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Thread: Cold weather lube for minie bullets?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    Cold weather lube for minie bullets?

    I am shortly to take possession of a new to me Parker Hale 61 Enfield Short Rile/Musketoon and I have some bullet questions. I've searched a lot and read a lot but I still have a couple of questions.

    I find myself in New Hampshire, the winters here are quite different from GA and TN. I'm a competitive shooter in long range rifles but that pastime ends here in the early fall and doesn't resume until late April or May, but i have found that there is a "primitive biathalon" series in the region that requires the use of a non-inline muzzle loader, thus addition of the Enfield to my collection. (Basically you snowshoe around a course and shoot steel targets at given points. Time bonuses for hits. )

    I have experience casting for my C. Sharps BPCR in 45-70, so other than a mold(s) I'm all set for casting. (I use a Wagge pot and dipper for my 400gr and 535gr BPCR bullets) I'm planning to cast with an RCBS Skirmisher mold (unless someone has a better suggestion). From what I've read it has a thinner skirt shoots well and as a bonus uses less lead. I'm waiting until I get the rifle to see what the bore measures before I order the mold. (this is just what I've gathered from the WWW) I can get set up to size bullets if I need to but I'd rather get them the right size to start with.
    Suggestions for or against?

    For my BPCR shooting shooting either Schutzen or Swiss powder. I've currently got a supply of FFg and 1.5Fg in those. I get the impression that FFFg is the favorite of the N-SSA crowd, but I'll use what I have for the time being.


    Lube. I use SPG lube for my BPCR. I don't see it mentioned anywhere in the reading I've done regarding shooting muzzle loaders with minie's. I've seen the recommendations for crisco/tallow and beeswax mixtures.

    Does anyone have any suggestions/experience for a lube for temperatures in the range of 0 to 25 degrees F. (peanut oil turns solid in my garage up here) ??

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy 59sharps's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by XTR View Post
    I am shortly to take possession of a new to me Parker Hale 61 Enfield Short Rile/Musketoon and I have some bullet questions. I've searched a lot and read a lot but I still have a couple of questions.

    I find myself in New Hampshire, the winters here are quite different from GA and TN. I'm a competitive shooter in long range rifles but that pastime ends here in the early fall and doesn't resume until late April or May, but i have found that there is a "primitive biathalon" series in the region that requires the use of a non-inline muzzle loader, thus addition of the Enfield to my collection. (Basically you snowshoe around a course and shoot steel targets at given points. Time bonuses for hits. )

    I have experience casting for my C. Sharps BPCR in 45-70, so other than a mold(s) I'm all set for casting. (I use a Wagge pot and dipper for my 400gr and 535gr BPCR bullets) I'm planning to cast with an RCBS Skirmisher mold (unless someone has a better suggestion). From what I've read it has a thinner skirt shoots well and as a bonus uses less lead. I'm waiting until I get the rifle to see what the bore measures before I order the mold. (this is just what I've gathered from the WWW) I can get set up to size bullets if I need to but I'd rather get them the right size to start with.
    Suggestions for or against?

    For my BPCR shooting shooting either Schutzen or Swiss powder. I've currently got a supply of FFg and 1.5Fg in those. I get the impression that FFFg is the favorite of the N-SSA crowd, but I'll use what I have for the time being.


    Lube. I use SPG lube for my BPCR. I don't see it mentioned anywhere in the reading I've done regarding shooting muzzle loaders with minie's. I've seen the recommendations for crisco/tallow and beeswax mixtures.

    Does anyone have any suggestions/experience for a lube for temperatures in the range of 0 to 25 degrees F. (peanut oil turns solid in my garage up here) ??
    go w 50/50 beeswax/ olive oil. or peanut oil. my want to use a little more oil. if its real cold.
    the rcbs skirmisher is a good mould. but it can be finicky it needs to be set on the powder the same way every time. I use 42 grn 3 fffg with mine. using 2 ffg I bump it up 10% to get the same group and impact.
    also take a look at Moose moulds and talk to Moose.
    14th VA. CAV.
    N_SSA

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    When I lived in NH (Blaisdell Lake off SR114 near Sutton, Merrimac County) back when I worked for Ruger, the go-to winter patch and BP lube was straight Crisco the store brand from the IGA. If you know somebody who could give you some bear grease, that is the very best, and traditional. I used a .50 cal. Cherry Corners (NY) flinter with patched round ball and 0.012 Muslin patch which was tight enough to require starting with a mallet and short starter. With 120 grs. of FFg velocity approached 2000 fps from a 40" barrel. Literally blew the deer over.

    My friend in Italy swears by the beeswax and olive oil and kills his boar every fall with BP.
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  4. #4
    Boolit Man
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    Cool Minie Bullet Lube

    I also use 50/50 beeswax/olive oil for lube on minie balls in my P-H muskets, the bullet which shoots the best is a RCBS Hodgdon the Lyman 575213PH is also a great bullet however that bullet needs the service charge of 68 grains of OE 2F to group. The RCBS bullet likes 43 grains of OE 3F. Enjoy your rifle.

  5. #5
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    ...............That carbine should be a very fine shooter. I believe it will have a 48" twist with a 5 groove, progressive depth grooves (deeper at the breech). I have a P-H P-58 Naval pattern 2 band, with those specs:





    I know you're asking about "Cold Weather Lubes", and living here in So. California I don't have much experience that that, exactly. However I DO have experience with a rifle having a barrel very similar to yours. My rifle will foul out fairly rapidly with just Crisco. I can shoot about all day long using Bore Butter. Another peccadillo the rifle has is that it is sensitive to WHERE the lube is. If the lube grooves are lubed it will open up the groups. If I keep the lube in the base cavity only it does it's best work.



