patch lube

[30calflash]

Hello, I've a chance to go M/L hunting on some private land. It came up suddenly and I found I'm out of my usual lube, bore butter.

If I substitute with something else will I find a difference in POI with a different lube?

Any thoughts and past experiences are appreciated.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

depends. Water/alcohol lubes for example i find to shoot a bit differently than waxy lubes.

What do you plan on using?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Bore Butter is something like this:
≈70% Crisco,
≈20% Olive oil,
the remainder is Bees Wax

You could make your own?
or just use Crisco straight.
either way, POI shouldn't change any noticeable amount.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

bore butter is none of those things you listed.

[Buzzard II]

Crisco should get you by for now. You could make your own lube from recipes listed here under casting and reloading-lubing. Good hunting!
Bob

[cub45]

Neatsfoot oil is all you need.

[Edward]

I use Gateo#1(ugly cat) look it up on search top left corner ,but in cold I hunt in I go with bear oil works great and the bear no longer cares/Ed

[30calflash]

Thanks for the quick response, I've got Crisco and will likely try that. Might have neatsfoot oil gotta look.

Bore butter always worked well for me in the past, it's my go to because it's worked so well. I've seen some recipes for DIY but I've not been shooting much BP lately.

[rfd]

lotsa viable choices for patch lubes, but hopefully you can do the testing that needs to be done before you venture out on a hunt. and yeah, lotta things can change when you change any load component. good luck.

[RU shooter]

To the OP if my final try out of tracks mink oil lube tomorrow don't yield better results for me you can have the can for the price of shipping .

[Tom W.]

Crisco does great. SnowSeal is good too.

[dondiego]

They sell bore butter at most outdoor stores.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

bore butter is none of those things you listed.

If my statement is wrong, I'd sure like to hear the rest of the story.

[quilbilly]

Make sure it is unsalted Crisco! I believe butter flavor Crisco has some salt in it (good for cookies, however).

[jdfoxinc]

Note butter is bees wax and olive oil.

[arcticap]

If my statement is wrong, I'd sure like to hear the rest of the story.

Bore Butter is basically mineral oil mixed with micronized paraffin waxes.
The scent of wintergreen is then added to it along with yellow dye.

Mineral oil is one of the main ingredients of Ballistol.
Mineral oil is also related to petroleum jelly although it's not identical.
Some C&B revolver shooters do use petroleum jelly as a lube in place of Bore Butter over the balls, but don't use very much.
They are both safe to use as a black powder lube.

Here is an essay written by a person who claims to be familiar with the invention of Bore Butter and outlines the history of some different patch lubes.
One quote near the end of the article:
"Then their was Uncle Mike's Apple Green patch lube. Another paraffin wax/mineral oil lube with methylsalicin in it."--->>> https://user.xmission.com/~drudy/hist_text-arch5/msg00973.html

[curioushooter]

I can't even get T/C Bore butter to be consistent without a couple fowling shots. First shot a foot high, second 6", then the third onwards are on point.

Water based lubes (in my case, saliva) have been far more consistent for me on the first shot (which is what matters for hunting) but you cannot leave a barrel that way without it rusting in my climate. Even clean barrels will rust if you don't leave some sort of grease or wax in them. This isn't a problem for me with smokeless it seems (thank goodness).

So far I have found no corrosion preventing patch lube or rust preventer that can left in the bore and expect good first shot accuracy. A fowling shot has always been necessary, so I shoot my muzzloader the night before I go hunting, and I shoot it again every night if I continue hunting and don't take a shot that day. I clean it all up at the end of the season and swab it with Bore Butter then have to bust it out again a week or two before the season begins (which is always during firearms season in Indiana) to make sure it is right.

Since I have about 250 LBS of beef tallow I was going to try mixing it was a lubricious vegetable oil (like Peanut or Castor) to see if it would be a workable cold weather patch lube. It is fine in hot weather, but becomes too hard at around 40 degrees to use.

Track of the Wolf says Mink Tallow (not shoe polish) is the ideal cold weather patch lube. And they sell the stuff.

