what lube for best pistol accuracy?

[pergoman]

I am looking to maybe get away from the Lyman Orange Magic lube I have been using lately. I shoot relatively soft (wheel weight) type alloys in the 38 special, 9mm, 40 s&w, and 45 acp at relatively low velicities(780-990 fps). Low smoke would be nice. No nasty stuff to breath indoors is a must for me. My real main objective is top notch accuracy potential. I am a pretty fair bullseye shooter so I want my tools doing their part if I do my part.
Any recommendations?

[runfiverun]

i recommend you stay away from alox.

[ShooterAZ]

White Label's BAC works pretty darn well for me in .38 Special, .44Mag, and .45ACP.

[1Shirt]

Trial and error, and go with what works best.
1Shirt1

[canyon-ghost]

+1 on White Label lubes, although they do smoke a bit.

http://www.lsstuff.com/

[geargnasher]

These "what's best" questions always make me grin. I used to think in such terms. Now I might be able to take a reasonable stab at it IF you give me every conceiveable detail of your gun, load, and the weather in which you intend to shoot it.

I can tell you, though, that the "best" or "most accurate" lube for your .38 and .45 are going to be different from your .40 and 9mm. I can also tell you that the amount of lube you use (number of grooves filled if multiple, or size of groove if single) has as much to do with lube-related pistol accuracy as anything.

I have somewhere around 40 concoctions left that I haven't made into firelogs or flux ingots yet, you should try them. The catch is you have to report2, 10-shot groups fired with each! :bigsmyl2:

Gear

[wv109323]

I would recommend the Carnauba red ( be aware that a heater is needed on your lub/sizer) or the BAC( should be able to lube without a heater). If you have been using the Lyman Orange then you must have a heater.
I would stay away from the 50/50 if you shoot a lot outdoors on hot days.

[pergoman]

Ah yes, Geargnasher. There's the rub.
I am using multiple guns in each caliber.
I have several molds for each caliber but I do have favorites.
I am after accuracy in my target competition loads and acceptable accuracy with reliable functionality for loads used in PPC, etc. This seems to lead to different shaped boolits.
In the 38 I use 2.7 gr of Bullseye and a Saeco #381 148 wadcutter.
Sometimes I use a Lee 105 SWC in the 38s.
For the 45 I only cast my H&G #130 anymore. 4.7gr 231.
In the 40s I usually use a Lee 180TC over 4.3gr 231
The 9s usually get HS-6. Tips range from Lee 105SWC over 5.2gr.
RCBS 115 RN and 5gr HS-6
Lee 124TC and 4.5 gr HS-6
I currently have only 2 lubrisizers and don't like changing lubes.

[RobS]

I would go with a softer lube that flows well from the lube grooves. Carnauba Red will not come off the lube grooves with light loads such as 45 ACP and 38 special so it works alright. I've had issue with CR (especially in the cold of winter) coming off of rifle and higher end revolver loads from 50-100 yards and beyond which makes a real mess for accuracy. BAC was a much better lube for the change of seasons. Looking at commercial then White lable lube's 50/50 or even Jakes Bullet Lube's 50/50 works well but will be smoky. I've hear pretty good things about White Label's 2500 but never worked too much with it and would be less smokey. I'd say either 2500 or BAC would be a good go if buying instead of making your own. I prefered White Label lube at the time because he's a forum member and him and his wife are great to work with.

I now make my own, Lithibee, and it works quite well and can be modified for a person's liking.

[randyrat]

Try my TAC#1 VERY LOW SMOKE I guarantee it, if your not happy I'll buy it back. No heat needed most of the time.
Just click the TAC#1 link in my signature line for more details or PM me for info.

[canyon-ghost]

Not me, I would never load 2 guns of the same caliber and different design with the same Carnuba Red Lube (feigning innocence)! Really, I do that. I load for TC Contenders, Blackhawk & other revolvers and a 9mm auto (contender too).

If you have heat, use Carnuba Red. It's good in my 41 magnum and 44 Special, all the way down to small rifle rounds in my contenders. It does way more than is required by lesser loads than magnums.

Good Luck,
Ron

PS: the scent of carnuba red is similar to cherry, fired - it reminds me of burnt cherry pie filling. Not strong enough to be obnoxious (nothing like that stout orange smell).

[RobS]

Try my TAC#1 VERY LOW SMOKE I guarantee it, if your not happy I'll buy it back. No heat needed most of the time.
Just click the TAC#1 link in my signature line for more details or PM me for info.

Darn Randy I forgot you were in the lube making business now-a-days too...........sorry about that. I have to say you are putting out a good deal in that if people don't like what they receive you'll return their $$$ no questions asked. By the way, Randy is a good man to deal with; I've bought beeswax from him in the past and I've been very happy with his customer service and his product.

[geargnasher]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say try TAC #1, and a big second on Randyrat being a first-class purveyor. I've made and used a rough equivalent, and it's not too smoky and has a way of leaving the boolits right at the muzzle regardless of weather or velocity, which is good for accuracy. Might be a good crossover lube between the high-pressure and low-pressure pistol stuff. I have too many problems with Carnauba Red at low pressure and low temperature to mess with it in pistols. White Label makes good stuff, some of the best around, but Carnauba Red is best suited for a different application if you're looking for top accuracy.

Gear

[fecmech]

I think too much can be made of lubes in regards to handguns and I'm not going to plug a smoke free lube. But this is my experience with Magma and Zambini hard lubes. Using the H&G # 50 wadcutter and lubing 1 groove I can average 2" 6 shot groups @ 50 yds off the bench, that would be an average for 4 or 5 groups. My .45 auto with the Lyman 452460 is more like 2.5" at that range( again 1 lube groove filled). The .357 and .44 mag are also in the 2"-2.5" @ 50 yds. In the 9mm with a Browning Hipower groups at 25 yds were in the 2"-3" range with velocities in the 1000-1200 fps range with light streak leading that did not build up. All loads with the exception of the 9mm had been shot with equal accuracy in the past with the NRA 50/50 lube and Lyman orange magic. By the time I owned a 9mm I was using hard lubes exclusively. I also use tumble lube bullets in the .38 spl with 45-45-10 Recluse lube and again excellent accuracy. Maybe I'm just lucky but handguns IMO don't need much in the way of lube for lead free accuracy. I understand that you rifle guys are working in a different regime altogether and a more demanding accuracy level. That is a place where lubes can play a much bigger and important role.

[Whiterabbit]

Just my experience:

alox: Great for my rifle (and I don't know why?) but terrible for my pistol performance.

any sort of homemade conventional lube works better, noticeable accuracy improvement. toilet wax rings, mixtures using paraffin, I'll even melt down baby bel cheese wrappers for color, it all works better in my revolver than Alox.

I haven't tried commercial lube. Maybe I should. No more alox for handgun though.

[Good Cheer]

I use a mixture of bee spit from a local keeper, brown moly lube from the Great Wal, peanut oil, soap shavings, DAX hair dressing and a crayon for identification color. I made up a big batch quite a while back and it appears to be just fine for everything. I've since obtained another source of lanolin but have almost gotten used to the odor of the DAX. Guess the crayon was unnecessary.

[Shiloh]

I use LLA and Larsen's BAC.

Shiloh