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What is Moose Milk?


Buffalo Creek Law Dog

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Shooters keep referring to using Moose Milk for cleaning guns. Is this store bought stuff or, some home made concoction. It seems like a lot of people swear by it. I would like to try it.

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Hey BCLD:

A mixture of water-soluble oil and water.

Cleans the fouling and leaves the oil behind when the water evaporates.

I usually use 70 - 80% water and 20-30% Ballistol

 

I just eyeball it in a squirt bottle.

Shake it uo & you get a milky consistency.

--Dawg

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...every Blackpowder shooter probably has their own recipe:

 

The cleaning process:

 

1. disassemble each gun

2. have the 1 gallon electric hot water heater on, and bring to full rolling boil

3. (note that this is done in Ms. Mary Matilda's kitchen sink) pour that really hot water all over each part of the each gun (one gun at a time) and place in the hot water in the sink

4. remove the gun parts and quickly go to the garage and liberally spray all parts with Moose Milk (parts are still hot to the touch) the moose milk spray prevents flash rust from forming.

5. then wipe down with a rag that has been sprayed with Ballistol.

6. assemble each gun

7. clean Ms. Mary Matilda's sink when done... (she shoots Frontier Cartridge as well)

Moose Milk = 1/3 Murphy's oil, 1/3 alcohol, and 1/3 water...

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Moose milk is Ballistol and water

 

PAM is Murphys oil soap, rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. If you don't make it up fresh, just substitute water for peroxide.

 

It's the soap and water that do most of the work, the alcohol helps get any grease film off that the soap won't touch and help it dry faster.

 

Good luck, GJ

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...every Blackpowder shooter probably has their own recipe:

 

Moose Milk = 1/3 Murphy's oil, 1/3 alcohol, and 1/3 water...

What Garison Joe said "Moose milk is Ballistol and water". The one I prefer is Murphy's Mix = 1/3 Murphy's oil, 1/3 alcohol, and 1/3 hydrogen peroxide. The Murphy's oil soap leaves behind a protective coat after the alcohol flash dries. Then I spray, wipe and patch with Ballistol or Rem Oil...etc...etc. I've tried Moose Milk ( Ballistol and water) and several other home recipes.......but I always went back to the Murphy's Mix ;) Good Luck :)

 

Jefro :ph34r: Relax-Enjoy

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DELETE

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It's a cheap vegetable based cutting oil, that when mixed with water turns white and looks like milk.

The stuff will/does go rancid and STINKS.

Lot better stuff out there to clean gunz with than that crap.

Try Eezox for one.

OLG

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Well, its turn the wolf loose but listen! That peroxide is a strong oxidizer! Yeah, you might get by cleaning up an already barrel but try it in one that has a little or lot of pitting and you'll find out real quick what will eventually happen.

 

I know....you've used it for years with good results and no problem. Well, I used it too about 35 yrs ago for muzzleloaders until taught the error of my ways. Don't believe me? Show me one BPC or Muzzleloader shooter that shoots competitively that uses the stuff....you'll get the deer in the headlight look pretty quick.

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I use it during the match when I want to get fouling build-up out of the gun.

 

I don't use it at the end of the day to clean.

 

I use soapy water for that.

 

But a little spray bottle of moose milk in my kit has saved the day for me and many other shooters during a match.

--Dawg

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That peroxide is a strong oxidizer! Yeah, you might get by cleaning up an already barrel but try it in one that has a little or lot of pitting and you'll find out real quick what will eventually happen.

Horsefeathers!

 

Drugstore Hydrogen Per Oxide is only about 3% per oxide, the rest is water. Dilute it down by 1/3 with the other two ingredients, and you wind up with a concentration of 1% Hydrogen Per Oxide. That ain't going to oxidize anything! Yes, I have been using it for years. I would hardly call a solution that includes 1% Per Oxide a strong oxidizer. It ain't like we are using it as rocket fuel like in the V1, which had a much, much higher concentration.

 

And yes, I use it on +100 year old pitted barrels all the time.

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I use it during the match when I want to get fouling build-up out of the gun.

 

I don't use it at the end of the day to clean.

 

I use soapy water for that.

 

But a little spray bottle of moose milk in my kit has saved the day for me and many other shooters during a match.

--Dawg

PAM will work better for use during a match. ;)

OLG

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Horsefeathers!

 

Drugstore Hydrogen Per Oxide is only about 3% per oxide, the rest is water. Dilute it down by 1/3 with the other two ingredients, and you wind up with a concentration of 1% Hydrogen Per Oxide. That ain't going to oxidize anything! Yes, I have been using it for years. I would hardly call a solution that includes 1% Per Oxide a strong oxidizer. It ain't like we are using it as rocket fuel like in the V1, which had a much, much higher concentration.

 

And yes, I use it on +100 year old pitted barrels all the time.

I'll let you fellers play with it then.
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Personally I've had excellent results with hot soapy water then dry the spray liberly with Amsoil mp after the first few treatments it will get easier to clean as the mp bonds with the metal and lifts out all the contaminants

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I tried to get some in Alaska, but I couldn't, the cow moose would not stand still.

