow would be my second choice. You can also make some fine soap from Deer Tallow!