pan lube method?

[David/Mo]

How is the best way to pan lube bullets?
Thanks in advance.
David/Mo

[Rich Siegel]

Dave/Mo

I just stand the bullets up in a pan then pour in my heated, liquified lube. I heat the lube (50% bees wax-40% Crisco and 10% vegetable oil) in a microwave oven and then pour it in. When the lube is solid but not completely hardened, I pop the lube cake with the bullets out of the pan and push the bullets out by hand from the bottom.

You can also make a cutter from an old cartridge case to push over the bullet then use a blunt screw driver through an enlargened primer hole to push the bullet out.

Rich

[Omaha Poke]

Dave, I use a very flat bottomed pan that has a non-stick surface. Bought it at the grocery store. Some have flatter bottoms than others, and that is good so you don't get a bunch of lube under the bullets that has to be wiped off and wasted. Once the lube has hardened enough to pull away from the side of the pan but is still warm (I would guess about 80 degrees, I flip the pan over carefully, and the "cake" will drop out of the pan onto a section of the newspaper. I usually give it about another 5 minutes for the bottom, which is now the top, to firm up just a bit, and then with the bullets resting on their noses, just gently push down on the cake starting at one side and working my way around, and the bullets pop up to be picked out of the lube. No muss, no fuss, and the bullets are ready to be loaded with just a wipe or two on the bases. Send me a PM with your e-mail address, and I will send you some pictures that will help make the explanation a lot clearer. Just don't let the lube set up cold and hard doing it this way or the cake will start to break up rather than slide off the bullets. Randy

[Omaha Poke]

Dave, forgot to say that I can space out about 60 .45 cal. rifle bullets in the cake pan. Too close together and you might have problems with a bridge of lube between two bullets. Randy

[Lead Pot]

Just curious,Omaha and Rich.

Why do you guys pan lube instead running them through the sizer?

Kurt

[Omaha Poke]

Lead pot, the bullets I pan lube drop from the mould at the exact size I need so no sizing is required. Also pushing them down into the sizing die, unless you have a top punch either made or modified for that specific bullet shape will deform or ring the nose of the bullet. Pan lubing just takes one more variable for error out of the picture. It also doesn't allow that black junk from the inside of the cast iron to mix with the lube. Never have liked that. I can pan lube just about as fast as I could with a lube-sizer. I have had two Lyman lube sizers and the hinge-pin bolts are always either breaking or bending at the wrong time!! Usually when I need them the most!! Randy

[AL Rittenhouse]

David
I use some sandwich containers that are rubbermaid. Bought them at wallyworld for about 1.25 ea. I can lube about 70 bullets at a time with them. They work great just let the lube set untill it pulls away from the sides. I just use a double boiler, mason jar filled with lube and then set in a pan of boiling water. I use SPG lube with lubegaard added. After it melts pour into containers with bullets. You might also want to preheat the bullets with a hair dryer if they are in a cold place. This helps the lube stay in the lube rings better as sometime the lube wants to pull out. Al

[Lead Pot]

The reason I asked I had a 63 sporter in .54 caliber.If I did'nt make the nitrated paper cartridge I just droped the lubed bullet in the chamber and pushed it into the grooves and poured in the powder.I did not like to panlube the bullets so I called Mason Stillwell and had him hone out a die for my Star sizer just to lube the bullets with out sizing them.
I also have dies that fit my bullets for the RCBS with out resizing,just lubing.I could never get the proper lube aplication on my bullets panlubing.
My bullets dont get deformed from the nose punch,if it rings the nose I just polish it with my dremmel tool till it fits,Or I run the bullet through the lube die nose first with a flat top punch.If you keep the lube off the punch it wont transfer to the base of the bullet.
Randy I did'nt get along with my Lyman neither,it's most likely a piece in the tin of a foreign can by now

Kurt

[Rich Siegel]

Kurt,

I shoot a '63 using a Christmas tree bullet and glue the paper cartridge onto the tail of the bullet. Thus, I can't use a lube sizer to lube bullets nor can I pan lube. I don't want any lube on the tail of the bullet where I glue the paper. I just make the entire cartridge, filled with powder and then just dip my bullet into molten lube just up to the base of the paper cartridge. If I don't fill the grease groves enough, I double dip the bullet. This leaves the entire bullet covered with lube but accuracy is good and I can shoot 15 rounds with ease.

Rich

[Todd Birch]

My method of pan lubing is a little different than some posted.....

After the lube is liquid in the flat bottom cake pan, I stand the 'as cast' bullets upright and set the pan aside to cool. This time of year just a few minutes outdoors is sufficient.
I found a chunk of copper pipe whose ID was just a couple of thou over the .515 bullet size and ground a punch-like bevel on one end after truing the ends and getting rid of the inside flash from the pipe cutter.

