# Black Powder Bullet Lubes



## Sharps40 (Mar 3, 2010)

Just wondering if anyone else is making lubes for muzzleloader and black powder cartridges and what the ingredents are.  Here are two that I've used with success.

For muzzleloader (patches and conicals) the recipe is simple.  I slowly melt on a double boiler, equal parts of bees wax and vasoline.  The lube is a bit stiff when cold but you can loosen it up by adding more vasoline.  I either dip patches in it melted or simpler, wait till its firmed up and smear it on the patch.  For conicals in muzzleloaders, I simply smear it into the grooves.  I have also found it useful for 45 Colt and 32-40 lead bullet loads with smokeless powder.  The 45 Colt loads are below 800 FPS and the 32-40 are under 1300 FPS.  In a long barrel, it sometimes helps to substitute Olive Oil for the vasoline.

I have also used paraffin wax, vasloine and olive oil mixed on a double boiler to make lube discs for loading cartridges.  The mix is about 50%/40%/10%, and I adjust the paraffin wax as needed if its too oily or too soft.  Mommas old cantle stubs an burnt out votives are a great source of paraffin wax, but ya gotta fish out the wick stubs when melting it.

To get this second lube into consistent thickness sheets to make lube discs, float a lightweight aluminum pan in a sink full of warm water.  A coin or two stacked in the pan helps you know just how thick the discs will be.  Once the mix is melted, pour it carefully into the floating pan.  Stop when you just start to cover the coins or other thickness gage.  Let it set untill firm then transfer the pan to the fridge.  It takes a bit of practice but even if you spill it in the water, just wait till it hardens, fish it out, let it dry and melt and pour again.  You'll get the hang of it.

Once its good and cold you can use a resized cartridge case with the head cut off to punch out individual discs.  But handling them can be problematic - best to drop them on a sheet of wax paper or straight into a charged case.  Over all its best to keep them chilled till you are ready to load.  

If you are one of the folks that compresses black powder into solid pellets in the cartridge case, simply use the charged case to cut each disc, no handling of the lube required that way and no broken discs (seating the bullet will press the lube disc down on the powder).  If you intend to store the ammo for a while, a disc of waxed paper, one on either side of the lube disc, will help prevent the lube disc from sticking either to the bullet or oiling up the powder.

In cartridge rifle barrels, leading at the breech usually indicates the lube is too hard.  Leading at the muzzle usually indicates you don't have enough lube for the length of barrel or the lube is too soft.


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## killitgrillit (Mar 3, 2010)

On my roundball guns I use 64oz olive oil and 1pound bee's wax melted togethor on a double boiler


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## Sharps40 (Mar 3, 2010)

Have you tried any other vegetable oils?  I heard of some folks using other petroleum oils like ATF and Marvel Mystery Oil mixed w/Bees Wax but I never tried it that way.


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## killitgrillit (Mar 3, 2010)

Sharps40 said:


> Have you tried any other vegetable oils?  I heard of some folks using other petroleum oils like ATF and Marvel Mystery Oil mixed w/Bees Wax but I never tried it that way.



I don't use any petroleum products because I use black powder and it reacts with it and leaves a bunch of crude in the barrel.


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## acmech (Mar 17, 2010)

I use mutton tallow (Dixie gun works), bees wax and parafin.  Good all weather all temp lube.  I believe the original recipe came from a 1940's American rifleman magazine.  It's basically the same lube the Army used in the 1800's.


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## NCHillbilly (Mar 18, 2010)

Moose snot (beeswax/castor oil/murphy's oil soap) or bear grease are my favorites.


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## Sharps40 (Mar 18, 2010)

How does the tallow and grease keep in the summer? Stinky/rancid? Thought about rendering deer tallow this winter but was wondering about having my dogs clawing at the basement door all summer due to possible smell.


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## acmech (Mar 19, 2010)

Sharps40 said:


> How does the tallow and grease keep in the summer? Stinky/rancid? Thought about rendering deer tallow this winter but was wondering about having my dogs clawing at the basement door all summer due to possible smell.




I haven't used it long enough to tell you, but when its mixed with the beeswax and parafin (melted together under low heat) it doesn't even resemble or smell like tallow anymore.  I never stunk up my kitchen more than when I melted the bees wax.  The formula is 1/2 lb parafin, 1/2 lb tallow and 1/4 lb bees wax.  It cools hard and I have to crush it in my fingers to use as a bullet lube for my Martini when sizing.  The original poster of this info. said it came from a 1943 American rifleman magazine and that in his 30 or so years of shooting it was the best homemade lube he used.  If you want something to stay in the lube grooves of a bullet this is it.  I'm using a homemade sizer I made for my lyman 450 so I have to apply it to the bullets with my fingers before sizing.


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## LanceColeman (Mar 19, 2010)

One of my rifles likes straight lard on a patch and round ball, another likes a lard/beewax mixture on a patch and roundball and the other (smallest caliber) likes a simple rubbing of rem oil on the patch for it's buckshot....... I mean roundball.


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## LanceColeman (Mar 19, 2010)

killitgrillit said:


> I don't use any petroleum products because I use black powder and it reacts with it and leaves a bunch of crude in the barrel.



Wanna see some crud left in a barrel?? shoot bore butter or wonder lube for a couple years.


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## Curly James (May 16, 2010)

I use 50% beeswax, 40% olive oil, and 10% Ballistol for everything.


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## Sharps40 (May 22, 2010)

Never heard of Ballistol before.  What is it?


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