bullet lubes....

**John Holland** · 09-24-2019

For 57 years I have used "Crisco" in the base cavity and on the rings. With that, I have boxes of medals I have won with just plain Crisco, even with the change in ingredients some 30 or so years ago. BUT....I don't shoot in the Deep South in the Summer, either, where it would probably melt out of the base & rings before I could get a shot off! I also use Crisco as a lube on the patches of my round ball rifles, and it works just fine there, too. Nothing is universal, it all depends on the rifle itself, the climate, and the mind-set of the shooter.

I will now look foreword to a visit from the long dormant "Lefty", whose wisdom on using Olive Oil and Monkey Sweat is nothing short of Legendary!

**threepdr** · 09-25-2019

Originally Posted by Carolina Reb

Capt. John Mallet, of the CS Central Ordnance Laboratory standardized musket bullet lube in April of 1863 at 2 parts beeswax and one part tallow. Before then, every ordnance lab was using it's own formula and the Confederate armies were having the same lube problems many of us have.

Reb,

Can you share the source on Capt Mallet's correspondence concerning the 2:1 formula? The 1860 and 1861 US Ordnance Manual states 8 parts beeswax to one part tallow. I'm making another batch soon, I like to document the softer CS lube.

**threepdr** · 09-25-2019

Originally Posted by John Holland

BUT....I don't shoot in the Deep South in the Summer, either, where it would probably melt out of the base & rings before I could get a shot off!

John, you are very correct. Crisco is a winter only lube in the Deep South!

**PoorJack** · 09-25-2019

In my experiments with MY guns, Crisco runs second to lard for accuracy. Others may have good results with it and it is pretty much a standard in most black powder shooting circles. One of my team members uses it on his musketoon with great results. In my PH musketoon and 2 band, lard won hands down with groups in the sub 2moa range. Crisco was in the 3+moa range, still good enough for skimirshing, but if sub 2moa is available, that's where I'm going. I guess it's probably the collection of all the variables and how they interact. Bottom line is you have to experiment with your stuff, keep records, change one variable at the time and retest. Yes it's time consuming but a day at the range is often more pleasant than a day at the office.

So in the Scout project this summer, I ran a Zouave musket for over 50 rounds straight without wiping during one of the open shoots. During this shoot, one kid was shooting the chains on the gongs and hitting with that musket. Bullet was Hogdon sized to .579 lubed with beeswax/lard, nothing in base. 50+ shots with accuracy, I'm afraid I'm not so enthusiastic about Crisco anymore. Not to say I won't try it again if I have to work up another musket/load combination.

**Carolina Reb** · 09-26-2019

Mallet's formula is reported in Maurice Melton's Emory University 1978 doctoral thesis "Major Military Industries of the Confederate Government", p 323. This paper has a lot of detailed information on Confederate ordnance operations and ammunition.

**threepdr** · 09-26-2019

Originally Posted by Carolina Reb

Mallet's formula is reported in Maurice Melton's Emory University 1978 doctoral thesis "Major Military Industries of the Confederate Government", p 323. This paper has a lot of detailed information on Confederate ordnance operations and ammunition.

Thanks Reb!

**Bruce Cobb 1723V** · 09-27-2019

I see this as great information to help give everyone different ways of improving our shooting. We already know every gun shoots different. Its all trial and error! Shooters of the past found this out for themselves. One was Pope! I'm sure you have heard of him.