New Caster, lube reccomendations

[ryanmattes]

I'm new to casting and don't have any idea what makes a particular bullet lube for a particular application.

I'm currently casting 454424 to load .45 Colt for a 90's era Ruger Vaquero. This is my first foray into casting, and I've been learning the melt and the mould for a while, to the point that I finally have a batch of decent boolits to load.

I don't have a lube sizer, I'm using the Lee sizer to bring them down to .452 for the Ruger, which slugged at .451. So I guess I'm looking at pan lubing the big, square lube groove in these guys.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/LyhtKoBM6nfBkNPT9

I used a little liquid alox on a few to run them all through the sizer, and that worked just fine (no noticeable leading or skirting, just a tiny bit of the alox left in the die). So they're all sized down to .452, and ready to be lubed. But I know nothing about lube.

I live in Texas, so 100F+ is a regular occurrence, so something that won't melt off in my garage is going to be necessary. It's 101F today, and this is a cool front caused by the hurricanes in the gulf, so I need it to stand up to temps as high as 110F.

I'm fine with buying, and I'm fine with making my own, as long as I have a source for the ingredients. I just need to know more about the different properties of the various lubricants, and why I would use one over another for this particular application.

Any help is appreciated.

Ryan

[Ozark mike]

Bees wax/vasiline is popular. I use bw/crisco or ya can use bw/olive oil theres only about 2000 recipes on here ya just need to add more bees wax to keep it stiff at those temps. Mix up a 40/60 mix set it outside and see if it melts. We got quite a few texans here who im sure will give ya their recipe

[centershot]

The easiest, simplest, most economical way to lube is to use 45-45-10 or Ben's Liquid Lube (BLL). Lube them as-cast, spread them out on a sheet of wax paper, load them the next day. Couldn't be simpler! For most pistol applications, sizing isn't required.

[Kylongrifle32]

I also just tumble lube all my boolits in the 45/45/10 mix. Even all the boolits with traditional lube grooves all just get tumble lubed now. Way fasted and cleaner that pan lubing.

[Larry Gibson]

If you got the "liquid alox" with a Lee sizer kit it is called LLA (Lee Liquid Alox). You might just try that if it's what you have. Dig out and follow Lee's directions which should have come with the kit as you've already completed the first half of the steps. With LLA use only enough to put a light golden hue on the bullets and let dry thoroughly. I live in a much drier desert area which has been getting up into the 120s the last few weeks. When I use LLA it works for me here w/o any problems unless I put too much on......it only takes a light coat.

[swheeler]

Ryan this lube will work just fine and there's enough to do thousands of bullets. https://lsstuff.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=14&zenid=kb7tgo2sfc671odn86spg4rnq3

[Bazoo]

Just about anything can be used for lube at moderate velocities. If you have gun issues such as incorrect cylinder throat size or a constriction or a rough bore, no matter what lube you use you'll have issues with leading and accuracy.

I would get some 45/45/10 lube and tumble lube if I didn't have my lubesizer. You can size your bullets dry provided your Lee sizer is smooth inside.

[Froogal]

The Alox tumble lube works good for .38 and .357. Never tried it on anything else. For my .45 Colt, I have settled on the SPG lube. This after trying several different homemade concoctions for pan lubing and every single one was simply frustrating to say the least.

[Petrol & Powder]

I can't speak much to pan lube or tumble lube but I will put in a shameless plug for White Label.

https://www.lsstuff.com/

Great people to deal with and excellent products.

If you decide to go with a sizer instead of pan or tumble lube, I would recommend 50/50 for most standard pressure handgun loads and maybe BAC for the magnum stuff.

[dverna]

The easiest, simplest, most economical way to lube is to use 45-45-10 or Ben's Liquid Lube (BLL). Lube them as-cast, spread them out on a sheet of wax paper, load them the next day. Couldn't be simpler! For most pistol applications, sizing isn't required.

Yep. If BLL works, and it should, it does not get any easier or cheaper.

[ryanmattes]

Thanks for the recommendations.

I decided to go with a 60/40 wax to WP mix, because I had the ingredients on hand. I started with 50/50, then poured too much the first time, sank em up past the crimp groove on some of them. I tried cleaning them up, but ended up taking the lube out of the lube groove, so I cleaned em completely, added more wax to my mix, and tried again. This time it hangs in there nicely.

I cut the neck off a .300 win mag for a cookie cutter (and drilled out the primer pocket), which cuts about a .460 hole. That worked really well, except the inside of the case got my driving bands dirty despite 45 minutes in the tumbler after the neck was cut off. I'll clean it some more before I try to lube another batch.

Hope to load these this week, and do my first test fire this weekend. It'll be the first time I shoot boolits that I cast myself.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aCzwJ7F5NbepSgjXA

https://photos.app.goo.gl/oPDRg5qepMiQQFAp8


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[swheeler]

I decided to go with a 60/40 wax to WP mix,

what is WP?

[cwlongshot]

Have you considered Powder coating?

No lube and FAR LESS smoke. Plus softer allows means cheaper still casting costs as hard/more costly alloys are less needed and used. If ya dont like colors you can PC in clear and silver and be on the sly side. No one will know lessin ya tell them.

CW

[ryanmattes]

I decided to go with a 60/40 wax to WP mix,

what is WP?Vaseline (white petroleum).

Ryan

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[ryanmattes]

Have you considered Powder coating?

No lube and FAR LESS smoke. Plus softer allows means cheaper still casting costs as hard/more costly alloys are less needed and used. If ya dont like colors you can PC in clear and silver and be on the sly side. No one will know lessin ya tell them.

CWI'm almost certain I'll end up there.

