Acceptable Lube for Minnie Ball

[59sharps]

Maybe on your end of the line but Frame 43, rubber boots weren't a bad idea

We where at 35 and 36 all weekend. Wasn’t bad there. Not saying it was completely dry but was not bad.
My lube failed during individuals was to hard had to add crisco to the base. By Sunday no crisco was required.
I like the crisco worthless joke that was posted by another poster

 

[dave951]

SPG

Great for cartridge, useless on minies.

 

[Treetop]

I've used 60/40 bees wax and olive oil for the last nigh-on fifty years. We don't get your crazy temperature variations here in UK.

Same recipe here,,, seems to do just fine.

 

[nkbj]

Lanolin, olive oil and beeswax.

 

[hanshi]

Back when I still had a .58 and shot minies, some manual I had said put the lube in the hollow base. That seemed strange to me so I always lubed the grooves even when I tried a dab of lube in the bullets base.

 

[charlesk]

Great for cartridge, useless on minies.

Panning works for me.

 

[Ian Straus]

..... For those of us that are just shooting for some fun occasionally, and do not shoot competition, hunt or are not very concerned with too much historical accuracy, would just using Crisco be OK?...

Scott,
Crisco will work on a cool day if you are lubing the Minie right before loading it.
Hell, margarine would probably work.

But on a hot day Crisco will flow like water, meaning it will run right OFF your bullet and ruin your powder if you are using quick loaders or even paper cartridges.

Therefore you will want to mix tallow and beeswax in roughly equal proportions by weight (the historical lube); or instead of tallow people use a lot of things including Crisco, olive oil.... and depending on your proportion of wax it will stick to the bullet. There are a lot of secret recipes, everyone's got to have a secret, it's the coolness of having a secret.

 

[gunpa]

Lyman Black Gold. Works great.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Scott,
Crisco will work on a cool day if you are lubing the Minie right before loading it.
Hell, margarine would probably work.

But on a hot day Crisco will flow like water, meaning it will run right OFF your bullet and ruin your powder if you are using quick loaders or even paper cartridges.

Therefore you will want to mix tallow and beeswax in roughly equal proportions by weight (the historical lube); or instead of tallow people use a lot of things including Crisco, olive oil.... and depending on your proportion of wax it will stick to ? bullet. There are a lot of secret recipe s,m everyone's got to have a secret, it's the coolness of having a secret.

Crisco is acceptable, but not optimum.

 

[Muley Gil]

I shot the carbine match at # 23, in front of the tower, and at # 17 on Sunday for musket. Neither spot was muddy.

 

[dave951]

I shot the carbine match at # 23, in front of the tower, and at # 17 on Sunday for musket. Neither spot was muddy.

We were stuck with #43 and 42. Both had a moat just past the 25yd line. At 100yd, the mud was deep.

 

[Stantheman86]

I am using SPG with Beeswax, melted in a candle melter. Super easy, I dip them then size them to .575.

 

[david w]

Curious question. Has anyone tried ALOX coated bullets?

 

[Stantheman86]

Curious question. Has anyone tried ALOX coated bullets?

I think ALOX contains petroleum?

 

[dave951]

Curious question. Has anyone tried ALOX coated bullets?

Alox does not play nice with black powder fouling.

 

[nkbj]

Alox mixtures can work but you're cutting it with enough suitable carrier as realize little benefit from the alox.
Same thing as adding STP or other chlorowax to minie lube.

 

[Okie Hog]

Have this large supply of .50 and .54 conical bullets with dried out lube. Intended to sell them but it's too much hassle and postage is too high. i'm slowly disposing of those conicals by shooting them at targets.

My re-lube is 2/3 bore butter melted into 1/3 beeswax.

 

[nhmoose]

Try a Chapstick, rub it into the grooves of the Minnie. [sarcasm/off]

 

[Timber Wolf]

Curious question. Has anyone tried ALOX coated bullets?

Shot a few Alox-tumbled/coated Lee REAL bullets in a .54 Renegade a few weeks back and had no issues shooting or cleaning up after.

 

[loflyr55]

Have this large supply of .50 and .54 conical bullets with dried out lube. Intended to sell them but it's too much hassle and postage is too high. i'm slowly disposing of those conicals by shooting them at targets.

My re-lube is 2/3 bore butter melted into 1/3 beeswax.

To re-lube, just spray with ballistol.