lube cookie

[irishtoo]

hi, would someone care to explain the making and use of lube cookies? ill be loading for a winchester 1885 sporter 45-70 for practice at the range and deer and bear hunting. i have a lee 405 gr hb mold and will be loading with black powder. thank you. irishtoo

[country gent]

There are several ways to make grease cookies. 1) an extruder can be purchased that pushes the lube out in a "ribbon" at the thickness you want. 2) wax paper layed on a hard flat surface with 2 parrallels of appropriate thickness with lube between them another sheet of wax paper and flatten to thickness with a rolling pin. 3) a cookie sheet with a layer of water heated. melt lube and pour to wanted thickness let cool. When you get your lube sheet the thickness you want it to be. lay it on a hard flat surface, Powder cases and compress with first wad. this holds powder in place. push case mouth thru the lube sheet cutting cookie, a small pin may have to be pushed thru the center to relieve air pressure. Another wad seated by hand.
Watch the muzzle for the lube star to form.

[John Allen]

The lube cookie really does help to keep the blackpowder soft. I use the extruder version now. I bought it off a member here. it is so easy to use.

[irishtoo]

ok , to clarify for myself..........compressed powder filled case with a tight fitting wad, invert the case and use it to cut the lube cookie, place a second wad on top and seat the boolit. the lube is whatever your current mix is but stiff enough to form a disc and stay in place. the wads are thin over powder wads as use in bp shotgun shells? how thick of a lube cookie is normally used? i have a jerky shooter used to extrude ground meat into strips think that would work?
thank you for the info. irishtoo

[country gent]

I have used and or heard of cookies from 1/16" to 5/16" thick. depends on what works for you loading and gets you the lube star at the muzzle. Longer barrels need more, paper patched need thicker, amount of fouling all is a part of it. I usually start with a stack up of 1/16" thick and make the full thickness sheet after determining what works. I never thought about a "jerky shooter" as a lube extruder but it might work depending on hardness of lube used and thickness of ribbon needed. Most are set up like a hydrolic cylinder with a slot on one end to be used in a loading press or other means of mechanical advantage.

[irishtoo]

does the lube cookie add anything to the accuracy of the load or does only keep the fowling soft? im good for 20 rounds or so off a bench and i shoot once a week, flintlock up to now. im looking for good hunting loads but i practice all year. thank you

[StrawHat]

When using a lube cookie with a HB boolit, will the top wad get jammed in the base of the boolit? If so, won't that destroy any potential for accuracy? I have always loaded the 405HB without wads.

[country gent]

If you bullet carries enough lube it may not make a diffrence. If your not getting a lube star at the muzzle or fouling feels crusty and hard it may. Spg is soft and easy to work with and a fine lube to. Barrel length, powder type , load and bullet will all determine the need or thickness for a grease cookie.My sharps in 45 70 with its load of 70 grns 2 f and postell bullet will lead the last 4" of the barel with out the cookie. Fouling gets hard and crusty after a few rounds.The barrel is 34" long. I run a 1/8" thk cookie of emmerts improved and these go away.

[John Boy]

1. * Punch out felt wads - melt favorite lube - soak wads in lube - dry on paper towel
2. * Pour melted lube on wax paper between 2 Popsicle sticks - even with a wide putty knife - let lube harden - punch out with case with rim cut off - push out with head of nail

PS: No lube cookie us needed with 405 HB - waste of work & time

[StrawHat]

...PS: No lube cookie us needed with 405 HB - waste of work & time...

Thanks John Boy, that is what I thought.

[Springfield]

No cookie needed with the LEE 405 HB because it holds enough lube already or it just doesn't work due to the HB?

[OuchHot!]

The HB boolit can have a small dollup of lube applied by thumb to the HB. I take the view that lube cookies were only needed when I saw signs of insufficient lube near the muzzle. Otherwise, I tried to correct things without the use of cookies.....sometimes that isn't possible. I don't just automatically use a cookie when working up a load.

[Texantothecore]

Take a measuring cup place 45 percent beeswax and 55 percent vegetable oil in cup.

Microwave for 2 to three minutes or until liquid.

Pour into plastic sandwhich box 1/4 in deep. Wait until it is tacky and cut the cookies using an empty neck or fully resized cartridge. I use a steel rod to push out the cookie into another sandwhich box.

Use. This method is nice and clean as well quick.

I shot roundball with these lube cookies and when I ran a patch it came out with a fairly large amount of lube which looked and felt like jello.
I am really pleased with these cookies as the barrel stays wet and the fouling comes out without much effort.

[Harry O]

A hollow-base bullet in a gun that needs a hollow-base bullet should not have it filled with lube. That makes the bullet less accurate. My guess is that it slows down the expansion or makes it uneven. Whatever the reason, my experience with 41 Long Colts is that you should never put anything between the powder and the hollow-base. No lube and no wad.