Ballistol Sub.

catken

New member
Is there another product that is basically the same as Ballistol which is easier to find say like at Cabelas. Ken
 
Butch's Bore Shine is quite similar and is sold at Cabela's.

What are you using it for, a cleaner or anti-rust storage protection?

I used to use Ballistol for both, but have switched to plain water for cleaning and Birchwood Casey's Barricade for anti-rust storage.
 
Since I think it is such a fantastic product I think it is well worth mail order PITA - at least IO avoid the 8.75% sales tax here. I get it from Midway USA or directly from manufacturer site. Worth the "trouble."
 
Dixie Gun Works in Tenn. sells "Old Slikum" that I like. For patch lube....a drop or two on the arbor of a cap&baller when it gets a little fouled/sticky rotation.
I'd say maybe that "yellow stuff" Bore Butter/Wonder Lube/ect.ect. may be a good replacememnt for Ballistol since the Wonder Lube yellow stuff is good to avoid rust and works as a good patch lube/barrel cleaner/addition to lube pills/cover the balls over in cap&ballers/ ect.ect.
Not as good of a cleaner as soapy water but has it's merits if you don't want to put your gun in water. Slobberr it up with Wonder Lube yellow stuff and wipe it all off and out of all the crannies and cavities with Q-tips and pipe cleaners and patches and jags and all.
That yellow lube is a better patch lube than Ballistol I think and a good anti rust protector even though I wouldn't say it's a long term storage product. They always said to use it in a barrel and never use anything else especially "oil/grease.
What's so good about Ballistol? Not downing it.....just asking for opinions. What do most use it for primarily? Cleaner? Rust protector? Shooting lube? Poison ivy? Scratches and small cuts and scraps? Smokelss powder bore cleaner? Add to your lube pills(grease cookies)?
 
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I don't shoot black powder so I can't comment on that use but I like it because it can be used on every part of a gun/accessory, metal, wood, plastic, leather and will not hurt, but in fact benefit the part in question. Also, it is not toxic and as you mentioned in a funny way, it is about as "universal" as a product can get. Cleans, lubricates and protects..............without all the harsh/dangerous chemicals
 
The smell of Ballistol almost makes me sick, but I still use the darn stuff because as others have said you can use it for litterally everything. I like the fact that I know it's eliminating corrosive salts after I shoot corrosive ammo. I like cleaning black powder guns with it vs. water which has always made me queasy. If you wet a bore with it for storage/corrosion protection, the next time you go to shoot and run a patch through the bore to clean it out for shooting the patch will come out green so I know that it's helping to cut back copper fouling.

I still use Hoppes and other products for brushing bores/removing lead etc., but Ballistol can be the only product many folks would ever need for gun maintenance.

Regards,
Oly
 
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