Orange Magic Lube

[beemer]

A while back I purchased some bullet lube at an estate sale. It was mostly 50/50 but there were 7-8 sticks of Lyman Orange Magic. I have never used the type of lube. Anyone here use it, what applications, your thoughts and experiences with this lube ?

Dave

[Winger Ed.]

For my rifles, .30 cal. & .45-70, it's all I use and have been since the early 90s.

I don't push the .30s above 1900-2000. For 405gr, .45-70, 13-1400 fps (trap door speeds)
is about all my shoulder can take. For that, I'm quite happy with it.
There's probably some lubes to get you up higher, but for me, if I need more 'performance' than that,
I'll reach for Game Kings, or Match Kings from Sierra.

[Maven]

Lyman must have purchased the right to produce Orange Magic lube from D.G.P. Shea in West Covina, CA. Shea called it "Odorous Orange Prime." Either version requires heat to flow and is good for at least 1,800fps using something like wheel weights + 1% Sn. It is/was a decent lube.

[nueces5]

It's one of the few I could find in Argentina.
I've used it with the 314299 on the Mauser at 2400 fps and with the 311416 at 2700 fps, without any problems.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Before I was a caster, I swapped some bullets for boolits. The boolits I got from the swap were lubed with Orange Magic. It was a sticky gooey mess, but they shot ok. While loading them, my fingers were gooey, my dies got gooey, the press got gooey, the finished ammo was gooey...everything was gooey with that sticky junk. No Thanks!

[beemer]

Thanks for the replies, I thought it might need to be heated. Being that I have it and an extra 450 I'm going to give it a try.

Dave

[gwpercle]

Thanks for the replies, I thought it might need to be heated. Being that I have it and an extra 450 I'm going to give it a try.

Dave

Lyman website says it is a Hard Lube and needs a heater on your 4500/450 to lube size boolits with it ... never found what the stuff is made with ...
But Heat is required and it is a Hard Lube .
Gary

[Winger Ed.]

To prevent the 'gooy-ness', I dust it with a little bit mica powder.
A couple spoons full of it will dust about a thousand boolits.

[Eddie Southgate]

Never had any problems with it being sticky or gooey . My problem is it dries out if I lube a big bunch of bullets to store and some will fall out of the grooves over time . My dad liked it and had a bunch when he died so I have a double hand full of the stuff . I use it occasionally in one of the guns he owned but only lube as many bullets as I intend to load right then. I preferred the Soft Blue when Veral was living and did manage to round up a few sticks after he died but faced with the prospect of not being able to buy more I now make Bens Red which seems to be it's equal in the things I shoot.

[beemer]

My 4500 came with the heater, it is full of 50-50. The 450 did't have a heater. I did some measuring and bored it for the Lyman heater. I put some orange Magic in it. The mica powder is a good idea and I have some.

With my 30 cal bullets I don't lube a bunch at the time, have several rifles and some take a different size so I lube as needed. I usually use 50/50 but I will try the orange stuff. I hate to throw away anything that can be used.

Thanks again
Dave

[curiousgeorge]

I used the Lyman Orange Magic back in the 1980s / 1990s strictly for rifle bullets. Had to heat it to apply abd don't remember it ever being sticky, but like Eddie Southgate said, it woud dry out.

Around that time some local shooters gave me a couple of sticks of "Micro-Lube" to try, one solid for the Star and one hollow for the 450. It was softer, easier to apply, and did not dry out and turn brittle. I called the company down in Mesilla Park, New Mexico to place an order and discovered that he had stopped production and was trying to sell the business. I wound up making a deal for what he told me was all his remaining inventory which over 1,000 sticks, both solid and hollow. As the older reloaders passed, I also bought all their remaining lube. I still have a couple of hundred left and have used it for everything. Good stuff.

[gwpercle]

I used the Lyman Orange Magic back in the 1980s / 1990s strictly for rifle bullets. Had to heat it to apply abd don't remember it ever being sticky, but like Eddie Southgate said, it woud dry out.

Around that time some local shooters gave me a couple of sticks of "Micro-Lube" to try, one solid for the Star and one hollow for the 450. It was softer, easier to apply, and did not dry out and turn brittle. I called the company down in Mesilla Park, New Mexico to place an order and discovered that he had stopped production and was trying to sell the business. I wound up making a deal for what he told me was all his remaining inventory which over 1,000 sticks, both solid and hollow. As the older reloaders passed, I also bought all their remaining lube. I still have a couple of hundred left and have used it for everything. Good stuff.

Do you have any idea what the ingrediant's are ...
besides Orange Juice and Magic ?
Gary

[Eddie Southgate]

Do you have any idea what the ingrediant's are ...
besides Orange Juice and Magic ?
Gary

Elf toe jam and Butterfly butter I think.

[gwpercle]

Elf toe jam and Butterfly butter I think.

Thanks
Gary