Grease Cookie Muzzle Star

[Stoneke]

I have read in other posts that one can determine the adequacy of your lubricant by the presence of a residue star on the muzzle. On my 30 inch 45-70 barrel I'm not seeing anything resembling the star - only a small circular shadow in the muzzle crown. I have used both SPG and my own blend of bee's wax with jojoba oil mix, with no difference. My cookies have included soaked felt wads and cookies cut from 1/8 to 1/4 inch lube plates. During my barrel swabbing I'm feeling minor fouling resistance about three inches from the muzzle. Blow tubing takes care of the chambering of successive rounds. Rounds are straight OE 2F powder with milk carton wads on both sides of the cookie. I suspect that this is not a real problem, but thought that I'd ask.

[Exal]

As long as you have no leading problems then you should be good. The lube helps with both leading and keeping fouling soft, so any extra is better than not enough. The extra is what forms the lube star at the muzzle. Here's a picture from google on how it should look, it can be larger than this. .197047

I've never used a felt wad in my 45-70 so couldn't speak to that if it would help, a grease cookie should give you more than enough lube for a 30 barrel. Also what bullet are you using if there is not adequately deep lube grooves that could be a problem also.

[bob208]

from what you describe you need more lube. a bpcr fouls from the muzzle back.

[country gent]

Most grease grooved bullets should carry enough lube for a 30" barrel, How thick is the grease cookie your using? I normally don't use a felt wad but just a "cookie of lube .090-.197 thick depending on cartridge load and barrel length. You state you feel fouling resistance 3-4" form muzzle, is this greasy feeling or dry and crusty feeling? Is the fouling on the patch dry and crusty or greasy looking? I use spg and or emmerts improved that I make myself. Seeing the lube star dosnt insure non leading or fouling issues just that lube is making it past the muzzle. The grease cookie is a good way of adding lube to the lkoad when bullets don't carry enough. The wads stack lube I use is 1 rubber fiber napa wad over powder, 1 grease cookie .090-.187 thick depending on load barrel length and cartridge. this is simply lube rolled out to thickness between to sheets of wax paper or melted on water to desired thickness. a playing card wad on top of the grease cookie, and 1-2 tracing paper wads to ensure wads release from the bullets base. To make grease cookies you can do this several ways. They can be rolled between two sheets of wax paper with a roller. a couple strips of metal the desried thickness and roll the lube down to them. Peel one side of wax paper of and cut with case mouth. Another is a brownie pan 1" deep with 1/4" water in it and a scale on one side ( 1/16" graduations are fine enough here). add water to a "zero point" then heat water and melt lube to desired thickness on scale. Allow to cool and remove to paper towels with spatula. Done right this will make a sheet of lube down to 1/16" thick while seldom used alone 1/16" grease cookies when working a load up allows for easy changes if needed. 1 = 1/16" 4= 1/4" 6=3/8" In this way you can determine how much lube you actually need.

[Stoneke]

I have used grease cookies measuring from 1/16 inch to 1/4 inch. My first wipe is with a wet patch and I feel only slight resistance - not like pushing caked fouling. I'm not seeing any leading, so I can live with the situation. Going beyond a 1/4 inch cookie is occupying lots of case room.