I started out with late-U.S. Civil War 8 parts bees wax to 1 part tallow (I use mutton/sheep tallow). It is way too sticky and not a good lube, in my admittedly limited experience. I used it for the sake of authenticity, and because Texas is hotter'n blazes. I figured that the U.S. army campaigning in the Southern states adopted it for that reason.
These days, I get a pot of water, turn on the burner, and in an old coffee can I melt something that is much more like 3 parts mutton tallow and 1 part beeswax. My dog howls because he doesn't get to eat any... My wife howls because it smells good to the dog but not to her!
But I digress... I next do one of two things. either I put the bullets base down in a pie plate and judiciously pour the molten lube until it rises to the appropriate level of the grease grooves, wait a bit, and then poke the Minie/Burton balls out of the stuff, or, if I'm going to skirmish and I am in a hurry, I simply add my powder charge to the plastic tube re-usable cartridge, put the bullet nose down into the tube to seal it, and then dip the skirt into the lube. This puts a water-tight seal between the bullet and the tube. I have also made paper cartridges, including Enfield types in which the paper-patched bullet is dipped.
