wonderwolf
03-06-2009, 02:40 AM
I decided to run a little experiment this weekend if the weather breaks like the weatherman says it should.
I have loaded up several lots of ammo for my 45-70 Sharps Express all PP bullets loaded at the same depth with the same charge. My aim is/was to find a more durable finished product when I'm done at the loading bench. And test for ease of cleaning between strings.
My usual lube is a mix of bees wax and olive oil for the life of me I can't remember where I got the idea from but I got it and I made up a nice chunk of this lube I apply to patched bullets by rolling the bases and the bodies in it for a few seconds each. The lube is somewhat messy, Does not dry but smells nice. It penetrates the patch and makes it somewhat transparent. This seems to make the patch a little oily in a way and it seems much more easy to tear or to become damaged during loading etc. The lube has been working well for me in the short time I've been messing with it.
Lee Liquid alox is one of the lubes I have yet to try but have now loaded ammo with patches coated with this (bases and all). I can take 10 or so patched bullets. and in a small plastic bullet box with a squirt of the LLA I can shake them around for a few seconds, then set them to dry(this does not mess up the patch at all on the bullet, at least for me). I can get lots more done this way instead of just doing one at a time with my lube mix/method and the patch seems like it is easily 20X stronger after the LLA dries. It does not cause the patch to become saturated or transparent and offers a dry finish that wont/shouldn't migrate to the powder readily.
The 3rd method I loaded ammo with was to load a un lubed bullet then coat the exposed portion with LLA using my fingers.
the 4th method was a control which is unlubed patched bullets. So I have a base line to work from .
So now I need to get time to go and burn some powder and see what I learn.
I have loaded up several lots of ammo for my 45-70 Sharps Express all PP bullets loaded at the same depth with the same charge. My aim is/was to find a more durable finished product when I'm done at the loading bench. And test for ease of cleaning between strings.
My usual lube is a mix of bees wax and olive oil for the life of me I can't remember where I got the idea from but I got it and I made up a nice chunk of this lube I apply to patched bullets by rolling the bases and the bodies in it for a few seconds each. The lube is somewhat messy, Does not dry but smells nice. It penetrates the patch and makes it somewhat transparent. This seems to make the patch a little oily in a way and it seems much more easy to tear or to become damaged during loading etc. The lube has been working well for me in the short time I've been messing with it.
Lee Liquid alox is one of the lubes I have yet to try but have now loaded ammo with patches coated with this (bases and all). I can take 10 or so patched bullets. and in a small plastic bullet box with a squirt of the LLA I can shake them around for a few seconds, then set them to dry(this does not mess up the patch at all on the bullet, at least for me). I can get lots more done this way instead of just doing one at a time with my lube mix/method and the patch seems like it is easily 20X stronger after the LLA dries. It does not cause the patch to become saturated or transparent and offers a dry finish that wont/shouldn't migrate to the powder readily.
The 3rd method I loaded ammo with was to load a un lubed bullet then coat the exposed portion with LLA using my fingers.
the 4th method was a control which is unlubed patched bullets. So I have a base line to work from .
So now I need to get time to go and burn some powder and see what I learn.