Bens Red Again

[billdean]

I have made Ben's Red 2 time now and both times it comes out brownish orange not red. It is my understanding that the lube is no good because it is burnt?
Is this true? It is all so awful sticky and gets all over the other bullets when stored and clogs up my loading die. If the lube is usable..... how can I make it less sticky? Also how do I make a batch that is actually red.

[btroj]

Mine is an orange color. How red it is depends upon the beeswax. The more refined, and whiter, the wax, the redder the lube.

It is sticky stuff, supposed to be. As for worthless due to being burnt, hard to say. Shooting it will answer that. It will either work or it won't.

It can be made less sticky by adding a bit more beeswax. Try adding an ounce and see if that makes enough difference. Better to add in small amounts or you could end up with a bunch that is too hard.

I find that soft, sticky lubes work best. Dies are easy to clean.

[Ben]

I find that soft, sticky lubes work best. Dies are easy to clean.

I'll echo that also.

Don't get too concerned with what it looks like or for that matter what it feels like, get concerned about what it looks like down range and then look in the interior of your barrel once the shooting is finished.

In my opinion, these are the important determining factors in choosing a lube.
__________________________

Shot some of that " old Ben's Red soft sticky lube " yesterday.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/download4321.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/haysb/media/download4321.jpg.html)

[41 mag fan]

Mine is an orange color. How red it is depends upon the beeswax. The more refined, and whiter, the wax, the redder the lube.

It is sticky stuff, supposed to be. As for worthless due to being burnt, hard to say. Shooting it will answer that. It will either work or it won't.

It can be made less sticky by adding a bit more beeswax. Try adding an ounce and see if that makes enough difference. Better to add in small amounts or you could end up with a bunch that is too hard.

I find that soft, sticky lubes work best. Dies are easy to clean.


Brad, My beeswax is a very dark yellow, and it turns out red everytime. You would think though, just like you posted, whiter wax would make the lube be red or redder.

[41 mag fan]

I have made Ben's Red 2 time now and both times it comes out brownish orange not red. It is my understanding that the lube is no good because it is burnt?
Is this true? It is all so awful sticky and gets all over the other bullets when stored and clogs up my loading die. If the lube is usable..... how can I make it less sticky? Also how do I make a batch that is actually red.

Billdean.....explain exactly how you are making it. It should turn out red. Every batch I've made is red. I agree with Ben and Brad, the outcome down range is more critical than the looks. I just made a batch up yesterday again, here's a pic of it. Can you post a pic of your batch?

I'm going to start a new thread on this batch too, as I did it a little different. This batch came out burgundy/dark maroon in color
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n569/91msd92/Photo05220734_zps2085a4f4.jpg (http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/91msd92/media/Photo05220734_zps2085a4f4.jpg.html)

[41 mag fan]

Double post

[billdean]

Billdean.....explain exactly how you are making it. It should turn out red. Every batch I've made is red. I agree with Ben and Brad, the outcome down range is more critical than the looks. I just made a batch up yesterday again, here's a pic of it. Can you post a pic of your batch?

I'm going to start a new thread on this batch too, as I did it a little different. This batch came out burgundy/dark maroon in color
http://i1140.photobucket.com/albums/n569/91msd92/Photo05220734_zps2085a4f4.jpg (http://s1140.photobucket.com/user/91msd92/media/Photo05220734_zps2085a4f4.jpg.html)

My lube doesn't look any different than yours. Maybe its OK. My bees wax I got from RandyRat which is a darker yellow. The lube seems to shoot well. My second batch for sure came out better.

I cook the R&T until it is liquid which it does not seem to ever do..........increasing the heat as I go. It does smoke a lot at this point. It does melt to a somewhat liquid state but is the consistency of say heavy weight motor oil. I combine the STP, JPW, and the dexron III and bring these to a liquid state. Then I add the R&T to the other mixture. I let cool some and the add 3 cups of pre-melted beeswax.

