Clean shooting lube?

[302w]

Just as a heads up, I've never loaded or cast a bullet in my life.

I inherited a ton of reloading equipment. I've shot a bunch of ammo that my grandfather loaded with his cast bullets, and I've always found it to be extra smokey and smelly and dirty. The plastic ammo boxes that hold the brass have a noticeable stank as well, and the shot cases are waxy.

I shot some **** Magtech 38 LRN and I found it to be no dirtier than FMJ stuff. I liked it.

My grandfather's lubed bullets are extremely sticky. The projectiles he never got around to loading. I found some old lube tubes marked 50/50 alox to beeswax manufactured by Javelina Products so I assume that is what he used.

Is that a overly dirty lube? I would be interested in casting if I found a CLEAN lube. I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks!

[1Shirt]

That is a fairly dirty lube. Suggest you google "Lars White Lable lubes", and try one of their lubes. I find their lubes to be both inexpensive, and to shoot clean, with little if any smoke. Good luck!
1Shirt!

[GhostHawk]

You might also take a read through some of "Ben's Liquid Lube" as a non sticky overcoat over existing lube.

[Wasalmonslayer]

+1 for the over coat of bens LL.
I shoot a real sticky lube and that l slight over coat of bens works perfect and you can barely tell there is any thing on the boolits!

[RobS]

Are you planning on casting and do you have a lubricator or lubrisizer in the reloading/casting equipment?
I'll second whitelabel if you don't want to make your own. randyrat on the forum here is also a good option for lubes.

[RobS]

White Label Lube: http://www.lsstuff.com/

randrat: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?2594-randyrat

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Just as a heads up, I've never loaded or cast a bullet in my life.

I inherited a ton of reloading equipment. I've shot a bunch of ammo that my grandfather loaded with his cast bullets, and I've always found it to be extra smokey and smelly and dirty. The plastic ammo boxes that hold the brass have a noticeable stank as well, and the shot cases are waxy.

I shot some **** Magtech 38 LRN and I found it to be no dirtier than FMJ stuff. I liked it.

My grandfather's lubed bullets are extremely sticky. The projectiles he never got around to loading. I found some old lube tubes marked 50/50 alox to beeswax manufactured by Javelina Products so I assume that is what he used.

Is that a overly dirty lube? I would be interested in casting if I found a CLEAN lube. I'm open to suggestions.
Thanks!
302w,
welcome to the best place on the web to learn about casting and shooting cast boolits.

50/50 alox to beeswax is a old time proven lube made by many manufactures. It does work very well. But yes, it does stink some and get you gun greasey/sooty, As well as make some smoke...when paired with certain powders it's quite smoky...in a indoor range, that can rival the holy Black.

There are lots of alternative lube, that solve those problems, but other problems may arise.

I am testing a Lube that Geargnasher came up with...that so far, is looking very promising.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?249135-Homemade-Lube-Geargnasher-s-SL68-recipe&p=3074238&viewfull=1#post3074238
also scroll down to post #217

[Yodogsandman]

Welcome to the forum! That 50/50 lube is a great one to start with! Proven and tested! I love that smell!

[runfiverun]

some lubes smoke, so do some 22lr shells and I have seen plenty of jacketed factory rounds blow smoke too.
alox and humidity make smoke some powders exasperate this condition.

I'm gonna assume you have a handle on the casting and loading part and are just looking for a good lube.
the others suggested you look at white-label lubes but if you have a lot of the 50-50 I would look at still using it but modifying it to make it work better.
mixing it 2 sticks to one of the carnuba red white-label sells makes the lube you have a bit firmer and also reduces the smokiness a lot a whole lot.
it also takes some of that stickiness out and makes storage easier.

[bangerjim]

If casting new, consider powder coating to elimiante smoke, sticky boolits, and lead in your barrels!

Check out the sticky in "alternative coatings". Thousands of us are using PC to make casting and shooting easier, cheaper, and cleaner.

banger-j

[302w]

Thank you all for the quick and helpful replies.

I was interested in casting, but only if the lube I have been shooting wasn't typical. This summer I would like to start casting, and I am probably going to buy a tube of commercial lube to start with, then move into powdercoating or homebrewing lube after that. I like to tinker.

I think I will like casting, and this forum.

[bangerjim]

Once you get hooked on casting (and lubing with either grease or PC) you will have lots of fun!

So much more economical than buying comcast or FMJ's. (excluding the investment in molds, etc! That is just part to "doing business").

banger-j

[osteodoc08]

If wanting a relatively non sticky lube, contact RandyRat for some of his Tac1 or TacX. Great stuff and ECONOMICAL!

Didnt want to say cheap as that would possibly imply inferior which it is NOT.

[johnnyastro22]

Since you were able to acquire your reloading through inheritance why not make an investment in powder coating?

