Today I wanted to try some different powders and lubes. So I have had a few PM's that asked me about Mink Oil as a patch lube. As I told them I have used it, it worked good, but I like moosemilk. Well I might have spoke too fast.

I took the .54 caliber Thompson Center New Englander that has a 1.5-6x40mm Traditions scope on it. I did this to give the lube and projectiles the best chance at accuracy.



the picture was not taken today of course. But we will be back to that wonderful weather soon.

I also took American Pioneer Powder 2f and Pyrodex RS to the range. The shoot card on the rifle advised that it likes 90 grains of Pyrodex RS and a patched roundball. So to be fair to the barrel I started the testing with APP 2f.



On a clean oil free barrel I loaded 90 grains of APP 2f and a home cast roundball. The patch was pillow tick and I used mink oil as the lube. The first shot off the rifle was a bit of a delayed fire. Why I have no idea, as I had excellent burn marks on the test patch. The next five shots were not all that bad IMO for APP powder. Other then the note card said dead on/clean barrel 50 yards... Since these were kind of low, I was going to be interested in what the Pyrodex would do.

Well I used Simple Green cleaner and patched the barrel clean. Then I dry patched it. And when I was sure it was clean, I used a test patch to make sure the bolster was sending flame through and got an excellent burn on the patch.

The first shot with 90 grains of Pyrodex RS and mink oil was a bulls eye. I was pleased as the card was holding true at least. But the amazing thing was the next five shots. Really concentrating and shooting with glasses off, letting the scope be my eyes, that was an impressive five shot group.

I then shot some REAL conicals using mink oil as a lube and again, shooting 60 grains of Pyrodex RS the group was very impressive. Of course the batteries in the camera died at this point.

I then changed targets to a new one, and repeated the test with moosemilk. The APP did not like moosemilk at all. The five shot group was much larger but a little higher on the target, just under the bull. Why, I have no idea.

The Pyrodex RS and the moose milk shot just about the same group, almost identical in fact, as the mink oil.

I then set some soda pop cans at 100 yards on the stumps. I had ran down the weeds earlier with the ATV. And with a scoped traditional rifle with that common twist of 1-48, if I set the cross hairs on the top of the can, they would disappear when I pulled the trigger.

Today told me a few things. Mink Oil is a good lube. BUT it melted to a liquid in the hot afternoon sunshine. But would be an excellent lube in the cooler months. Also this rifle and roundball loved the mink oil.

Also it confirmed some of my feelings about the old argument of inlines and traditional rifles. Where some claim the inline has such an advantage. Well with that scoped New Englander accuracy at 100 yards was exceptional. No animal would have been safe out at that distance. So the only advantage the inline might have is further distances like 150 yards, maybe not.. and of course the difference in the knock down ability of say a pistol bullet in a sabot and the old .54 caliber roundball. Accuracy was a matter of optics in my case. Since I shoot out to 100 yards very rarely.