Fill minie ball cavity with lube

[butchs37]

I'm shooting a 3 band Enfield using a lee 575-500 mini and been having some problems with fouling at the end of the barrel. I'm pan lubing with Buck Emmert's Lube Formula and was thinking of filling the cavity with this lube. If I use this lube or any other lube with this consistency in the cavity do I need to use a wad? Should I use this lube in the cavity or is there something that would work better?

[Tom W.]

I've used the commercial BP lubes, like Spit patch, or Pistol Patch in the cavities of some minnie's I've fired before. Mind you, it's been a while ago. I've even used the old style Poly Patch that was made by Butler Creek, and put a bit of lube in the bottom of it.

Never made any Emmerts lube, so I dunno how thick it is.

[Good Cheer]

In a Zouave, when I put vegetable shortening in the cavities it made a gosh aweful mess in the breech beneath the nipple, causing misfires, bad words and many grevious moments of consternation.

[DIRT Farmer]

I just tried a lube recomended to me, 5 parts bees wax, 4 parts olive oil, 1 part crisco. First trial I fired 20 of the RCBS North South minis fairly fast 45 grains of fffg Goex in my Enfield. They were dip lubed. No fouling build up. I need to work on accarcery, as they shot different than my old 50/50 crisco toliot wax ring. the lube was fairly stiff at 60 degrees.

[firefly1957]

Thank you Good Cheer I loaded my Zouave the same way and had the same problem I got so annoyed the neighbor offered me his S&W model 17 in trade and I took it gave him molds and everything . That was in 1978 I think I got the better deal but his son never had problems with that gun shooting Now you answered a old question I have forgotten about.
If I remember right the Lyman book suggested filling Minie Base with lube but it may have been some other "HELPFUL" source as well. My next Muzzle loader (1980) was a Kodiak .58 and 12ga. set of each barrels not combination never had ignition problems with it in either barrel set.

[Good Cheer]

Thank you Good Cheer I loaded my Zouave the same way and had the same problem I got so annoyed the neighbor offered me his S&W model 17 in trade and I took it gave him molds and everything . That was in 1978 I think I got the better deal but his son never had problems with that gun shooting Now you answered a old question I have forgotten about.
If I remember right the Lyman book suggested filling Minie Base with lube but it may have been some other "HELPFUL" source as well. My next Muzzle loader (1980) was a Kodiak .58 and 12ga. set of each barrels not combination never had ignition problems with it in either barrel set.

You are right about Lymans saying that.:-P

[firefly1957]

I should have added that Zouave would shoot the fist couple shots fine then give me grief. It was also the worse gun that I have ever seen for hang fires Once I almost set the gun down before it fired.( to reprime)

[Good Cheer]

Could it be that a different lube would work OK filling the cavity?
That might be the case but would such a hard lube do the job as a black powder lube?
Don't know.
I'm fixing to make a batch of black powder lube and have begun to wonder how hard to make it.

[Old Coot]

Try SPG lube it is stiffer and does not make as much mess as Bore Butter and Crisco type lubes, but it does not foul badly.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Putting lube in the hollow base when you have the lube in the grooves is running out by the time the bullet exits the barrel means your lube is not good enough, not that you need more. Change lubes.

I have recovered hundreds of pounds of fired minies and most had lube still in the grooves even after a hundred yard inpact.