THE best pistol lube for a cheapskate?

[Good Cheer]

Been trying to use one lube for everything for a long time, lubed lead in muzzleloaders, pistol, revolver and rifles. Basically lanolin, olive oil and raw beeswax.
Occasionally some adjunct may go into the batch but I've never figured out what will make LOOB any better. But I have come up with some that are pretty funny.

[osu007]

I don't have a lot of experience, but I used some lee alox. Seemed to work for the 45 acp I loaded. I used it very sparingly, like not even a table spoon in a plastic butter/margarine dish. Only use enough to put a film on the bullet. If the bullet actually turns brown or reddish in color, that is too much. Just put the bullets in the dish, and agitate the dish or roll it. I found that if I put a little alox in the dish, and warmed it in the microwave for 10 seconds, the alox flows or spreads better. Anyway, 1 table spoon was more than enough for 50 bullets, and only takes like 1-2 minutes of agitating/rolling them. I like it. Doesn't smell real good, but that's the way it goes. That's why the made windows that raise up and down.

[MBTcustom]

http://www.lsstuff.com/

OP, these people are friends of mine, and I can vouch for their honesty and the quality of their product. I have made my own lubes for many years, then I used some of mine and some of theirs. Now I am completely 100% sold on WLL products. I have half a shelf of lube making stuff that will probably not be used for quite some time.
White Label is cheap, effective, consistent, they ship fast, and they aren't going anywhere soon.
If you pm me your address, I will send you a sample pack of their lubes as I keep all the options in stock here for people I teach to cast.

[John Guedry]

+1 on the White Label BAC. Great stuff, nice folks.

[chboats]

+1 to the White label. But if you want cheep, I used this for years and it work great.

Barry Darr’s Lube
1 lb Paraffin
1 lb Vaseline
2 tablespoons (30 ml) STP Oil Treatment

Carl

[gloob]

For me LLA is the cheapest stuff, because Lee gives it away with their sizing kits. I think I am good for the next decade with my two free bottles.

I cut it with wax, approximately 50:50. Mostly beeswax and maybe a smidge of parafin. And I don't add any solvents, anymore. I just break it off in chips and melt it over the bullets.

[Dan4570]

Hi,

I am going to say Vigilante Bullet Lube, you can pan lube a slew of bullets with a tub of it, and I have pushed it beyond 1400 fps in a Shiloh Sharps 45-2 4/10 with no ill side effects. and pushed it up around 1,200 in a 9mm. I designed it specifically for Black Powder but it works just fine with that smokeless stuff too...if your into that kind of thing. I do have to say it brfore some asks, No, I do not shoot BP in 9 mm....we are working on making a duplex load.

If your interested, Since I make it/own it. call me and tell me you read my post here, and I'll give you a discount. you can email me at : vigilantebulletlube@gmail.com

Dan

406-593-0332

[fredj338]

I'm also in the make my own camp just to know how. I buy from White Label or Randy Rat here. Both make good bullet lubes that are really affordable.

[myg30]

I also use lubes from WLL's, mostly BAC. It's priced well and as mentioned the folks there are awsome to deal with.
I did make some Bens Red. Had fun doing that too. Then the Ben's LL I think it is called and tumbled regular lube groove boolits with it and had great results.
I like saving money ( being cheep) and really enjoy making my own lubes, boolits and other projects.
Be safe and enjoy.

Mike

[WRideout]

I have a batch of home brew lube that kind of resembles the "pot au feu" the pot that sits on the back of the wood stove, that you keep adding to. Right now it is a mix of unknown proportions of Gulf wax, candle wax, STP, water pump grease (don't even know where you would find that now) Johnson's paste wax, and a very small amount of the red wax off Edam cheese. The cheese wax stiffens it up considerably, and makes it a lot less messy. It takes a very small amount, maybe a few grams. I use my home brew lube in everything up to 357 mag, with little to no leading. I use Lee Liquid Alox, diluted with some mineral spirits for low velocity rifle boolits, and have had no leading with those, either.

