Bullet Lubes

[greenrivers]

 I have been using bore butter since it came out and I am trying to get away from the mess. If left for any period of time it also dries out and has to be removed and reaplied. My question, is there enough petro in canning wax to cause any problems with a lube that it is included in? Using it to harden the lube just enough to keep the lube in the lubrication grooves is all that I am looking for. My formula is primarily beeswax, crisco, olive oil and the parafin needed to stiffen the batch. In testing so far it seems to work well, but I am wondering if others have found fault with it. Thanks

[keith44]

I doubt you would notice a problem, but I have to ask why not just add more beeswax instead of the parafin?
 

[Ranch13]

 The problem with parrafin is it can leave traces of itself in the bore, and the traditional blackpowder cleaners won't cut it , and the smokeless cleaners aren't the best thing in the world to use in a bp barrel. Works alright in smokeless lubes, but can cause you some headache down the road with blackpowder...
 The old Sharps recipe of 1 part beeswax and 2 parts spermwhale oil (substitue with jojoba oil) is a pretty decent alround bp lube.
 

[AtlLaw]

Didn't we just talk about this?     Oh well, just excuse me if I'm repeating myself!  It's an (old) age thing!   
 
Go to the stickies on the C&B pistol forum and read the one by Gatofeo... well heck, here's what he has to say at http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,3932.0.html
 
"My own patch, wad and bullet lubricant is a 19th century recipe, found in a 1943 issue of the American Rifleman.
The recipe is:
1 part paraffin (I use canning paraffin, found in grocery stores)
1 part mutton tallow (sold by Dixie Gun Works)
1/2 part beeswax (available at hobby and hardware stores)
All measures are by weight, not volume. I use a kitchen scale to measure 200 grams of paraffin, 200 grams of mutton tallow and 100 grams of beeswax. This nearly fills a quart Mason jar.
Place the Mason jar in a pot or coffee can with about 4 inches of boiling water. This gives a double-boiler effect, which is the safest way to melt waxes and greases.
When the ingredients in the jar are thoroughly melted, stir well with a clean stick or a disposable chopstick. Remove from water and allow to cool at room temperature (trying to speed cooling by placing in the refrigerator may cause the ingredients to separate).
This creates a lubricant nearly identical to a well-known black powder lubricant sold commercially.
To use, place a small amount of the lubricant in a clean tuna or cat food can. Melt in a shallow pan of water. Drop your revolver wads or patches into the can and stir them around with a clean stick until all wads or patches are saturated. Allow to cool then snap a plastic lid (available in the pet food aisle) over the can and store in a cool, dry place. This keeps dust and crud out and retains the lubricant's natural moistness.
I don't bother to squeeze out the excess lubricant from patches or wads but use them as-is.

This is an excellent bullet lubricant for all black powder uses. I also use it for patches in my .50-caliber muzzleloading rifle, and lubricating cast bullets for my .44-40 and .45-70 rifles. I've tried it with .357 Magnum bullets at up to 1,200 feet per second and it prevents leading. I haven't tried it at a higher velocity in the .357 or other calibers, but may someday.
I like the addition of paraffin in this bullet lubricant, because it seems to stiffen the felt wad somewhat, and scrapes out fouling better.
I've used the Ox-Yoke Wonder Wads in the past and they're good, but lack enough lubricant for my likes. I soak them in the above lubricant.
With a well-lubricated wad twixt ball and powder, you can shoot all day without ever swabbing the bore."
 
Somewhere else on that forum he gives his thoughts on the petroleum aspect of parafin and states that it is not the usual petroleum based product and BP problem.  That has been my experience also and I use the recipe for all my BP lube needs! 

[keith44]

I still don't understand the use of two waxes, why not just one?
 

[Semisane]

You might want to give this a try greenrivers.  It has a very nice consistency.

http://www.trewaxdirect.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=887101016

[AtlLaw]

I still don't understand the use of two waxes, why not just one?

Ya know, that's a real good question!?   

[.22-5-40]

Hello, everyone, I have been making my own bullet lube since the early 1970's.  As far as that stuff Dixie Gun Works calls mutton tallow goes..save your money.  Several years ago, I obtained fat from around kidneys of lamb & 1-two year old sheep.  Rendered it down & had some of the nicest pure white, firm..almost like soft wax, tallow one could want.  Absolutly no smell.  I came across some of this tallow down on back shelf in basement..18 years old..and still firm & NO smell.  Now it's getting hard to find around here, so I ordered some from Dixie..what I got was a very soft-slushy, yellowish colored, rancid smelling crap!  Looks like I'll have to hunt around a little harder for the "good stuff"!

[srussell]

I still don't understand the use of two waxes, why not just one?

beeswax is a poor lube buy its self but mixes well with other ingredients and holds together well

[keith44]

I still don't understand the use of two waxes, why not just one?

beeswax is a poor lube buy its self but mixes well with other ingredients and holds together well

I am well aware of the uses of beeswax, and parafin.  The question is why would someone use both waxes in the same lube mix.
 

[greenrivers]

As Atlaw states, this was covered to some degree in a previous forum, but petro. based chemicals continue to be dunned as possible buildup causes. By using small amounts to stabilise a mix seems to be the way to go. If a stabilised mixture can be created that will not dry out and crumble or be as affected by temps, then that is what I am looking for. Indicators are that beeswax alone will not do it and still give the higher lubrication needed.

[AtlLaw]

I just reread the original post and I was way out in left field!     Soon's I get rid of this hang... um... headache,  I'll try to post a more intelligent reply.   

[keith44]

... Indicators are that beeswax alone will not do it and still give the higher lubrication needed.

Ok that answers it.  I either missed this or just didn't understand something.  If the beeswax alone does not give the stabalization I am after with the lubrication needed, I re-melt and add dish soap or Ivory bar soap shavings this helps to break down the fouling, and aids in the water clean up that I use.