Lee Liquid Alox as a Minnie Ball Lubricant?

[Rokon]

Has anyone tried lubricating Minnie balls with Lee Liquid Alox?

 

[Billnpatti]

Not mini balls but I have used it on the Maxi Balls and R.E.A.L. bullets and it works just fine.

 

[hawkeye2]

It doesn't work. You need a lube that will keep the fouling soft. Use a commercial lube like SPG or Lyman Black Powder Gold or make your own using beeswax as a base and adding something such as olive oil or tallow. Don't use any lubes intended for use with smokeless powder.

 

[Billnpatti]

My experience says that the Alox works just fine in muzzleloaders but I wipe my bore between shots. However, given a choice between Alox and a heavy grease such as bees wax with olive oil, I, too, will take the grease over the Alox. He asked "will it work?" and, yes it will work but, like you, I don't think it is the best lube to use. I use it on my pistol bullets but I also use just a small dab of Crisco over each bullet. I don't fill the chamber to the top, just a small dab in each chamber.

 

[hawkeye2]

You posted while I was typing. I saw your post and just knew I'de get called. :wink: Lee lube does work if you can wipe between shots. I think in terms of multiple shots with no chance to wipe between and Allox doesn't work there. Some smoothbore shooters (shooting a naked ball) double dip in Lee liquid Allox and have good results, other prefer to dip the ball in a stiffer beeswax base lube.

 

[THBailey]

I'm embarrassed to admit this, but when I got my first muzzle loader, a .54 New Englander, I used regular Alox to lube my Maxi Balls. On my first trip to the range to try it out, after a few shots I went to scrub the barrel with a jag and a dry patch. I shoved the ramrod down the bore and it stuck like no other. Wound up pulling the nipple, putting a little ground up Pyrodex RS down the hole and shooting the ramrod out. It was real special walking 30 feet downrange to pick up my ramrod on the next cease fire. But I did actually get a few shots off before things went haywire. The dry patch was probably the real culprit.

 

[Billnpatti]

Yes, it is certainly not the best choice for a muzzleloading lube. But, it will work. The problem is, as has been discovered, it leaves an excess residue in the bore. This is not insurmountable if one wishes to use Alox. I would recommend that one who wants to use Alox would do well to carry a small bottle of mineral spirits to dampen a patch and swab between shots. If you control the fouling, the Alox will work. Is it worth it? I don't think so and I wouldn't use it if I could find some bees wax and lard or even Bore Butter.