lube for conical bullets

[Howie1968]

lately ive been surfing the web looking for commercial lube for some lead t/c maxi balls that i have that arent lubed. the more i read this forumn i realize part of traditional muzzleloading is making your own bullets, your own lube and accessories. so here i am i called hobby lobby in town they have granual bead beaswax in natural and white for 7.99 and the block beeswax for 14.99 in natural or white. ill go for natural. Ive read where you can mix 50-50 with crisco, ive also read where you can mix 60-40 with crisco. here in texas it can be in the 100s, however ill be hunting hogs in the early am and evening and cooler months all day. what formula do you men recomend. i dont want to buy commercial lube i want to give it a shot, if i fail so be it i can always ad more of one or the other to get it equaled out.
Do you use this as a pan lube or just rub it into the grooves. ive seen where people have put a bit of olive oil in there as well.
at first i thought of buying the lee alox and tumbling them. then i did some reading and it was 50-50 on the positives and negatives. thank you for any imput yall may have

 

[rodwha]

I use Gatofeo's #1 lube on my wads, pistol bullets, and Lee REALs for my rifle. It seems to do well enough, though I've not tried anything else.

I used SWMBO's soap mold and poured blocks of my excess lube. I cut those into 6 chunks and colored in the lube grooves. At first I didn't mind doing it this way, but when I'm lubing a bunch I grow tired of it and have been considering trying pan lubing.

 

[Scota4570]

It is not that critical. Just use some lube and you will be ok.

 

[fleener]

I use 50/50 bees wax with Crisco and a tablespoon of olive oil. You can heat everything slowly in the microwave. It take a bit to melt bees wax. Pan lube. This lube will dry fairly hard. I use a undersized to lube mine

Fleener

 

[swathdiver]

Get your beeswax from your local apiary (beekeeper) instead. Less expensive or maybe even free.

Use mutton tallow instead of Crisco.

 

[rafterob]

Easier said than done. I know 3 beekeepers and none of them produces wax. They say they put the wax back in the hives because the bees recycle it to rebuild their combs faster. I have found a number of other stores that sell it though, and a little goes a long way in lube.

 

[rafterob]

I was a Chef for a long time and had a ready source for lamb fat, which I assume is much the same as Mutton. it is a very nice, firm tallow. Where do you source your mutton tallow? I have not found anyone here that gets enough to render.

 

[rodwha]

Dixie Gun Works or Durofelt

 

[bubba.50]

start with a small batch mixed 50/50 and add beeswax 'til it gets stiff enough to handle the heat in Texas. won't hurt anything if it ends up bein' 75/25 or more.

 

[Howie1968]

Bubba, would i pan lube or tumble lube? and if pan lubing do i feel to the top grease groove? looking at the maxiballs that are lubed online shows the grease grooves have lube in them. or do i hand rub it into the grooves?

 

[fleener]

I have been a bee keeper for quite a few years. If bees re use the wax, it is small amounts. I have wax from my bees every year.

Fleener

 

[coloradoclyde]

I hand rub into the grooves....that said I also very lightly lube conicals when I use them or sometimes shoot them dry.
I have never found extra amounts of lube to be any benefit accuracy wise....

Other opinions will differ... :grin:

 

[rodwha]

When I had Accurate Molds work on my designs for cap n ball bullets I reduced the size of the lube grooves as I just didn't see why a pistol needed gobs of lube. Mine seem to do just fine.

I had an impromptu range trip with a neighbor who came by while I was casting. I scooped up some projectiles and headed out. They keyholed at 15 yds until I lubed the grooves.

Are you shooting your rifle conicals without a lubed wad?

 

[Howie1968]

At the moment im not shooting at all waiting on my #11 caps to get here, ive got a bunch of TC maxi hunters 370 gr unlubed that came with my .50 renegade, i also have a lyman deerstalker in .54 im waiting on my shipment from TOW i have lubed wads for the .50 and the .54 that go over the powder then you seat your bullet on them. i seen all the commercial lubes and once again id have to order them also as this part of texas litterally has no muzzleloading supplies.
while reading this forumn i thought im gonna make my own. Thats why all the questions ive watched all the videos and all that but this forumn is friendly and has been very helpful in my venture getting back to traditional muzzleloading after a 30 year absense

 

[bubba.50]

I pan lube as the lube is very stiff when cooled. if you like to hand lube do it while the lube is still warm/loose enough to smear with yer fingers. and yes, make sure all the grooves are full.