Lubing Bullets

[rsterne]

I would like to see a sticky in this section for successful lube systems for bullets and pellets.... I know KnifeMaker has one for bullets, and I am going to ask Motorhead to post his, which he uses for pellets when necessary....

Bob

[Ironman482]

Watching, I  have no experience so can't add any thing to the subject

[triggertreat]

Regardless of lubes used or lubing techniques used,  too much lube will work against you.  A very thin layer is plenty.  I prefer a clean barrel to start out with when deciding to lube.  Wet lubes will mix with lead dust and turn the two into mush.

[Back_Roads]

 I just use non detergent 30 wt motor oil, dampen a pellet tin sponge and add pellets, it's just enough to give a thin film of lubricant. Been using this for many years.

[Sbak]

5wt silicon oil has been the best thing I have found for bullets. I use it for lubing the bullets when sizing as well

[Motorhead]

I'm re-posting this because Bob has asked for the info to give content to the library of lubrication possibilities.  Many air rifles shoot just fine with pellets as they come from tin, where some guns / barrels with some pellets do better when lubricated.  This information & application of it may or may not work for your application, so personal results are going to differ user to user.

As post #2 above states ... EXCESS lube ( when used ) leads to GUNK composed of lead dust & excess lubricant  ... NOT GOOD !  But when a pellet or perhaps a bullet is lubricated ... LESS is MORE and these are procedures i have used to archive a film of lubrication without actually shooting a lube wet pellet.
 

  This based upon the use of Natpha / Coleman Camp fuel or Equivalent ...  being a SOLVENT
* DONE OUTSIDE with Prevention to IGNITION !!! ... Very flammable.
First washed & agitated in straight solvent over a screen so chaff can pass threw followed with @ 8:1 - 16:1 ratio mix of synthetic 2 stroke oil & naptha ( Experiment with ratio ) rinsed again using a screen so fluid can drain off and then dried on paper towels.
left is a very thin film of oil on pellets absent of pooling or pronounced wetness.

Not all barrels / guns will want or need oil lubrication .... those that do the above procedure has worked quite successfully.

Another is the use of WAX based lubricants where a very popular one has been bicycle chain lube specifically "Finish Line" brand  "KRYTEK" which is a suspended wax in a high evaporation liquid carrier.
It's application is FAR DIFFERENT than the oils EVEN THO BOTH are evaporation based methods.

*Wax chain lubes when used for airgun pellet lubrication also are based on the methodology that LESS is MORE and differ from oils being best applied as a trace lubrication without really wetting the pellet.
This is done ( How i do it ) usinga large JSB pellet tin and one clean foam pad.  8-10 drops of well shaken wax chain lube on the pad ( Can smear with finger or not ) and then placing 100 or so pellet into the tin, put on a lad and swirl them around for 10-20 seconds so the contact transfer the wet wax on pad to the outer surfaces. Dump out onto a clean surface and let the carrier evaporate.  Repeat and replace a few drop of wax lube as needed. DO NOT over apply the wax and have pellets feeling slimy of wet looking ... less is more !!

[KnifeMaker]

For slugs, I use 10 wt silicone RC Shock Oil as taught by my bullet casting and shooting mentor Roach Creek, (Lani52) who was the first to really set long range records for bullet shooters. Easily found on the bay and amazon.


  For pellets, and only if the barrel needs it with testing, FP-10 has worked well for me.


I have no local place to buy the chain wax lube, but would like to try it.

[Kinetic45^]

I don't shoot pellets much at all anymore but I used to use a mix of ethanol (because I had drums of race fuel) and a mix of synthetic 2Cycle oil @ 1:30 to wash and lube my pellets.  The solvent evaporates and leaves just a trace of lube.  I started using this back when I read this thread https://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=103225.0 and it tested and worked very well

Now I shoot 99% big bore and HAVE to lube differently, the above method just does not hold up for many shots
I have tested just about everything* and yes, the 10wt synthetic shock oil works great at the shooting bench but is too messy for hunting (picking up grit, etc) and so have found the Krytech Finish Line chain wax lubes OK there (VERY expensive and does not go a long way on .357/.457 bullets) {alternate: 'White Lightning' bicycle chain lube}.

*Some other things tested:
Johnson paste wax
Pledge
Lee Liquid Alox
Rooster Jacket
Slick 50
Breakfree CLP
Spray Moly [ BAD accuracy because of high ES and it took a lot of shots to get the barrel(s) shooting well after a cleaning ]
Spray Graphite [ very poor, seemed to foul as bad as plain bullets ]
Spray Teflon
Napier (is this really just more expensive chain wax?)
FP-10
Imperial sizing wax [ nope ]
Lyman Quick Slick case lube [ nope ]
ATF
Mobil 1 0w20
Whiscombe Honey (DIY mix 2/1: STP Oil Treatment and a light oil like Hoppes #9)
Ballistol
CorrosionX
Kroil

and: Powder coating but accuracy was terrible

I may have left some out I have tested so many

Right now I have been testing a VERY diluted hence light film of Hi-Tek polymer coating ( doing two coats but there is not much color, but I don't care about that, just results) but it seems to give OK big bore accuracy and good results on the bore fouling.  But this is for HUNTING out in the field so I am not handling messy bullets so if the accuracy is a few percent less than target it may be acceptable. So far it's testing quite well (note the recommended application did NOT do well as it is just too thick)

[KnifeMaker]

Carl, are you following the recommendations of re sizing after applying the hi tek?


