Another Ballistol Question ??

Pahoo · May 23, 2013, 02:18 PM

I've been using Ballistol for about the past two years and mostly on M/L's. My current mix is a 3 to 1 ratio. It still seems to be a little rich. Wanting to use it on my modern long guns. ....

What ratios would you suggest or use? I'd even like to be able to use a hand sprayer. Any and all input will be appreciated. Also, we have some very hard water so I've also been using distilled water. What say you guys ....

Thanks and;
Be Safe !!!

bn12gg · May 23, 2013, 03:49 PM

Ballistol I use straight. I use the hand sprayer on a quart of liquid Ballistol. I don't over do it -- a little goes along way on a cloth rag over the barrels and stock of all my guns, bp or not. I live in Florida so I like its' properties that fight water and humidity. I use it to finish off a clean up on a couple muzzleloaders and a bp revolver. It's a nice finishing touch cleaning up shotguns and target 22's. Also, I use it on the hull of my boat.

.02

David

Fingers McGee · May 23, 2013, 06:16 PM

What bn12gg said. I use the canned aerosol or hand pump spray.

mykeal · May 23, 2013, 07:29 PM

Yep. 1:1 as a cleaner and rust preventative. Anywhere from 5:1 to 9:1 water:Ballistol, then dried, as a patch lube.

royal barnes · May 23, 2013, 07:32 PM

I use a garden spray bottle with about 8 to 2 mix of water and Ballistol. I use full strength for lubing and wiping down.

buffalo · May 23, 2013, 08:32 PM

I use it straight with no mixing,works great with the Florida salt air that wants to rust and corrode everything.

Hellgate · May 23, 2013, 11:31 PM

I mainly use it as a moose milk cleaning solution with a touch of Dawn added to make it more crud cutting. I find that it doesn't want to dissolve completely even at a 10% mix. When I put 100cc in a 1000 ml bottle and shake it up I get a nice milk but after letting it sit a while there is always a layer of oil on the top. The milk is more like a 1:20 mix oil:water. So I don't know how you guys are getting a 1:3 (or whatever) water mix. Mine will not homogenize beyond about 1:20 mix. I'v tried adding alcohol and detergents to no avail to get a more concentrated emulsion/suspension/mix.

I have found that upon exposure to air the straight Ballistol will gel a bit and form a sludge rather than stay as an oil. I suspect there is either a volitile fraction that evaporates and leaves a thickened residue or some component of the Ballistol becomes oxidized and forms the thicker sludge (like on the shoulders of a plastic squeeze bottle of the straight oil). I use other oils for lube & rust prevention since they stay oily.

kwhi43 · May 24, 2013, 03:48 AM

I use a machinist water souable cutting oil. Mix it 10% with water for a patch
Lube for a new barrel or a rough barrel. Mix it 5% for a used barrel or a good
Custom barrel. That is 2oz of oil to 32 oz water. If a gun won't shoot with this
Lube, it won't shoot with anything. This from a custom barrel maker. This lube
Dominated the Nationals for bench matches before the Teflon patch came around. It's all I shoot in all of my single shot pistols. I do use Teflon in the
Rifles.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · May 24, 2013, 08:46 AM

I seldom deviate from what is written on its can concerning its use. I don't really know what all goes into making the stuff. All I know is it works well for my applications. Ballistol does have an unusual odor though. [stinks] Something I wouldn't intentionally rub on/over my deer rifles barrel or wooden stock prior to a hunt. (especially so if I'm intending to walk the forest floor for my deer. Nope no way!!)

S/S

101combatvet · May 24, 2013, 10:11 AM

I only use it on a BP pistol. I spray down at the range. When I get home I disassemble and wipe off until dry... this includes patches down the barrel and the cylinder. Spray again and let soak in. After about an hour I wipe everything off... patch barrel and cylinder. I then apply a coat of Eezox on all surfaces, run a patch down the barrel and cylinders. The next day I wipe dry. Run a little bore butter in the barrel, cylinders and on the base pin.