One question I have is what are the temperature limitation of this lube? Is it good for colder weather that we have here in Alaska? The picture in the bowl I added some carnuba wax to to see if I could make it less tacky and it seemed to help


712367123771238

[41 mag fan]

Reason why your is dark, like my last batch is from the cooking of the R&T. the beeswax I used was from randyrat also.
To get a true red color, mix the R&T in without cooking it any to the beeswax,JPW, Dexron, STP.
But I'd call it more a burgundy or maroon than orange. To get the orange, you'd have to scorch the beeswax like I did tryng to melt mine from the pyrex.
I've shot mine in 20-30* weather up into the 90's. We don't get the -0* weather here that often. When it hits here, it's a very very damp cold that will keep you inside.

[billdean]

Reason why your is dark, like my last batch is from the cooking of the R&T. the beeswax I used was from randyrat also.
To get a true red color, mix the R&T in without cooking it any to the beeswax,JPW, Dexron, STP.
But I'd call it more a burgundy or maroon than orange. To get the orange, you'd have to scorch the beeswax like I did tryng to melt mine from the pyrex.
I've shot mine in 20-30* weather up into the 90's. We don't get the -0* weather here that often. When it hits here, it's a very very damp cold that will keep you inside.

I don't follow what you are saying here. Could you explain?

[44man]

I am going to say that color is not important at all.

[btroj]

I am going to say that color is not important at all.

Exactly

Like BassAkwards would say- it only matters when it does

[Mrevoir]

It looks like delicious fudge.

[runfiverun]

he means follow bens directions then strain it.
it comes out a bit more on the red side.
it could just be the ingredients in the red and tacky making the color change too.
you can use white lith to make yellow, add some coloring for more red or purple.
color means nothing really.
having everything mixed together properly and how it shoots does.
I have lubes here that are green,brown,purple,yellow,white,red, and black.
they all shoot just fine.

[41 mag fan]

I don't follow what you are saying here. Could you explain?
Heat your beeswax up till it's melted, add all the other ingredients into beeswax. Put on low heat stirring con stantly, slowly turn up heat till you think most of R&T lumps are gone, strain, then put in pan. Time spent about 35 min total on the batch.
It'll come out a nice red color due to not heating and melting the R&T.

But color doesn't matter as the properties of the lube is there, and they should all shoot fine or equal.
I just get finicky on making lube and want it right or how it should be to my thinking.




I have lubes here that are green,brown,purple,yellow,white,red, and black.
they all shoot just fine.

But are they swirled is the question I have??!!

[runfiverun]

no mixing.
I have tried different lubes in different orders in different lube grooves trying to overcome a few things.
it doesn't work.
making one homogenous batch with the correct viscosity and temperature stability does.

[billdean]

Somewhere..... in following different threads on Ben's Red it was suggested to liquidize the R&T first then add the rest. The thought as I recall was it becomes liquid at 3 or 4 hundred degrees and at that temp it would scorch the beeswax. So it was said melt the R&T first then add the other stuff. Both times this was the way I made it. It appears now the opposite is true. Your not looking to liquidize the R&T but blend it with the beeswax at low heat. As I read Ben's directions he seems to throw everything in one pot and blend it under a low heat until most is blended and then strain off the rest.

[freebullet]

Anyone using this as a pan lube? If not what's yer method of application?

[41 mag fan]

Somewhere..... in following different threads on Ben's Red it was suggested to liquidize the R&T first then add the rest. The thought as I recall was it becomes liquid at 3 or 4 hundred degrees and at that temp it would scorch the beeswax. So it was said melt the R&T first then add the other stuff. Both times this was the way I made it. It appears now the opposite is true. Your not looking to liquidize the R&T but blend it with the beeswax at low heat. As I read Ben's directions he seems to throw everything in one pot and blend it under a low heat until most is blended and then strain off the rest.