Formerly Sperm Whale Oil and Bear Oil were used, and were reputed to be superior all-weather rust-preventing consistent accuracy patch lubes, but good luck finding them.

[30calflash]

I'll use Crisco for a patch lube for now.

Bore butter was used w/ beeswax on Minies in N-SSA years back. Minimal fouling during a shoot, even near close to 100 rounds a few times. Easy to load HB minies, used Crisco in the HB at the time also. Wanted to run it as a patch lube due to it's performance for me in the past. Also not wanting anything in there that can rust as curious stated.

There's always something that has worked well for us in the past that we like to stick with, even if something newer or old school is available. Being an old guy I don't like to change unless necessary.

Tx for the advice and offers. 30CF.

[arcticap]

I can't even get T/C Bore butter to be consistent without a couple fowling shots. First shot a foot high, second 6", then the third onwards are on point.


Yes, that's a pattern with some guns and many folks need to take a fouling shot before hunting or competition.

One popular patch lube that many folks have said works for them especially in colder weather is
Hoppes Number 9 Black Powder Solvent & Patch Lube.--->>> https://www.amazon.com/Hoppes-Powder-Cleaner-Lubricant-Bottle/dp/B000PW20XS

Its formula may have been changed more than once, but some folks are still using it.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

if bore butter is crisco and beeswax, show me the MSDS where it states whats in it.

[dondiego]

Make sure it is unsalted Crisco! I believe butter flavor Crisco has some salt in it (good for cookies, however).

Never have understood the worry about whether the lube has a little salt or not. Black powder is 75% salt and the subs are made of salts as well. You will need to clean the firearm of these salt residues. I could see the concern if you left your firearm loaded with a salt based lube for an extended length of time.

[indian joe]

bore butter is none of those things you listed.

yeah they put horse liniment in it - lord knows why - somebody musta liked the stink of it! :mrgreen:

[quilbilly]

Never have understood the worry about whether the lube has a little salt or not. Black powder is 75% salt and the subs are made of salts as well. You will need to clean the firearm of these salt residues. I could see the concern if you left your firearm loaded with a salt based lube for an extended length of time.
Exactly right. Very often my loads will be in the gun several days (protected from moisture, of course, to prevent misfires) between hunting forays which is why I worry about salt in the lube.

[RedLeaf67]

Ask a Taxidermist or a successful Bear Hunter for a hunk of Bear fat, render on the stove top. I have a small bottle that has lasted over 25 years & doesn't go rancid. I have also used Turkey fat rendered & have thought about rendering some Racoon, Skunk, Woodchuck fat into oil.......

[rmark]

Low salt helps keep the blood pressure down while hunting.

I enjoyed reading the link with the history of commercial lubes, chapstick and chest salve.

[arcticap]

Low salt helps keep the blood pressure down while hunting.

I enjoyed reading the link with the history of commercial lubes, chapstick and chest salve.

I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
The article states:
"Then there was T/C Maxi-Lube which was nothing more than the same
petroleum grease they used to grease the bearings in their machines."

I bought 2 plastic jars of the T/C Maxi-Lube at a gun show.
When I opened up one of the jars, the stuff looked like it belonged in a museum.

232505

232504

[triggerhappy243]

if bore butter is crisco and beeswax, show me the MSDS where it states whats in it.

would you disclose what is in your lube on this forum?

[OverMax]

Spit patch. (In the heat of the moment.) Without doubt is the oldest way to lube a ball's cotton patch.
IMHO: By the time you gather up all the components to make a decent homemade patching lube that isn't offensive to the nose's of everything that walks_crawls_or fly's above hunting Lands and one that softens all powders fouling including those crappy substitute's labeled for B/P use. {You have likely exceeded the cost of buying a store bought patching lube.)

[rfd]

i see no need to use spit patches when a good tallow or grease will do better and there's no concern about leaving the gun loaded for extended periods of time (not so with spit patches).

there are at least a few good reasons why it's viable to make yer own lube and that starts with a lube that's better than the commercial stuff, and cheaper to boot. not to mention some of us like to DIY as much as possible with trad muzzy guns and their accoutrements. a good home brewed lube can also be tailored to the weather conditions and one of the better lubes can be used for both muzzy's and bpcr alike - gato feo - ymmv.

