Commercial Black Powder lubes.

[dromia]

You use Trex as a skin moisturiser?!

[1066]

You use Trex as a skin moisturiser?!

Only since I ran out of bear grease.

[dromia]

[meles meles]

:) I have some nice vanilla smelling stuff called body butter from a local discount store. I always used to use Trex but this stuff seems easier to clean out.

We are still talkin' about gun bores, aren't we? Just checkin'....

[dromia]

Have you tried it?

If not why don't you?

They say there is nothing rougher than a badgers arse so if it works for you it should be OK for the firearms.

[FredB]

I lubricate my Minie bullets and the ones for my 71-84 Mauser by dipping them in molten lube. I melt the lube in the kitchen microwave. I have no sense of smell.
My wife has an excellent sense of smell, hence many traditional lubes are not allowed.
I started using Wonderlube when it first became available. The smell of molten Wonderlube is acceptable if not positively attractive and this is important if marital harmony is to be maintained.
When I first started shooting muzzle loading revolver, I used Shell Retinax "B" grease as this was readily available from work. I had no fouling or clean-up issues and so was convinced that the "avoid mineral oil products" mantra was rubbish, as are many of the myths about black powder shooting.
Fred

[bradaz11]

I think that the main purpose of lube in muzzle loaders is keeping the fouling soft rather than lubing tween bullet/ball and barrel. At least 80% fouling control 20% lubing. If you think about the round ball muskets the ball went down bare onto wadding and then skimmed and skyted its undersize way down the barrel, the main issue they had was black powder fouling never lead fouling, lead is a lubricant in its own right and these balls would have been very soft near pure lead also the velocities are not high relative to todays.

In that respect cheap moisturising cream which is just a water carrier works well, I have a preference for Zinc and Castor oil cream from the poundshop because it is very cheap

been looking for info on lubing minie balls, and the usual american advice of crisco always seems to pop up along with no petroleum products.

I want to start shooting my PH musketoon again, I have some of what I think are from a lee 500-354-M mold


any advice on lube?

[legs748]

The small grooves look to be designed with lee's tumble lube lube method with liquid alox, never used it so can't comment on how well it works. I imagine it's ability to control fouling would be minimal. In my Parker hale I use a layman 575213 deep groove Burton style bullet dip lubed in a traditional beeswax/beef dripping (from asda) mix, it started out at 50/50 but not sure what it is now. This works for me as a week or so ago I shot 5 10 shot groups in a row with no fouling issues at all, just a wipe up and down with a patch between groups to maintain bore condition.

[dromia]

I would give them a smear with tallow/beeswax mix and then put a good dollop of cheap moisturising cream on the nose before ramming home, I use Zinc and Castor oil from the Pound shop, that will keep the fouling soft.

Do not use Xlox as it can form a stubborn fouling ring with black powder .

[bradaz11]

thanks Dromia - where would I look for tallow? or is beef dripping the same? I know kranks do beeswax so i'll prob get some there or amazon. so moisturiser on the top of the bullet? I assume the ramming of the bullet squidges it and wipes it down the bore as it drops in?

legs - do you lube at home or on the range? and is this mix quite thick and sticky or does it dry? how do you find that syle of bullet? I only have a few of this shape, so I will have to get some more at some point, but these are the only type I've ever used.