Just like most of my tips, there isn’t always just one way to do things. Many shooters put the patch material in their mouth and use spit as the lube. This method works well and was probably used with original muzzleloaders, especially while hunting.
There are a variety of products that can be purchased and used as patch lube. Precut patches can also be purchased with lube already on them. Beeswax and mink oil are a couple of other options. I have used mink oil for a few years now and have had good success. I would recommend two things regarding patch lube. First, whichever lube you choose, stay with it so that it is a constant in your shooting. And second, apply the same amount of lube for every shot. This can be tricky and takes some practice, but it is worth the effort.
I’ve been told by some shooters that they soak their strips of pillow ticking with the lube before a match and store the pillow ticking in a container. This way they are trying to keep the entire strip lubricated the same amount. They also said not to do to much pillow ticking because if you don’t use it soon, the pillow ticking material can break down from the oil in the lub. The mixture of 7 parts water with 1 part Ballistol works well. If you soak the strips in this mixture, then you lay them out flat on a tray and allow them to dry. If you hang them the lube will drain and the ends of the patch will have more lube then the middle. So be sure to lay them flat to dry. Also store them in a plastic bag so that they don’t dry completely up. Here is a YouTube video that demonstrates how to do this with pillow ticking:
Some of the best shooters that I know just use spit, so I’m not really sure if the oils add that much to the accuracy. I think it’s mainly important to be consistent with what you use so that you can focus on your shooting accuracy.
Comment from Steve Sells:
I used 8 to 1 mix in Texas with great results. After I moved to New Mexico I could not get that down the barrel. I had to go to a 3-1 mix.
The drier climate caused more water to evaporate from my ticking and the patching was too dry.
I use spit on linen patching for my pistol and that works well for match shooting. I don’t need to wipe the bore between shots. But I don’t hunt with that pistol. Spit lube is fine for match shooting if you load then shoot right away.
Hunting is different. Spit will dry out or freeze in cold weather. The Ballistol/water method will not dry out or freeze in the barrel over a day long hunt and it works great for match shooting once you find the right mix for your gun. It works in smoothbore guns too.