Using this as a 'cookie cutter', I start punching out the bullets. Eventually, the top bullet works its way out and gets set aside.

This eliminates a lot of handling and since I am breech seating the bullets with a starter, the coating of lube is generous and uniform. This is not something you would want to do if you were making up self contained cartridges.

Regarding bullet, someone oughta tell Steve Garbe's wife Sheryll about using SPG as a hand lotion. Country and western singer Shania Twain said she uses 'Bag Balm' as a hand lotion and the farm supply stores couldn't keep it on the shelves!

I've had ladies ask me for bear fat. They mix it with glycerin and rose water for a hand lotion.

Whatever it takes - looks good on 'em!

Watch yer front sight!

Todd

[Lead Pot]

Rich
I used the Christmas tree bullets also.A 475 grain and a heaver 535 grain.I still ran them through the Star.I dont use glue I use a silk sowing thread and tied the nitrate paper hull to the rebated base groove so I did'nt have to worry about the lube.
Rich that littel 475 gr bullet cast pure lead shot very good. I'm sorry I let that mould go with the rifle,but I still have the 535 gr mould.That bullet also is a good performer.

Kurt

[Harlan Sage]

I shoot a .54 cal pedersoli in the 74 model. I get the best accurracy just breech seating with a ball starter and dumping in the powder from a horn. I tried the paper cartridges, its a pain in the but with poor accuracy. I shot it a Quigley about 6 years ago and hit every target, made my day when I hit the buff. The bad part about was I had to stand up to load, I got my exercise though. I could have hit more if I had something better that a $29 rear sight. It's a hoot to shoot!

Harlan

[kamotz]

Hey Todd, I can attest to the bear fat being some slick !@#%. Last spring I "harvested" a black bear in Oxbow ,Maine. While quartering up the carcase I could barely keep a hold of anything without it popping out of my hands with a little squeeze.I was thinking the whole time I was trimming fat , Im probably throwing away some excellant lube ingredients. What ended up happening to it all was I gave it to a fellow hunter at the lodge who was big into muzzleloading . He says he sells it in little tins at rendesvious he attends.I bet those black powder mountain man type rendezvous would be a great place to pick up hard to get items like that in the future. Ill have to check one out one day.

[Rich Siegel]

Kurt,

I admire you for being able to tie on paper cartridges to the christmastree bullets. I'm not that coordinated.

I use a Rapine 475grain mold. Does the best I've found for my carbine with 50 grains of 2FG GOEX.

Rich

[Todd Birch]

Hi Harlan

Steve Garbe told me by email that he preferred to shoot 'paper' Sharps rifles by the same method - breech seating the bullet and pouring in loose powder.

This is an historically correct method used as a selling feature by the Sharps company way back when, the creation of cartridges in the field being deemed a little beyond the abilities of era soldiery.

Our draconian gun laws permit me to have a muzzle loader or a 'paper' Sharps in my possession or vehicle so long as it is not primed. I may or may not wish to do this at my discretion. If I use a slightly less than chamber length cartridge or powder tube, I can tap out the bullet and intact cartridge.

I received information today from the Canadian Firearms Centre to an email inquiry posted January 10/04 confirming that a 'paper' Sharps (among other such arms) is not deemed a 'prescribed antique' under the Firearms Act. The magic criterium is the date - 'pre-1898'; ammunition availability notwithstanding.

Funding this agency has cost an estimated $2 billion to date and $100 million annually to operate. Consider that we are a nation of less than 30 million people and you get a picture of the intent. At the same time, our much vaunted public helath care system is in a state of decline and disarray and criminal misuse of firearms is at record levels.

A rifle in an obsolete calibre (.43 Spanish, .577-450) is deemed 'prescribed antique' if made prior to 1898 despite the fact that you can buy pre-formed brass, dies and moulds from suppliers. This is no more difficult than creating ammo for a modern 'wildcat' calibre.
This applies to all muzzleloaders as well.

Our government has also recently deemed that firearms ownership is a "privilege" and not a God-given right. We spent 1,000 years getting away from the 'Divine Right of Kings' and in less than 50 years, we have returned this power to the office of our elected dictator.

Whatever you do, if you wish to continue enjoying your hobby/sport of shooting and hunting, oppose your government on these matters with full vigour. Otherwise your children and grandchildren will ask why you did not.

On a happier theme - has anyone experimented with muzzleloading a 'paper' Sharps with patched round ball? I have read that it was commonly done with Maynard and Smith carbines to save cartridges by troops familiar with muzzleloading arms.
It might be a way of shooting for those not inclined to cast, size and lube bullets or for those times you don't have any at hand.

Todd