Get a Harbor Freight electrostatic spray gun, a pound of any color powder you like & a little toaster oven. It's by far the best way to go, lubes, prevents leading & looks really cool too!http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/22/807ed5128b0bce5ef0c46cdf703cad61.jpg
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/03/22/586b7984b1ffbb4aaec211795749b774.jpg

Here's a few boolits I cast and coated in royal purple (Hard to tell in the picture but they're a great deep shinny purple color) & an outstanding Kawasaki green color. Both are PC on a 115 gr .356 (9mm) cast wheel weight boolit.

[302w]

I'm actually quite intrigued by powder coating. I certainly like that you don't have any exposed lead. I've been looking into the shake-and-bake method. As I said, I'm completely green to casting so I still have a ways to go.

[John Boy]

I've shot a bunch of ammo that my grandfather loaded with his cast bullets, and I've always found it to be extra smokey and smelly and dirty. Sounds like you've been shooting your Grandfather's black powder ammunition and lubes don't play a factor with the gases being "extra smokey and smelly and dirty"

[302w]

Sounds like you've been shooting your Grandfather's black powder ammunition and lubes don't play a factor with the gases being "extra smokey and smelly and dirty"

Mostly Red-Dot, some AA2(or AA6?), and perhaps Bullseye. In a carbon-steel Series '70 he adored, so I wouldn't think he would load and mislabel ammo that would rust his favorite handgun if left unclean.

Quick question. I know this is the wrong place, but I don't want to clog up everything with my noob threads. I have a Lyman 450 (an oldschool 4500 If I had to guess). Is this a good sizer for bullets that would be PCed? I know it is a luber/sizer but I am not sure if it would work without lube. Otherwise I will use the Lee sizer on my rockchucker.

[groovy mike]

sending you a Private message 302W

[texassako]

I found Ben's Liquid Lube(BLL) to be cleaner than Lee's LLA, but there is still some soot and smoke. randyrat's TAC1 is cleaner yet, but you have to get it on the bullets(sizer, dip, etc.) and using BLL with unsized as cast bullets is just to easy(cast, tumble, load, shoot). Don't forget your powder choice can influence how dirty a load is as well, such as Unique's 'Flaming Dirt' nickname or using a light load that doesn't burn cleanly.

[fredj338]

I have never been an ALOX fan. The harder lubes from Randy & White Label are very good, a little smoke, can't avoid the carbon/lube gunk over time though. I've been playing with hi-tech coating my own cast, pretty simple & only a bit more than the cost of buying bullet lube, about 3/4c per bullet. No smoke or gunk though. Seems easier & less messy vs PC.

[fredj338]

Mostly Red-Dot, some AA2(or AA6?), and perhaps Bullseye. In a carbon-steel Series '70 he adored, so I wouldn't think he would load and mislabel ammo that would rust his favorite handgun if left unclean.

Quick question. I know this is the wrong place, but I don't want to clog up everything with my noob threads. I have a Lyman 450 (an oldschool 4500 If I had to guess). Is this a good sizer for bullets that would be PCed? I know it is a luber/sizer but I am not sure if it would work without lube. Otherwise I will use the Lee sizer on my rockchucker.

It will work but will be slow as you have to pluck the bullet out. If you are PC or HTC, then the Lee sizer is fast & easy.

[goofyoldfart]

302w: This is a little OT, But, I like the avatar. I worked at Beth Steel in Burns Harbor In. for 20 yrs. By the way you might try Ben's LL----it works. God Bless to you and yours.

Goofy

[302w]

I just saw your post.

I grew up in Jersey, moved to NEPA, and always loved industry. The Bethlehem plant closed when I was five or so, but I've always been fascinated with Bethlehem Steel. I have been to the old plant and it is an awesome place. I still see the Martin Tower but it is abandoned.

I also started PCing.

[BAGTIC]

It is difficult to imagine any lube that leaves the bore cleaner than JPW. Besides JPW is cheap and does not require any extra equipment to apply.

As for drying painted bullets in toaster oven, how long and how hot? I wonder if that would affect the BHN of heat treated bullets.

[blikseme300]

For me a clean shooting lube is one that leaves the barrel and action clean allowing me to shoot as many rounds as I want. The smoke produced by the round is of no consequence considering that the reliability and accuracy of the firearm is paramount. I am currently at almost 5000 rounds through my CZ75BD without any cleaning or lubing and it has not skipped a beat. The boolit is a Lee 120TC lube/sized to 0.3575 using Carnauba Red over 4.2gn of HP38.

I challenge any PC zealot to match me in mass producing boolits ready to load.

[gwpercle]

Back then , Javelina NRA 50/50 bullet considered one of the best. Lots of new developments and the new coatings look interesting. Pink, green, blue, whatever color you want ( I'm waiting for a metal flake color ) and no "stank".
Gary