patch lube

roundball

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
What would happen if you shot a muzzleloader with a patch with no lube?
In the “old days” it was commonplace to just dampen a patch with your mouth, so nothing really serious happens without ‘patch lube’.
If a patch is dry, then it usually starts to burn through...accuracy usually gets a little erratic, also, powder residue builds up more quickly in the bore
 

cheapdate

Eight Pointer
Thanks for the replies. I used moose milk for patches last night and when they dried, it felt like not much lubrication was left on them. Guess I'll just have to burn some powder to find out how they do.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Most would see an increase of stuck balls and not being able to load or hard loading.
You would need to clean the bore more often.
I shoot my 69 cal SB with no patch. I use a round ball just under the bore size that it will load.
I dip the ball in lube so it only covers about 1/3 the ball. I can load and shoot about 20 rounds before I need to brush the bore.
If I do not lube it cakes up the bore really fast, hard loading after about 3 rounds and can't shoot more than 5 to 6. The cake on the barrel is very hard to remove and takes forever to clean. If I try to patch the barrel it will lock up tight. I need to use a cutter than brush before I add any patches wet or dry.
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
Thanks for the replies. I used moose milk for patches last night and when they dried, it felt like not much lubrication was left on them. Guess I'll just have to burn some powder to find out how they do.
Do you make your MM?
I use EVOO and Bees wax for bullet lube. Have also used it for patches.
You can add a little balistol to the mix for just lubed patch. If you mix and dip them they will be like wax paper. Also if you have a musket cap tin you can place a stack of patches in the tin and put the lube over adding just enought so the patches soak it up.

Have done that many times to have lubed patch.

What you shooting?
 

nchawkeye

Old Mossy Horns
Well heck, let us know!!!

I usually use a homemade concoction called Moose Snot but for 25 years or so I used SnoSeal, it worked as well as anything else I have tried...
 

Mr.Gadget

Old Mossy Horns
I have been mixing 50/50 Balistol and distilled water.
Was using about 33 % Balistol and 66% water but just due to the container I use the 50/50 now.

Do not use normal water due to the minerals and metals in it. As it changes over them time it will not work the same or change the bore.
 

brownisdown

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
It comes from a real moose, just clap their balls between two rocks and out it blows......
Yikes! I have never met the other two but I have serious doubt you could get anywhere close to @woodmoose with two rocks without suffering severe consequences......even sneaking up on his blind side! [emoji3]

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

DarrinG

Six Pointer
Ive tried lots of patch lubes. Various mixtures of water/Ballistol (and let air dry for a semi-dry lube), straight Ballistol, Hoppes BP Lube, spit patches, etc....and always go back to TOW Trappers Mink Oil. Darn good stuff and my rifles like it too. Works well in all weather conditions is a plus and can be left in the bore a long time without fouling the charge. Just stay away with anything with petroleum in it.....it will cake in your barrel like asphalt. :(
 

41magnum

Twelve Pointer
back in our BP competition days we used Crisco to pre-lube patches
Dad shot a 36 cal Pa Long Rifle been handed down thru our family, and me, a 45 Seneca I built from a kit in '73
 

DarrinG

Six Pointer
Most of those T/C pre-lubed patches are probably lubed with Bore Butter. My understanding is BB has mineral oil as an ingredient....and mineral oil is a petroleum product. Leave that stuff in an fired, uncleaned barrel for long and it will turn to the consistency almost like asphalt. Mixed with black powder residue it makes a bad combo, IMO. The last tube of BB I had got tossed in the trash when a thoroughly cleaned barrel and wiped with BB for storage turned out a rusty patch after it had been sitting in the gun safe a couple weeks. I stay far away from any lube products for my black powder guns that contains any petroleum product in it. It may be fine for a patch lube if you choose to use it but don't leave it in your barrel very long!
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
My understanding is BB has mineral oil as an ingredient....and mineral oil is a petroleum product

well they claim that Bore Butter has no petroleum based products,,,so if you know that it has mineral oil we could win a HUGE false advertising lawsuit,,,,,,,

Thompson Center Natural Lube 1000 Plus Bore Butter is a biodegradable all natural lubricant which contains no petroleum-based oil or additives. It reacts differently (chemically) to the combustion of blackpowder, producing far less "tar like" fouling.
 

DarrinG

Six Pointer
I doubt they would ever tell us the whole ingredients. I've read other places where guys says it has mineral oil as an ingredient. Maybe it doesn't. I do know I don't like the stuff and think there's better choices out there.
 

roundball

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Everything in life is “different strokes for different folks”. For me, I keep a lot of records of stuff I do and I broke 25,000 shots of black powder loads in 40/45/50/54/58/62 caliber muzzleloader caplocks & Flintlocks several years ago.

Other than the occasional experimenting with other patch lubes, it’s safe to say 24,000+ of those shots were all taken using T/C Natural Lube Bore Butter, never had a problem, and when I recently sold off all my ML’s all their bores were like mirrors.

The first 20 years or so I’d buy bulk orders of T/C’s precut / prelubed patches...and in the last few years started using mattress ticking from Joann Fabrics, wash/dry/cut/lube them with Natural Lube in the microwave.
 

Winnie 70

Ten Pointer
There is 2 grades of mineral oil.....it is either Daiwa reels or Shimano that uses mineral oil in there high end reels. I have been using it for years and for everything that needs oil. No better and can buy at drug stores, Walmart, etc. and bottle will last long time.
 

adkarcher

Six Pointer
I have used bore butter since 1993 with no issues. My barrels are spotless. My father used it for 20 years with no issues till he heard about how bad it was on the internet despite his real life results....
 
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