Synthetic Motor Oil for lube?

[wellfedirishman]

Ok, I am allowed one dumb question since I am a newbie, so here it is (maybe)

Can I use Synthetic Motor Oil (e.g., 5w-30) as a bullet lube? I have a pint of it handy, and thought it would work well on big cast bullets such as 45-70 500 grainers. I'd just be pushing them about 1100-1200 fps max.

Plan would be to tumble them in warm oil to coat them, let them sit a bit and toss them on a paper towel to get the excess oil off.

Any thoughts? I see that Castor Oil is used as the basis for a bunch of other lube recipes.

I don't really want to deal with pan lubing.

The other lube I have is Lee Alox, which works pretty well.

Thanks!

[Ricochet]

If you use enough oil to work, it'll creep into your powder and ruin it. Same if you use automotive grease. The oil creeps out of the grease.

[StarMetal]

And the castor spoken of is castor oil from the bean, not a refinery.

Joe

[HollowPoint]

Greetings Irishman:

I hope I don't come across sounding sarcastic. That's not my intent here but, you can use anything you want to.
I doubt that many guys on this forum would admit it but, our experiments with different lube recipes (wether successes or failures) were just that; "Experiments."
I would consider your use of synthetic motor oil an experiment. Maybe it will work out better than anyone thought it would and maybe it won't.
For safety's sake it would be wise to check the bore after each shot just to keep tabs on any buildup that may or may not occur and possibly creating an obstruction.
I personally use only Liquid Alox with good results. I have no plans of changing lubes at this time but, it would be interesting to see if the synthetic motor oil works as a bullet lube.

Good luck. Be safe.
HollowPoint

[Uncle R.]

I fear you'd find that the oil was damaging your powder charges, and perhaps collecting dirt and grit on your bullets too which wouldn't be good for your barrels. I also suspect that it would be too thin in viscosity to fulfill the sealing function of bullet lube. Never actually tried it though. If you're gonna experiment with it I'd make up only a few rounds first.

[geargnasher]

Ok, I am allowed one dumb question since I am a newbie, so here it is (maybe)

Can I use Synthetic Motor Oil (e.g., 5w-30) as a bullet lube? I have a pint of it handy, and thought it would work well on big cast bullets such as 45-70 500 grainers. I'd just be pushing them about 1100-1200 fps max.

Plan would be to tumble them in warm oil to coat them, let them sit a bit and toss them on a paper towel to get the excess oil off.

Any thoughts? I see that Castor Oil is used as the basis for a bunch of other lube recipes.

I don't really want to deal with pan lubing.

The other lube I have is Lee Alox, which works pretty well.

Thanks!

Not a dumb question, but I don't think engine oil will perform any of the necessary functions of boolit lube very well.

Castor oil, not to be confused with Castrol, a brand previously owned by British Petroleum. Please note that castor oil is not the "Basis" of the many lubes you mention, it is a lubricity additive and beeswax is almost always the "basis" which keeps the oil where you want it without migrating. The beeswax or paraffin "base" of lubes is required for viscosity, which many of us postulate is what really makes "lube" work.

Go with the lla or paper patch those big dudes. I've had good luck with 505 grn in the 45-70 but the one I tinkered with didn't like anything under that. I believe your heavy boolit is a good idea. Always used a lubrisizer, though, so I don't know how well LLA works, but it ought to be fine.

Gear

[wellfedirishman]

OK, thanks guys for the helpful responses. I might try lubing a few (10 or so) and trying them out just for kicks.

I will continue to use the Lee Liquid Alox in the meantime, it works pretty well.

I admit, I did confuse Castor Oil with Castrol (which is a brand of popular automotive lube back in Europe).

[StarMetal]

OK, thanks guys for the helpful responses. I might try lubing a few (10 or so) and trying them out just for kicks.

I will continue to use the Lee Liquid Alox in the meantime, it works pretty well.

I admit, I did confuse Castor Oil with Castrol (which is a brand of popular automotive lube back in Europe).

Personally I wouldn't try it. It's way too messy and you're going to end up as mentioned with oil in your powder, oil on your cases, oil on your chamber walls. If you still want to I think I'd dust the bullets after the oiling with graphite or something along that line to at least make it less messy.

Joe

[Shiloh]

I fear you'd find that the oil was damaging your powder charges, and perhaps collecting dirt and grit on your bullets too which wouldn't be good for your barrels. I also suspect that it would be too thin in viscosity to fulfill the sealing function of bullet lube. Never actually tried it though. If you're gonna experiment with it I'd make up only a few rounds first.

I wouldn't even try it.

That being said, if this is an experiment, You will have to do it more than a few times to see if it will work. Lube some up, load them, leave them sit for a few days in a warm area, then pull one or two to see if the powder has run into the powder.

Lay some on there side and try it again. I suspect the powder will get contaminated but who knows. It'd be a bummer to load up a bunch, leave 'em sit and find out there no good

Check out the lubes available from Lar45's LsStuff at the bottom of the page under Shootin Links.

Shiloh

[shooting on a shoestring]

My two worst ideas for boolit lube were 1. Polyurethane, 2. Spray on graphite. Terrible leading after a handful of shots. I don't recall the exact number of rounds, but they were .357s, using the Lee TL158 SWC. I do have notes on the experiments, mainly to deter me from toying with either in the future.

I do encourage boolit lube experiments. That's got to be how an anti-corrosion compound came to be known as LLA. And, where would we be if Felix had not done some thinking and cooking? Imagine a world of cast boolits and no Felix world famous model perfect boolit lube.

[Ricochet]

Oh yeah, I remember that polyurethane test!

I remember thinking out loud about asphalt once, which everyone thought a bad idea. I still mean to try that one of these days. I think sticky tar just might work.