It's a brave man that gets his Moose Milk like that!

 

LOL!

 

 

Frenchy

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Even with Hershey's syrup it tastes terrible! :P

 

I always preferred the Murphy's mix myself, cheaper too!

 

1 part Murphy's oil soap, 1 part hydrogen peroxide, 1 part alcohol

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I like the Ballistol mix for my Moose Milk. I use the 2 oz of Ballistol mixed with 14 oz of water.

I have tried higher concentrations but it tends to separate more and requires shaking up from time to

time. The good things about Ballistol is that it also will work on any wounds that you may have and

you may use it to clean and treat your leather gear. A good all around product to have on hand.

The other mixes can cause some problems with your metal over time as Yellowhouse Sam alluded to.

To each his own though, but I'll stick with the original Moose Milk.

As far as Eezox goes, it's the best lube that you can use on your gun after cleaning. Look for EEzox

testing posted by my friend John Boy. His results caused me to become a convinced user about 6 years

ago.Later David

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I like the Ballistol mix for my Moose Milk. I use the 2 oz of Ballistol mixed with 14 oz of water.

I have tried higher concentrations but it tends to separate more and requires shaking up from time to

time. The good things about Ballistol is that it also will work on any wounds that you may have and

you may use it to clean and treat your leather gear. A good all around product to have on hand.

The other mixes can cause some problems with your metal over time as Yellowhouse Sam alluded to.

To each his own though, but I'll stick with the original Moose Milk.

As far as Eezox goes, it's the best lube that you can use on your gun after cleaning. Look for EEzox

testing posted by my friend John Boy. His results caused me to become a convinced user about 6 years

ago.Later David

I finally gave up trying to find Eezox and ordered it. The tests John Boy previously were impressive and I've been looking for a supplement to Ballistol. While the latter is good its lacking in rust prevention and lube characteristics. I can attest that is an excellent burn ointment. Fried my hand on a wood stove and having nothing else applied it. It didn't even blister up and healed relatively quickly.

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Thanks for the info guys. I have ballistol, so I will try that mixture.

 

Thanks for you time.

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You do realize that Moose Milk and Murphy's Mix are solvents for cleaning Black Powder residue, correct? Not very useful on Smokeless powder fouling.

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When I shoot BP it's full case .45's of real black mostly. At a recent state bp match I used the Murphy's oil mix and really liked how it performed. Easy and cheap to make. Smells good too.

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Nothing to add on moose milk. I use the ballistol and water mix for swabbing muzzle loaders between shots and cleaning external surfaces after the shoot.

 

For cleaning the barrel, soapy water works best. I'll usually mix Simple Green and water for this chore. Stick a tooth pick in the touch hole (or nipple), fill the barrel and let it soak for about 30 minutes, dump and then run dry patches through the bore until they come out clean, oil and it's done. During the 30 minute soaking is a good time to clean the locks, smoke a cigar and plan out your next shooting day.

 

Another thing I've used with good results is the blue windshield washer fluid. It's basically water, some type of detergent/soap and alcohol. Works pretty good too and is dirt cheap.

 

GS.

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The thing about using water is that if it's not all removed then we know what water produces when mixed with steel. No thanks!!

I will tell you that Ballistol was developed by the Germans for use in WW1 and it was issued to all

troops.

I will also have to disagree about it not having any lube qualities. I have saved many a SASS shooter

by applying some spray Ballistol to his stuck gun at matches. As far as rust prevention, I've already stated that I use only EEZOX for that purpose.

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Another vote for Moose Milk made with Ballistol and water for carrying to a match. On those hot, dry days when the action gets sticky or you want a quick bore swab - this is the stuff that saves the day. Liberal application will get you back on track. Murphy's mix or Simple Green on the road, but hot water is best, for gun cleaning at home. Ballistol for short term storage, Gunzilla for anything else. Might need to switch to Eezox if I can't find a source for Gunzilla.

 

CR

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On the range I use Ballastol and water.

At home I clean with hot water and dishsoap then spery with Ballastol and blow out guns

with air compressor .

Wipe with rag and put away till next time :-)

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  • 4 weeks later...

My recipe for "moose milk" is the bore cleaner i have (circa 1943 ) and water its milky white ( posionious materials mixed with water turn milky) I use this (it happens to be corrosive bore cleaner) use it then followed by water water and more clean water patch dry then a lubricant ,

Okiepan

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When I shoot BP it's full case .45's of real black mostly. At a recent state bp match I used the Murphy's oil mix and really liked how it performed. Easy and cheap to make. Smells good too.

Double with Deuce for Murphy's Oil!

 

Then use Eezox , after cleaning, for all metal surfaces, except Bore Butter in bores.

 

Eezox by the quart on eBay for $50, will last for years, and get an atomizer spray bottle to apply. My atomizer is an empty eye glass cleaner spray bottle.

 

Still can't see the missed targets, dang spotters must have emptied my glass cleaner bottle!!!

 

AR

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