Billdean...not being sarcastic, but you're making a mountain out of a molehill with making Bens Red. There's several different ways to make Bens Red. If you do a search on here for Bens Red you'll find several threads, that Ben hisself has started, I have started, and several other members have started, on making this lube.
One way to make it, like I did my first couple of batches, is melt your beeswax, add all the other ingredients and stir slowly turning up the heat till it smokes. Take off heat, strain. You'll get alot of chunks of R&T still this way. But it will be Red.

Other way is to melt the R&T, JPW,Dexron and STP. Melt beeswax, add to mix, stir and it will bring it together. Very little straining is needed this way.
The reasoning to do it this way, Runfiverun and geargnasher can explain the terminology, but when melting the R&T fully and the JPW and Dexron and STP, you'll burn off the unwanted ingredients in the mix.
The draw backs to making it this way is....takes longer to make, and will make your batch anywhere from a dark maroon to a brownish red color.

If you heat your beeswax up fast, it will scorch. This will leave you batch with an orange color, but from what I'm hearing from members this will not affect accuracy or viscosity of the lube. It just affects color.

Ben came up with a good lube, esp for rifles by the way I'm hearing from feedback from other members and from my tests. In revolvers it might be too slick causing neck tension problems.




Anyone using this as a pan lube? If not what's yer method of application?

I use my lubesizer. I don't pan lube.

[Ben]

As I read Ben's directions he seems to throw everything in one pot and blend it under a low heat until most is blended and then strain off the rest.

________________________________


It is true that I've made many lbs. of Ben's Red using this technique. Using a wisk and stirring to attempt to get all the lumps of Lucas R/T liquified in the mix. The mixing is indeed a challenge. This technique often will fail to get 100% of the Lucas R/T to liquify and require pouring the mix through an old clean cotton T-Shirt .

Others here on the forum may have tapped into a better technique of mixing the ingredients together. In America, we seem to always find a " better mouse trap ". Dean Winchester and 41 Mag fan have worked hard and pumped a lot of effort into refining the mixing technique of the components for Ben's Red. They have chosen not to change the formula for Ben's Red, they have however changed the sequence and manner in which the individual components are mixed with each other. My hat if off to them for their efforts.

The " bottom line " IS NOT the color of the finished lube , it is the performance characteristics of the lube.

If a shooter just has to have bright red lube, put in some red candle dye and that should get you there without affecting the performance of the lube.

Ben

[Bigslug]

My Ben's Red came out the color of raw hamburger. Seems to work fine.

The color of boolit lube seems to be on about the same level of importance as the color of parachutes - with both, there are FAR higher priorities. . . unless someone has discovered that candy-apple red makes the boolits go faster.

[Ben]

Bigslug

Yes, I made my last batch of Ben's Red with some near white / very light yellow beeswax, it came out a soft pink/red like the interior of a medium steak.

I've also made batches of Ben's Red in the past with dark Beeswax and it turned out a brown / burgundy color.

As you've mentioned, the color of the lube will have zero effect on the lube's performance.

Ben

[grampa243]

mine came out pink but shoots great :)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?191950-first-cast-with-NEW-243-095-SP-mold&p=2232507&viewfull=1#post2232507

[Ted]

I'm in the process of "harvesting" the ingredients to make a full sized batch (ie 1 complete tube of Red&Tacky). Two questions have come up.

1) So far both Auto Parts stores that I have checked out (small town, I'll have to check some of the stores in the next county) have failed to have Dexron II or III fluid in stock. VI and, I think V, yes but no II or III. Can that be substituted or would I be venturing into the black realm of witchcraft with that substitution?

2) Give that the specific gravity of beeswax runs around .960 - .972 (per the internet) has anyone just gone ahead and made a batch using 1.5 lb (actually 1.5037 but that is getting a little picky?
http://www.aqua-calc.com/calculate/volume-to-weight

[Ben]

Make a pound or so of Ben's Red with your " alternate Dexron ". Others have substituted it without a problem. Hopefully it would work ok. Report back to us with your progress.

