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Well, there are several posts out now on casting. Must be the cooler weather coming in.
So, getting ready for the "casting season", I'm thinking about bullet lube. For my cap & ball paper cartridges, I use a mix of beeswax and lambs tallow. What is your favorite lube for smokeless powder loads? Thinking revolver loads, .38 Special, .44 Russian, and .45 Colt.
Based upon Glen Fryxell's recommendation (the man who John Taffin says knows more about casting than anyone he's ever met) I use 50% beeswax, 50% Sta-lube automotive grease made up of moly, graphite and lithium, melted on a Coleman stove outside and poured into molds made of PVC tubing. It's the best bullet lube I have ever used in 48 years of casting. It's messy and it works great.
I have not used anything except Paco's Apache Blue bullet lube that he used to make ... for 30 years now. In fact, today I sized and lubedabout 1200 bullets. 700 or so were the Lyman 358665 the rest were split between 228 gr. 45 ACP roundnose and the Lyman 429421 Keith .44 SWC.
Lyman's "ideal" bullet lube. I don't load anything to magnum velocities, so I don't really need the wax type lubes. And with both rifle & pistol loads, this has worked for me.
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93
There is a fine line between hobby & obsession! AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
Jim, you must have a heck of a strong arm. I don't believe I could cast even 350 bullets with those heavy 4 cavity Lyman molds in one session. I've pretty much given up on anything but 2 cavity iron molds and much prefer the aluminum mold blocks from Accurate Molds.
Walt wrote: ↑Fri Nov 01, 2024 7:57 pm
Jim, you must have a heck of a strong arm. I don't believe I could cast even 350 bullets with those heavy 4 cavity Lyman molds in one session. I've pretty much given up on anything but 2 cavity iron molds and much prefer the aluminum mold blocks from Accurate Molds.
I am not as strong as I once was, but I still enjoy casting. And I prefer the cast iron molds even though I have aluminum ones. I like the way they feel ... the way they retain heat ... and the way they work. Just a personal preference. My aluminum molds make wonderfully accurate bullets but I prefer the iron. Four cavity is as big as I want to go, though.
Walt wrote: ↑Fri Nov 01, 2024 7:30 pm
Based upon Glen Fryxell's recommendation (the man who John Taffin says knows more about casting than anyone he's ever met) I use 50% beeswax, 50% Sta-lube automotive grease made up of moly, graphite and lithium, melted on a Coleman stove outside and poured into molds made of PVC tubing. It's the best bullet lube I have ever used in 48 years of casting. It's messy and it works great.
That stuff’s great, had great luck with rifle and handgun loads, and it’s cheap!
I have a goodly stash of White Label 50/50, which I use for everything. I have used his BAC and it was okay but 50/50 seems to give me less leading in guns that are a little bit problematic.
I've been wanting to make some Felix lube to try, but I got a passel of moulds to mess with.
Steve in MO wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 9:38 am
I went to powder coating. Less mess and seems to work with plinking loads and heavy loads equally well.
I'm going to get into powder coating also, I just haven't taken the plunge yet. I have about most everything though. I have a couple moulds that would benefit from an extra .001 diameter.
I use Wind's Wonder Wax on everything from rifles to handguns with cast bullets. I mix it up, and pour it in my Lyman lubrisizer, or pan lube large rifle bullets.
50% bees wax, 40% Crisco, and 10% Vaseline by weight.
I will second Ray's endorsement of White Label lube products. I use their black powder lube and for smokeless loads I like either their BAC or their Blue Carnauba. They have great products and are very reasonably priced. You can even get a free sample if you just want to try try a certain lube.
Shasta
California Rifle & Pistol Association LIFE Member
National Rifle Association BENEFACTOR LIFE Member
samsi wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 8:59 pm
With both Paco and Veral out of the game, is there any possibility that the Apache Blue recipe will turn up in the public domain?
I might try and see if he will write out the formula for making it.
I usta have two Lyman 4500’s on the bench one held SPG lube and no need for a heater . Later I bought the second 4500 with the little electrode heater in the back , I tried a number of hard lubes and eventually settled on Thompsons Blue Magic I think it’s called .
Parkers , Mannlicher Schoenauer’s , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines !
Loved Paco's AB lube but since I can't get it anymore, I use White Label Caranuba Blue lube on pretty well all smokeless loads without any issues. I powder coat some Boolits and on some rifle slugs that I plan on going above 2000fps, I coat the boolit with a much thinned LLA before I run them thru the Star. That way the nose of the boolit that would ride on the rifling is lubed.
In the past I have used GAR 50/50, LBT Blue, and others before settling on Carnauba Red.
I recently mixed up a batch of Ben's Red and have loaded some into the Star, but need to cast some bullets to see how it compares to the previous lubes.
samsi wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 8:59 pm
With both Paco and Veral out of the game, is there any possibility that the Apache Blue recipe will turn up in the public domain?
