Patches & lube

[bckskin2]

Is pre lubed or dry better? I have some Bore Butter I bought to lube Round balls in a center fire rifle, is it any good  as a lube? I have read of everything from Crisco to bear fat. This will be my first attempt to fire a muzzle loader and really don't want to blow it up.
Thanks,
Jerry

[Spitunia]

Bore butter is good. Crisco is good. Lard is good. Spit is good. What ever groups good is good.

Sometimes it's good to figure out how to keep the fouling softer. Different loads in different diameters create different amounts of fouling to clean in different climates.

Sometimes it's good to figure how to keep the lube from damping the powder if it's gonna be loaded all day. Found out that there's no come back to getting the high sign from a departing doe. Lost the debate fair and square.

Sometimes it's good to figure out how to keep the weather from melting your lube where you don't want it melted.

Wow, how's that for a dis-answer? My personal preference is for a paste consistancy lube in a short, shallow, positive seal dinky little tupperware or screw-on lid jar no bigger than it has to be. In the past I always used shortening or lard for most everything. Right now I'm tinkering with mixes of beeswax, olive oil, lanolin and graphite just to see if there's anything else worth the trouble. It's starting to look like the biggest difference may be aroma. Anybody ever try patchouli oil?

[pathfinder]

I used Bore Butter once and found in MY guns,it fowled up pretty good. I now use it to coat the bore after cleaning just to use it up. I personaly like the Trappers blend mink oil for TOW,we used to call it Bimiji Grease,it was made in Bimji,Minn. Patchouli Oil? Darn dirty hippies

[kit_carson]

lol,,,,,,,,, i use "sweet oil" i cut up strips of cotton from old shirts, bed sheets or what ever, it really wont matter, and i know i'm gonna get guff from a few here about patch thickness, and lube, bla, bla, bla. anyway cut your strips, soak them in sweet oil, which is nothing fancier than olive oil, or vegetable oil. fold up the strips like you would to make paper dolls, cut the corners and your ready! tear a patch off and load and shoot.

[Hanshi]

lol,,,,,,,,, i use "sweet oil" i cut up strips of cotton from old shirts, bed sheets or what ever, it really wont matter, and i know i'm gonna get guff from a few here about patch thickness, and lube, bla, bla, bla. anyway cut your strips, soak them in sweet oil, which is nothing fancier than olive oil, or vegetable oil. fold up the strips like you would to make paper dolls, cut the corners and your ready! tear a patch off and load and shoot.

Hey!  I've use my share of t-shirts & whatever for patches and really have few complaints for the most part.  For the past few years I've been using pillow ticking-the same pillow ticking bought at the same Wal-Mart where our ancestors got theirs 200 years ago.  And since you are expecting guff, Crow Killer, here ya' go; GUFF!

[old salt]

ya me too

[Bear Medicine]

When I shoot percussion (pistol), I use the precut, greased patches.  The work about as good as anything.  When I shoot the flint, it's strictly spit patch.  I found out that a greae patch will blow grease out the touch hole and get all over the flint and frizzen.  I use plain cotton homespun cloth.  I tried using linen and hated it.

[Red Badger]

I am still new enough that I am trying to get decent groups and working on finding the right mix for my rifle.... seems to be pillow ticking .018" & spit, 530 round ball, and 55 grains of 3 F work about right... now if I could redo the sights so they stay put..... or maybe it is my flinching I have to get under control.....

[William]

Is pre lubed or dry better? I have some Bore Butter I bought to lube Round balls in a center fire rifle, is it any good  as a lube? I have read of everything from Crisco to bear fat. This will be my first attempt to fire a muzzle loader and really don't want to blow it up.
Thanks,
Jerry

Bore Butter wouldn't be a good lube for center fire rifles, even if using a round ball.  It is designed to be used to lube patching material as well as for the lube grooves of a black powder bullet such as the maxi-ball types in the case of muzzle loading rifles by preventing gas blow by and keeping the fouling soft for easy cleaning.  If you want to use it up then either buy or make some dry patches to put it on.  The big draw-back of Bore butter is that if allowed to warm up is turns liquid making it messy or causing powder contamination and no bang when you drop the hammer so don't overdue it.  If using for lubing bullets designed for muzzle loaders, melt it in a small pan first over very low heat and add some wax to stiffen it up, then dip the bullets in it to fill the grooves.