Ben

[grampa243]

here is a good thread on the your Dexron question. we've been hashing this one over for a little while ;)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?199181-Doesn-t-Anybody-Drive-A-Ford&p=2235448&viewfull=1#post2235448

i use syn moter oil once in bens red and it worked for me.(didn't have dexron that day ;) )

[41 mag fan]

I've been using Dexron VI. I don't think you can find II or III, but I might be wrong

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Where has the Dextron II or III gone. I've been working off my stash as I use the dextron for Ed's Red.

Did bozo take it?

BvT

[Smokepole50]

One word of caution when mixing Ben's Red in the second method where you melt the R&T first and then add in the JPW and other ingredents. I decided it would be best to make my second batch outside as the kitchen fan could not contain all the smoke from the first batch, yes I have a older house and the stove exhaust fan blows into the atic, anyway the smell was gone before the wife came home and that's all that matters. So in my second batch I decided to go outside and use the Colman camping stove to first melt the R&T. It smoked a lot as it became liquid but it did finally melted so I thought it is time to add the JPW, you probably know where this is going, JPW is VERY flamable when it goes into a 400+ degree pot. The solvents did not have far to go to get an ignition source if they needed one. It scared the P**S out of me and I almost turned over the pot jerking my hand away to keep it from burning in the erupting flames. So now while your laughing at my stupid mistake, please remember this because 400+ degree grease will burn you badly. I was blessed and the liquid R&T and JPW that remained on my stirring wisk as I pulled it from the flames just splashed on the carport floor and did not get on me. Oh.........a pot with a lid is also a good idea so you can put out the fire..........;-)

[41 mag fan]

Smoke...it might sound funny to read...but it's good you put that warning out on the flammability for all to read and heed the warning. I'm glad you wasn't burned though.

[41 mag fan]

Where has the Dextron II or III gone. I've been working off my stash as I use the dextron for Ed's Red.

Did bozo take it?

BvT

I think they keep improving or adding new ingredients to it or something...but when I went into Autozone a couple years ago, they told me they don't make Dexron II anymore. I just took it at their word

[MattOrgan]

Made my first batch of Ben's Red last week. Only heated the Red n Tacky to the point it "slumped"
and became much less viscous, wasn't a liquid, didnt get it hot enough to smoke. Added the Johnson's paste wax,got some "smoke" , but the mix at that point became very thin and runny. Added the Dextron II (have an old case of this stuff) and STP and it got thinner yet. Took it off my old Ward's hot plate and added my beeswax and stirred until it melted (maybe 6-8 minutes) the mix was smooth with no lumps and appeared well mixed. Poured some of it into my lube stick molds and the rest into a plastic food container that I set in my quench bucket after it appeared to be melting the container. The container floated in the water as I filled it. Put the container in the freezer for a couple of hours. Popped it out and cut through it. No separation of ingredients and no lumps. Pushed the sticks out of the mold and there was no separation of ingredients and no visible lumps. Sticks were easy to handle, a little softer than beeswax/alox, more like LBT soft.

Bottom line is I don't think you need a lot of heat over a long time to get this to work. My color is a reddish orange color.

Didn't want to re melt and recast sticks, so I formed a "turd" of the lube from my container on the pressure screw and put it in my lubrisizer. Wow, effortless feeding, very sticky, stayed in the lube grooves. Sized/lubed a bunch of 45 caliber 280 gr WFN LBT bullets. These bullets always leave an un changing light wash of lead in my Ruger BH at a little over 1100 fps. After the first six shots the bore was bright, a little lube at the muzzle, same accuracy as before ( with 50/50 beeswax/alox or LBT soft) Next I will try my .35 Remington load at about 1800 fps with the RCBS 200 gr FP.

Thanks Ben for sharing this recipe, its easy to make and so far seems to work better than others I've tried. The real test will be with my .308, but it will have to wait for a couple months, I have way too many bullets lubed and sized that I need to shoot up before I test Ben's in my most accurate cast bullet gun.

[Ben]

Thanks Ben for sharing this recipe, its easy to make and so far seems to work better than others I've tried. The real test will be with my .308, but it will have to wait for a couple months, I have way too many bullets lubed and sized that I need to shoot up before I test Ben's in my most accurate cast bullet gun.

