Best home-made cheap lube for rifle?

[ShooterAZ]

I have beeswax, olive oil, paraffin, STP, vaseline etc, can get others. What do you guys make & use? This will be for mid range loads in 30-06, 308, 7.62x54R etc.

[seagiant]

Hi,
I use Glenn Fryxell's mix which is 50/50 Beeswax and Moly based automotive grease! I also add a bit of carnauba wax for a little better texture! Simple and very effective!

[Ickisrulz]

Check out the sticky "Just the facts: lube recipes" above. It has lots of information on mixing your own.

Run a search for Ben's Red too. That seems pretty well thought of here.

Many have concluded purchasing lube is far easier than mixing your own. Check out White Label lubes. They come highly recommended.

[sqlbullet]

I have used Felix Lube in 30-06, 308 with good success in M1 Garands and CETME's. As soon as I unload some Prvi Partizan 7.62X54R in my Mosin's I will be trying it on that round as well.

[ShooterAZ]

Where does someone obtain lanolin?

[runfiverun]

randy rat has it.
1 lb will last a long time.

lithium grease, b-wax, and under 5% lanolin will make a dandy lube.
start at about 35% lithium,and you can adjust the final visc by adding more grease [softer] or a little carnuba [harder] @2%.
i'd only add the carnuba if you are going to use the lube in over 40f temps mainly.

[mpbarry1]

I made some felix lube. It was a fun exercise for me, kind of a right of passage. I would also look at the "Bens Red" recipe. Im going to try that next. BTW you can't go wrong with Randy Rats supplies. Great vendor here on castboolits!

[ShooterAZ]

Can I use the white lithium grease that I have been using to lube my Garands & M1As, or do I need get the dark colored stuff?

[ShooterAZ]

I made some felix lube. It was a fun exercise for me, kind of a right of passage.

I'm having fun experimenting with making different lubes. I also like the fact that it makes me more "self sufficient".

[bruce drake]

I've copied an old Army Sergeant's rifle lube recipe for lubing/cleaning my rifles. Its not a cast boolit lube but others might appreciate the mix for their rifles/handguns.

1Qt ATF
1Qt 10W30
8 oz of Hoppes#9

I use this mix in two 32 oz spray bottles. The first I pour 14oz of ATF, then 4oz of Hoppes and then 14 oz of 10W30 to mix it all together into one bottle. I then do the same with the second spray bottle which leaves me 4 oz of ATF and 4 oz of 10W30 leftover for other lube requirements (fishing reels, squeaky hinges, etc.)

I then use this mix for just about every lube requirement for all my my rifles and pistols. It is a heck of a lot cheaper than buying CLP/Breakfree and I get a better clean than with RemOil or Hoppes alone.

Bruce

[selmerfan]

Von Gruff says that a 70/30 mix of beeswax to petroleum jelly works for everything up to 2,000 fps and beyond. I have yet to try it.

[ShooterAZ]

Von Gruff says that a 70/30 mix of beeswax to petroleum jelly works for everything up to 2,000 fps and beyond. I have yet to try it.

This one I have tried in handgun...but not rifle. I will give it a go...i have some already mixed up.

[geargnasher]

ShooterAZ, read post #6 carefully, there is a lot of good information based on lots and lots of testing condensed into those few lines. A good "lithi-bee", with or without the moly, is very tough to beat.

Felix lube is an excellent lube also, but requires a little effort in making and understanding how to adjust it to fit your needs.

Gear

[ShooterAZ]

Yes, I did read post #6. I would like to try this one. I did have a question though, I already have white lithium grease. Can I use this or should I get some of the dark stuff?

[geargnasher]

Yes, I did read post #6. I would like to try this one. I did have a question though, I already have white lithium grease. Can I use this or should I get some of the dark stuff?

