Smokeless / Blackpowder Lube

[brad925]

Would a black powder lube such as 50/40/10 of beeswax Crisco olive oil work for smokeless as long as the velocities are kept in the black powder range of 1100-1300fps? Because I shoot both black and smokeless, I am trying to find something that works for both.

[Dale53]

brad925;
The Classic "Emmert's" lube is 50% pure natural Beeswax, 40% Crisco, and 10% Canola oil. It worked extremely well as a black powder cartridge lube as well as a smokeless Schuetzen bullet lube.

However, I discovered that replacing the Canola Oil with Anhydrous Lanolin really increased it's shelf life and the modified "Emmert's" worked at least as good as the original. Using the original lube, bullets lubed then kept over the winter would show degradation of the lube. The modified version does not.

The performance of both were quite similar to the commercial SPG but at MUCH less cost. I use melted volume for the percentages.

FWIW
Dale53

[brad925]

Thanks Dale for the reply. Did you find it to hard to push through a lubrisizer without heat?

[geargnasher]

I use a modified Emmert's similar to what Dale mentioned and it's almost too sloppy to work in a lube-sizer unless the temp is down around 70F. My modification was half the Canola and add back 5% lanolin (wool fat). I use it for everything, patch lube, cylinder sealant, lube grooves, even makes a passable lip balm and moustache wax.

Gear

[Dan4570]

Hi,

Though I am not giving my recipe out, (it is currently patent pending) I designed my lubes, (Vigilante Bullet Lube) around black powder and cast bullets, My cartridge bullet lube was designed with the 45-70 in mind. I think I came very close to my original goal when I started and my lube, in all of my tests have outperformed current industry leaders such as SPG, and DGL. (If it had not I would not have bothered to market it)
Back to answering your question,
We tested it with smokeless powder loads in 45-70 and 45-Colt, It performed just fine. I am looking for either a .308 or .303 British bullet mold and I will be testing it at higher velocities. I expect it to work just fine at higher velocities.
We have been shooting 30:1 (lead:tin ) and all loads have been within 1,300 fps and have had no problems. 20:1 lead to tin or softer is good for BP loads. The bullet, if properly crimped will slightly grow, allowing for a proper gas seal. Thus improving your powder burn and accuracy,
The recipies I have seen mentioned here on the sight are OK. Just keep in mind that within about 3-6 months they will start going rancid. Once your lube starts going rancid, (it is bacterial growth deteriorating part of the ingredients, crisco, canola, vegatable oil ect. ) The lube will not work as well in your BP loads as it looses its properties. (an issue you really cant stop, but I did find a mix of all natural, petroleum free lube that will last for about 2 years without going rancid)<yes, it is the patent pending stuff>
I would suggest with the recipe your using to make about a 3 - 6 months supply and make a new batch often for your BP loads so that it will perform optimally for you.
An good way to dispose of an old rancid batch that I have found is cap and ball revolvers, (1) they eat lubes when you grease the cylinder faces(chamber mouths) and (2) your only pushing the bullet about 7-8 inches and it will help keep the powder fouling soft in the bbl, (basically it lubes that bullet and softens fouling nd the bbl isn't long enough for the rancid lube to fail)
But hey, if you do much shooting you will not have it around long enough to go bad anyway.

Hope this helps.