Initially I use Crisco and bake it off at 450 for about 20 minutes about 3 times. Then I use a light coat of bacon grease at 400 for 15 minutes 3 times. Then I condition it every other month with a 450 Crisco 10 minute bake in. I usually get a pretty good non stick surface doing that. Easily cleaned with just a wash rag rather than needing a scouring pad and having to retouch it up.

MD, what are you using for a grit? I know a guy that used emmory cloth as a patch and mink oil with fairly good results though that sure aint something I would try myself.

That's likely a trade secret SH as he is going to be selling it. I could think of a few things without knowing what was in it. My first guess would be jeweler's rouge. Midway sells it by the pound in a powder form which would be perfect for adding to a bullet lube mixture.

I'll bet most would be surprised at what their bore looked like if they ran a scope down it...Thankfully, deep rifled, slow twist round ball barrels are very forgiving...

Thats one nice thing about this kentucky barrel, nice deep rifling. It feels soooo much smoother today though. I'll reload some peewee loads so I can work on the breech tomorrow.

I buy a lot of collector firearms and my bore scope is one of my most precious tools. You would be dumbfounded at how many times I would hear "yes sir that bore is in pristine condition" then they see the case in my hand and change their tune a bit to "well except for some minor marks" :D Granted a bore light and looking down the barrel can give you a rough idea, but the scope will reveal ALL!

true, but remember we're looking at a magnified picture which shows it up close. What may seem like a horrible monster pit on camera, may just me a very small shallow rust mark.

Alright, tomorrow I am getting back to work on the kentucky bore.

I got it loaded right now with 20gr 2fg goex and ran my camera down. Tomorrow, I'll adjust to 25 grains and check down the bore with the camera. I want to be very close to that nasty pitted area so it can really force the patch and knock that area down really well.

Bob...

There's nothing wrong with using Bore Butter as a patch or bullet lube. It is not, and never will be something one should use as a rust preventative or protectant. It's a vegetable based substance and should be used for shooting only. I know there are naysayers on this forum who will go to their grave dissing BoreButter, but I still use it. As a matter of fact, some of my rifles group better with BB than with TOW's mink oil or some of the other concoctions I've tried. BoreButter got a bad rep because too many folks used it as a rust preventative after cleaning their bore, and that's not what it should be used for.

A lot depends on how you clean your bore after shooting, I learned a long time ago that scalding hot water does more harm than good when flushing your barrel. Tepid or warm water is all that's necessary. Completely dry the bore with patches, followed by a good couple ounces of 91% alcohol swished back and forth followed by a few more dry patches and then follow with a patch of Barricade or Ballistol.

Go ahead and use BoreButter for a patch or bullet lube, just don't use it as a rust preventative.

BPS

Stuff isn't that great of a patch lube either.

Thompson Center Natural Lube 1000 Plus Bore Butter is a biodegradable all natural lubricant which contains no petroleum-based oil or additives. It reacts differently (chemically) to the combustion of blackpowder, producing far less "tar like" fouling. It can also be used to field lube bullets. Bore butter is an excellent rust preventative on external surfaces of any firearm.

MD...

I, like you, fell away from the old myth that ANYTHING petroleum based is bad for your bore. I'm always open to trying something new, but I've been shooting ML's since 1973 so I've been around the horn, it takes something eye-opening to move me. If your own lube is so special, why don't you send me a half dozen bottles so myself and the boys I hunt with can try it out. If we like it, maybe I can move some of your product here in the Northeast.

BPS