But I started reloading and minor gunsmithing the same way: slow, simple, and one step at a time. I need to know why, from experience, I would want to do it one way vs the other. I need to do it the old-school, low-tech way first, to understand how and why the newer, better, faster way is newer, better, and faster.

I don't want to skip any steps. One tech at a time, until I have a good handle on it. And then I'll start experimenting.

I've already looked into powder coating a bit, but it's yet another process I would need to learn, and I'm still working on consistent casting. But I'll get there.

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[JCM45]

Like you, I learned about lubing in steps. First, I tumble lubed with 45 45 10. Later, I perfected powder coating. After a year of using both of these methods, I bought a Lyman 4500 Lube/Sizer. These are not mutually exclusive techniques. I still use all three methods depending on the task at hand.

[P Flados]

Without a lubesizer, I would not put much effort into traditional lubes. Most folks get tired of the effort and mess pretty quick.

As previously noted, tumble lube is good for anything less than "Ruger/TC only" type 45 colt loads. I use BLL for "target loads" (think 32 long, 38 Sp, 45 ACP). It is fast and easy and it works. Trying Lee lube is a good start. It works, but can be messy. If you find that Lee lube works (shoots without leading) for your load, switching to a make it at home tumble lube (BLL, et. al.) or 45-45-10 will be worth it in the long term.

I use ASBB PC for hotter stuff. There is more work involved in getting the boolits ready to load, but for most magnum pistol type loads I am able to go full power with no real effort required to get zero leading.

[gwpercle]

Vaseline (white petroleum).

Ryan

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This is a very simple , soft bullet lube that has never let me down . Can be used in a lube sizer machine or pan lubed . You may want to write this down for future use . This is sometimes called Lithi-Bee lube
From Garth Choate , " 3 parts beeswax to 1 part Lithium Grease . When we made it commercially , we used 24 pounds of beeswax and 8 pounds of lithium grease , did it outside and keep a couple of fire extinguishers handy . "
I use a simple 3 to 1 ratio by weight and use Lucas Red-N-Tacky Lithium Grease from the auto parts store . If the lube needs to be hardened just add some paraffin wax ( Gulf Wax Household / Canning Paraffin) to the mix until it reaches the desired hardness

Gary

[Ozark mike]

I think choosing between all these recipes is harder than actually making the stuff it definitely takes longer to read all the recipes. If i was ya id start with the simplest and see how ya like it before ya start trying to render crude oil into something useable.

[dragon813gt]

I can't speak much to pan lube or tumble lube but I will put in a shameless plug for White Label.

https://www.lsstuff.com/

Great people to deal with and excellent products.


I’ll second this. We all like making our own. But Lars products work for extremely well and are economically priced. Carnauba Red will work for everything. Messing around w/ lubes is not something I want to waste time on.

[Targa]

In second this. We all like making our own. But Lars products work for extremely well and are economically priced. Carnauba Red will work for everything. Messing around w/ lubes is not something I want to waste time on.

I’ll third this..:-D. I am pan lubing everything from .357 mag to .475 Linebaugh with their carnauba blue. Very happy with this product. My pan lubed 200 grain .44 FN from Lee on the left next to a .240 grain .44 MBC bullet on the right.

[Duckiller]

Another vote for Lars and carnuba red. When I started I used javelin . It worked great except when the temp got absurd 100+. Went to Lars' Carnuba Red and have had no problems. Lars is good to deal with . Carnuba Red does not melt in 100+ heat. I use a hair drier to soften in my luber/sizer.

[greenjoytj]

I'm new to casting and don't have any idea what makes a particular bullet lube for a particular application.
I'm currently casting 454424 to load .45 Colt for a 90's era Ruger
I just need to know more about the different properties of the various lubricants, and why I would use one over another for this particular application.
Any help is appreciated.
Ryan

At 45 Colt revolver muzzle velocities any lube will work with smokeless powder. Just look for one that can handle you high outside temperatures.

If shooting real black power in your Vaquero (and you really should try it, you’ll be impressed with 35 grains of Old Eynsford 2fg or 3 fg) then you’ll need to use a lube that will keep the BP fouling soft. Lubes like commercial SPG or the homemade version which I use is Emmerts Improved. The special BP lube extra requirement is to keep the BP fouling soft, its lubing ability makes these two lubes work with smokeless powder too.
I shoot my New Vaquero’s with Emmerts Improved with both BP and smokeless CFE-P, one lube works with either powder types.

[ryanmattes]

Tested my first batch. Not as consistent as I'd like, but now I have a process (or several) and variables to work with, so I'm right at home.

Added some more time to get the BHN up to around 9 or so, cast a potful, and pan lubed 72 more this evening.

This time I'm not resizing them, and I've upped the beeswax content of my lube to harden it more. People who use 50/50 must live in the Arctic, down here in Texas even 60/40 was too soft to handle, and I'm well past 2:1 now. I'll probably end up going to a harder, bought lube and a lubesizer, but for now I'm just playing.

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm certain I'll be back with more questions.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200915/fc4ace8368dcf46af09cca634271adfa.jpg

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[Ozark mike]

Nah theres places in the Arctic that are warmer than here. In all seriousness though thats why we reload because what works for one may not work for another.

[GONRA]

GONRA's cast boolit reloading these days is for auto pistols where everything has been carefully selected so the lube groves are within the cartridge case.
So I use pure Alox 2138 F from a gallon can purchased decades ago when The American Rifleman had the original article.
Use it in my lube sizer as usual.....

[PhatForrest]

Nice work, Ryan!

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Ryan this lube will work just fine and there's enough to do thousands of bullets. https://lsstuff.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=14&zenid=kb7tgo2sfc671odn86spg4rnq3

What he said.

[derek45]

those look good

sounds like you’re off to a good start

look into powder coating

shake in a tupperwear bin,
20mins in a walmart toaster oven
push thru size
done