[butlerford45]

I understand that petroleum based lubes and black powder residue mix to form a hard fouling. Is this true or is it just a wives tale? What is the best lube to use with black powder? How do I get the lube on the bullets? Actually, how do you get the smokeless lube off the bullets?

I've heard about homemade lubes, what's the deal on that? Is it hard to do? What do I need?


Butler Ford

 

[sjc1]

For blackpowder loads I use SPG lube. I also use this lube on some smokeless loads. It seems that the SPG lube will keep blackpowder fouling softer.
For most smokeless loads I use the Lyman Moly lube.

 

[Cuts Crooked]

Some folks will tell you that the petrolium based lube thing, with BP, is a myth. Having shot frontstuffers for over 30 years, I'm gonna disagree with them strongly! Petrol lubes DO leave a tar like build up that will eventially ruin accuracy!

I've tried several commerical BP lubes, like SPG, Bore Butter, and Lyman Gold. They all work very good. However, I use 50/50 lube for the majority of my shooting because of cost. I shoot enough that it is important to keep costs down!

Making 50/50 lube is pretty easy, simply melt crisco and bees wax in a 50/50 proportian mix by weight. It can also be made with olive oil and bees wax. Do this in a double boiler for safetys sake, but it can be done over very low heat in an ordinary pan....just be careful and watch it closely to avoid smoking. If it starts to smoke turn down the heat, otherwise you will burn the mixture and loose the lubricity quilities!

 

[Mason Stillwell]

I have tried SPG and here in AZ it melts to easy.Now all I use for smokeless and bp is Thompsons PS LUBE.
IMHO the best thing since sliced bread.



Pete

 

[Old Cane]

Mason, how do you apply that kind of lube?

 

[butlerford45]

Mason, that's one I'm not famaliar with. I've tried Bore Butter, gotta love that smell, but not PS, is it a new one, or another good thing I've over looked?

 

[rdnck]

Bullet Lube

Butler Ford--It is true that petroleum based smokeless lubes and black powder do not go well together. If you want a lot of effort and trouble to go into cleaning your black powder cartridge firearm, just load and shoot some bullets lubed with alox, Red Rooster, or Blue Angel and shoot them with straight black powder.

I am convinced that this is why lots of folks say that black powder cleanup is hard and messy. ALL the residue left by black powder is 100% water soluble. WATER on a patch cleans black powder fouling, and nothing else is really needed. Products such as Hoppe's and Shooter's Choice will not cut the fouling left by black powder, and the creosote like residue that results when petroleum based lubes are used cannot be cut with water. The result is an unholy mess that responds only to elbow grease and steel wool.

If you use a dedicated black powder lube, it actually saponifies, or turns to a form of soap in the presence of water. This results in a clean up of one or two wet patches, followed by a couple of dry ones, and an oil patch, and you're done.

SPG is a good lube that has been around awhile. However, the best all around lube I have found is Black Magic. It was developed in Louisiana several years ago, and is especially good in hot weather. Black Magic has quite a following in BPCR in Texas, and quite a number of Quigley shooters use it. You can get it from Buffalo Arms, or Powder Inc, and Coonies. rdnck.

 

[Mason Stillwell]

Thompson's Ps is applied just like lots of other lubes with a lube sizer. It comes in Hollow or solid base sticks for either type of lubesizer.

I am honest here it is the best lube I have come in contact with. Smokeless or BP/

Plus it smells PRETTY.

Shoot 45's ? I will send a few piegon roost bullets with PS if you would like.

Pete

You can get PS from Midway USA . I get mine from the maker.


Hope this helps

 

[The Montanan]

Here is a link to what many BPCR shooters are using. I posted my recipe for Buffalo Gold lube which I have made for the last many years since I been shooting BPCR. http://groups.msn.com/BPCR/bulletlubes.msnw?action=view_list&sortstring=

Just today I wanted to try a new lube for me but is in Paul Mathews book and the ingredients are much easier for me to aquire.

8 oz beeswax
4 oz Neatsfoot Oil (liquid)
4 oz Murphys Oil Soap

Texture is great and seems to spread real nice into the grooves. The shooting test will have to wait.

I just aquired a bunch and I mean a bunch of bullets.

1,777 550-gr Creedmores and a bunch of others of 500-gr Elk Busters and 405-gr RNFP bullets. All in all I have 2,643 of these now.... Got a great deal on these for $170.00 :-D

Will have much fun shooting them :twisted:

 

[butlerford45]

"All in all I have 2,643 of these now.... Got a great deal on these for $170.00 "

Deal!!??? Thats closer to larceny!!!!! :-D