    (LEFT)1858 Naval Pattern 2 band Enfield @ 50 yards-benched. Challanger Minie' 530gr bullets. Charge 70.0grs Swiss 2F (RIGHT) NEI 500gr "Target Minie", over 70grs 2Fg Elephant, 5 shots 50 yards, benched.



    (LEFT) Info in the photo. (RIGHT) These 2 five shot groups were done at 50 yards using the modified Lyman 575611 @ 624 grains. Please forgive the Pyrodex try . I was GIVEN a pound of the stuff. Check out the charge weight and velocity differences! Of course the Pyrodex was a 90.0 indicated volume charge and NOT a scaled weight.



    The modified Lyman 575611. Due to the moulds' design it's easy to accomplish.

    ...............Buckshot
    Last edited by Buckshot; 03-03-2018 at 03:02 AM.
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  6. #6
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    i use good ol' gato feo for most everything - muzzleloader patch grease, grooved bullet grease (muzzleloader and bpcr), even handgun grease groove alloy bullets, lubing wood screws, making files work better, and more.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    I use this product (link) Haven't incurred a freezing of it when out and about on the scout in my woods and I hunt probably better than 1000 miles North of you in December. Although I've tried many other lubes and home-made concoctions of. Nothing has equaled or bettered Mink oil use in the extreme cold.

    https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categ...132/1/MINK-OIL

  8. #8
    Boolit Master



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    Bore butter
    Is easy to use, I imagine you will have your cartridge box set up ready to go. If it needs warmed up keep inside your coat.

  9. #9
    Boolit Bub GoexBlackhorn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by OverMax View Post
    I use this product (link) Nothing has equaled or bettered Mink oil use in the extreme cold.

    https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categ...132/1/MINK-OIL
    Yep, Mink Oil is what you want XTR, especially if you want to check on it and not find it frozen, days later out in the garage.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    I use Doug Knoell's lube when the temps are warm here in the San Diego area. I have to be careful since it has honey in it if mice get into the garage they find my lubed bullets so I only do a few at a time. When cold, 50 or lower, I use Bore Butter and wipe it on the bullet just before loading it into the barrel. I keep the lube in my pants pocket to have it stay soft.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy
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    I'll experiment with some blends on warmer days and mink oil in the cold. The events that I'm getting this rifle to play in are located in up state VT/NH and NY. I don't know about next yr, but the last two winters I'd estimate that I'd be shooting in the teens/twenties. (though we went nearly two weeks in Dec with out getting to double digits) There is still snow in my yard, though most has melted.

    I think that the mink oil may have been the answer I needed.

    I'm planning on setting up my box with paper cartridges, pretty much by the book as during during the late unpleasantness.

  12. #12
    Boolit Bub GoexBlackhorn's Avatar
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    Having more than just one lube for New Hampshire weather variations is the ticket. Some like to shoot in warmer weather too. I have no idea on how Mink Oil fares in warm weather. In those temps,. I stick with my inlines and sabot/bullets at the range. I won;t even bring out my roundball gun and patch lube in the summer anymore. Too messy!
    Last edited by GoexBlackhorn; 03-04-2018 at 10:08 AM.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
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    I got a tube of Bore Butter delivered on the front porch this week. It was solid as a rock. It is definitely not a cold weather solution.

    I'm going to have to experiment with formulas and see what will work when it gets really cold.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy
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    I asked this over on N-SSA but I'll ask it here too.

    If you were going to patch between shots in sub freezing weather, what oil would you use?

  15. #15
    Boolit Bub Nit Wit's Avatar
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    In NH you should be able to get bear fat and render it into oil, simple process. Then you nix 50/50, 60/40 or 70/30. I'm in Maine and use it a lot~
    Nit Wit

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    I use Gateo#1 similar to your SPG in my Sharps and all my front stuffers ,any thing patched gets Lehigh Valley down to 14-15 degrees /I stay home if colder /wind/Ed

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master


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    MCM lube for me. I also use their inside/out luber.
    Old enough to know better, young enough to do it anyway!

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  18. #18
    Boolit Mold
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    I second Totw's mink oil. I haven't been using it long but since I got my .54 renegade around Christmas it's been steadily in your questioned temperature range and colder here. I use it on patched rb and conicals. Works great coldest day I was shooting was consistently 16° with -10 wind chill. Mink oil was still soft to touch and took only a little bit of friction from my fingers or patch and it would liquify. I'm assuming in warm weather it's going to be mostly liquid. I was considering mixing with beeswax for warm weather....but will probably just use the 50/50 bwax and olive oil since it gets good reviews consistently.

  19. #19
    Boolit Man
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    I've used trapper's mink oil from TOTW for years as my patch lube. I shoot all summer and never have problems with it being liquid and it's always been soft and easy to use when I hunt whitetails in Nebraska in January. We've hunted below 0 on numerous occasions.

    Never used it directly on a boolit before though. Just finger rub it into the groves?

  20. #20
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    If its cold weather, Beeswax and paraffin wax will extremely hard in cold. Then again with at least 10,000 psi behind the bullet, why worry?

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