SPG Tropic

[Glen Ring]

Semtav
I agree 100%.

[desert deuce]

I found it to be a total pain to get into my lube-sizer. Gamerancher.

Home made lubes are also particular about how they are introduced into a lube sizer. Lube sizers with the center compression screw through the lube channel in particular are challenging such as Lyman, Lachmiller and RCBS, while the Saeco & Star take solid sticks just fine.

To address this problem a lube stick production device was crafted from wooden dowels and aluminum pipe for the sticks with center holes and just the pipe for the Saeco & Star and both work as good as store bought lubes that come in tubs, sticks and bricks.

How you melt the lube becomes the 64 thousand dollar question. So far with the home made lubes the microwave and pyrex 32 ounce measuring cups do the trick and the product stored in Zip Loc Bags in the outside in the garage refrigerator. But I don't recommend that for commercial lubes even though it has and may work just fine. After all, you have to melt them all to pan lube anyway which, by the way, I have abandoned, except for muzzle loader muskets and rifles. If it is something that may work better pan lubing there is always dip lubing .44 & .45 longer bullets which can also be messy and slow but does a great job filling the lube grooves and doesn't seem to upset the domestic engineer as much. Which at times seems unavoidable. It is after all, as she reminded me, her kitchen and not designed or intended for bullet lube production.

Some advocate for pouring the melt directly into the lube reservoir. I tried that...………………...once, another impetus toward devising the lube stick production device.

By the way, these latest Lyman sizing dies for some unknown reason in .45 Caliber are resistant to introducing lube into the lube grooves on the bullet unless you turn the lube heater up high enough to squirt lube past the ogive and even then the bottom lube groove may come up empty. The additional problem with both is the longer bullets are difficult to maneuver through the process of sizing and lubing without a custom made top punch. I have noticed my older Lyman sizing dies have 4 lube vents on opposing sides while these newer ones (made in China) only have two and they are at the top.

[BFD]

Nary a problem here that can't be solved with paper patched bullets every time. Though I confess, I never find my Lyman lubrisizer to be difficult to use - just an unnecessary step for singleshots.

[desert deuce]

I forgot to mention, sizing dies are not always the diameter stamped on them.

Such as .458 die may produce a sized bullet anywhere from .457 to .459, generally speaking, minimum to no sizing works best in the long run and as my former shooting partner pointed out, "the barrel makes the bullet round as it travels down the bore."

Fortuitously I have a .458 marked sizing die that is actually .4581 that is perfect for bullets that drop .4575 to .4580 and even up to .4585

I refrain from forcing bullets through sizing dies.

[Woody]

Just anneal the die and drill some more holes. There don't have to be perfectly spaced. Some 600 grit on a dowel to clean any burr and you are set. The dies does not have to be re-hardened. When I make sizing dies, I just use cold roll stock. I cross drill completely through four holes staggered at 90 degrees, then bore and ream. This results in 16 lube holes that are staggered to introduce lube anywhere into the shank of the bullet. Wish the commercial manufacturers would pay attention. I use both a RCBS and Lyman lubersizer and Yes Zack, I melt and pour into the sizer.

Woody

[desert deuce]

Thanks Woody

Now that you mention it, I think I do have some very not new sizing dies with 16 holes.

Heat Treat? How hot for how long, assume you use a drill press or mill to drill the holes

Do you put saw dust in the molten lube to keep it from running fast into the reservoir and out the bottom ?

Is there a magic way to make top punches that will clear with a bullet 1.51" long ?

[Woody]

Heat to a bright red and let cool.

The first couple that I modified, I used a hand held electric drill. Way before owning a lathe or drill press.

There is always enough lube in the bottom of the reservoir to stop the melt from leaking out. Never been an issue for me.

I don't shoot bullets that long. If I did, I would make a top punch that would accommodate. I do make my top punches from brass. They don't require that much strength, are cheap to make, and easily modified.

Woody

[4065shooter]

I'd gently heat to melted on a hot plate before microwaving. Microwave is not advised. If ARCTIC SPG were to be developed, would "northerners" try it?

[SchuetzenDave]

The Alberta Schuetzen Guild have been using Alberta Schuetzen Lube since the 1990s.

It has proven to be an exceptional lube from - 40 to 110 F.

Yes I have shot it in a competition at -40 F. so I would consider it to be Arctic grade.

My best Schuetzen score using Alberta Schuetzen Lube was a 50 shot bench competition at 200 yards that scored 1245 out of 1250 possible points.
45 bulls eyes and 5 bullets that were slightly over half a bullet outside the bulls eye ring.
Best 10 shot group was .799" using plain base cast bullets at 200 yards.

And it works exceptionally well with both smokeless and Black Powder.

With Alberta Schuetzen Lube I have shot a number of 250/250 perfect 10 shot targets in all possible temperature ranges.

Sorry the Northerners already have the perfect Lube.

[gunlaker]

.40-65 Shooter my comment was more tongue in cheek. I would not likely try an Arctic formulation of SPG because like Dave, I have a supply of Alberta Schuetzen Lube. I get mine from Dave

Chris.

[Lumpy Grits]

How does the SPG Tropic compare to DGL?
Gary

[Kenny Wasserburger]

How good does this Alberta stuff work laying out in the sun firing long strings in hot weather, with 90 to 108 grs of powder.

My opinion is just about all lubes work if you wipe between shots.

Kenny Wasserburger

[SchuetzenDave]

Alberta Schuetzen Lube was tested at Raton, N.M. firing 100 .25 plain base cast bullets @ 1,826 fps (NO GAS CHECK) at 110 F. in rapid succession.
After 100 shots there was no leading of the barrel.

These were breech seated bullets that were sitting out in the sun on the bench and the Alberta Schuetzen Lube stayed viscous and never sloughed off like exposed SPG bullets.

Fixed bullet shooters cannot see what is happening to the lube inside their cases at high temperatures.

Schuetzen shooters who have exposed bullets sitting on the bench are very familiar with what happens with SPG lube when left out in warm temperatures.
Because they see the lube run off the bullets just sitting there in the exposed sunlight.

Alberta Schuetzen Lube was used to win the ISSA US Nationals during high temperatures in August at Raton, N.M. in 2008 and 2013.

No cleaning between shots.

[Kenny Wasserburger]

1826 FPS?


Smokeless?

And just exactly does that have to do with Creedmoor at 800-900-1000 yards with BP.

Kenny Wasserburger

[mdeland]

Wow no lead in the bore at those temperatures ,smokeless or not is impressive and some one is doing something right! What are the lube ingredients or is that a secret! I make and use the Mathews lube but it does not pour after sponification. I pour it into plastic tubes while still liquid then heat up a pointed rod to melt down the center of the column after it sets up for a clearance hole in the luber body for insertion.
The Mathews lube will not melt in the sun either and works with smokeless as well as BP.