THE BEST LAID PLANS....................

[DuncaninFrance]

Not sure when I will get to the range again Mat but I note your comments, thanks.
I have been running a cleaning patch of 'Windex' and alcohol squeezed to just damp but not with the last 10 shots.]
I did wonder about a felt lube wad between the powder and the bullet and punched a few for the next time. As far as your idea goes, what do you mean by 'Pan Lube'? Obviously the wax/oil mix won't work like the Alox so do you make up a liquid batch and then immerse the bullets in it or what?

[DuncaninFrance]

New plans are a foot!
First I check weighed the cast REAL bullets - 259.1 up to 261.5 grains. Lees figures say 250 so maybe that's the ALOX coat I put on them.
I discussed lube on the Skype Sunday chat and have decided on a mix of 50% BeesWax - 40% Crisco equiv and 10% Sunflower Oil as a starter.
I now have a pound of PNF2 (FFFG). The granular size is .25 - .70mm. The Chasse Powder I used before is .20 - 1.0mm, a much greater size spread.
I am going to de-alox the bullets and then pan lube them.

Hoping to get to the range on the 12th to try the new scheme out.

One thing is obvious, there are more lube recipes than there are Elvis impersonators

[DuncaninFrance]

I STILL HAVE PROBLEMS.
This is what happened when I tried to lube them!

Mix was 50% Bees Wax, 40% 'Crisco' and Sunflower Oil.
Looks to me as though these REAL bullets won't take a lube in the band cavities as they ate not actually designed for lube.
Any ideas about adding LUBE?
.

[DuncaninFrance]

Currently I have in stock......................

Bees Wax
'Crisco'
Mutton Fat (Tallow)
Bore Butter
Olive & Sunflower Oil
Linseed Oil
White Spirit

[Reese Williams]

Duncan,

For my .58 Minie ball I've had good luck with a 50/50 mix of beeswax and lard.

[DuncaninFrance]

Duncan,

For my .58 Minie ball I've had good luck with a 50/50 mix of beeswax and lard.

Cheers Reese but how do you lube them? Just tumble them in hot liquid or coat them like I tried in the pics?

[PeterN2]

I am only a beginner with a .577 2 band Enfield, but I lubed the bullets by getting the lube just melted and dipping the bullet in it, holding it gently with a pair of long nose pliers, and setting aside to set which it does quite quickly. If you leave the lube to set round the bullets as you have done, I think you need a lube cutter. This is a cylinder a smidgin bigger than the bullet and cut the bullet out of the block of lube. This leaves the lube in the grooves. I am open to correction on the lube cutter.

Regards
Peter.

[DuncaninFrance]

I am only a beginner with a .577 2 band Enfield, but I lubed the bullets by getting the lube just melted and dipping the bullet in it, holding it gently with a pair of long nose pliers, and setting aside to set which it does quite quickly. If you leave the lube to set round the bullets as you have done, I think you need a lube cutter. This is a cylinder a smidgin bigger than the bullet and cut the bullet out of the block of lube. This leaves the lube in the grooves. I am open to correction on the lube cutter.

Regards
Peter.

Thank you Peter, good idea........

[Karl/Pa.]

If you're really going to get into this then you're going to need a Lubrisizer. Until I sold mine, I used a Lyman Lubrisizer with a .578 dieset. Worked beautifully for minie balls.

http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/bull ... -sizer.php



I used an older model that was considerably cheaper (less than $100 US). Can probably pick one up on ebay or such.

[DuncaninFrance]

Got a bit further last night....
Question is, can you have too much lube on a bullet? I ask because I don't have a tube that is the right I.D. to just fit over the bullet.
I miked the 3 outer rings and the are ±
TOP. 13.03mm / 0.513"
MIDDLE. 12.90mm / 0.508"
BOTTOM. 12.76mm / 0.502"

So it would seem that I need a tube with an I.D. of gnats knacker over, about 13.05mm / o.514" and I don't have any cases near that size!
Will have to go look at the stock of stuff at the local hardware store!"

N.B. gnats knacker; Technical term used by engineers to determine ' a very small amount '