Lyman "Orange Magic"

[Bucks Owin]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and somewhat new to casting (or at least sizing and lubing). Most of my casting experience until recently has been muzzleloader projectiles or unsized and "tumble lubed" handgun boolits with Lee Alox...

Finally got around to buying a used 450 and have cleaned it up and rebuilt it with new O-rings, pressure screw etc and am now contemplating bullet lubes. I've used Lyman "Orange Magic" in the past by melting in a pan and using the old "cookie cutter" method to lube. Results in my .44 and .357 revolvers have been good with plain base bullets. Now that I have a sizer I'll be experimenting more with higher velocity gaschecked bullets...

Other than handgun bullets I also mess around with cast boolits in a .45/70 rifle....

Although I'm going to add a heater to my ol' 450 I don't have one at present. Can OM be used anyway or is the heater a "must have"? Any recommendations for a better lube or is OM a good "all around" choice to load up my sizer with?

Looking forward to learning,

Dennis :Fire:

[44man]

If any lube is so hard that it needs a heater, it is too hard for handguns. This lube works best in high velocity rifles. Boolit makers put this stuff on revolver boolits so it ships good.
You should use a soft lube and the very best is Felix lube. For the most accurate loads you will make a mess with lube in the seating and crimp dies that needs cleaned out now and then and lube on the brass that has to be wiped off.
If you want a hard lube so you have clean bullets, you will not have the accuracy.
Felix even works in rifles although some like to harden it a little.
My praise to Felix and his lube will never end!

[sundog]

Bucks, welcome to the board. You gotta have a heater for OM. This is good lube, but reserve it for the high speed rifle stuff. One of these days when I get my supply used up, I will switch to a hardened Felix lube for high speed rifle boolits. All pistol loads work good with just plain ole regular Felix lube. sundog

[Bucks Owin]

Thanks for the replies fellas....

I forgot to mention that the majority of my handgun loads are "full tilt" velocity-wise and that summer temps reach 100+ degrees where I live if that has any bearing.....

Where do I get this "Felix" lube?

Dennis

[Cherokee]

44man - I disagree with your blanket statement on hard lube and pistol bullets not giving accuracy. I use a hard lube and I think sub-1 inch groups at 25 yds with 45 Colt down to 32-20 and in between cartrides is accurate.

Bucks - check out the sticky at the top of the forum for Felix, a home brew lube.

[44man]

I never have a problem in hot weather but you can harden it if you want. http: //www.castpics.net/RandD/felix_lube/felix_lube.htm. Go here

[Bucks Owin]

44man - I disagree with your blanket statement on hard lube and pistol bullets not giving accuracy. I use a hard lube and I think sub-1 inch groups at 25 yds with 45 Colt down to 32-20 and in between cartrides is accurate.

Bucks - check out the sticky at the top of the forum for Felix, a home brew lube.

Felix lube sounds like a bit of a pain to make, and possibly messy to use? I'm more interested in something "ready made" to dump in the ol' 450.....

FWIW, I've also shot groups of around an inch using Orange Magic in a 10" Flattop .44 Ruger with no leading problems. This was using an RCBS 250 gr "Keith" boolit at 1450 fps....

What are you using for lube Cherokee?

Dennis

[44man]

Cherokee, It's not a blanket statement, just the average of what I have found. Some hard lubes have worked good like LBT Blue. Anytime I used the various hard lubes, I have had either good results or very bad ones. Using Felix, my results are more consistant with all of my guns. If it works for you, that is fine. It really depends on the gun, caliber, velocity, powder, lube stickyness and on and on. But Felix has worked for all.
Some lubes like Orange Magic are so hard that it flys off the boolit in uneven chunks when shot and can throw the boolit out of balance. A friend sent me some boolits lubed with some hard, red stuff. Half was off the boolits in the box. It did not stick to the lead. I shot the best of them and could not hit a thing. I removed the lube from the rest and put Felix on them. I was under an inch at 50 yd's with them.
Bucks, it is very easy to make and is real cheap too.

[Urny]

Hi, Bucks, welcome to our patch.

If you want something off the shelf, try www.lsstuff.com, which belongs to a board member. All reports indicate both hard and soft lube are excellent products and the price is right. Lar45 is his handle here, and he has a nice website.

I haven't made the Felix lube, but have a few formula's of my own and have a ball experimenting with different homemade lubes. Everyone knows the Felix lube works, just plain works, so what is the adventure in that?

[Cherokee]

Bucks - I use Thompson Red. Started using it in Dallas because I knew him. I'm sure there are other good non-sticky lubes around. BTW, works great in my CB rifle loads too.

44man - we are all different and so's the guns. I'm sure your experience base is larger than mine.

[Bucks Owin]

Hi, Bucks, welcome to our patch.

If you want something off the shelf, try www.lsstuff.com, which belongs to a board member. All reports indicate both hard and soft lube are excellent products and the price is right. Lar45 is his handle here, and he has a nice website.

I haven't made the Felix lube, but have a few formula's of my own and have a ball experimenting with different homemade lubes. Everyone knows the Felix lube works, just plain works, so what is the adventure in that?



Thanks amigo, looks like a winner to me, especially pricewise!

