Replacement for LBT Blue Soft lube??

[knitepoet]

I've been using the LBT Blue Soft Lube(SBL), for a number of years. When I bought my only LBT mould, I bought a large quantity of the lube as well.

Since we all know LBT is no more, I'm looking for a similar lube.
Not "super hard" but hard enough that it needs a heater in my 450.

With them being an advertiser here, I have White Label Lube's site open in another tab. I'm not sure which of theirs, or someone else's, lube will be closest to my preferred, but no longer available LBT SBL.

I only cast for handguns :38/357, 45ACP, 44mag and 45/70 (technically a rifle round, but my only 45/70 is a 12" Contender barrel)

The lube I'm looking for isn't the Lyman(?) "Old black goop" lube popular in the 70s I want to be able to handle my lubed bullets without getting my fingers "gooped" but I don't want the super hard stuff you find on a lot of commercial cast bullets either.

From perusing their site, I THINK I want White Label's blue carnauba??

I'm ordering a bottle of their sprue lube and one of their 1/4 stick free samples of it.

And I'm sure I'm about to save someone some typing... I am not interested in making my own

All that being typed, is there someone familiar with the LBT SBL that has found a comparable replacement for it. If not, does anyone have any suggestions for a semi hard lube that can handle sub 1600fps loads in the above calibers?

[Bazoo]

White Label BAC fits your desired handling properties. I've used it without any complaints in 30-30 and several handgun cartridges. BAC handles really nice when on bullets, it needs just a bit of heat to get it to run good.

I switched to their 50/50 because I wanted a softer lube, and just to try. With BAC I just put bullets randomly in a tub and the lube didn't migrate or fall out. With the 50/50 I put bullets in old cartridge trays so that the lube doesn't get everywhere.

I haven't used LBT's lubes so I can't make a direct comparison for you unforunately.

[knitepoet]

Thanks, I'll add that to my "give it a try" list.

I'll throw a bullet lubed with the LBT SBL in with the other bullets I'm sending you next week

[knitepoet]

Anyone else have a lube suggestion to replace LBT blue soft?

[725]

Yes. On this site is the recipe for "Ben's Red". It is a fabulous lube and should suit your needs perfectly. Personally, I make up the Ben's Red, feed it through my 450 and either shoot it right off or when I have the time follow it up with a tumble lube. ("Ben's LL" also on this site). My double lubed boolits never lead my bore. For that matter, neither does those lube only with Ben's Red. Great advantages to the follow up treatment of Ben's LL is, with the instructed very thin coating, the boolits are dry to the touch, don't collect contaminants, and remain independent / loose when stored in a box. No clumping

[knitepoet]

Thanks 725

[Iowa Fox]

I think White label blue would fit your bill. I ordered some of their foot cream and got a few tubes of their blue to try. I have a lifetime of LBT blue and keep one 450 filled with it. I have another 450 with the White label blue in it. Both are excellent lubes. I'm going to go easy on my LBT Blue to make sure it is a lifetime supply for me.

[knitepoet]

Thanks Iowa Fox

[gwpercle]

Over the years I have found Soft lubes to work better in handgun loads than the Hard lubes ... One of the best was Lithi-Bee . No leading in any of my handguns or 30-30 rifle ... ever !
I did a quick search but couldn't come up with anyone who still makes it ...
What a Shame .
The recipe is simple , 1 part Lithum Grease (like Lucas Red-N-Tacky to 3 parts Beeswax . Melt Beeswax and stir / blend in grease with a wire whisk ... in an old crock pot ... let cool and repeat ... add a small amount of Gulf canning wax if you want it Harder ... I have never had to add the wax .
The Parts are measured in weight ... 1 lb. Grease / 3 lbs. Beeswax ...
if needed , up to 1/4 lb. Gulf Wax .
If someone can find a vendor that sells Lithi-Bee ... Post the contact info ...
I'm getting old and lazy about doing things the hard way and would just as soon buy a stick or two .
Gary

[Eddie Southgate]

White Label Carnauba Red or the Blue either one . If you don't mind making it yourself the above mentioned Ben's Red would be (and is) my choice. It's easy to make and cheaper than buying it . You can make molds from PVC pipe to make it in stick form or pour it out to cool in a cheap nonstick baking pan and use a plastic knife to cut it into strips . I have a stainless coffee pot with the strainer removed that I remelt it in to pour into the sizer. I heated my ingredients to 160 degrees to melt the wax and get the others mixed. If it smokes you are way too hot and will ruin the lube. Takes a lot of stirring and you want to make it in a pot that gives you plenty of depth so it does not try to slop out while stirring it. Melt the wax first then mix the other stuff in stirring until you have no lumps. PM me if you want the recipe for a double batch . If its not hard enough to suit you you just remelt it and add more bee's wax. The Johnsons paste wax is no longer available so you can use Trewax from Ace Hardware instead. The wax needs to be a Carnauba wax but not auto type that has silicone in it.

[knitepoet]

Thanks guys, though mixing my own isn't in the cards

[vikingsword7]

I just purchased an RCBS lube-a-matic and went looking for good lube for my 10mm and I came across Thompsons bullet lubes. Has anyone had experience with their products?

[Froogal]

I load .38 special, .357, .45 Colt, and 44-40. I've never used anything other than SPG lube. It works well for black powder loads as well as smokeless, and you don't need a heater.

[knitepoet]

Thanks Froogal
Viking, most of the Thompson's I've dealt with was what I'd call "super hard"

[Kentucky146]

I make my own, 20 ounces bees wax 1 pound lard 2 ounces Ballistol 2 ounces anhydrous lanolin. Pulled from a youtuber Recoil Therapy, he got it from a book from ingot to target older no longer in print, PDF to memory stick I had it printed. I kind of think it is a must have for a home caster

[knitepoet]

I make my own, 20 ounces bees wax 1 pound lard 2 ounces Ballistol 2 ounces anhydrous lanolin. Pulled from a youtuber Recoil Therapy, he got it from a book from ingot to target older no longer in print, PDF to memory stick I had it printed. I kind of think it is a must have for a home caster

Thanks Kentucky,
Not interested in making lube, though that book sounds like something I'd enjoy reading. any idea where someone get find the pdf of it?

[Barry54]

Thanks Kentucky,
Not interested in making lube, though that book sounds like something I'd enjoy reading. any idea where someone get find the pdf of it?

https://bulletmatch.com/pages/manuals

[Bigslug]

I don't think you can go wrong with anything from White Label. For the moment, Pop & I have gone exclusively to White Label 2500+ for anything that goes through a lube sizer that isn't black powder. It was cooked up as a high speed lube, but it works at the low speeds just fine. We've got one lube sizer dedicated to smokeless, & we figured one lube that can get it done regardless of 600fps .38/200 Webleys or "experimental aircraft" for a .30-06 would ultimately save us a lot of grief.

Black powder gets SPG. The tumble lubers get 45/45/10.

[knitepoet]

Thank you Barry!

Makes sense BigSlug.

[Cast_outlaw]

Well I’m sure any of the lubes mentioned here will do so I’ll toss in my recipe from a wwIi vet I knew once upon a Time

Bruce graves bullet lube
1lb beeswax
4floz chevron moly (or any moly I wanted red lube so I used red n tacky)
3floz STP oil treatment
Melt & mix together then pour into a container
I still got a stash of boolits lubed up with this from my dad probably about 25+ years and it still stays in the most of the groves