Definitely use an oil based lube--not spit. I know a lot of guys who use spit, and it causes lots of problems. The saliva dissolves some of the powder, making a nice corrosive salt ring where the ball seats. After a few years (or less) you will have a rough spot that will stick your ramrod when you clean. The other main reason not to use spit is that it dries out, contaminating your powder and affecting your accuracy. It is especially bad for hunting, because the longer it sits there unfired, the worse the problem becomes. You want your first shot to strike the same point as each subsequent shot.

I use a mixture of oil and fat. I have used deer grease and woodchuck oil for good results. Woodchuck fat renders into an oil, while deer is a hard grease. One woodchuck will go a long ways. I have gotten nearly a quart out of one fat, fall woodchuck. You can also use olive oil and deer or goat or whatever is available to you. I currently am using olive oil and rendered goat omenum. Fats from different parts of the animal will render into different hardnesses. The omenum is in the belly and renders clean and white.

I shoot a 40 caliber rifle with a 44" Collerain barrel. I can load my rifle in the fall to go squirrel hunting, not see anything, and leave it loaded all winter, then in the spring shoot a woodchuck. I can also shoot all day long without cleaning the bore. I can stand on the range and shoot 50+ shots without cleaning, and the last shot will hit the same place that the first one did. The oil cleans and protects the barrel. Saliva corrodes it.

When I was working up loads for my 32 caliber, 40" flintlock with a 1:56 twist, I needed high velocity to stabilize the ball in that slow twist. The hottest loads were only possible with olive oil and goat grease. Everything else I tried tore the patches above about 50 grains. With olive and goat grease, I am able to shoot close to 70 grains. That's pretty ridiculous in a 32, but that is the load that got me the tightest groups.

I use various pillow ticking for patch because it is tough and dense, though I have one pistol that likes thinner patch with looser balls. Its low velocity does not shred the weaker fabric. Pillow ticking is available in various colours. I use a different colour for every rifle. It just helps to be consistent.

Gee this was wordy. Sorry.