Bullet Lube?

[ottsm]

I have several bullet molds for my ROA that have lubricating grooves. I have used my Lyman lube sizer to lubricate these bullets. The bullets are .454 and the sizer I use is .457 so I'm not actually doing any sizing. The issue is the type of lube, it's standard lube used for rifle bullets (alox). It's rather stiff so it doesn't melt but I'm not sure it's what should be used in black powder applications. Also because it's rather stiff, pushing the bullet down the sizer does slightly deform the soft lead. For my round balls I use a wad with bees wax and lamb tallow. Sometimes I use them for the conical bullets also.
Is it worth adding the lube to the grooves, it does offer a seal? If so is the standard alox bullet lube OK in this application or is it geared toward higher velocity applications?

 

[damoc]

I realy dont know for all my bullet moulds i just use pure beeswax but wish i could get more into those grooves easily.

 

[EljaySL]

I've been using bees wax + tallow for black powder 45 Colt rounds and for conicals in a 1858 and it works just fine. I'm not sure how critical it is but probably good to get some goo in there to keep fouling soft, help with the seal a bit, etc. etc. I wouldn't use any lube intended for smokeless.

To apply I was just rubbing the rounds on the block of the stuff for a while, which was effective but slow. More recently I put a bunch of bullets in a tray, poured in my melted mix to cover the grooves, let it cool, popped the rounds out and they were mostly lubed. I did do a little touch up after - I think next time my mix should be a little hotter to get better fill.

 

[damoc]

yep for on top of all my cap and ball loads i use a mix of beeswax and lard
even on top of my BP 45 colt loads but for bullets i still stick to just beeswax
mainly because im worried about heat melting the lube and slowing/restricting the black powder

 

[goon]

I was wondering about this myself. Someone gave me an ancient can of vegetable shortening. I checked the ingredients and it doesn't have salt in it, so I was wondering if it could be mixed with something to work as a BP lube. Alone it will be too runny on a warm or hot day, but mixed with something to thicken it up...?

Anyone got any ideas on this?

 

[ottsm]

I can see the buffaloarms sells a hollow stick of a lube called DGL. Never used it but it looks like tallow and bees wax but can fit in a sizer. I might just try and pan lube using the same mix of lamb tallow and bees wax that I use for my wads (Mike Beliveau's recipe). Might add more bees wax to the mix to stiffen it up a bit more.

 

[EljaySL]

@goon you can make an endless variety of different lubes with different melting points by mixing some ratio of beeswax to some random fat. I do 50/50 wax and olive oil and 50/50 wax and mutton tallow. The olive oil gets kind of messy on a hot day but would be better in the cold. You can use different fats, different ratios, whatever. Just find something that works for you, it's not rocket science. Just avoid the salt as you've already indicated, otherwise we'd all use bacon fat just for the smell.

 

[goon]

So would beeswax thicken it up? What else would work?
I'm trying to work my way into a flintlock right now. If I can figure something out, I'll be in BP lube for pretty much the rest of my life and so will all my friends.
A can of this stuff mixed 50-50 with something else is gonna be a lot of lube!

 

[EljaySL]

Beeswax is the classic. Some people use paraffin wax but I'm not sure if you can use it straight or if you have to blend it. I'm sure somebody will chime in with a recipe or two.

Beeswax is pretty easy to get - you can ask anybody who sells honey or you can just order it on Amazon.

 

[BowerR64]

They have bees wax at walmart ive seen it in the pharmacy section.

I was looking for something for cleaning cuts or wounds and it was in the same isle. I think maybe women rub it on their face or skin or something?

 

[Prairie Dawg]

If you shoot it much Without a good BP lube, you will get a hard fouling ring in the barrel and accuracy will go to hell.

If you don't wanna lube, use APP or 777.

Here's a coupla links to lotsa lube recipes and a pan lubing article.

--Dawg

http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=450.0

http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=301.0

 

[Missionary]

Good morning
For BP do not use petrolium based ingrediants. Petrolium will "mix" with the fouling and under the heat and pressure form a hard crust. Not good.
Vegetable oils or animal plus beeswax will work fine.
I make my own lube using beeswax and oilive oil. In hot weather I use a bit more beeswax.
If you want to use a luber machine you can get a heating element to "warm" the machine to ease lube passage. I use a magnetic engine block warmer I got years ago at a Tractor and Farm supply store. But any item with a heating core in it will work. You only need to raise the temp of the lubrisizer 30 or more degrees.
Mike in Peru

 

[rodinal220]

“Gatofeo No. 1 Lubricant!!”

1 part canning paraffin, 1 part mutton tallow and 1/2 part real beeswax.

 

[rodwha]

I use that on my Old Army bullets as well.

I poured the remainder into SWMBOs soap mold and made a small block, which I then cut into smaller blocks and hand lube my bullets.

 

[Patocazador]

Lyman makes a stick lube similar to an ALOX tube called "Black Powder Gold". I've used it by rubbing it on the bullets since I don't have a sizer/lubricator.