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Thread: Odd lube choice?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy okietwolf's Avatar
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    Odd lube choice?

    I was chatting with an old, old, odd (98 years odd) pal last evening, and he said he and his dad used to hunt with an old 45/70 paper patched. They would use bag balm as the lube cookie. "Just enough wax to stiffen the balm up a bit", and he added, "Hell, if it was cold enough we just put it in the case between the wads right outta the tin". I read the ingredients, a 3% antiseptic, petroleum jelly and a lanolin base. What do you think, would it be worth exploring? Old Darwin J said it worked great. Now, the mix a hundred years ago may be different than what is in my cupboard now, but for all I really shoot...

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Bag balm is great stuff for its intended purpose, but to use it as bullet lube? Maybe if blended with beeswax?

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master

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    It should work to some extent. The petroleum jelly may give so fouling issues the lanolin should work okay. you may want to stiffen it up some with some beeswax to make cutting forming cookies easier. I don't believe its mix has changed a lot but the purity of the ingredients has certainly gotten better over time.
    Bag Balm was originally a salve for the udders on milk cows. Helping reduce chaffing and when machines came into being helping to improve the seal in the udder.

  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    Reading your post carefully it sounds like you have this bag balm in supply and just want to try it?

    I have no doubt that mix of petroleum jelly with some lanolin with it and stiffened with whatever wax is handy will work well as a lube. Not uniquely well enough to make it worth perusing specifically unless you're just curious or have a lot of it, or are in a pinch.

    Beeswax or carnauba wax would be optima for a stiffener, but any old paraffin candle will do for a pinch. Although I strongly encourage you to look up your local beekeeper and cut a deal for some beeswax directly with him, it's the good stuff.

    If you're looking for an explanation of why this lube works well i'd give the lion's share of the credit to the lanolin, it's virtually miraculous in it's properties as both a high performance lubricant and preservative grease. It's a bit expensive to use as a majority component in lube, but otherwise it's the cat's meow. My current mix i'm experimenting with is 50/50 avocado oil and beeswax that i'm supplementing with some lanolin to make it stickier and cling to boolits just a tad better. I'm not adding a whole lot, I don't need to as the simple 50/50 mix is working fantastically for me as a pan lube.

    Frankly just the petroleum jelly stiffened with wax would work passably, but lanolin and beeswax are wonderful ingredients to play with and with many beneficial chemical/physical properties for our purposes.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy okietwolf's Avatar
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    I was just thinking about what was being used back then. I believe he was referring to the 30's and his family had a small dairy farm. So, I figured they were using scraps of what was there to make lube with. Yes, it was bees wax he was talking about. I do have a tin of the bag balm laying around that has been in the cupboard for longer than the current marriage, which just passed 13 years. If I was to make some lube cookies out of it, it would not be noticed. Even at a dollar an ounce as bag balm sells for, it's less than local lanolin.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master


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    I don't see why it wouldn't work. You did say paper patched, right ?

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy okietwolf's Avatar
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    Yes sir...I am experimenting with patches too

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Considering that time period , location (out in the country) , availability of materials - (Bag Balm is a little petroleum jelly and a lot of Lanolin ) it makes perfect sense... you had to use what you had on hand ... add a little beeswax and you got a pretty darn good lube .
    Also remember that 1930's was the Big Depression...my Mom said they didn't have any cash money , made remade and used everything they could to get by. We had milk cows and a big garden but If My Daddy hadn't killed armadillos , possum, squirrels coons and rabbits for meat , we would have starved slap to death . Can't eat your milk cows , we would trade milk and butter for flour and sugar at the local store .

    All things considered , I think that lube choice still makes good sense ...besides you got a tin just lying around in the cupboard ... might as well use it .
    Gary
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  9. #9
    Boolit Master Lead pot's Avatar
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    vaseline has been used in bullet lubes since the late 1870's stiffened up with B wax. I use it mixed with Ozokerite wax and a little hydros lanolin to make the lube a little more flexible. I use straight vaseline for patch lube and it lets me shoot a whole 30 shot match with out having to swab the bore. Great stuff for lube.
    Use the Bag Balm, We used it on the Cows and I used it for making lube. But just go down to the Dollar Store and buy a dollar jar of vaseline, it's a lot cheeper than bag balm that is getting hard to find anyway.

    By the way OZ wax and Vaseline is a lot of petroleum but don't tell my rifle this when it's loaded with black powder

    Too many think a bullet lube needs a lot of stuff in it. I call call that a witches brew. Keep it simple.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    At one time Oxyoke was supposed to be a slight variation of chapstick, which was, IIRC, vaseline and a wax (paraffin?).

    Some say to not use petroleum products with black powder, others say it is ok.

    When I shoot paper patched bullets in my muzzle loader I use an Oxyoke felt wad behind the bullet to help keep the lube soft. It seems to work for the 10 round strings I fire with it.

  11. #11
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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check