Another Bens Red Report

[AZ-JIM]

I made my first batch of Bens Red a year or so ago, Ive been using it in light .357 loads with no complaints. Today I shot my first batch of rifle boolits with it. It seems to have performed well. I was using HT'ed WW @ about 18.5 Brinell. Cast in the RCBS 95g .243 mould. I was using this load to fireform some brass for a new rifle. The boolits speed ranged from 1830's to 1890's. There is a wide spread in fps, but the fireform is going to be a 2 step process, as none of the fired cases are completely formed so the variance doesnt concern me at this point. Anyway I have no signs of leading, bore is fairly clean minus powder residue, and minimal smoke from the lube. So up to at least 1900 fps the lube should perform.

az-jim

[35 shooter]

I shot Ben's Red in my rifle (35 whelen) today for the first time too. I was actually testing 33 grains of imr 4759 with another lube and the rcbs 200 grain fngc boolit. That load is supposed to be about 2200 fps with the lyman 204 grain boolit so it should be very close with the rcbs although mine come out about 212 grains.

I had loaded 16 rounds with the one lube and loaded 8 more with the Ben's Red just to try.
My rifle always throws the first shot well out of the group from a clean bbl. even when i swab between groups so i've been looking for a lube to eliminate that.

I shot 5 shot groups and swabbed with a dry patch between groups with the first lube and as usual it would throw the first shot about 2 inches out of the group. Otherwise i was getting 4 shots just over an inch each group. Pretty good i thought. All groups were shot at 100 yards.

Then i pulled out the 8 rounds of Ben's Red lubed boolits. I also ran 2 wet patches of hoppe's 9 and three dry patches through the bore to get most of the other lube out. I was expecting the usual flyer on the first shot.
That didn't happen. The first 5 shots went into .867. I swabbed the bbl with one dry patch and the next 3 went into
.467 with no clean or swabbed bbl flyers and of course no leading. I know 8 shots is not a big test but if you know your rifles like i know mine i know it's a good indicator.

Needless to say i'm impressed and this week or weekend i will be testing up to 2500 maybe 2600 fps with Ben's Red.

Another lube that has impressed me lately has been R5R'S Simple lube. When i do get clean bbl first shot flyer's with it it's about 2 inches straight up and in line with the resulting groups. Also i think a little tweaking of the lube will stop that. Or maybe a coating of atf before shooting. Not bad at all.

Two groups don't prove a thing but as i said i know my rifle and for now and until it does it again, yea i'm impressed and can't wait for the next time i can try it. First time i haven't had clean bbl flyer's. If that holds up i will definitely be reporting back on it. THANKS BEN!!!

[w5pv]

Like the suffex on your call

[Ben]

35 shooter

You're VERY WELCOME ! ! !

Looks like you're " off on the right foot " with Ben's Red.

Good Shooting,

Ben

[AZ-JIM]

Like the suffex on your call

Thanks

[35 shooter]

AZ-JIM I understand you were fire forming cases and not neccessarily expecting top accurracy on the first firings,
but it sounds like they did well. Were your clean bbl shots in with the groups? Or cold bbl shot?
I'm just curious about that aspect of this lube. I've tried several lubes like a lot of other cast shooters looking for one that gives the accurracy and puts the first shot out of a clean bbl in the group:-P.
My groups clustered around the first shot with BEN'S RED. If yours did that too I think i'm going to be one happy camper!!!

[AZ-JIM]

Well....its kinda hard to say, my "group" (all shots at 100yds) was about 3" diameter. I shot 4, 10 shot "groups" (borderline, patterns) and they were all pretty simillar. Sorry, this probably doesnt help you much. I will have to experiment some more after I get the fireforming done. I would like to find a load with a little better case fill but keep the velocity under 2200fps. Time will tell.

az-jim

[35 shooter]

Thanks AZ-JIM and i do think it helped because it sounds like it was consistent even tho you were fire forming.
Ben's Red gave no indication of throwing a clean bbl shot out of the group for me and since i like to hunt with a clean bbl that means a lot. Although after looking down the bore it didn't look like it even needed cleaning.