Anyone make their own Lube or grease?

[Effigy]

It seems to be a common thing in the US for BP shooters to make their own bullet lube and patch grease.

I'd like to have a go - anyone else do it? If so, what is your recipe?

Thanks

[harricook]

If I make any - I normally use 20% beeswax 40% tallow 40% wax & vary the amounts slightly depending on the time of year

In winter - wax needs to be lower - as the mix is too hard & in summer you don't want it melting

Cheers

R

[Effigy]

If I make any - I normally use 20% beeswax 40% tallow 40% wax & vary the amounts slightly depending on the time of year

In winter - wax needs to be lower - as the mix is too hard & in summer you don't want it melting

Cheers

R

With all those solids, don't you have to add oil to thin it down and make it pliable?

[harricook]

DOH !

Ahh - should have said - it's mainly for stiff felt wads for use in my ROA !

I melt it together & soak the wads in - hook them out & leave to cool on the workbench


I've seen similar recipes that add Neatsfoot oil or Olive oil - even Peanut oil ...



Roy

.

[bryantanthonydp]

Approx 60% tallow, 20% beeswax and 20% paraffin wax , depending on the time of year ; I also use this mix to lube my .577 bullets.

[DJS]

I use deer tallow as a lube on rifle bullets.
For an over ball lube on my revolver I soften it slightly with Castrol R (castor oil).
Daz

[Calibre44]

Where can you buy tallow?

[bryantanthonydp]

Plumbers merchants may stock it or they should know where to order it from.

[John Bedford]

For a good patch lube try melting (carefully!!) some "Bore Butter" in the microwave then soak your patches. Separate and allow to dry off, ready for use.

[kennyc]

Where can you buy tallow?

good electrical trade suppliers, its used for pulling wires through conduit.

[Calibre44]

good electrical trade suppliers, its used for pulling wires through conduit.

Thanks ... been meaning to make my own lube for ages - I'll give it a go

[harry mac]

I've always had good results in my 577-450 Martini with the lube that Paul Matthews recommends in his book Reloading The Black Powder Rifle Cartridge. It's a straight mix of beeswax and vasseline, 60/40 in favour of vasseline by weight. I use a shiny card disc (milk carton or cereal packet) under it to act as a barrier against any migration.

[mehulkamdar]

A lot of us here in the USA just use water based industrial grease from hardware stores like Ace. It cleans off easily if you use hot water to clean your barrels like I do. Purists won;t use this, but then I have a $ 100 Knight inline .50 ML and after five years with this formula it still shoots 320 gr cast lead flat nosed bullets into 1" at 50 yards, so I don't really worry about mroe expensive options.

[Smokeless Coal]

Merry Xmas Mehul.

I just use Alox, the joy of 777

[Jim McArthur]

A lot of us here in the USA just use water based industrial grease from hardware stores like Ace. It cleans off easily if you use hot water to clean your barrels like I do. Purists won;t use this, but then I have a $ 100 Knight inline .50 ML and after five years with this formula it still shoots 320 gr cast lead flat nosed bullets into 1" at 50 yards, so I don't really worry about mroe expensive options.

Hello, Mehulkandamdar, good to see a Yank on the list, even if I'm a Reb! I used to live in Chicago - Rogers Park, just below Evanston.

As an Illinois / Chicago resident you're, unfortunately, in one of the worst gun control places in the USA, as you well know. I remember when I was there, you needed a Firearms Owners ID card to buy guns or ammo: Chicago required rifle / shotgun registration, and pretty much banned handguns.

How are the laws there regarding muzzleloaders? Our UK friends can own antique muzzleoaders without a license, but they need a shotgun certificate for a new smoothbote shoulder one, or a firearms certificate for a rille or pistol.

Jim