I tried rinsing Ballistol once with water and notice rust the next day. I will not use water again.

woodnbow · May 24, 2013, 10:50 AM

"I use a machinist water souable cutting oil. Mix it 10% with water for a patch
Lube for a new barrel or a rough barrel. Mix it 5% for a used barrel or a good
Custom barrel. That is 2oz of oil to 32 oz water. If a gun won't shoot with this
Lube, it won't shoot with anything. This from a custom barrel maker. This lube
Dominated the Nationals for bench matches before the Teflon patch came around. It's all I shoot in all of my single shot pistols. I do use Teflon in the
Rifles. "

This ^^^ I learned of this stuff years ago, we called it Moose Milk.

kwhi43 · May 24, 2013, 11:03 AM

That is correct. What I wrote I learned 43 years ago.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · May 24, 2013, 12:11 PM

[email protected]: I hear the words "moose milk" used allot around these threads. Is Ballistol used by machinist for that purpose? (as a water soluble cutting oil)

thanks,

S/S

kwhi43 · May 24, 2013, 12:49 PM

I hate to show my ignorance , but I have never used Ballistol. I really don't
Know what it is. The cutting oil I use comes in white or blue. Yes, we used to
Call it "Moose Milk". You used to be able to buy it under that name. I used to
Make up the 5% solution and sell it at shoots under the name "Blue Magic"

Pahoo · May 24, 2013, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Yes, we used to Call it "Moose Milk".

Again, years ago, we mixed up some "Moose Milk" but it did not have any Ballistol in it. You can find the recipe for it, on the internet. ....

Have to comment that I have looked on the internet for the mixing information and you guys have provided more information, from your experience than what I was able to find. You guys are good ......

Thanks and;
Be Safe !!!

mykeal · May 24, 2013, 07:31 PM

Ballistol is not "moose milk", nor is it cutting oil, but it's very similar to both, in a group of compounds that could be called mineral oils.

They are the basis of Dutch Schoultz's Muzzleloading Rifle Accuracy System; he initially used the term "water soluble oil" but more recently he simply says Ballistol and notes that "machine tool cutting oil" will also work.

Personally, I'd probably be using Gatofeo's moose milk recipe because it clearly works well, except that I'm lazy and found that Ballistol worked for me and saved me the effort of mixing it up.

May 23, 2013, 02:18 PM	#1
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	Another Ballistol Question ?? I've been using Ballistol for about the past two years and mostly on M/L's. My current mix is a 3 to 1 ratio. It still seems to be a little rich. Wanting to use it on my modern long guns. .... What ratios would you suggest or use? I'd even like to be able to use a hand sprayer. Any and all input will be appreciated. Also, we have some very hard water so I've also been using distilled water. What say you guys .... Thanks and; Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

May 23, 2013, 06:16 PM	#3
Fingers McGee Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2008 Location: High & Dry in Missouri Ozarks Posts: 2,113	What bn12gg said. I use the canned aerosol or hand pump spray. __________________ Fingers (Show Me MO smoke) McGee - AKA Man of Many Colts - Alter ego of Diabolical Ken; SASS Regulator 28564-L-TG; Rangemaster and stage writer extraordinaire; Frontiersman, Pistoleer, NRA Endowment Life, NMLRA, SAF, CCRKBA, STORM 327, SV115; Charter member, Central Ozarks Western Shooters Cynic: A blackguard whose faulty vision see things as they are, not as they should be. Ambrose Bierce

May 23, 2013, 11:31 PM	#7
Hellgate Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2010 Location: Orygun Posts: 869	I mainly use it as a moose milk cleaning solution with a touch of Dawn added to make it more crud cutting. I find that it doesn't want to dissolve completely even at a 10% mix. When I put 100cc in a 1000 ml bottle and shake it up I get a nice milk but after letting it sit a while there is always a layer of oil on the top. The milk is more like a 1:20 mix oil:water. So I don't know how you guys are getting a 1:3 (or whatever) water mix. Mine will not homogenize beyond about 1:20 mix. I'v tried adding alcohol and detergents to no avail to get a more concentrated emulsion/suspension/mix. I have found that upon exposure to air the straight Ballistol will gel a bit and form a sludge rather than stay as an oil. I suspect there is either a volitile fraction that evaporates and leaves a thickened residue or some component of the Ballistol becomes oxidized and forms the thicker sludge (like on the shoulders of a plastic squeeze bottle of the straight oil). I use other oils for lube & rust prevention since they stay oily. __________________ With over 15 perCUSSIN' revolvers, I've been called the Imelda Marcos of cap & ball. SASS#3302 (Life), SASS Regulator, NRA (Life), Dirty Gamey Bastards #129 Wolverton Mtn. Peacekeepers (WA), former Orygun Cowboy (Ranger, Posse from Hell)

May 24, 2013, 10:11 AM	#10
101combatvet Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2011 Posts: 667	I only use it on a BP pistol. I spray down at the range. When I get home I disassemble and wipe off until dry... this includes patches down the barrel and the cylinder. Spray again and let soak in. After about an hour I wipe everything off... patch barrel and cylinder. I then apply a coat of Eezox on all surfaces, run a patch down the barrel and cylinders. The next day I wipe dry. Run a little bore butter in the barrel, cylinders and on the base pin. I tried rinsing Ballistol once with water and notice rust the next day. I will not use water again. __________________ Special Operations Combat Veteran Gunsmith, BS, MFA, Competitive Shooter NRA Certified Firearms Instructor [9 Certifications] Last edited by 101combatvet; May 24, 2013 at 11:56 PM.

