Lubing Patches

[mainiac]

Been using straight bear oil on a strip of patching,cutting at muzzle. My favorite lubes seem to very alot,,,,but i seem to be sticking with the bear oil,,,love the stuff!!!

[TenTea]

Mink oil is a great idea to try.

In recent years, I have switched over to SnowSeal for leather treatment which is made of mostly beeswax. I'll bet it would make a great patch/bullet lube...another thing to try.

Attachment 63499

[Dryball]

I use pre cut that are then soaked in melted mink oil (the real stuff) then the excess is squeezed out. Very accurate in my Peter Baire repro. Some friends got together and did extensive testing with a plethora of lubes, their accuracy and effects if left in the tube for a period of time. Their conclusion, as well as mine...mink oil was the best all-around and was the only one that would not, eventually migrate into the powder. I have left a load in my flinter for over a year and shot it with the same results as if it had just been loaded and just as accurate.

[drhall762]

I am obviously late to this dance. I am relatively new to BP/ML so I spend a lot of time reading what others have to say on the subject. My question is this: Do any of you use an overpowder wad in your rifle loadings? I know that with the shotguns it is common practice and seems to be quite common in BP cartridge loads. I have even run across it to some extent with the LRML crowd.

Is this something that is done with the rest of the ML community and why or why not?

[SchuetzenMiester]

I have shot thousands of round balls in matches and a few hunting. I finally settled on a little dish soap in water. I just have a foot square of pillow ticking or drill tied on my pouch. I wet enough to cut half a dozen shots on the end of the barrel at a time. Back in the days I could see the sights my flinter would make a ragged 5 or 10 shot hole at 50 yds.

For hunting, I used TC patch lube to prevent rust and not freeze. It shot close enough to the same point of aim, it work fine for hunting.

[SchuetzenMiester]

drhall762, None of the MLers I have known used an over powder wad for RB or bullets. Some of the MLers were shooting bullets in .45s out to 1,000 yards in English style target rifles.

[mainiac]

I am obviously late to this dance. I am relatively new to BP/ML so I spend a lot of time reading what others have to say on the subject. My question is this: Do any of you use an overpowder wad in your rifle loadings? I know that with the shotguns it is common practice and seems to be quite common in BP cartridge loads. I have even run across it to some extent with the LRML crowd.

Is this something that is done with the rest of the ML community and why or why not?

I dont use over powder wads shooting roundballs,cause its an added step that aint needed.UNLESS,,you have a rough neglected bore,then the wad becomes real important,because it saves ya patches from burning/blowing out.

[firefly1957]

I use different vegetable oils my latest is olive oil it works well i put it on the cloth strip and cut the patch after seating the ball with the short starter. I put some dry patching material under the lubed patch for hunting loads this is because it will sit a while before being fired and is to keep the oil from the powder. If your area is dry this has to be watched while rare i have seen patched smolder on the ground.

[Boogieman]

I use a beeswax/olive oil mix for patch lub. just rub it into the patch. My hunting loads get a felt wad over the powder to keep the lub. out of it. You can precut shooting or cleaning patches with a holesaw .grind the teeth off the proper size cutter remove the centerdrill put it in your drill press. staple several layers of material to a scrap board or plywood & go to cutting. yes you do turn the press on. This was not my idea stole it somewhere but it is fast.

[Gary Carter]

I have used both spit patch cut at the muzzle and tailor made pre-lubed patches. I have had to go to tailor made a couple of times when I ran out of pillow ticking and my wife said the pillows on the bed were not worn out enough. The biggest problem is the first time I was using pre-lubed patches, I was so use to having the patch in my mouth while loading my powder I popped the pre-lubed patch into my mouth, not only does it taste bad, it will make you tongue go numb!

If you want a good laugh ask waksupi about using WD-40 deer hunting in Iowa late fall near South English!

[Whiterabbit]

Waksupi,

What was that story about using WD-40 deer hunting in Iowa late fall near South English? I heard it was good for a good laugh!

[waksupi]

Waksupi,

What was that story about using WD-40 deer hunting in Iowa late fall near South English? I heard it was good for a good laugh!

I don't recall, it's been nearly 35 years ago that I lived there. And PBR and I were busy killing brain cells back in those days. Now ask me what I had for supper last night, and I can tell you the same! My memory will be nearly equal! Who did you hear stories about me and that area from? Lived around there until I was around 24-25.

[Whiterabbit]

Heard it from Gary Carter at 6:23 PM Yesterday. He didn't give any specifics, just suggested we ask you, that it would be good for a laugh. Suggestions like that imply a great story! Wanted to know.

[waksupi]

Heard it from Gary Carter at 6:23 PM Yesterday. He didn't give any specifics, just suggested we ask you, that it would be good for a laugh. Suggestions like that imply a great story! Wanted to know.

Have Gary tell you the story, and remind me! I'm sure I did SOMETHING stupid! I was well known for such things at that age.

Do you work with Gary?

[Whiterabbit]

He mentioned it in post #30

[Hanshi]

Since only my first load of the day (in the hunting woods) is grease, usually "Natural Lube 1000", it is prelubed prior to leaving home. For all other shooting I use Hoppes #9 Plus BP lube and store precut/lubed patches in a cap tin.

[waksupi]

He mentioned it in post #30

Ha! I'd missed it! Refresh my memory, Gary! From the conversation, I probably lubed patches then stuck them in my mouth.

[Gary Carter]

Remember you used WD-40 for patch lube, shot at a real nice doe, in waist-high dead grass. Spent half hour putting out the grass fire before we could see if you hit the deer. And dad cussing the whole time!

[Whiterabbit]

Good story. Definitely did put a broad grin on my face

[waksupi]

Oh. Well. Yeah. And that's not the last time I started a fire with a muzzle loader, either!