Glad you were successful!
Keep us posted with more feedback on your continued testing with Ben's Red.

[41 mag fan]

Bottom line is I don't think you need a lot of heat over a long time to get this to work. My color is a reddish orange color.



No high heat is not needed for this lube, unless you're achieving full melt of the R&T Question I've got is after making 6-7 batches, with the first 4 being double batches, I've made it pretty much every way you can.
With the last batch, melting the R&T to full melt, I still had unmelted peices of R&T in the bottom of my pot.
It was very little, but enough to me to warrant straining.
You didn't have little bits of R&T in your pot?
What'd you do different that i haven't done?
Reason for the questions, is I'd like to see it or find a way where the straining is no more.

[MattOrgan]

Just went to the shop and checked my "pot", an old 1 lb coffee can, and it just has the thin coating of lube, no lumps or separation. After reading everything about making this lube I'm wondering if trying to "melt" the R&T is causing the lumps, scorching it? The order I added things was simply by chance, but adding the JPW first really made the mix go liquid. I was concerned about burning the beeswax and wanted to use the least heat possible. Could the lumps be burnt beeswax? I'm now hoping I can replicate the lube in my next batch.

[retread]

72628

Here is a pic of my first attempt at Ben's Red. I am realy pleased with the results. I did not encounter the lumps that required screening that was talked about by others.
I kept my temperatures low, I did not get the LRT hot enough to seperate. I added to it the STP and Dexron and continued to keep on low heat while I melted the JPW. I let the JPW cook at bit after becoming liquid, which boiled off some of the solvents. Again the heat was not high. I then added it to the other mixture and whisked. I left this second mix on low heat while I melted the Beeswax (got great quality stuff from Randyrat). I heated the beeswax on low heat until fully liquid then poured to into the mix and used a wisk to blend it. Looked like tomato soup! I did add a couple red crayons for more color. When thoroughly mixed I poured it into plastic Yorgurt containers that my wife buys(yuk). The next day I heated one of them up in the micro wave and poured the lube sticks in the picture.

[OLPDon]

Retread
Looks good enough to eat! Nice Job well done. Makes me want to brew another batch! I guess I will just reheat what I have and maybe add some red candle dye to it. Yours sure do look purty.
Don

[Ben]

I'm with Don, that is some nice looking Ben's Red.

My compliments.

Ben

[41 mag fan]

72628

Here is a pic of my first attempt at Ben's Red. I am realy pleased with the results. I did not encounter the lumps that required screening that was talked about by others.
I kept my temperatures low, I did not get the LRT hot enough to seperate. I added to it the STP and Dexron and continued to keep on low heat while I melted the JPW. I let the JPW cook at bit after becoming liquid, which boiled off some of the solvents. Again the heat was not high. I then added it to the other mixture and whisked. I left this second mix on low heat while I melted the Beeswax (got great quality stuff from Randyrat). I heated the beeswax on low heat until fully liquid then poured to into the mix and used a wisk to blend it. Looked like tomato soup! I did add a couple red crayons for more color. When thoroughly mixed I poured it into plastic Yorgurt containers that my wife buys(yuk). The next day I heated one of them up in the micro wave and poured the lube sticks in the picture.

You wont see the lumps till you pour it thru a tee shirt. I've made Bens Red every way possible, from throwing all the ingredients together and heating up and melting, to complete separation of R&T first thru total melting of it, and adding everything else step by step after being melted individually.
Only thru straining will you see there's still R&T that's bonded together, and hasn't been melted down.

The lube sticks do look good though!

[41 mag fan]

Just went to the shop and checked my "pot", an old 1 lb coffee can, and it just has the thin coating of lube, no lumps or separation. After reading everything about making this lube I'm wondering if trying to "melt" the R&T is causing the lumps, scorching it? The order I added things was simply by chance, but adding the JPW first really made the mix go liquid. I was concerned about burning the beeswax and wanted to use the least heat possible. Could the lumps be burnt beeswax? I'm now hoping I can replicate the lube in my next batch.

reheat some of it and strain it thru a tee shirt...only then will you be able to see the lumps.