Sorry, I read that and forgot to reply. If it's really a white lithium grease, and not a "white lube" that has calcium or sodium thickeners, I'd say go for it. For most use it doesn't seem to matter that much what color it is, or the high-temperature rating of the grease. It's easier to make if you get a grease that's NOT a lithium "complex" grease, but just has lithium stearate as a thickener because it has about a 200 degree lower melt point than the complexes, but functionally they all work. You might have to monkey with the percentages a bit to get it where you want, let it sit overnight before passing judgement on it's consistency, though. It takes a bit for the concoction to "settle in" and homogenize fully.

It's pretty tough to beat using a pound of beeswax and a 14 oz tube of low-temp, amber lithium grease for general shooting. As modifiers, you can add a couple tablespoons of Vaseline for flex, a teaspoon/lb carnauba flakes for shine and surface "hardness", or about a tablespoon or two of ATF for more slickness if you think it needs it, particularly if you shoot in cooler temps. Lanolin is good for "tack" and flexibility, but you have to add it carefully, best way is to combine it with the beeswax before you melt in the grease, otherwise the lanolin will scorch and ruin.

Gear

[ShooterAZ]

Thank you very much. I will work on this one over the weekend.

[Longwood]

I find that good lube is a lot like good Beef Stew.
I just add a bunch of good stuff and, there it is.
At the final stages, I have been using the stainless condiment cups I cast ingots in to cool down small quantities till I get the consistency that I am looking for.
I have noticed some change in certain mixes if they bullets are allowed to off-gas.
Because of that, I try to not lube except just before loading but that is not always convenient, so I store any lubed bullets in airtight containers or still in the pan of lube which I also make airtight. Walmart Xmas cookie tins is what I am using.
I shot over 100 rounds through two 45-70's today and yesterday, and I see one tiny spot of lead, about 3/8" long and only in the bottom of one groove in the Pedersoli Sharps, none in the Pedersoli Hiwall.

I

[Junior1942]

Lee Liquid Alox is too good and too cheap to fool with making your own lube. That said, I like my own 411 or Pinko Commie *** lube. It's 4 parts (by volume) beeswax, 1 part ATF fluid and 1 part lithium auto grease (white or dark) all mixed in a pan over low heat. The lithium grease doesn't want to mix so use a whisk or use a spatula and squeeze the lithium grease globs against the side of the pan.

I poured the melted 411 mix into my Lyman 450 and used it lots on 1900 fps max 30-30 1-12 twist and 1800 fps max 357 mag rifle in circa 30 twist. It worked JUST as well as store-bought lubes. Then I discovered LLA and Lee push-through sizer dies, and it was goodbye 450 and 411.

[357maximum]

Lithium Grease/Beeswax lubes have got to be one of the most goofproof things out there. PERIOD.....they just plain work and the range of %'s that they work at are very generic and just plain hard to screw up.

I make MML for all my hunting lubes it does the cold really well with NO first shot flyers when the weather makes your lungs hurt and the trees are sparkling/snapping and popping from the cold:
3LB Cappings grade Beeswax
1lb parraffin
1 14oz tube cheap caramel colored lithium grease
1/2 lb Microcrystalline wax #430 from blendedwaxes.com

For warmer weather and general non hunting use I have been using a stiffer MML/Thick mix of:
7.5Lbs beeswax
1lb Microwax #430
1lb (ish) glob of white lithium grease #630-2 from an old steel Lubriplate bucket as I have alot of it and it works. This mix does not throw any first shot flyers in the weather I have tested it in thus far and accuracy is simply amazing.


Both lubes will do any speed the rifles I use it in can handle presure wise and both have been north of 2600fps with accuracy and zero leading. Lithi-bee type recipes need not be measured out with labratory grade equipment. You can even use volume measurements if you keep track of what you did to get where you went to find happiness. I use the microwax to keep the lubes friendly and flexibendy and it has the added benefit of reducing/eliminating first shot flyers but just lithi/bwax can be used when you find the percentage that YOU and YOUR GUNS like.

[Longwood]

Way back when I first started casting, and experimenting with lube, I used the Lubri-plate in several mixes and found that they all worked better than mixes without it.

I kept it around for use as a engine and parts assembly lube.
I now use Lucas assembly lube for a lot of stuff including case and bullet sizing.
I just might try some Lucas in a batch of lube.