Best coolant?

[RaymondMillbrae]

Me and a bud are going to make some shot this weekend.

I was placed in charge of getting the coolant.

I have an Auto Zone down the street, and was wondering what the best coolant to purchase would be.

I looked around, but I couldn't find a post dedicated to this topic. And I just read about folks using different brands.

Anyone care to chime in?

Thanks in advance.

In Christ: Raymond

[shotman]

if you are going use that, the NO TOX is best dont know brands I think sierra? you will find it heats too quick but can try
Ihave tried all and HYD fluid is best

[RaymondMillbrae]

if you are going use that, the NO TOX is best dont know brands I think sierra? you will find it heats too quick but can try
Ihave tried all and HYD fluid is best

NO TOX meaning non-toxic?

And are you saying that the Sierra antifreeze is a good non-toxic brand?

And lastly, I heard that you WANT the coolant to stay hot/warm in order to not shock the lead as fast.

Any input, shooters...while I try to decypher "Shotman's" feedback.

In Christ: Raymond

[GRS1]

I like to use cheap fabric softener. It works well, smells good, and is easy to wash off the pellets afterwards. Gord

[RaymondMillbrae]

I like to use cheap fabric softener. It works well, smells good, and is easy to wash off the pellets afterwards. Gord

You just roll the freshly-poured/made shot into a bucket of fabric softener?!

Really?

Am I hearing this correctly? (No sarcasm intended).

In Christ: Raymond

[oneokie]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/sear...archid=3239181

[Beagler]

I like to use cheap fabric softener. It works well, smells good, and is easy to wash off the pellets afterwards. Gord

I have a co-worker that uses cheap laundry soap.

[Sitsinhedges]

DOT4 brake fluid is very good but potentialy flammable and toxic not to mention expensive.

I have had a huge amount of success with cheap fabric conditioner and wouldn't use anything else.
If you get the lead too hot it will still burst like popcorn and resemble wire wool balls, you will hear the loud crackles as it hits the fab con and know it needs the temp lowering.

All the fab con does is retard the cooling slightly compared to water to give the pellet a chance to form and solidify slightly more slowly otherwise they tend to freeze outside and remain molten inside which results in the popcorn effect.

[mac1911]

pop corn shot is more directly related to the temp of the lead when dropped and the temp of the coolant.
I use undiluted anti freeze. I find the coolant should stay between 80-125'F for my best shot
I have not used any fabric softner. I have not found it any cheaper than anti freeze.
I have had no problems with anti freeze so I have not bothered with trying anything else.

http://www.trapshooters.com/noframes...hreadid=201209 If you look through these videos I think he covers coolant in one of them

http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t...t=MOV00033.mp4

[myfriendis410]

I originally used brake fluid but absolutely hated to get it on me and it was kind of tough to get off of the shot. Lots of water and soap needed to get it clean.

My favorite is the Sierra non toxic coolant. Run it straight with no water in it. One of my shooting buddies rigged a small electric pump, some copper tubing and a bucket of ice water and rock salt to circulate a heat rejection system into his drop bucket of coolant. It allows him to run non-stop for as long as he needs. Personally my rig will go for about 75 lbs. before I need to dump the shot out so that's just about right.

[bumpo628]

I've read that a lot of people use Sun Laundry detergent.

[shotman]

well as I said several things work, crop oil, anti freeze, soap, but after doing this 10 + years I like the HYD the best . It makes rounder shot and will stay cool longer.
and was asked, NO you dont want the coolent hot . when it to hot for you hand to stay in its too hot
any thing you wash off with water you will have to coat the shot or it will oxidize
I have shot in several 5 gal buckets that is near 10 yrs old and still looks like it was just dropped

[Sitsinhedges]

well as I said several things work, crop oil, anti freeze, soap, but after doing this 10 + years I like the HYD the best . It makes rounder shot and will stay cool longer.
and was asked, NO you dont want the coolent hot . when it to hot for you hand to stay in its too hot
any thing you wash off with water you will have to coat the shot or it will oxidize
I have shot in several 5 gal buckets that is near 10 yrs old and still looks like it was just dropped

What is HYD

[shotman]

hydraulic oil, or transmission fluid works the same
the tranny fluid is free at a transmission shop

[Sitsinhedges]

hydraulic oil, or transmission fluid works the same
the tranny fluid is free at a transmission shop

I understand now

It has been my experience that anything oil based never really gets clean. I started by using an inch of veg oil floating on water. It made great shot but was filthy and even if you washed it in petrol you would still smell the oil burning if it was remelted. It was filthy to handle too and difficult to graphite properly almost as if the oil got into the molten lead as it hardened.

Discovering fab con was a dream after that with a brief rinse in a bowl it was ready to dry and took away about 90% of the finishing work and as a further benefit was neither flammable nor toxic.

[gilesc]

I too use the cheapest fabric softner I can get. Works good!

[barrabruce]

Do you dilute the fabric softener??
After a non flamable coolant.

[Sitsinhedges]

Do you dilute the fabric softener??
After a non flamable coolant.

No you use it neat.

[xringdave]

I've have good luck with brake fluid from wal-mart it was about $10 a gallon when i bought it last.
It's cleans up with warm soapy water.

[jimb16]

I've tried a number of different coolants; brake fluid, pink RV antifreeze, hydraulic fluid, etc... Right now I'm using Sierra Antifreeze. It seems to work better for me than anything else I've tried.