Now I like to keep things simple and have long used Hoppes #9 BP Lube for general shooting and mink oil while chasing game in the bush. I'm now almost out of both. I do have a gallon of winter windshield washer fluid. I know of a couple of builders/shooters/hunters who use mink oil in the bush but also use a lot of WWF. They put an ounce of neatsfoot, or similar, oil into a gallon of wwf to keep patches from drying out. I'm cheap - ask my bro, hotfxr, if you don't believe it - and wwf is way cheaper than Hoppes, which I've used a LOT of; and if it compares favorably I'll start using it often.
Is there a consensus on these three lubes? Any other suggestions will be appreciated. Forget any esoteric mixtures; and I'll never and don't want to kill a bear for oil. I like TOW mink oil since an unfired gun can be left unloaded for a long time without worry. It's really general shooting and such I'm interested in, I suppose.
mink oil lube for guns that I am going to be using for a indefinite period. for normal shooting I use spit.
My wife has a partial plate and can't do a spit patch well. We have been using Blue Thunder solvent and lube from October Country in Couer D'alaine, Idaho. She recently shot 25 rounds and had no problems loading any of them and I noticed the rifle was a lot easier to clean afterward. If you decide to check it out, take a look at their Pushing Daisies patches too. Good products and good people.
spit or hand lotion if I will fire it right away
bore butter with beeswax if I'm hunting
candlewax and Vaseline, canola or coconut oil in a revolver roughly 50/50 depending partly on ambient temperature.
Avocado oil is highly recomended by a friend.
I also do a lot of "spit" shooting at my home range. I was put on a new med by my doc about a year ago and one of the side effects was dry mouth. :(
I had a bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap kicking around the house and mixed a small bottle about a third full of the soap and two thirds with alcohol, filling the bottle. My patches very easily soaked up the mixture and my shooting continues without any problems. The easy clean-up as well as the loading without wiping the bore between shots has been MUCH noticed with this patch lube! Good stuff and CHEAP too!
Well Hanshi,.. I use wonder lube on the patch and put them in loading blocks for use..If they get a little dry I spit lube them... hdslp One day at the range I ran flat out of spit pnic pnic So I used a little Mountain Dew to wet them...And it Seems to work just fine [hmm] ??
Spit patch, which I used for years and long ago, has been out for me for a long time. Meds I take cause me to also have dry mouth. Mink oil is my hunting lube of choice. Hoppes is my favorite all around lube. But WWF is cheaper than Hoppes and will, I think possibly, be just as good.
I use vegetable oil for general shooting and mink oil for hunting.
For conicals I use a mix of unsalted lard and beeswax. More lard in the winter and more beeswax in hot weather.
Here are a couple of varients on the old moose milk formula:
2oz Murphy"s oil soap + 2oz NAPA water soluble cutting oil +1 quart water.
1oz Murphys +1oz NAPA + 2oz water
Both work as patch lube but #1 is a better for cleaning after you are done shooting. #2 works better as a lube and can be adjusted by adding more water if you choose.
Both also work as cleaning solvents but neither provides any bore protection so you will need to oil the bore with something else after cleaning.
I like to keep things real simple. I use Mr Flintlock lube, no muss no fuss. Shoots all day and cleans up with a little water and dishwashing soap.
Mark
[hmm] Spit patch if im gonna shoot imediatly...olive oil and beeswax mix if its gonna be a while...