Bullet lube
- Thread starter btplus
- Start date
- Location
- St. Paul AB
Out of necessity, I am thinking about pan lubing bullets for my Sharps rifles, but not really looking forward to it. Set up a double boiler system, and make sure it is level. If you apply heat directly, the lube will scorch and possibly catch fire. Place the cast bullets into the heated pan then fill with molten lube. When the lube level is adequate, let stand under heat for a bit to get the entire mess (bullets and all) is evenly heated. Let cool at room temperature so the lube does not pull out of the grease grooves. Then once the "lube cake" is cool, pop the bullets out of it. From that point, if you are careful, the cake can be re-used by inserting unlubed slugs and reheat. Then add lube to bring the levels up.
Myself, I prefer using my luber-sizer, but different strokes.
Edilt: Sorry, kind of misunderstood the question then. I thought btplus was looking for an equipment and/or proceedure list. I use SPG for my black powder activities and Lyman Magic Orange for what little smokeless shooting I do. Still would recommend using a luber-sizer for handgun bullets.
Myself, I prefer using my luber-sizer, but different strokes.
Edilt: Sorry, kind of misunderstood the question then. I thought btplus was looking for an equipment and/or proceedure list. I use SPG for my black powder activities and Lyman Magic Orange for what little smokeless shooting I do. Still would recommend using a luber-sizer for handgun bullets.
Last edited:
He asked what to use for lube.
Look around your kitchen. Find some parafin wax left over from last falls canning and you have 50% of what will do.
Now look for some shortning. Any kind of lard will do, but is better if it has no salt in it.
Mix 50-50 with your parafin wax.
Better is bees wax.
Best fat is rendered beef tallow, if you can get it. This is what the buffalo hunters used. Hot weather, more wax, less grease. Cold weather, more grease, less wax.
Look around your kitchen. Find some parafin wax left over from last falls canning and you have 50% of what will do.
Now look for some shortning. Any kind of lard will do, but is better if it has no salt in it.
Mix 50-50 with your parafin wax.
Better is bees wax.
Best fat is rendered beef tallow, if you can get it. This is what the buffalo hunters used. Hot weather, more wax, less grease. Cold weather, more grease, less wax.
For smokeless, you can use any commercial lube to pan lube, it all melts with heat, and hardens when heat is removed, for BP bullets use BP lube. SHORTKNIFE gave the proper procedure esp. re: double boiler, you don't want to burn the lube at all.
I don't panlube, life's too short, I use 2 Star lube/sizers, 1 set up for BP lube and 1 setup for smokeless, 2 Lymans again 1 set up for BP and the other for smokeless, 2 RCBS again 1 set up for each type of lube. All have heaters and the Stars are air driven. There's lots of options out there, besides the mess and time consuming pan lubing.
I don't panlube, life's too short, I use 2 Star lube/sizers, 1 set up for BP lube and 1 setup for smokeless, 2 Lymans again 1 set up for BP and the other for smokeless, 2 RCBS again 1 set up for each type of lube. All have heaters and the Stars are air driven. There's lots of options out there, besides the mess and time consuming pan lubing.
caperbound
Regular
- Location
- Nova Scotia
For pan lube I've been using 33/33/33 parafin/beeswax/vaseline, as well, 50/50 beeswax/Dralox 350 (purchase from Dragon Lube Dealer), Although equally messy, liquid alox had been working great.
chuckwagon
CGN Regular
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Youtube has stuff on panlubing. Gives lube recipies and show how to lube. Woth a look.
beeswax/paraffin/vaseline
start with 1/3 in weight of each and then:
- if you need harder lube add more paraffin
- if you want it softer, add more vaseline
the beeswax is less brittle than paraffin and holds everything together.
you can also add (pieces of) a crayon to color the lube.
if you decide to use animal grease instead of vaseline replace the paraffin with beeswax (the bee venom in the beeswax will prevent the grease from going rancid)
when pan lubing, every 2 or 3 pans re-mix the lube because paraffin sometimes tends to separate.
start with 1/3 in weight of each and then:
- if you need harder lube add more paraffin
- if you want it softer, add more vaseline
the beeswax is less brittle than paraffin and holds everything together.
you can also add (pieces of) a crayon to color the lube.
if you decide to use animal grease instead of vaseline replace the paraffin with beeswax (the bee venom in the beeswax will prevent the grease from going rancid)
when pan lubing, every 2 or 3 pans re-mix the lube because paraffin sometimes tends to separate.
chuckwagon
CGN Regular
- Location
- Nova Scotia
You can use toilet bowel wax seal if you can't find bees wax.