Wayne

[goofyoldfart]

anyone have any suggestions for cast 30 cal loads in rifles @under 1800FPS with heavy for cal boolits? God Bless to all and theirs.

Goofy aka Godfrey

[hutch18414]

I'm gonna have to go with the Ben's LL. I have used 6 or 7 different lubes for .45,.38, and 44 spl and .44mag. BLL works the best and is not sticky like plain alox and it isn't smoky. Bought a quart of alox from WLL and a can of Johnsons one step, made enough for thousands of boolits and still have enough to mix the same amount again. Not cheap, just cost effective. And its kinda like Brylcream, a little dab will do ya.

[Lead Fred]

1 lb bee's wax from randy $3
1 lb lard $1.50
8 oz bottle STP $5

makes enough for 100s of pistol rounds. Same thing I use in my rifles.
The rifle rounds are 1200-1750fps, the 45ACP 900fps
Its an over kill for handgun rounds

[rockydoc]

I like the Glynn Fryxell beeswax/molylube 50-50 made in the microwave. I solved the broken bottle problem by using a ceramic coffee cup as the vessel.

[Elkins45]

It seems to me there are two approaches to cheapskate lubemaking depending on if you have access to inexpensive beeswax. If you can get it from a local supplier or can wait a handful of days for it to ship from Randy then you have a lot more options. Buying a pound at Hobby Lobby or Michael's doesn't qualify as cheap because they charge $10 or more per pound. If you have beeswax then my vote is either for a 50/50 lithibee mix with the cheapest tube of lithium grease you can find, or 666+1 with paraffin, Vaseline and Ivory Soap.

If all you have access to is normal grocery or dollar store stuff then some variant of the Darr mix is probably the easiest solution. The first time I made it I went 50/50 Vaseline and paraffin wax and I thought it was too soft. If I ever make it again I think I will add some Ivory and cut back the Vaseline 5-10%. I doubt I ever will since I have like 30 sticks of what I'm just calling 'pistol lube' that is a gray mix of all my old lube experiments. I doubt I will ever live long enough to need another batch of cheap lube.

[Blammer]

if you have access to beeswax, I'd make up some speed green! works well for me in my 45 acp and other notables.

[Blammer]

anyone have any suggestions for cast 30 cal loads in rifles @under 1800FPS with heavy for cal boolits? God Bless to all and theirs.

Goofy aka Godfrey

speed green works for me.

[GhostHawk]

Well I don't know about anyone else but I had at least 6 of those little bottles of Lee Alox sitting around. Took 2, mixed with the Johnson's One step to make Ben's Liquid Lube. (Or a close variant) Only real cost was 1 can of the Johnson's at 8$. Has made one double batch so far, will easily make another. And probably another single batch on top of that.

And I'm only half way through my first double batch. So it is going to last for years.

Works great for all my pistols and my lower speed rifles (.357 mag, .444 Marlin with light loads)

Higher speed rifles get Ben's Red in the grooves and then a coat of Liquid lube.

It works, dead simple to make, no cooking, no expensive list of materials. Stores well, and it only takes a dab.

[toallmy]

Ok not very good at this .just starting out at casting ,and computers.over 30 years loading my rifles .you guys have helped me from the start with out knowing it .I thank you very much .with your help I picked two molds seaco 130 ,69 flat base ,lee 20 pound and magma star sizer.mixed up some lube 50/50 beeswax crisco with little Olive oil.well it is gitting hotter now so I need to stiffen it up some .try candle wax or just order some store bought lube.45acp with red dot no more than 4.7 .buy the way people don't know this is a art form do thay.

[BAGTIC]

Vaseline is heat susceptible and if ammo is ever exposed to high temperatures there is a possibility it might flow enough to contaminate powder charge.

Once you have given JPW a fair test you will find there is no need to resort to mystical witch's potions, etc. at least not for pistol loads. Another consideration is to use as large a diameter bullet as will chamber in your gun. I believe too small bullets is one of the main factors in bullets leading (stripping).