One commercial lube for 45-70, and assorted handgun calibers.

[JeffinTD]

Running heated Lyman 4500. I’ve cast for moderate velocity handgun before, but I am going to start casting for 45-70 and 460 S&W, both gas check designs.

Can someone recommend a good all purpose lube that would work well with higher velocity in both rifle and pistol?

[Peregrine]

White label lube's carnauba red, wholeheartedly.

It'll do everything you'll ever want, smells great, and leaves your bore shiny as a bonus. Frankly you can just consider this thread over. ;)

[JeffinTD]

Thanks for the reply. Is that a hard or soft type? Performs well in all temperatures?

I’ve noticed some commercial hard lubed bullets seem to loose accuracy in cold temps. On the other hand some of the soft lubes I’ve used on my own can be messy when reloading in the summer.

[JeffinTD]

So Googlijg it sounds like it is sort of a medium hardness, which is perfect.

I found one person who talked about occasional fliers with small caliber rifles in cold weather, but pretty much everyone thought this stuff is excellent.

Got some ordered. Thanks again for replying.

[sghart3578]

Randy's TAC-1 or TAC-X is excellent.

No fliers either.


Steve in N CA

[stubshaft]

White label BAC lube

[Peregrine]

I came on a bit strong in my first post, I had a couple in me and it was two in the morning, heh.

It is a little on the harder side, but not as hard as some of the stuff you see on commercial cast. What's remarkable about it is how well it holds up in high temperature, I had a pack of sticks I left in my black cars trunk with some other casting stuff for the entire summer, and it was a real scoarcher. Not only did the lube not melt, the sticks didn't even deform. Not even a smidgeon.

I also like that it's non toxic since I do get it on myself when I'm working with it, the BAC referenced above is just a mix of it and the 'ol 50-50 recipe, I can do without the alox.

There's a blue version (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?325743-Introducing-Carnauba-Blue-a-softer-no-heat-version-of-Carnauba-Red) of it designed for unheated sizers and softer that I saw someone mixed with some of the red and made purple. While I've just been running the red this winter I might try that if I start seeing flyers.

Only thing this lube won't do well is pan lubing. It very firmly sticks to both the bullet and the pan, which while makes it ideal for pushing bullets fast without your lube coming off too early you're never going to get a cleanly separated cake you can just poke bullets out of. Not an issue in your case though, hence my full endorsement.

[Tom W.]

Carnauba Red....

[osteodoc08]

White label lube's carnauba red, wholeheartedly.

It'll do everything you'll ever want, smells great, and leaves your bore shiny as a bonus. Frankly you can just consider this thread over. ;)


This right here. There are many good options out there but for what you’re describing, is also recommend CR.

Someone mentioned RandyRat’s Tac1 and TacX. These are also good performers and are similar to the CR but a green color.

[JeffinTD]

Does anyone use Carnuba Red indoors? How is it for smoke?

[osteodoc08]

Does anyone use Carnuba Red indoors? How is it for smoke?

A heck of a lot better than alox or LBT blue, but I find it’s a combination of lube and powder. I love 231 but it’s not as clean as the newer stuff.

[Walks]

Another vote for WLL-BAC.

When I'm not PC'ing.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

White label lube's carnauba red, wholeheartedly.

It'll do everything you'll ever want, smells great, and leaves your bore shiny as a bonus. Frankly you can just consider this thread over. ;)

This ^^^^ I use it from 9mm to 454 to 30/06 good stuff

[GL49]

Another vote for Carnauba Red, that's all I use for everything. A little bit of heat in my Star sizer and I'm good to go.

[mattw]

Carnuba Red is a beautiful product. I also use their 2500+ which is a little softer and a little stickier but works wonders in mild loads. Carnuba Red has been working in my AR 300 BO at 1850 FPS and I have used it for years in moderate 30-06 loads in the 2100 FPS range in the old 03, also has been very good in the 30/30 and 41 mag.

[dkf]

Honestly don't think you can go wrong with Carn red, Carn Blue or BAC. I use a 50/50 mix of Red and BAC a lot.

[JeffinTD]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Like 20 tubes of carbabua red arrived today.

Nothing like having the GF see a non-descript package arrive with a return addesss of White Label Lube...

[Swamp Fox]

This was a timely thread for me. I’ve been using rcbs rifle lube since I started casting, but have recently begun looking for something better. Everybody has good thing to say about white labels stuff, and I was thinking of trying their carnuba blue since I don’t have heat on my sizer. If it’s cold in the garage and I’m sizing, I’ll put my space heater to blow across the sizer and this softens things up nicely. Anyways, will the blue be too soft for summertime use? Is their any functional difference between he red and blue varieties? I’ll be using it for 45 auto, 30/30, and 45/70.

[dkf]

The Blue is a little softer and little less tacky than the Red. I don't know what the difference would be in hot weather. I know the Red can handle heat. They both have the same melting point but the working temperature on the Blue is 30 degrees lower. If you point a desk lamp with say a 100 watt or so light bulb close on your lube sizer that would warm things up a bit.

[Tom W.]

When I called and asked what the difference is I was told the blue doesn't need a heater. I was then told that if I had a heater just keep using the Red.....

It won't be long before I have to order some more. I use it on all of my cast boolits.

[JeffinTD]

I’ve run a bit of the red now, and I really like it. A heater is definitely required but I wish I could back mine down just a bit. I just unplug when it gets too soft and plug back in when it gets stiff.

Pretty nice stuff to work with. It isn’t super hard and is still a bit tacky when fully cooled, but not so much as to be messy.

Some smoke but not bad indoors. Got good accuracy and minimal leading in the 460 and 45acp stuff I’ve shot so far.

[winelover]

A heater is definitely required but I wish I could back mine down just a bit. I just unplug when it gets too soft and plug back in when it gets stiff.






Simple solution, get a dimmer/ceiling fan switch and use it to control the outlet, you plug your heater into.

Winelover

[JeffinTD]

That’s a great idea. I was thinking of building some sort of pid controller, but for this it doesn’t need to be that sophisticated.

[Lloyd Smale]

another vote for carbabua red. Not much better for high velocity use. I used to cut it 5050 with Javalina or felix lube kind of like his 5050 lube for handguns but truth be told it works fine just as it is for about any bullet at any velocity. Only downside is unless its a 100 degrees in your shot your going to need a bit of heat to make it run in a lube sizer well.