[NuJudge]

If you are going to try synthetic motor oil as a lube, can I suggest you apply it to the bore with an oiled patch on a rod before each shot? With this method of application you will not kill your powder or primers.

[Ricochet]

And I'll bet that'll work pretty well. Lot of trouble while you're shooting, though.

[JSnover]

I have a pint of it handy, and thought it would work well on big cast bullets such as 45-70 500 grainers. I'd just be pushing them about 1100-1200 fps max.

Plan would be to tumble them in warm oil to coat them, let them sit a bit and toss them on a paper towel to get the excess oil off.

Thanks!

Like the others said, part of the problem will be keeping that thin lube in place. Find another ingredient to stiffen it up and it may work. My cold weather lube for a 500 grain 45-70 at 1100 max is one part BW to two parts Crisco. I'm still developing the load and may tweak the lube but the bore cleans easily with no leading after 50 rounds - no wiping or brushing in between shots.

[Three44s]

Ok, I am allowed one dumb question since I am a newbie, so here it is (maybe)

Can I use Synthetic Motor Oil (e.g., 5w-30) as a bullet lube? .................................................. .........

The other lube I have is Lee Alox, which works pretty well.

Thanks!

First off ........ a Big welcome to Boolits!!!!!

Second off ........ there are NO STUPID QUESTIONS!!

And like others have said: It's about experimentation ...........

But others have traveled this "road less traveled" and these kind members are trying to steer you clear of that "skinned up shinn" ........ as it were.

For my craziness, I found a WONDERFUL setup a couple of years ago. I did a stint with a shooting wad called WONDER WAD ...... designed for black powder, I found ones that fit my good 'ole .44 mag revolvers ...... I toiled away until I found and made sets of tools to install these little gems on top of smokeless powder charges without having them tip sideways.

I found that that wonder wad would keep bores PRISTINE and even remove leading from previous loads.

AND I also found that these goodies would give me identical POI with my bear loads without wads ......... yes, life was GRAND!

A bunch of these sweet little rounds traveled with me during the summer and come fall, I felt the urge to launch some ..............

POOOOOF! or more accurately ............ poooooop ........

Squib city ........... after a squib a follow up shot from an unaware shooter would most likely be disasterous.

The cause of these squibs was the lube (designed for black powder) draining off into the smokeless powder of my loads.

You mentioned in your first post that Lee Alox was working pretty well ....... and as such you have a viable option for the meantime.

And you are "here" ............. may your stay be long, fruitful and enjoyable!

Three 44s

[StarMetal]

First off ........ a Big welcome to Boolits!!!!!

Second off ........ there are NO STUPID QUESTIONS!!

And like others have said: It's about experimentation ...........

But others have traveled this "road less traveled" and these kind members are trying to steer you clear of that "skinned up shinn" ........ as it were.

For my craziness, I found a WONDERFUL setup a couple of years ago. I did a stint with a shooting wad called WONDER WAD ...... designed for black powder, I found ones that fit my good 'ole .44 mag revolvers ...... I toiled away until I found and made sets of tools to install these little gems on top of smokeless powder charges without having them tip sideways.

I found that that wonder wad would keep bores PRISTINE and even remove leading from previous loads.

AND I also found that these goodies would give me identical POI with my bear loads without wads ......... yes, life was GRAND!

A bunch of these sweet little rounds traveled with me during the summer and come fall, I felt the urge to launch some ..............

POOOOOF! or more accurately ............ poooooop ........

Squib city ........... after a squib a follow up shot from an unaware shooter would most likely be disasterous.

The cause of these squibs was the lube (designed for black powder) draining off into the smokeless powder of my loads.

You mentioned in your first post that Lee Alox was working pretty well ....... and as such you have a viable option for the meantime.

And you are "here" ............. may your stay be long, fruitful and enjoyable!

Three 44s

Three 44s,

You brought up something that jogged my memory. Long ago I got the idea somewhere to put a Kapok filler in my revolver cartridges, especially the 45 Colt. It didn't change anything except one thing...the cleanness of my revolvers cylinder, bore, and part of the frame. I was shooting my Model 25 Smith with such loads one day with another friend who also was shooting a Model 25 in same caliber. Both of us were shooting cast bullets and I think the same powder which was Unique. Jack looked over at my revolver and said "Joe, why is your revolver so much cleaner then mine?" I told him about the Kapok filler. Particularly clean was the face of the cylinder and leading edges.

I don't use it anymore because it's a PIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joe

[mtgrs737]

You might try to blend in a little beeswax until you end up with a soft paste and use that to rub on your boolits by hand before loading. The soft past may stay where you put it that way. Also I would try the synthetic Two Cycle oils as they don't have the same additive package as automotive oils do as they are designed to be burned in the combustion chamber of an engine and not leave deposits. Good luck and keep use informed of your progess/results.

[StarMetal]

You might try to blend in a little beeswax until you end up with a soft paste and use that to rub on your boolits by hand before loading. The soft past may stay where you put it that way. Also I would try the synthetic Two Cycle oils as they don't have the same additive package as automotive oils do as they are designed to be burned in the combustion chamber of an engine and not leave deposits. Good luck and keep use informed of your progess/results.

mtgrs is right. The two cycle oils would be better. The nomenclature he was looking for there was that two cycle oils have a "low ash" content.

Joe

[wellfedirishman]

Would this beeswax work?
http://www.walgreens.com/store/catal...sku=sku3458861

For a couple of bucks, its worth trying. If it doesn't work, not a big deal.

Thanks for the encouragement and constructive criticism, this is a great forum to learn from, and hopefully pass on some knowledge too.

[Three44s]

I am no entomologist but hey ............. bees ........ are bees!

And at the worst ...... you'd have something that's touted as good for your hair!!!

Three 44s