lyman54
32 Cal.
I used to use Lee Liquid Alox when casting for .308 and .303 Brit. Just wondering if it would also work for lead Minie's. Has anyone ever tried it? Would be less messy for sure. Thanks
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Minie ball lube.
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DaveC
32 Cal.
I can't recommend the original U.S. 8 parts beeswax to 1 part mutton tallow, I'm afraid to say... I think a 50/50 mix, maybe with a bit of olive oil would be perfect. Some of my lube is probably softened with the addition of extra tallow to the degree of 2 to 1 tallow to wax...
Coconut oil and wax is what I use on my moustache, and in a pinch, I'd think it would make a dandy Minié lube too...
Coconut oil and wax is what I use on my moustache, and in a pinch, I'd think it would make a dandy Minié lube too...
The Liquid Alox will work but it's pretty expensive stuff.
Try some of the various home made lubes you will read about here on the forum. Mixes of bees wax and various oils will work very nicely to lube a Minie' bullet.
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It depends on if you're making cartridges or just shooting Minies.
If you're just shooting, the age old method is a dab of Crisco in the base and just put it down onto the powder.
If you're just shooting, the age old method is a dab of Crisco in the base and just put it down onto the powder.
lyman54
32 Cal.
Thanks. I do use a mix of bees wax and crisco, but was thinking Alox would be less messy but probably better though.The Liquid Alox will work but it's pretty expensive stuff.
Try some of the various home made lubes you will read about here on the forum. Mixes of bees wax and various oils will work very nicely to lube a Minie' bullet.
lyman54
32 Cal.
I've never tried that. Always thought it might contaminate some powder.
lyman54
32 Cal.
Must be a pretty cool moustache.
lyman54
32 Cal.
Sealing revolver cylinder. Now there's a whole new thread.
Alox- NO. We use lots of concoctions in our musket competition with minies, but probably the most popular is some form of natural oil mixed with beeswax. I'm using beeswax/lard in my Parker Hale and it shoots sub 2moa groups with iron sights. Instead of lard, others are using olive oil, crisco, tallow, etc. Alox doesn't play nice with fouling from real black powder.
DaveC
32 Cal.
On the other hand, smoothbore shooters do use Alox...
There's that SPG bullet lube available:
http://www.blackpowderspg.com/
Lots of Black Powder Cartridge Rifle shooters use that stuff on their lead bullets. It might be good on Minié/Burton balls for rifle musket if one is not desirous of "tallow smell" in the kitchen... Personally, I just use an old coffee can, a pot with some water in it as a double boiler, and then measure out how much tallow to how much wax and wait for it to melt, give it a stir with a stick, and hey presto! I've got some Minié/Burton lube. While it is molten, it can be applied to the conical bullet skirts in one of a number of ways. If one has a supply of plastic cartridge tubes like skirmishers typically use, just put some powder in, put the ball in nose first, and then tip it in such that the lube goes in the grease grooves and seals the bullet in the tube. I use an old pie plate to pan lube a whole bunch at a time if I'm going to be making up paper cartridges.
There's that SPG bullet lube available:
http://www.blackpowderspg.com/
Lots of Black Powder Cartridge Rifle shooters use that stuff on their lead bullets. It might be good on Minié/Burton balls for rifle musket if one is not desirous of "tallow smell" in the kitchen... Personally, I just use an old coffee can, a pot with some water in it as a double boiler, and then measure out how much tallow to how much wax and wait for it to melt, give it a stir with a stick, and hey presto! I've got some Minié/Burton lube. While it is molten, it can be applied to the conical bullet skirts in one of a number of ways. If one has a supply of plastic cartridge tubes like skirmishers typically use, just put some powder in, put the ball in nose first, and then tip it in such that the lube goes in the grease grooves and seals the bullet in the tube. I use an old pie plate to pan lube a whole bunch at a time if I'm going to be making up paper cartridges.
If alox worked on minies everyone in the N-SSA would be using it but they don't. As Dave said "Alox doesn't play nice with fouling from real black powder". For some reason it does work well on unpatched round balls in a smoothbore but that's a different story. Use a beeswax based lube and leave the Crisco in the kitchen.
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The Crisco dab on the base method , it seems, was how it was done back during the "muzzleloading revival" of the 1960s. I wasnt alive yet
I've tried it , it works and doesn't contaminate the charge but the intent is that you're gonna shoot right away.
Last summer I took my .54 Mississippi to the range with 50 .535 Minies and a tub of Crisco. I just poured my powder and dipped the Minie right into the Crisco and loaded it. Not a single problem.
In a pinch I've also slathered. 451 bullets in patch lube like Mr Flintlocks, worked ok just to get some shooting in. Sometimes I dont have time to hot dip bullets.
I've tried it , it works and doesn't contaminate the charge but the intent is that you're gonna shoot right away.
Last summer I took my .54 Mississippi to the range with 50 .535 Minies and a tub of Crisco. I just poured my powder and dipped the Minie right into the Crisco and loaded it. Not a single problem.
In a pinch I've also slathered. 451 bullets in patch lube like Mr Flintlocks, worked ok just to get some shooting in. Sometimes I dont have time to hot dip bullets.
Crisco, or any lube in the base of the minie, can be detrimental to accuracy. I just base dip my Minies in melted lube and they shoot great. I mentioned Crisco cause lots of folks use it. In my testing with my guns, Crisco ain't what folks think it is. Head to Head testing against lard, olive oil, or Mobil1 pure synthetic, Crisco is consistently in last place.
As for smoothbores, I don't use alox but many do. I don't "rough" the ball, nor do I remove the sprue. I shoot them as cast, 65g 3f Old Eynsford, triple dipped in musket lube, and load sprue up. This combo in my 42 Macon will shoot sub 2in at 25yds all day. I'm sure there is probably a more accurate load and while I shoot that load in NSSA competition, I'm always up for a better one.
As for smoothbores, I don't use alox but many do. I don't "rough" the ball, nor do I remove the sprue. I shoot them as cast, 65g 3f Old Eynsford, triple dipped in musket lube, and load sprue up. This combo in my 42 Macon will shoot sub 2in at 25yds all day. I'm sure there is probably a more accurate load and while I shoot that load in NSSA competition, I'm always up for a better one.
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Crisco apparently changed their formula at some point semi-recently and I think in years passed, there weren't many other options .
My Dads friend who in his 90s says he used to buy surplus Springfield rifle muskets for $5 at flea markets in the 1950's and 60's, cast bullets out of wheel weights and just shoot them. He said he sometimes put "too much powder in and the hammer blew back to half cock" and I cringed .
Lord knows what that guy used as a lube , probably just ate a plate full of bacon while shooting and rolled them in the grease. These are the kinda guys who will unknowingly shoot tight groups and fire 400 minies without cleaning while the rest of us overthink and analyze some home brew recipe
My Dads friend who in his 90s says he used to buy surplus Springfield rifle muskets for $5 at flea markets in the 1950's and 60's, cast bullets out of wheel weights and just shoot them. He said he sometimes put "too much powder in and the hammer blew back to half cock" and I cringed .
Lord knows what that guy used as a lube , probably just ate a plate full of bacon while shooting and rolled them in the grease. These are the kinda guys who will unknowingly shoot tight groups and fire 400 minies without cleaning while the rest of us overthink and analyze some home brew recipe
lyman54
32 Cal.
Interesting replies, thanks to all.
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