BrushPopper

Back when I first got into BP guns (I picked up a second hand CVA Kentucky pistol and a TC 250 gn Maxi mold back in the '80sand the rest is carbon-smeared history) the only books I had, showed data using Crisco as a patch/conical lube.

It seemed to work just fine on those maxi's, (couldn't seem to miss a can out to 50 ydswith that old .45hoss pistol)but smearing it into the grooves with my fingers got a might messy, so I tried cutting it with just enough gulf-wax to stiffen it up, pouring the molten lube around the slugs and using an old 45-70 case as a cookie-cutter once it cooled off.

To this day I still use crisco/wax as a bullet lube for shooting maxi's out of my sidelocks, one pound of crisco to one brick of wax....

Anyone else still using good-old-crisco? Seems like if lard and tallow was good enough for the old timers, ought to be good enough for today's shooters...

Skillet

slowpokebr549

I use plain crisco and beeswax quite a bit. I can tailor the stiffness for what I'm shooting. If it is intended for my revolver as a flashover preventer I make a stiff batch. For my various rifles I leave it pretty squishy. You probably wont find too many folks on this forum who are interested in traditional Black powder firearms. There are some exceptions and some very nice folks who have loads of advice, but for some reason this seems to be sabot land. I have no problem with scope hunters especially the guys on here.Most of them seem like responsible, thoughtful guys who put a lot of work into their powder, bullets and sabots. I guess I just dont see the appeal of a fiberglass stock and a stainless barrel. Keep up the good work with the old .45 smokepoles.

leehop

Three cheers for slowPoke!!!!

wabi

Beeswax & neetsfoot oil - 50/50 mix for an all purpose lube.

slowpokebr549

I once made a batch of patch lube that I didnt quite have enough wax in it.In desperation I grabbed one of my wifes scented candles and melted it into the batch. I ended up with a really nice consistency and a large batch of rose scented patch lube. It must of been a hell of a candle causethe patch box on my fifty still smells like rose oil ten years later. Got me some funny looks on the firing line that year at the rendevous.

nchawkeye

I don't shoot maxis, I mold my own, .390s for my .40 caliber flintlock and
.530s for my .54...I used SnoSeal for lubing patches for 30 years or so, recently I went to a homemade brew of bees wax, castor oil and Murphy's Oil Soap...

There are still a few guys that like the traditional rifles...

nchawkeye

Here's my .40...Made by the late Bob Watts of Stone Mountain, GA...
It started out as a .45, I rebarreled back in 1990, when I made the .54..
The .40 is styled for the 1820 time period, the .54 is my interpretation of what could have been made in Piedmont NC about 1770...So it is the style that could have gone to Kentucky with D. Boone and could have been used at Kings Mountain, Cowpens or Guilford Courthouse....

slowpokebr549

I cast my own .58 round ball and sometimes minnies. My zouave really doesnt like minnies though and the reason I went to a .58 was for round ball knock down power. I bet that .54 of yours points like a magic wand.
A nicely balanced .54 is a real thing of beauty. I have been working up round ball loads out of my bp 12 gauge. It is suprisingly accurate out to about 35 or 40 yards. I havent worked up the nerve to order a .690 mold yet though.

slowpokebr549

I love to hear those forties crack. They really sound wicked. Wouldn't of wanted to be a red coat marching in line with one of those pointed at my head 70 yards away.

slowpokebr549

You know, speaking of that 12 gauge, Cayugad gave me a link for a .690 minie once. If you happen to read this Cayugad, where was that from?
I've got my own pouring rig now and my wife might of got over the cost of the .570 mold so......