Black powder type lube w/smokeless loads

[nitroproof]

I cast for my two rollers, a .38/55 and a .45/70. I've been shooting 4759 of late in the .38/55 and shoot Pyrodex Select exclusively in the .45/70.
My old Lachmiller sizer-lubricator is filled with Larsen's BPCR Supreme for all my lube needs (former SPG user).
Would the .38/55 benefit from a different lube? I'm shooting the Lee 379-250RF boolit.

[Dale53]

I shot BPCR for fifteen years. I used Emmert's Home Mix for both smokeless AND black powder.

I have not used Larson's BP lube, but I suspect it would work for smokeless. Why don't you give it a try and report back to the forum. Then we''l all know:mrgreen:.

Dale53

[44man]

It should work fine. It is the other direction that you don't want to go.
Not a good idea to use any petro stuff with black but for smokeless, BPCR lube might even work better then a lot of store bought lubes.
Keep us posted.

[John Boy]

http://www.leeprecision.com/graphics/bullets/C379250RF.GIF
Plenty of room in the grease grooves for black powder lube and smokeless powder. There should be no issue!

[Larry Gibson]

Concur..no issues. I regularly use my own BP lube (5-4 mix of beeswax - olive oil) with smokeless loads up through 1800 fps. Larsen's lube should work fine.

Larry Gibson

[Irascible]

I only question the temperature you'll be using it in. BP lube tends to be very soft and I would wonder about it migrating into the powder in the hot weather or direct sunlight.

[Dale53]

Soft does not necessarily denote low melting temperature. Lithium grease is a good example - it can hardly be said to HAVE a melting temperature but is quite soft (too soft for a luber/sizer for example).

However, I agree that this COULD be a consideration.

Dale53

[jonk]

For extreme use, I would say no; for the velocity you are going to be realizing, I would say it should work as well as anything else.

[Dale53]

Irascible;
I had a serious problem with NRA Alox/Beeswax during extremely hot weather. I was at a shooting school in Missouri many years ago and the temps were 106 every day for a week. I made the mistake of leaving an ammo can in the sun for just TWENTY minutes! I was plagued with misfires for the rest of the course. I DID get good at clearing jams, however:confused:.

I have since taken SERIOUS precautions regarding ammo or lubed bullets during hot weather. I keep my lubed bullets for schuetzen use in a common cooler (don't need anything to cool them but the insulated box keeps the rather soft lube from running off the bullets). I take the same precautions with loaded ammo in temperature extremes.

A little care goes a long way to minimizing problems.

I now lube with a somewhat harder, higher temperature lube (Lars Red Carnauba) to help further these aims in my general pistol and revolver ammo. I carefully watch my BPCR ammo with it's softer lube for the same reasons you have discussed.

Dale53

[DonH]

I only question the temperature you'll be using it in. BP lube tends to be very soft and I would wonder about it migrating into the powder in the hot weather or direct sunlight.

Precautions are in order where are needed but BP cartridge shooters DO shoot in hot weather! My own BP lube (BW, tallow, oil, lanolin) is not particularly susceptible to melting in hot weather and seems to work as well with smokelessv to 1600 fps as it does with BP.

As for SPG, I have it on the word of the inventor that his lube was developed so as to be compatible with both BP or smokeless.