Pan lube formula

[titaniumpyro]

First just let me say I have searched and spent many hours reading this forum and the information here is invaluable.
I would just like to get some opinions and advice. I currently cast for 9mm, 40S&W and 45 ACP in handgun calibers. I know I need to get a lubrisizer but the funds just arn't there right now. So I am looking for a pan lube recipe that will perform well in all three calibers. My shooting weather ranges from low 40's to the 90's.
Thanks for all input.

Tim

[Moonie]

FWFL (Felix World Famous Lube) works well for a pan lube.

[357shooter]

I've been using this mix:


1 lb of vaseline
1 lb of paraffin
1 lb of beeswax
1 teaspoon of RCBS case lube


It's basically Darr lube, with beeswax addes to firm it up some. It's performed well in 380acp and 357 magnum, from target loads to full house loads. In handguns and my 357 mag lever too. It should work for your calibers too.

Pan lubed deep enough, after some time in the refrigeraor (cool for 10-15, then 10 in the frige) they push out nicely from the top and leave a lube-cake for the next session.

[Reg]

I have always had good luck using equil parts ( 1/2 pound ea. ) of bees wax, parrifin and vasolene . Mix carefully in a double boiler ( a two pound coffee can in a three pound coffee can) Just before you turn the heat off, mix in two heaping table spoons of graphite.
I use small, square 9x9 baking pans to pour into after arranging the bullets. Chill briefly in the freezer, then let sit at room temp a few minutes before popping out. I break up the lube after pushing out the bullets and re, melt for the next run. If it dosn't seem to want to stay in the grooves, increase the vasolene and bees wax a bit. Has worked very well for many years in the .45 ACP, .44 Mag and many others. Also use in in rifle calibers but only up to about 1900 fps, where I mix in a bit of Alox. Have never had leading issues. After I switched to using this formula and a push through sizing system, my accuracy took a big jump up. I have a Lyman 45 but since going this route, it's parked.

:castmine:

[mdi]

My fav is my version of Speed Green. Three parts beeswax to one part BullPlate, by weight. I add about 1 tsp. of caranuba wax flakes per pound of mix. I pan lube my .357 and .44 boolits with this mix and it works with all the loads I use so far, magnum and low velocity...

When Bull Plate was "off the market", I tried some synthetic 2-cycle motor oil, same results so far.

[Wolfer]

I use wax ring for a toilet bowl ( the kind without the rubber throat ) and mix it with 1 block of parefin. Simple and cheap. I've had good luck with this lube in 45 colt and 44 special

[357shooter]

I have always had good luck using equil parts ( 1/2 pound ea. ) of bees wax, parrifin and vasolene . Mix carefully in a double boiler ( a two pound coffee can in a three pound coffee can) Just before you turn the heat off, mix in two heaping table spoons of graphite.
I use small, square 9x9 baking pans to pour into after arranging the bullets. Chill briefly in the freezer, then let sit at room temp a few minutes before popping out. I break up the lube after pushing out the bullets and re, melt for the next run. If it dosn't seem to want to stay in the grooves, increase the vasolene and bees wax a bit. Has worked very well for many years in the .45 ACP, .44 Mag and many others. Also use in in rifle calibers but only up to about 1900 fps, where I mix in a bit of Alox. Have never had leading issues. After I switched to using this formula and a push through sizing system, my accuracy took a big jump up. I have a Lyman 45 but since going this route, it's parked.

:castmine:I use a similar lube recipe. Basically Darr Lube plus beeswax:

1 lb vaseline
1 lb parrafin
1 lb of beeswax
1 teaspoon RCBS case lube

No leading and great accuracy in 357 target loads and magnum loads, in revolvers and rifles. Works in 380acp too.

Lube in the oven, at 200 degrees and get it all melted. Remove and let cool for 10 min, put in the refrigerator for 10 minutes and push out from the top. Keep it deep enough and the lube cakes stay together. Next time I put the bullets back into the holes. Cool more or less as needed.

Very easy to make an to use, it takes more wall clock time than it takes actually doing the lubing. Added later: I use a crock pot to melt everything, it's slow but consistent.

[Hamish]

"I know I need to get a lubrisizer "

Nope. You need to do a little more reading. What you spend on a lubrisizer you can buy a bunch of Lee push through sizer kits. (if you even *need* to size.)

Peruse this:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=67654

Completely disregard the idea of cooking it down and catching fire, and all that nonsense.

Go buy a can of Johnson's Paste Wax at Home Depot, or Ace Hardware, or wherever.

1. Set the can of JPW in a pot with enough water to not quite float the can.
2. Apply heat till it melts and shut heat off.
3. Stir in one small bottle of Alox.

Waah-Laah, Bob's yer uncle. Have used this on .45's, .303, 7.62x54, and 7.92x57 up to 2000 fps. so far.

Friend of mine has been mixing Lee Alox and Marvel's Mystery Oil and shooting up to 2500 fps. Boolit fit to bore size is the number one requirement for the whole deal.

No muss, no fuss, actually time lubing a coffe can of boolits is about 5 minutes, with drying time in between.

@(:^]#>:::

[357shooter]

The JPW and Alox combination is a good one. I use straight JPW in some guns, other don't seem to like it. My Rossi 357 Lever Action likes it just fine. Super accurate and no leading.

On the other hand, my revolver leads every time with any Alox / JPW mix, or either one straight.

Go figure...

[Reg]

Hamish is right on. The Lee push through sizers and pan lubeing to put grease in the grooves is the way to go. It's a cheap simple way to put lube on the bullets but far more important is in the sizing method. It is the best way to keep centrality in the bullet itself which as far as I am concerned has a lot to do with accuracy. You still have to seat it in the case perfectly but that is another problem easy to deal with.
Take samples from others sizings. Slowly revolve them in your fingers and note the actual area sized and does it seem perfectly consistant all around. Sometimes it is. but all too often you notice a variance from side to side in some cases it almost looks like the bullet was sized crooked and indeed thats exactly what happened. With the push through system, just use a little care lining things up and it will automaticly run the bullet through true.
I try to stay with plain base bullets so gas checks are not an issue but others say its not a problem.
Remember, getting a 45, 450 or any other sizer is only part of the cost. The G, H and I dies very quickly exceed the cost of the sizer itself.

[MBTcustom]

All you need for 99.44% of all boolit shooting is Felix World Famous Lube and 45/45/10. All my boolits get 45/45/10 right off the bat. If they are PB boolits then thats all they need. If they are going a little faster then they get the FWFL. If they are going over 1500 FPS they get an annealed gas-check and FWFL. I have used FWFL with fantastic results all the way up to 2350FPS with no leading and as low as 900 FPS. I have used 45/45/10 for speeds up to 2000FPS with no, or very little, leading. So their useful ranges overlap. I'm sure that FWFL can be pushed faster than 2350 FPS, but I have not had any call to do so.
Give 'er a try!
I got to get back to my boolits.

[WD2A7X3]

What are good sources for beeswax and parafin? Does Walmart sell them?

[C.F.Plinker]

You can get paraffin at the grocery store or candlemaking shops. I get my beeswax from Randy Rat who is a vendor sponsor of this site.

[Springfield]

I'm a cheap guy, but I figure if I gotta size them they may as well get lubed in the process. Why do two things when one will do? I used to pan lube my BP bullets when I didn't size them, but then I ran into the problem of the mould didn't drop the correct size for all my guns. So I bought a sizer. I personally bought a Star, but my Lyman 45 works OK on smaller batches. Even an off-center sizing is more accurate than no sizing at all. IMHO