[retread]

Thanks for the comments. Before I pour my next sticks I will do the straining and see what comes to light. I was looking for lumps when mixing so I thought I was good to go.
Cleaned my 450 today and charged it with the Red. Sized and lubed about 300 .429 for the 44. Worked well in the sizer, lube groove were nicely filled. It is thin enough that I still feel a stickiness to it even unheated. I am presuming this is normal. Any coments?

[41 mag fan]

Thanks for the comments. Before I pour my next sticks I will do the straining and see what comes to light. I was looking for lumps when mixing so I thought I was good to go.
Cleaned my 450 today and charged it with the Red. Sized and lubed about 300 .429 for the 44. Worked well in the sizer, lube groove were nicely filled. It is thin enough that I still feel a stickiness to it even unheated. I am presuming this is normal. Any coments?

Yes it is normal. Now one thing I've noticed, as yesterday it confirmed my thoughts, when you melt Bens Red and pour it into your sizer, it will be thin feeling for a day or several hours, till it reaches full cool down or ambient room temp in the reservoir.
But you was using already made lube sticks, (I'm envious!! I need to make me a jig), so it should of been at room temp. It will though, come out feeling a little tacky. If you take those same boolits, and let sit for 24hrs in the open air and come back, my finding of my first 4 batches, is they will harden up a tad. It will feel less sticky as I think it develops a microscopic skin, per say, that dries to where it's not as easy to wipe out of the lube groove.
But when you wipe it out of the lube groove, it will be tacky underneath, like when it was first applied.
This is one reason of many though, I like Bens Red is no heat needed to get it to flow thru the lube sizer.

On the lumps, if you know which container is the one from your bottom of the pot, that's the one you really want to look at. The lumps wont float to the top or be very noticeable, as they will sit suspended or laying on the bottom of the pot.
In a nutshell, it won't look like when making gravy from flour and milk, where you got lumps of undissolved flour that are floating on top, and in the mix.
It'll be R&T which hasn't fully separated, and is heavier than the ingredients that have melted. You'll know what I'm trying to describe when you melt and pour the one from the bottom.

Now one thing, that goes up for discussion frequently, but I don't melt anything in the microwave. Microwaves heat on a skip and miss basis, for lack of words to describe.
Like heating a plate of food, some will get hot fast, you think it's done just to realize there's some that's still cold, like the middle of the food on the plate.
To me and my thinking, melting beeswax in the microwave, destroys or scorches the binding properties it has. This might be wrong, but I prefer to melt it slowly, on a hotplate, below smoking point.

Also another thought, as I haven't seen it any different until I fully melted the R&T to where it was liquid, if you use a whisk, you'll get tell tale lumps on the whisk when you pull it up.
They wont be hanging off it, or if done right be in great numbers, but there'll be a few pieces attached to it.
You'll know you got lumps then on the bottom. Maybe not alot, but enough that your entire batch is not fully melted and bound together to each ingredient.

I'm jealous of them lube sticks though!! I'm going to the lumber yard here in 30 min and getting me some pvc pipe to make me a jig. Yesterday I for the 1st time, spilled some melted lube all over my sizer.....it'll be the last time now!!

[MattOrgan]

Couldn't wait to shoot some rifle rounds with Ben's Red so I cast some Ideal 308334. I know obsolete design, but it works below 2,000 fps. My mold casts them at .314. I sized them to .311 with Hornady gas checks and loaded them with a maximum load of Red Dot, normally getting 1600+ fps. They weigh 204 grains lubed and gas checked. The nose of this bullet very lightly engraves when chambered in my Sako 571 .308 heavy barrel. I've had this rifle for over 30 years, bought it slightly used and have put about 8600 rounds through it, mostly jacketed. It normally will shoot groups about an inch at 100 yards, 3/4 at 50 with this load lubed with LBT blue soft. It also shot nice round clusters, no flyers, no stringing. The bore always has a very light wash of lead that patches out with Ed's red. There has never been any evidence of a lube star.