May 23, 2013, 03:49 PM	#2
bn12gg Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2011 Location: Winter Park, Florida Posts: 470	Ballistol I use straight. I use the hand sprayer on a quart of liquid Ballistol. I don't over do it -- a little goes along way on a cloth rag over the barrels and stock of all my guns, bp or not. I live in Florida so I like its' properties that fight water and humidity. I use it to finish off a clean up on a couple muzzleloaders and a bp revolver. It's a nice finishing touch cleaning up shotguns and target 22's. Also, I use it on the hull of my boat. .02 David

May 23, 2013, 07:29 PM	#4
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	Yep. 1:1 as a cleaner and rust preventative. Anywhere from 5:1 to 9:1 water:Ballistol, then dried, as a patch lube.

May 23, 2013, 07:32 PM	#5
royal barnes Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2012 Location: Wendell, N.C. Posts: 189	I use a garden spray bottle with about 8 to 2 mix of water and Ballistol. I use full strength for lubing and wiping down.

May 23, 2013, 08:32 PM	#6
buffalo Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2009 Location: SW Florida Posts: 103	I use it straight with no mixing,works great with the Florida salt air that wants to rust and corrode everything.

May 24, 2013, 03:48 AM	#8
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	I use a machinist water souable cutting oil. Mix it 10% with water for a patch Lube for a new barrel or a rough barrel. Mix it 5% for a used barrel or a good Custom barrel. That is 2oz of oil to 32 oz water. If a gun won't shoot with this Lube, it won't shoot with anything. This from a custom barrel maker. This lube Dominated the Nationals for bench matches before the Teflon patch came around. It's all I shoot in all of my single shot pistols. I do use Teflon in the Rifles.

May 24, 2013, 08:46 AM	#9
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	I seldom deviate from what is written on its can concerning its use. I don't really know what all goes into making the stuff. All I know is it works well for my applications. Ballistol does have an unusual odor though. [stinks] Something I wouldn't intentionally rub on/over my deer rifles barrel or wooden stock prior to a hunt. (especially so if I'm intending to walk the forest floor for my deer. Nope no way!!) S/S

May 24, 2013, 10:50 AM	#11
woodnbow Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2012 Posts: 190	"I use a machinist water souable cutting oil. Mix it 10% with water for a patch Lube for a new barrel or a rough barrel. Mix it 5% for a used barrel or a good Custom barrel. That is 2oz of oil to 32 oz water. If a gun won't shoot with this Lube, it won't shoot with anything. This from a custom barrel maker. This lube Dominated the Nationals for bench matches before the Teflon patch came around. It's all I shoot in all of my single shot pistols. I do use Teflon in the Rifles. " This ^^^ I learned of this stuff years ago, we called it Moose Milk.

May 24, 2013, 11:03 AM	#12
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	That is correct. What I wrote I learned 43 years ago.

May 24, 2013, 12:11 PM	#13
Sure Shot Mc Gee Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,876	[email protected]: I hear the words "moose milk" used allot around these threads. Is Ballistol used by machinist for that purpose? (as a water soluble cutting oil) thanks, S/S

May 24, 2013, 12:49 PM	#14
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	I hate to show my ignorance , but I have never used Ballistol. I really don't Know what it is. The cutting oil I use comes in white or blue. Yes, we used to Call it "Moose Milk". You used to be able to buy it under that name. I used to Make up the 5% solution and sell it at shoots under the name "Blue Magic"

May 24, 2013, 07:31 PM	#16
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	Ballistol is not "moose milk", nor is it cutting oil, but it's very similar to both, in a group of compounds that could be called mineral oils. They are the basis of Dutch Schoultz's Muzzleloading Rifle Accuracy System; he initially used the term "water soluble oil" but more recently he simply says Ballistol and notes that "machine tool cutting oil" will also work. Personally, I'd probably be using Gatofeo's moose milk recipe because it clearly works well, except that I'm lazy and found that Ballistol worked for me and saved me the effort of mixing it up.