I might try and see if he will write out the formula for making it.
.
Lots of folks who I've talked to seem to like the Alox. It's pretty much all I've used, but I've done VERY little in terms of casting. I've loaded tons of bullets OTHERS have cast and lubed, and will say some of the harder stuff bullets I've bought had on them sometimes just falls off and makes a mess.
It's 2025 - "Cutesy Time is OVER....!" [Dan Bongino]
AJMD429 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 03, 2024 9:32 pm
.
Lots of folks who I've talked to seem to like the Alox. It's pretty much all I've used, but I've done VERY little in terms of casting. I've loaded tons of bullets OTHERS have cast and lubed, and will say some of the harder stuff bullets I've bought had on them sometimes just falls off and makes a mess.
I used to cast bullets in relatively large groups then lubrisize them and put them in plastic containers with tops . Anyway when lubed with SPG they most certainly will dry and start to crack and pop out as they loose moisture , the Thompson’s Blue Magic has never done that to me .
Parkers , Mannlicher Schoenauer’s , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines !
Walt wrote: ↑Fri Nov 01, 2024 7:30 pm
Based upon Glen Fryxell's recommendation (the man who John Taffin says knows more about casting than anyone he's ever met) I use 50% beeswax, 50% Sta-lube automotive grease made up of moly, graphite and lithium, melted on a Coleman stove outside and poured into molds made of PVC tubing. It's the best bullet lube I have ever used in 48 years of casting. It's messy and it works great.
I talked with Paco and he said he would write out the formula and that I can share it here. He said it may take some time because he has to find his notes on what all he used, how much, etc. and he is not exactly sure where it's at. It's been more than 20 years since he has messed with it. If he gets it together and sends it to me I will post it here for anyone who is interested.
When I cast bullets, I used the Lyman Alox for years, but I once tried a mix of toilet ring wax and candle wax. I still have some bullets with that mix and it seems to work fine.
JimT wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2024 8:19 am
I talked with Paco and he said he would write out the formula and that I can share it here. He said it may take some time because he has to find his notes on what all he used, how much, etc. and he is not exactly sure where it's at. It's been more than 20 years since he has messed with it. If he gets it together and sends it to me I will post it here for anyone who is interested.
Some of the harder lubes don't come off the bullet and any recovered to inspect show a lot of lube left in the grooves. I like a softer lube that is firm enough to reach the muzzle, but pretty much all used up by the end of the bore. I look for a good lube star on the crown to tell me if the bullet still had some lube left when it exited. But don't want to see much lube left on recovered bullets.
Been using Ben's Red (Red n tacky grease, bees wax, atf, stp +... and another ho made concoction since I started casting 10 years ago. No complaints. Recipes on cast boolits.
JimT wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2024 8:19 am
I talked with Paco and he said he would write out the formula and that I can share it here. He said it may take some time because he has to find his notes on what all he used, how much, etc. and he is not exactly sure where it's at. It's been more than 20 years since he has messed with it. If he gets it together and sends it to me I will post it here for anyone who is interested.
JimT wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2024 8:19 am
I talked with Paco and he said he would write out the formula and that I can share it here. He said it may take some time because he has to find his notes on what all he used, how much, etc. and he is not exactly sure where it's at. It's been more than 20 years since he has messed with it. If he gets it together and sends it to me I will post it here for anyone who is interested.
That would be me . Any good news on this yet ?
No sir, not yet. I will be talking with him in the near future and will find out if this is still possible.
Walt wrote: ↑Fri Nov 01, 2024 7:30 pm
Based upon Glen Fryxell's recommendation (the man who John Taffin says knows more about casting than anyone he's ever met) I use 50% beeswax, 50% Sta-lube automotive grease made up of moly, graphite and lithium, melted on a Coleman stove outside and poured into molds made of PVC tubing. It's the best bullet lube I have ever used in 48 years of casting. It's messy and it works great.
I think this is the best lube there is. But it’s messy and smalls like a car transmission fluid! It coats the bore and really works.
I powder coat, gas check and size then tumble lube in LEES liquid alox, use them boolits in my 223, 22 savage, 30/30, 308 and 357 don't seem to get any lead deposits even with the 223 pushing 60 grain boolits hard.
I use Veral Smiths soft blue and am currently making some of Ben's Red but would really like to have the formula for Paco's lube . Was hoping Veral's gal would make more soft blue but she posted on their site that she is working on a new lube and it sounds like that's what she intends to make if she actually gets back up and running. I don't see it myself as the lube he was already making did about all that a lube can do. Have used some of Glen's lube and you are right , it is kinda nasty to use but does work . Sure am hoping Paco can find his formula for the Apache lube.