Today I shot 3 five round groups at 50 yards. It was 95 degrees, hotter than I would normally shoot groups in, but my experience with my Ruger BH got me very curious.

Group 1: first shot was a flyer (fouler) next four into .55 inches, still the overall group was at 1"

Group 2: No fliers .80 inches, first three into .25 on centers, very cool!

Group 3: no fliers .75 inches, four into just under .25, cooler yet!

Bore was bright after 15 rounds, fired a 5 shot group with the standard load, 1st shot a flier, but including it the group was was just under 1.5 inches, next four was at .80 inches, a group this rifle normally shoots. Interestingly the bore regained the normal light lead wash.

I wish I could post photos, but have not been able to. If anyone is interested in posting them for me send me your email via PM and I'll forward the photos.

Very intriguing so far. I'll cast more bullets tomorrow and shoot some more. I love how easy the lube flows in my Lub A matic. The bullets size easier too. Witha micro fiber cloth any lube on the base or on the nose wipes off completely with light pressure. Kinda like magic. Lube doesn't pull out of lube grooves when handling. Set one lubed bullet on the bench. Lube stayed in grooves.


My lube making pot still shows no lumps. I've rubbed bits of this lube accross a smooth countertop and it seem totally homogeneous with no inclusions or lumps. Maybe I don't know what I'm looking for? If testing continues like this I'll stay with the lumps!

Thanks again For sharing this Ben.

[Ben]

MattOrgan

Maybe I don't know what I'm looking for?

Yes, I definitely think that you know what to look for !

Those tight groups and clean bore are what you're looking for , forget the smooth counter top.

Congrats ! ! ! That is some fine shooting.

Sounds like you just might be a " Dyed in the Wool Ben's Red User" Now !

[MattOrgan]

Ben,

Very dyed in the wool, probably a fanatic. I just need to figure out why I have the one or two rounds out slightly out of the group. I have never weighed or selected cast bullets and I'm wondering if I should. I have always just inspected visually and loaded. It amazes me that the bullets lubed with your lube removes the lead wash from the two guns I have fired it in.
The only thing I'd change is the smell, its slightly nauseating to me, but I'll live with it.

I know that you've probably written about this before, but how did you come up with this formulation?

[Ben]

MattOrgan

Question

I know that you've probably written about this before, but how did you come up with this formulation?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Answer

Matt,

I did a lot of research on lube recipes, ( I read for days and days about bullet lube ).

I made small batches of bullet lube ( less than 8 oz. at a time ) and tested them , some with good results , some with very poor results.

It was simple science for me ( I'm a Biology major )....You research, you develop a hypothesis, you test and evaluate your hypothesis, you record your data from your test. Going through this sequence over about a 1 yr. period of time with major set backs and some good progress that seemed to continue to point me in the direction of Ben's Red . After much testing and making of many different kinds of bullet lube, I was finally able to develop Ben's Red.

Once I had decided to finalize my efforts with Ben's Red, I tested it thoroughly myself in my own personal pistols, revolvers, and center fire rifles in a wide variety of calibers, then shared the recipe privately with some of the respected members here on the forum. I ask them to evaluate the lube and report back to me with their results.

Once I was satisfied ( from feedback and input from other respected cast bullet shooters ) that the lube was a good one, I went public with the exact formula for making the lube and offered it to all of the shooters here on the forum. I've never made a penny from Ben's Red, and I most likely never will. It is free to all who would like to make it and use it. Many have taken their time on this forum to offer me assistance, answer questions and offer me help. Maybe this can be a small contribution that I can make in return ?

One interesting thing.........The original formula has never been changed in any way.

It has stood the test of time. Ben's Red has been made and used by many of the top cast bullet shooters here on the forum. It has been very rewarding for me to see so many shooters make Ben's Red and enjoy it.