[curioushooter]

Bore butter is not beeswax and Crisco. If you have any familiarity with the substances; it is obvious. I also suspect based on the price of BB it doesn't contain beeswax, which is scarce and expensive.

Bore butter clains to be natural and vegetable based, and it is a good patch lube, but in my experience you must shoot a fouling shot every day if don't want your round ball sailing over the deer's back.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

Mix paraffin wax and mineral oil together, mix it well. It looks and feels just like bore butter. Add yellow and spearmint scent. Bingo.

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

I also suspect based on the price of BB it doesn't contain beeswax, which is scarce and expensive.
.

Exactly! The Olive Oil alone due to cost and the fact that it has a 6 month shelf life, is clear that it does not contain any such thing.

[725]

I started ML'ing in 1978. At the time the only thing I did was suck the bottom of my ratty old T-shirt, hold it over the muzzle, seat the ball and then use a knife to cut the patch at the muzzle. Worked for years. Lots of ratty old T-shirts met the end of the road that way.

[rfd]

I started ML'ing in 1978. At the time the only thing I did was suck the bottom of my ratty old T-shirt, hold it over the muzzle, seat the ball and then use a knife to cut the patch at the muzzle. Worked for years. Lots of ratty old T-shirts met the end of the road that way.

yep, as long as they're 100% cotton, with no plastic fillers ;)

[centershot]

Patch lube..........well, in 1975 I built my first muzzle loader. Since then, I've tried about everything mentioned in this thread. It ALL works, to a degree. That "first shot in the same group" thing, now THAT is really important to me, because I'm a hunter primarily. The "dry patch" Ballistol & water method works really well for me. A controllable amount of lube, applied to each and every patch, yeah, that does the job!

But, I wondered if that methodology couldn't be applied to other lubes?? What I use today is a 1:4 mix of beeswax and olive oil, melted, dip a strip of patching in it and let it dry. Works great! E-Z to make and it works as a moisturizer for my hands too! And yes, first shot and every shot threafter goes in the same group. YMMV.

[curioushooter]

How effective is ballistol at long term rust prevention? Like can it be left in a clean barrel for year in corn sweatland Indiana and still be rust free? Or is it like most other multipurpose "wonder" products that do none of their claimed jobs well?

[arcticap]

How effective is ballistol at long term rust prevention? Like can it be left in a clean barrel for year in corn sweatland Indiana and still be rust free? Or is it like most other multipurpose "wonder" products that do none of their claimed jobs well?

How long and effectively that Ballistol will prevent rust depends on a lot of factors.
Here's a link to a test of various products which showed that Ballistol can work for a period of 3 months [or longer]:--->>> http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/corrosion/corrosion2.html

But I'm not sure if any product will replace a coating of good gun grease.

There was a discussion about the test results posted here:--->>> https://www.sassnet.com/forums/index.php?/topic/232810-corrosion-prevention-properties-of-ballistol-and-eezox/

[rfd]

i use straight ballistol exclusively for cleaning all my firearms. the only time i'll add in something else is for longer term seasonal storage, and that's most any kinda oil or grease. with my flintlock long guns, they get cleaned out with water and ballistol on a patched jag, then patched dried, then sloppy oiled with a patched jag. the rod, jag and patch stay down in the barrel, to insure the tube and chamber are wet with oil, sometimes in there for months and the patch always comes out clean with no signs of rust or corrosion. the flint lock itself is removed and cleaned in a pail of water with a toothbrush, sprayed with a mix of ballistol/water (moose milk), wiped off, then spritzed fairly heavily with oil (usually breakfree), excess oil is wiped off, the lock goes back in its gun mortise. hope this is of value to someone.

[curioushooter]

Fluid Film is a remarkably effective long term rust preventative. It does contain petroleum distillate and waxes. Not sure if it matters, as I have always cleaned it before shooting when using the black stuff!