Finally shot some cast boolits! Whats wrong with my lube?

[BowHunter252]

I let the lead sit in the mold a little longer like ya'll suggested and it helped. I still need to clean the mold and lube it though

I tried doing some pan lubeing of my 500 gn 45-70 boolits. The lube seems VERY soft and will get squished out of the grooves just by picking the boolits up. I had to handle them very carefully. Also, after letting some of the lube sit in muffin pans at room temp for a day or two there is drops of liquid oozing up and onto the top of the lube. The liquid is about the consistency of vegetable oil.

The mix I used is 1 pound parraffin and 1 pound crisco plus a blue crayon.

I shot 8 rounds loaded on top of 8 grains Trail Boss. I only shot 3 rounds from a rest and the first two were about 2" apart at 125 yards, at 752 and 739 fps. The third was about a foot lower and 700 fps. This was with open sights on my 22" Handi Rifle. Its been awhile since I have shot open sights so maybe it was just me.

Recoil wasn't bad at all, and I'm going to try 9 grains of powder next time.

These are fun to shoot! And it only costs about 10 cents a round figuring free lead and that I can get 10 shots out of a case! Just the boolits that I shoot out of my .243 are about 25 cents each

Here are a couple pictures. I'm glad these boolits aren't any longer or they wouldn't fit in my press

[leftiye]

Well, you've got plenty of that stuff anyway! (might teach ya something about making a ton of an experimental lube) For my money, I'd go to a proven lube like Lar's C-Red, or BAC while I was just getting started on a new gun/load. It would give you something to compare to when you wanted to mess with lubes. My Handi 45-70 has .452 bore and .457 grooves, which is quite shallow rifling. If yours is like this it may well like harder alloy, and oversized boolits to help hold the rifling. I'd use much more of a slower powder myself, though it will kick more.

[runfiverun]

i am trying to fathom the parafin and crisco mixing together.
ditto the speed the boolits up some too 1200 should be a bit more accurate.
if it is separating in a pan it's gotta be separating in the cases too.

[Shiloh]

You've discovered the economy as well as the fun of casting your own. There was a time of a cheap, plentiful supply of military surplus projectiles in all the common military calibers, but no more.

+1 on the Larson Lube. It's what I use exclusively. There are other home made lube recipes here on the forum. Felix lube seems to be quite popular.

Shiloh

[cajun shooter]

You can add more paraffin or try another lube recipe. The one you are using was meant for BP. Try one with BW and some oil products. The lube recipe that uses JPW is a good one.

[44man]

There is usually some kind of stearate (soap) put in lube to prevent separation. BPCR guys use Murphy's oil soap for some lubes.
I never use paraffin in any lube so I don't know what happens to it.
Beeswax is still the best carrier. Try adding a little at a time and see what you get----do small amounts.
Bowhunter, you sure missed all of my posts that say to just make a few ounces of test lubes!

[superior]

I've been using lithium axel grease and parrafin 50/50 with excellent results up to 2000 fps.
It works great with panlubing or tumble lubing with warm boolits. It's kinda smokey but I don't care as I've never had any leading even after extended shooting sessions. Accuracy is ok with minute of pop-can @ 75 yards (open sights).

[the_ursus]

Don't feel bad, you aren't the only one who's tried making lube with those ingredients, I did the same exact thing using parfin-crisco-crayon. I expereinced the same results. The only thing I did different was cut the volume in half. Now the pan of lube sits next to my melting pot for flux. I really don't think you can beat the quality and price of Lars lube. I'll be using Lars lube till I get bored and start experimenting again.

[BowHunter252]

Well at least now I won't have to keep shaving off pieces of that huge candle for flux

Where might I find this Lar's Lube?

[leftiye]

The reason you're getting "weeping" is that the parraffin doesn't have the "open" structure of beeswax. Beeswax has gaps in its crystalline structure where things that are mixed in that don't actually go into solution can reside. Parraffin doesn't seem to have these spaces. As mentioned, sreatic acid, sodium stearate (Ivory hand soap), lithium stearate (anybody know where to get some?) will emulsify the crisco in the parraffin - maybe.

[waksupi]

Well at least now I won't have to keep shaving off pieces of that huge candle for flux

Where might I find this Lar's Lube?

Bottom of this page, Lar's stuff.

[jimb16]

Hmmmm, I use a mix of crisco, parafin and bees wax. I go light on the crisco. It comes out oft at temps up to 90 degrees F and gets sticky if it gets warmer, but doesn't flow or weep. I don't load to more than 1600 fps so I don't know how it would do over that.

[BowHunter252]

Well, I tried it again. This time I added about a teaspoon of Murphy's Oil Soap to the mix and let it cool overnight on the boolits. Last time I let it cool about 20 minutes then put it in the freezer cause I was in a hurry. It seemed to work very good this time. The lube is much harder and I can actually handle the boolits without it coming out of the grooves.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

I would concur that it would be a good idea to try one of the proven lubes [lars red ] is great stuff, for a control lube while you are searching for the accuracy/velocity you really want.

Then you will have something to compare your own private concoction to in all departments.

Your boolits are looking better, but I think they can be better. Try going back to step 1 that you omitted, soak your mold in some thinner or equivalent cleaner for 24 hrs. then clean it up with soap and hot water, scrub it good , dry it ,smoke it , go make beautiful boolits.

Good luck, hang in there, you are doing great. Enjoy!!!

[grouch]

Unless I was using black powder, I wouldn't mess with pan lubing, just get some decent automotive grease and apply it by hand. Seat the bullet on the bottom driving band, smear on the grease, finish seating the bullet, and wipe off the excess. To this point. I haven't seen much that's any better.
Grouch