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View Full Version : your favorite lubes ????



buck1
06-04-2005, 01:07 PM
Howdee guys! Not long ago I had my first intrest in casting. I read ALL I could find, asked soooo many questions I was a pain I'm sure. Even though I havent been doing it very long I dove in head first with a unnatural hunger and never looked back!!
You guys and others have me casting like theres no tomorrow! :) I now have a dozen molds, 2 lube sizers,2 big melting pots with burners, a ladle pot, 3 bottom pour furnaces, about a ton and a half in WW ingots, and Lots of felix lube...etc, etc...
I was told by Leftover about Felixes wonderfull lube early on and have been useing it in everything with good results. But I am wondering about other lubes as well. I have used LBTs blue , and NRA 50/50 some.

My question is what lube do YOU use for what bullets under what conditions??
I know we all have favorites for certain conditions. Whats yours?? ....Buck

Junior1942
06-04-2005, 02:27 PM
I use Lee Liquid Alox and an easy to make homemade lube I call 411. It's 4 parts beeswax, 1 part Dextron ATF, and 1 part lithium auto grease. Any bullet I can shoot as-cast or sized in a Lee sizing die gets LLA, usually two coats. Any bullet I run through my 450 Lube/Sizer gets 411 lube because that's what's in the reservoir. Both lubes work just fine to ~1900 fps which is as fast as I go.

jh45gun
06-04-2005, 02:36 PM
I guess I would have to agree with Junior that Lee Liquid Alox is good stuff and since I only use Lee sizers I use the LLA all the time for my lubing needs except for when I lube conicals for muzzle loaders there I use a mixture of beeswax and bore butter. Jim

seagiant
06-04-2005, 02:37 PM
Hi Buck,
I wanted to make my own lube because it bothered me to pay so much for a little 2or 4 oz. stik. However I didn't really want a complicated receipe or something with ingredients I had to take days to gather. I'm gone from home for spells and when I get home things are jumpin!
Anyway I happened to come across some excellent articles at the Los Angeles Gun Club by Glen Fryxell. In some of these articles he mentiond his lube made of a 50/50 mix of moly grease and beeswax. I made some up and it was a little soft for Florida so I added a little parafin and everything was fine. This has been my pistol lube and the fastest thing I've used it in was some 357 mag. shooting a RCBS 38-150 K-SWC and after a 100 rounds not the first sign of leading so I would think this is probably my pistol lube anyway! Here's a link to the articles!


http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm


So..."How's your digestion now?

Angel Eyes








http://www.lasc.us/ArticlesFryxell.htm

Buckshot
06-04-2005, 09:55 PM
...........All bore rider slugs get Tumble lubed, and then run through a Lube-sizer with Javalina.

Will on occasion shoost peestol boolits with just Tumble Lube. Target loads, mild plinkers.

Every now and then I will use the heated Lube-Sizer with AnthonyB's BGHL (Booger Green Heat Loobe) I have no idea what it is or who made it, but it has picked up the slack where Javalina has failed.

But a solid 90% is just Javalina (NRA 50/50). Most my shooting is moderate+ type speeds. Like rifles at 1500 - 1800 and peestol stuff is like 750 fps to maybe 1200 fps depending upon the caliber.

...............Buckshot

Bullshop
06-04-2005, 11:07 PM
After you have strived for perfection in your castings why would anyone use anything less than the best. Thats why I use Bull Shop Speed Green lube for all my smokless powder loads. And when it comes to loading black powder in cartridges I use Bull Shop #2 lube the winners choice. BTW I also shoot Bull Shop Boolits, might as well have the best!
( This has been a paid ( bartered in boolits) advertisment brought to you by Bull Shop industries, maker of the world famous Bull Bash boolits. WARNING --- not for the faint of heart!
BIC/BC

X-man
06-05-2005, 03:08 AM
All I use is FWFL. I just tweak the recipe, as needed, depending on what I'm casting and how fast I'll be shooting it. Frankly haven't seen the need to buy commercial lubes when Felix's gets the job done.

Lee W
06-05-2005, 07:43 AM
I tried FWFL and found it melted too low for me. (Now I have about 20 lbs of beeswax for flux.)
Now I use Rooster labs HVR for 45 auto. It's semi soft and it melts at 220f. It needs heat to flow properly but not much.

KCSO
06-05-2005, 09:57 AM
Since a good majority of my shooting is with black powder my main lube is Bees wax and bear oil. I have a summer lube and a winter lube and the only difference is the summer lube is a little higher on beeswax. This is like SPG. I supply the bullets for a freinds annual bear hunt and he brings me back a cooler of bear fat for rendering for Bear oil and bear grease. (Makes superior pie crusts too) For bullets that I want to push over 1600 FPS I first tumble lube the bullet in Lee liquid allox and then lube with the bear oil lube. The last time I made up lube I put up 4 coffee cans full and that translates into a big batch of cast bullets. I have, over the years used most commercial lubes and generaly fell back on NRA formula or Lyman lube. Rooster Red has worked for some higher velocity loads. This may be heresy, but I seem to find that if the Bullet fits the specific lube is not that important as long as it will hold up to the velocity. Black powder demands a natural lube that will keep the fouling soft. My grandfather used Sperm Oil and beeswax and Ned Roberts used Bear oil. If I could hunt whales I would still be using Sperm oil. I have tried JoJoba and was not satisfied with it in warm weather.

StarMetal
06-05-2005, 10:08 AM
aaaah, I'll just stick with my own GreenStar lube, after all the proof is in the pudding. For low velocity loads you can't beat Javelina, like buckshot said.

Joe

locutus
06-05-2005, 03:20 PM
For many years I used the NRA 50/50 formula. (usually Javelina) for everything. Not very satisfactory, IMHO. Billowing clouds of smoke when fired and sticky to the touch when reloading. A few years ago, I discovered Rooster Zambini Red. :-P :-P :-P

I haven't used it for rifle loads yet, but for pistol loads- 800 fps to 1700 fps, it's the best I've ever tried. It dries hard and slick and the boolits can be handled/stored without worry of it running or coming out of the grooves.

I intend to try Rooster HVR soon for rifle loads.

fecmech
06-05-2005, 08:28 PM
I too like the hard lubes, Rooster zambini, hvr and TonyB's gbl. Handgun target thru magnum loads and .357 rifle to 1600fps. Buckshot--I think Tony's lube is Magma's green lube, they sell it for $10/lb in sticks that fit the Star sizer. Nick

Jumptrap
06-05-2005, 09:14 PM
I haven't tried many lubes, but everything I did try, paled in comparison to Felix lube. I have made several batches, each some different....one using a synthetic oil I cobbed at the railroad. What I find strange, is the fact that many mention Felix being too soft.....that's easily fixed. You can make it soft as warm butter or hard as hell if you want too. AS I never have tried shooting at velo's beyond 2200 or so, Felix lube has performed admirably. Buying the components has been difficult for some, but I never had any trouble doing that either. I never sat down and computed the cost, because I didn't care. My shooting has slowed to a slow drip over the last couple of years due to obligations more important. But, that will change when the kids start school. I make small batch of Felix and just pour it in the luber and let it cool in the reservoir. All my lube comes out a sick looking turd brown color, but so what. It performs as advertised and I can't see ever buying any lube.

buck1
06-05-2005, 09:51 PM
I have seen in the Redding catalouge, but never heard any reports on the SAECO lubes. Any feedback on them? ...Buck