I've been interested in it. It's just that I shoot 2-330 bullets a day. so it would have to be darned good for all the trouble.   


How did the white lightning do?


Mike

[BackStop]

I don't shoot long range (only have pellets now), but I am in the camp of less is more.  Silicone lube, one drop in a tin of 500, 2 drops in a brown box of 1250.
I usually don't lube at all, but when I do, I use a plastic bag with the above "formula" and gently work the lube into the pellets.
Have I noticed a difference if I do or don't lube?  Not really.
However, I am a novice and still learning.  All I can do is post my experience, however limited that may be.

[KnifeMaker]

Carl, are you following the recommendations of re sizing after applying the hi tek?


I've been interested in it. It's just that I shoot 2-300 bullets a day, so it would have to be darned good for all the trouble.   


How did the white lightning do?


Mike

[rkr]

Carl, are you following the recommendations of re sizing after applying the hi tek?


I've been interested in it. It's just that I shoot 2-300 bullets a day, so it would have to be darned good for all the trouble.   


How did the white lightning do?


Mike

White lightning tends to give me headache. Vodka made from neutral 95.6% stuff is much better

[Kinetic45^]

Sorry for the delay, life is interfering with the AG addiction.😁

Yes, I am sizing AFTER coating.

I would not recommend using coating for the high volume bench shooter, it's a lot of added work that, to me does not have that good a cost benefit to regular lubed bullets.  Again, I'm testing to see if it will be effective to reduce accuracy reducing fouling WITHOUT the mess away from the shooting range.

I'm testing now with a mix ratio of 10mg of Hi-Tek2 powder to 65ml of acetone.
And I have found that letting it dry long enough is an important factor in getting a good coat. Then only starting the 'cure time clock' AFTER the bullets have reached temperature which is where I think most experimenters have messed up and reported failure.

I am also not heating / curing the bullets just laying on a tray or screen... To prevent a thick spot on the underside of the bullet or where two bullets touch each other I set each bullet nose down in the holes so the base and sides that will get sized touch nothing and get an even cure. This means small, labor intensive batches!

Regular CF shooters are trying to get a thick coat to resist all the forces, many of which we do not have and so the two thin coats are showing VERY good promise in the accuracy and little to no fouling in .357 @ 940+ FPS (using the NOE 358-152-HP) with over 400 fired, no cleaning.
Previous thicker coats had no fouling BUT had reduced accuracy so were classified as 'fail'

Note that in your higher velocity .257 I think it would do as well but none of my rifles are going to be getting your velocities (mine are all .357 and .457 and even my Dyotat100 modified Texan .457 using the medium weight bullets I use {250 to 350 is my preferred weight range} at 3500 PSI gets over 960) so you might have to do that testing yourself.
It's not that expensive, I had a good oven and the powder cost is around $12 for a small jar that will treat thousands of bullets and I bought the acetone at Ace Hardware in the paint department for around $18 gallon ... try it and see if it works for you

Note: Doug landed in Utah this morning for the match with his latest valves (AMAZING where he's taken it!!!! Metal art meets physics) wishing him good shooting

Oh, the White Lightning lube is exactly the same as the Krytech, interchangable average group size in the comparison tests.

[Loren]

I powder coated a batch of .257 for the Texan.  I had equal groups before and after.  I had some fouling after the bare lead bullets.  I had no fouling with the powder coated bullets for what it's worth.

[K.O.]

Right now with the .22 BBT 30g... out of a Gamo Urban, BSA Buccaneer and Hatsan AT 44 long using Trident divers silicone on a JSB foam in the tin... really made a difference in accuracy...

[Motorhead]

Right now with the .22 BBT 30g... out of a Gamo Urban, BSA Buccaneer and Hatsan AT 44 long using Trident divers silicone on a JSB foam in the tin... really made a difference in accuracy...

This is NOT an argument, just a shared observation & thought

That really is odd being it is acknowledged SILICONE is a really poor lubricant outside of o-rings and such.

[K.O.]

Way I figure it is at 25-30-60 fpe not much lubrication is needed...  Heck Roachcreek and Knife are sold on 10w silicone rc shock oil...at higher fpe... had some on hand so decided to try it... it worked..

I figure on trying a Beeswax/lard/lanolin mix at some time just for the fun of it..

[KnifeMaker]

Ric, your crack'n me up.
Make mine a frozen margarita with some good strong Tequila. 

[K.O.]

eh lightweights I need to show up with a bottle of Loch Dhu Scotch and then a gallon of east TX dry county lube... at a used ta be members only place called SNOOPY"S.. east Texan to the Redbone roots..



My Kids met a Riku in about 2002 or so... was rejected by the key blade so Sora became the Wielder.. in  Kingdom Hearts..