"Adventure-wise", I've smeared boolits with moly chassis lube with good if somewhat messy and "stinky" results! :roll:

Dennis

[carpetman]

Bucks Owin---Welcome to the board. Did we know you from some other place possibly Together Again? Now that felix lube is no hassle,it's not like you are getting a Tiger by the Tail. I am no chef and don't even know for sure how to spell culinary expert---but if I can make it--anybody can. The only hassle and it's slight is getting two of the ingredients. Not nearly the hassle of Waiting in a Welfare Line. Rest are simple to find any store. The two are anhydrous lanolin and beeswax. The anhydrous lanolin can be ordered from any drug store if they dont have it. I ordered mine from Wal Mart pharmacy and had it next day. The beeswax can be ordered online. I called the county agent and he told me who some beekeepers were and I called one and went to his house and bought it. (Now don't get confused and call a bookkeeper call a beekeeper-----they are real easy to tell apart---bookkeeper is the only word in the English language with three consecutive sets of double letters---beekeeper doesnt have such). Don't try to substitute a toilet bowl ring for beeswax--they look alike,but the toilet ring is petroleum. Bees dont dig oil. The toilet bowl ring is used indoors---bees don't have indoor toilets. Sugar and salt look similar but you don't substitute them---I know that much about cooking and you don't substitute toilet bowl rings for beeswax. Some of the folks at Sams Place might not tell you that,but it's the facts. Anyways with this felix lube,find a metal coffeee can with a lid. Plastic won't work---same as toilet bowl ring wont work---did I mention that? Anyways you can go outside with a heat source---Coleman stove works fine. If you don't have a Coleman--borrow one or even buy one cheap at a garage sale---but do it outside as you will get smoke. Cook up the felix lube in the coffeee can and when done and it cools off---place the lid on it. When ready to use just glob it into the sizer. . Thats scientific/technical term for fill the resorvoir up dont worry about making sticks,measuring it or anything else---just glob it it in. With felix lube--forget the heater--you don't need one. Hee Haw.

[Dale53]

I have a bunch of lube where I made up a large batch of NRA-Alox. However, if I needed to replace lube, I sure counldn't beat Lar45's prices. I would order up his NRA Alox (ask him about the "break off" in bulk orders). In fact, I don't believe that I would even fool with making my own at that price.

Just a thought.

Dale53

[Bucks Owin]

I have a bunch of lube where I made up a large batch of NRA-Alox. However, if I needed to replace lube, I sure counldn't beat Lar45's prices. I would order up his NRA Alox (ask him about the "break off" in bulk orders). In fact, I don't believe that I would even fool with making my own at that price.

Just a thought.

Dale53

You're reading my mind Dale, just sent them an email...:coffee:

Carpet man you got me "Under Your Spell Again".... :-D

Dennis :Fire:

[44man]

I should not have forgot that! Lar 45 makes good lube and if you have to buy it you will not go wrong.

[felix]

I think we should try Dan's Speed Green lube in a comparative run with a bunch of "stable lubes". Hopefully, the felix lube being made by all of us are not stable in design, but optimized for certain guns, loads, and ambients. That is the intent of the ingredients chosen: to be infinitely tailored. ... felix

[9.3X62AL]

Bucks--

Late welcome to the board, sir. You live in a gorgeous part of the country, for sure!

Like you, the making of my own lube had little appeal. I've used Javelina Alox/Beeswax since about forever in just about everything--standard velocity handgun through rifle rounds at a little over 2000 FPS. If the garage temp goes under 70 degrees or so, I just direct the heat from one of the many played-out blow dryers that pile up around here (wife and 6 daughters.....), and that keeps things flowing nicely in cooler weather.

[Bret4207]

Hello Walls. I mean, Hello Bucks.( OK, so I like Faron) I see you've met Uncle Ray The Carpetman. As for lube, I like plain old 50/50 alox. Any heating required, (I live where 100 degree's is something talked about in awe) is taken care of with the Deputy Al blowdryer method. Works for me.

[Bucks Owin]

Muchos gracias mi amigos!

The hair dryer method had occured to me too for using harder lubes, anything to warm the sizer should work huh?

But I think I'll tee off with some of that "Lars45" lube. After all, that NRA formula has been used for decades with good result right?

"Lube's gonna live here again" (oops, wrong song...heh heh)

Dennis :Fire:

[9.3X62AL]

Bucks--

While I haven't used the high temp lubes with the blow dryer method, I suspect that the method would work. It doesn't take too long to get The Pig (pet name for Javelina lube) melted, so go easy with the heat-up sequence. High heat and slow blow works best and fastest.

[Bret4207]

Hey Bucks- Just heard your namesake Buck Owens died today. Sorry for the loss. Quite a talent and life story there.

[onceabull]

The streets of Bakersfield will not be same... Onceabull

[jhilde]

Hey bucks.. Im a member of this board as well and have the line of Jake's Ceresin lubes.. for what your shooting my Moly Ceresin would be great.. It can be seen On ebay.. Just search "bullet lube" Or email me and I'll send you a stick to try for free..
Jeffrey Hilde
Jake's Products Company
111 E. Melbourne Ave.
Peoria Illinois 61603 jhilde@aol.com

[Bucks Owin]

Hey Bucks- Just heard your namesake Buck Owens died today. Sorry for the loss. Quite a talent and life story there.

That is saddening. Hope he's "Together Again" with Don Rich now.... :(

Dennis