New Inline Coming -- need advice on LEE R.E.A.L.

[shaman]

What got me into bullet casting in the first place was the Lee R.E.A.L muzzleloading bullet in 50 and 54 caliber. I've been using them for 10 years or more, and had really good luck with them out of a variety of traditional and modern inline smokepoles. I have a .50 cal TC Strike coming to me. I plan on starting with the R.E.A.L 320 grain mold and pure lead and seeing what happens.

Here are my questions:

1) I've been shooting unlubed R.E.A.L bullets in ML's for a decade without a problem, but are these really meant to go down the bore unbuttered? That's what I've always been told and we've had pretty good luck with it-- no leading, good accuracy. The inlines are shooting 100 yard cloverleafs.

2) If they really do need a lube, what do you all recommend? In the past, I've shot with a bunch of different lubes. The best results I've had has been pure Crisco.

3) We've been using Triple 7 and CCI 209 primers for the most part in our non-traditional hunting inlines. Do you have a better recommendation?

[725]

Just have to try and see what your rifle likes. Triple Seven is very energetic and works great in many applications. Pyrodex, however, does, sometimes, give better performance in some guns. Just have to experiment with your equipment. I lube REAL's, and in some guns have found that a wool wad under the boolit significantly improves accuracy. Lots of variables to check out.

[RU shooter]

If an unlubed bullet is working for you why not . Long as you aren't getting fouling issues . I have always lubed mine with BW and olive oil mix or crisco shortening

[Rick Hodges]

I always lubed them....but if they work for you why not?

[shaman]

Cool. Many thanks everyone!

[Loudenboomer]

I've always lubed mine with a little bore butter. With modern powders as clean as some are I've been thinking about trying a couple tumbles in alox.
We've had better luck with some load combos with Muzzle loader specific 209 primers. Std 209s are hotter and with some combos they can move the charge before it ignites and accuracy can suffer. Your load is working well. Don't fix it if it ain't broke!

[Edward]

all my muzzle loaders get lubed boolits 50/50 crisco/beeswax when I run out of paper patch paper /Ed

[shaman]

I finally decided to call Lee support and see what the horse's mouth had to say.

Lee's current documentation states that the R.E.A.L. design is meant to be used with Liquid Alox, but that Bore Butter may be used over the top of that.


You learn something new every day!

[rodwha]

I lube mine with what's known as Gatofeo's #1 lube, which is an old traditional lube recipe found in a 40's gun magazine that was used for outside lubricated bullets. It works great for wads, pistol bullets, and those REALs, and I've been told as a patch lube as well.

By weight it is 1 part mutton tallow, 1 part paraffin wax (Gulf Wax), and 1/2 part beeswax made in a double boiler. It's cheap and easy and lasts a long time. Making your own stuff isn't everyone's cup of tea though.

I shoot mine from a Lyman Deerstalker with the deeper patched ball rifling and it requires a wad. At 50 yds it keyholed and was a good foot to the left and a little low. With a wad they were nearly touching and just under the bull.

I've often seen people say that real black powder is more consistent than T7. I used T7 exclusively until Goex came out with Olde Eynsford to contend with the performance of Swiss powder. From the few chronographed results I've seen Swiss and Olde E give slightly higher velocities with a smaller deviation. And Olde E is cheaper.