Lube for patches

[crb4809]

I want to make my own lube to use for patches. I have gathered a lot of recipes for different lubes, most of these seem to be mixtures to use when lubing a bullet. Does anyone have any suggestions for making a lube for patches?  Thanks

[raynor]

I have so many recipes that I could spend all day typing.   

Here are the ones I use most often.

For target shooting:

7 parts water, 1 part Murphy's oil soap, 1 part Ballistol

I also use the above recipe for wiping the bore between shots and field cleaning as well.

The next three are thicker than the first one.

3 parts castor oil, 1 parts beeswax, 1 part murphy's oil soap

or

3 parts crisco, 1 part murphy's oil soap, 1 part beeswax

or

3 parts olive oil, 1 part beeswax, 1 part murphy's oil soap

You can always add more beeswax for a thicker lube.

All work very well for me.  ~~  raynor   

[Anduril]

What raynor said.

I find that if I lube with straight crisco that after a couple of months the patches tear when loading, so I don't do that any more.

Plain old spit works good if you are going to shoot within an hour or so of loading.

For hunting use an oil and/or wax lube.

[flintlock]

crb...Welcome to Graybeard!!!

I have used SnoSeal for about 30 years...

[offhand35]

I had been having the same question.......Up until recently I've been using homemade moose milk DAMP patches at the range, and T/C Bore Butter in the field while hunting. Using two different lubes could change POI, and I have been aware of that.
I just finished re-reading Ned Roberts' book, THE MUZZLE-LOADING CAPLOCK RIFLE. He talks about using sperm whale oil when he could not get bear oil.....Now whale oil is illegal to sell, possess or distribute nowadays......When I Googled it, not only did I find an article about a fellow in NJ who found some in an old house and tried to sell it on e-bay [he was arrested......] I also found an article or two about Jojoba [ho-ho-bah] oil.
Now, It has been found to have similar chemical properties to whale oil, is US harvested, and is widely available in containers from 4 oz to 55 gals..... It is used commercially  in cosmetics, and "Heath Stores" sell it as a skin moisturizer....
I tried using it in my recently acquired 36cal  Investarms Hawken, and the rifle shot VERY well with it!

There are just a couple of things to know about using this oil as a patch lube:
- Use VERY little
-soak your patches the day or so before you want to shoot, at normal room temp
-below about 40  degF or so, Jojoba oil turns hard and waxy,  but remains very flexible in the patch.

It did not seem to make any difference whether it was warm and liquid on the patch, or cold and wax-like, as far as shooting accuracy is concerned.

I'd recommend that you at least try it! It may be the closest to whale oil or bear oil to be found!

[crb4809]

Thanks for all of the information. Made up a batch using Raynor's olive oil, beeswax, Murphys oil recipe. Now just to find some decent weather to go shooting and use it up!
CB

[Birddog 1]

For just target shooting and plinking try plane ol SPIT one less thing to worry about and you wont run out ............unless you dieing of thirst in the middle of the desert

Nim

[Swamp Yankee]

    As far as a homemade lube, I have used mink tallow and bee's wax changing the amount of wax with the change in temps. I have used Ballistol mixed with water with great results. I also use and like Bore Butter........I've used it for years.....JJ

[crow_feather]

There is a lube that is.............................well, ifn ya shoot it, you'll never want any other.  Ya start by mixin a hornets nest, with the dead hornets in it, inta a pound of fat, cut from a poached deer.  A poached deer shot while being lit up with a spotlight is best.  Then you mix in the scrapins from some rotten moose hoofs that ya might have layin round ta house.  Now the hard part is finding the black sand from one a them tropical beaches.  That cleans out the powder when ya shoot the patch down the bore, and helps the patch grab the bullet.  Finally you take the mixture to a graveyard where some evil dead woman has been burried, and towards midnight when the devil comes to steal the soul of the dead critter, you holler "Devil take the soul and throw it in the hole,  Devil take the hag, leave fire in my bag".  Then you wanta throw the bag of fixins right inta the face of the devil and run for it.  Come back next day..........after daylight, and get your bag.  You wont believe what that stuff will do to yer rifle.

C F

[snicker]

Just curious, what is the purpose of the Murphy's oil soap?  Thanks.

[Woodbutcher]

 Crowfeather, you're a dangerous man!!! Woodbutcher