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Thread: Need help with a lube mix.

  1. #1
    Boolit Mold
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    Need help with a lube mix.

    I have a post in the cast boolits section about my 45 colt redhawk getting some leading. It was suggested that I might need some softer lube. I dont have any alox and would like to make my own without buying anything if I can help it. I make black powder lube and have "moose snot" on hand. Also have a bunch of beeswax, jpw and other ingredients. What would be a simple soft lube that I could tumble lube or pan lube that would be good for a 225 grain bullet being pushed 1100 ish fps from a fast powder? Thanks

    Ps. I looked in the stickys and do not know which would be best suited for my application.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master



    Springfield's Avatar
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    9 parts beeswax, 5 parts paraffin and 3 parts synthetic 2-stroke oil. Melt and lube bullets. Soft and works on my BP guns and my wife's smokeless 45 Colts, although she doesn't run them nearly as fast as you do. And make sure the bullet is larger than the bore.

  3. #3
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    The old old NRA forumla is soft.
    1/3 Beeswax
    1/3 Paraffin
    1/3 Vasoline

    A member has improved that formula by adding some Ivory soap,
    see post #5 in this link for instructions
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post2653932
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
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    For a tumble lube i would recommend 45-45-10 or Bens Liquid Lube. Both of those are made from Alox and the only tumble lubes i know. At 1100 fps just about any lube can work. What is your wheather like in your parts? Do you have a lubersizer or will you be pan lubing? You can always pan lube with equal parts beeswax, paraffin, and vasline (add about a tbls of STP oil treatment for luck if you want). If you don't mind finger lubing Fiver's Simple lube is good for pistols. SL-68B is looking good and is finger lube able.

    You can make a cake cutter and pan lube with anything. If you are pan lubing stay away from soap lubes. You wont be able to remelt those. Finger lubing is quite easy and you can finger lube with anything. If you are using a bee wax lube you can also steele the significant others light bulb wax melter and melt the lube and dip lube then use a push through lee sizer.

    Fivers simple lube is pretty soft and i like to stiffen it up with 5% paraffin.
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

  5. #5
    Boolit Mold
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    I will give those a try. I have a bunch of lasercast and gt bullets that already have lube on them but it appears it may be too hard. I plan to scrap the lube off or melt it off with a hair drier and then boil them to get the rest off (unless yall have a better way) then re lube by pan or tumble or finger or dipping lol.

  6. #6
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    JonB_in_Glencoe's Avatar
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    I assume the lasercast hard lube is wax based?

    If so, I would just use a heatgun, to warm the bullets and melt the lube off, then roll them in a paper towel while still warm. I wouldn't worry about any remaining lube residue left behind...then just re-lube them.

    I've never had luck with pan-lubing, but I was a newbie to casting when I tried it a couple times. For small quantities using a lube that melts easily, I will dip lube, then use a cookie cutter to trim the excess lube, then size, if they need sizing.

    Rcmaveric mentions SL68B, a Soap lube formula that I "altered" from geargnasher's experimenting. It can't be melted easily, so that is why Rcmaveric mentions finger lubing...it also goes through a lubesizer easily, without heat. It is a very good Lube.
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...how-to-make-it
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
    ― The Dalai Lama, Seattle Times, May 2001

  7. #7
    Boolit Master

    Uncle Grinch's Avatar
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    Read the comments on Ben’s Red and on Ben’s Liquid Lube (BLL). Been using both and you won’t get me to change to anything else!
    Shoot Safe,
    Mike

    Retired Telephone Man
    NRA Endowment Member
    Marion Road Gun Club
    ( www.marionroad.com )

  8. #8
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JonB_in_Glencoe View Post
    The old old NRA forumla is soft.
    1/3 Beeswax
    1/3 Paraffin
    1/3 Vasoline

    A member has improved that formula by adding some Ivory soap,
    see post #5 in this link for instructions
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post2653932
    This is like the one I make and use for everything I shoot.I use the Ivory soap and ATF with the mix. You can get it as soft or as hard as you like. The Ivory Soap help with the mix of everything.
    Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy

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    I would try some of the tumble lubes over top of your boolits., 45,45,10 or BLL. I used BLL and saw a difference right away. Just for giggles, take a cuticle stick and remove the hard lube and try the tumble lube by itself.

  10. #10
    Boolit Mold
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    I guess I don't know how soft or hard I need the lube to be?

  11. #11
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    Test and see what will work for you,are you going to use a lube and sizer? if so are you going to use a heater on the lube.If not get it on the way that you can have it past through the sizer.See what will work for you and go from there.
    Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA

  12. #12
    Boolit Master

    Rcmaveric's Avatar
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    Well how soft and hard of a lube is going to be one of those "your mileage may vary." kind of deals. Personaly i don't like hard lubes. Hard lubes are good for shiping and can cause leading. For pan lubing without a cake cutter, you need a firmer lube to push them out. With a cake cutter it doesn't matter. I cake cutted Bens red for riffles and the old NRA formula for pistols. The actual panlubing process was hit or miss if the lube stayed for me. Simple cake cutters are easy to make.

    I find half and half vasaline/beewax to be too soft. Works fine for around 800 FPS and fouls my powder in the summer. Adding anther part paraffin make it firmer about where i like it and lets hold up to temps a bit better. Now follow fivers Simple lube recipe and an additional 5% micro wax or 5% paraffin has yielded me a pretty decent summer lube (doesn't work so well in winter). Can't leave it in the car. But i can leave it in the shady bench and still be able to shoot off all my hard work reloaded rounds. Florida we have to seasons Hot or cold, there is no in between and sometimes both in a day during the winter. So if your wheather is predicting your lube then Florida makes it hard, you might need 2 different lubes in day. If i keep the velocities around 800 i can really use anything even 50/50 bee wax and vasaline with mild temps. That's why i went the Soap lubes. From what i hear they are jack of all trades and master of none. They will work though and take the guess work out of the wheather. It all depends on your preferences, your wheather, and the pressures/velocities.

    Whats great about playing lube cook is that you can down grade the recipes and make small batches. Then you can try and see what works for you and what your guns like.

    I can vouche for Bens Red in riffles and SL-68B in everything and the old NRA formula in pistols for mild wheather (around a cool 80*).
    Last edited by Rcmaveric; 08-06-2018 at 11:43 PM.
    "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."
    ~Theodore Roosevelt~

  13. #13
    Boolit Mold
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    Thanks for all the info fellas

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