Graphite lubing?

[Gorgeous Gun Nut]

I'm starting to get into competition shooting a little, and I just ordered a 200 grain SWC .45 bullet mold. We are trying out some different lubes and I wanted to know what other people like. So far we have used a 50/50 paraffin/beeswax lube, but we have to do a lot of work to get it so they don't jam
Now we are getting ready to try graphite on the 9mm and a thin layer of the 50/50 then coated with graphite. What do you say? I want to find the best way to go about it that is both cost and time effective. Thanks
GGN

 

[snuffy]

You don't say how you're applying it, but paraffin and beeswax are not very good lead bullet lubes. The graphite will make it less sticky, but won't add much to the lubricity.

I used NRA formula 50/50- tamarack for years on handgun stuff. That's 50% beeswax, 50% alox. I also used lee LLA, or lee liquid alox for the same applications. Don't fooled that it can't be used for standard lube groove bullets, it certainly can.

Now, I've switched to carnuba red or sometimes called lars red. You can get it here;
http://www.lsstuff.com/lube

It requires a heater when used in a lubrisizer like the Lyman 450 or RCBS. That makes it nearly non-sticky and stable at summer heat. A shiny bullet with red in the lube grooves looks real nice!

 

[Walkalong]

Those are purty snuffy.

Yep, having to heat the lubrisizer adds to it, but the results are nice.

 

[Quoheleth]

Hey, Snuffy - not to hijack a thread, but can you tell us about those bullets? That HP looks pretty nasty (in a good way).

Q

 

[rcmodel]

Lyman Ideal lube is graphite based, and is most excellent for handgun bullets.
I used it for about 45 years.

But I have pretty much switched over to Lee Alox/Beeswax sticks.
I bought a case of it at a garage sale for $5 bucks, and that was reason enough to switch.

Alox has proven over time to be the best bullet lube you can get in high-velocity rifle applications.

Here is a good read on bullet lubes:
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/bullet_lubes.htm

As for using powdered graphite on pre-lubed bullets?
Sounds like a huge and unecessary mess to me!

It isn't needed if the bullet lube is doing it's job like it should.

rc

 

[snuffy]

Hey, Snuffy - not to hijack a thread, but can you tell us about those bullets? That HP looks pretty nasty (in a good way).

Q

Ya musta missed it when I posted it last Friday------- 500 S&W mag grand canyon 700 grain,(when cast as a solid).

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=580446

Those are purty snuffy.

Yep, having to heat the lubrisizer adds to it, but the results are nice.

Yeah, I just can't be-bop back to the man cave and start sizing. Hafta plan ahead to turn on the heater at least a half hour ahead of time. I dropped the javelina or was it tamarack I was using---Had to go look, it was javelina 50-50,(still got a couple sticks left).

Ever change lubes in a 450 Lyman sizer???:banghead: Not something I want to do very often. Getting every last bit of lube out requires the entire lubber must take a hot bath in boiling water. The old lube makes good flux for the lead pot.

 

[rcmodel]

I use an industrial strength heat gun and melt it out!

Except for a little inside the lube channels it mostly comes out pretty good.

PS: I forgot to add a while ago that the Green RCBS lube smells better then anything else I have used!

rc

 

[PO2Hammer]

Powdered mica is another dry lube alternative.
I roll swaged Hornady bullets in it in some of my leading prone guns, helps.

 

[ranger335v]

The experts of the NRA reported experiments with lots of bullet lubes and formulas in the mid 60s. They found the Alox:beeswax mixture to be best then and I suspect it still is. They also found that parafin and other petroleum lubes were fair to poor. They didn't care much for graphite either, IIRC.

Like RC, once I got the NRA formula and melted the old Lyman black stuff out I have never looked back. If I get leading it's not the lubes fault.

 

[EddieNFL]

Ever change lubes in a 450 Lyman sizer??? Not something I want to do very often. Getting every last bit of lube out requires the entire lubber must take a hot bath in boiling water.

Two sizers. I'm lazy.