Pan lube

[graybeard]

Looking at Bobs pan lube kit. Anyone use one. Is pan lube good or bad for long range black powder shooting. Thanks.

 

[fiver]

pan lubing is neither here nor there.[other than the time and mess]
it's the lube you use that matters.
the good thing about it is that all you need is a little pan and some lube,,,, and a way to get the bullets out.

 

[Rex]

I pan lube all of my .38 bullets. I don't use the above mentioned kit. I have an old tin skillet and begin by placing a number of bullets in the pan with a bit of spacing between them, melt my lube in a double boiler and pour in the pan to just cover the lube groove, let it cool and cut the bullets out with a homemade cake cutter. Next time I lube I just set bullets in the holes left in the pan of lube that I just cut the bullets out of and remelt the whole thing on an electric hotplate then shut the heat off and cool and do the whole process over again. When the lube level gets a little low, add a chunk of lube to the skillet on the next melt. Kinda crude but it has worked for me for several years. I should have pointed out that the bullets are stood up on their bases.

 

[graybeard]

Thanks for info

 

[L Ross]

I save some of those black plastic deli pans/trays for pan lubing. I stand my bullets, ( I only pan lube for bullets I shoot with black powder or my schuetzen bullets), in the pan with about 3/16ths space between them. I melt NASA lube in a double boiler, never over direct heat. I pour the melted lube into the pan and when I get to the last grease groove and it is almost full, I tap the edge of the pan with my finger, and the lube jumps into the groove. There is like a surface tension preventing the lube from filling the groove. If I added more melted lube it would suddenly flow over and past the last groove. When the lube cools to solid and room temperature, I push the bullets out of the cake backwards, with my finger tip, after gently dumping the cake out of the pan.

I only ladle cast with a single cavity mould for BP and schuetzen. I run a 1/25 alloy at 775 degrees, I rotate the mould from horizontal to vertical with a RCBS ladle full, and hold it for a 5 count. I leave a sprue the size of a quarter. Then I move the mould under the air flow from a manicurists fan, for an 8 count. I do not size either my BP bullets or my schuetzen bullets.

While I am perfectly happy to type these posts with a small snoot full of bourbon, I do not cast or pan lube that way. So if my post seems convoluted, well.....

 

[graybeard]

Thanks

 

[Ben]

" $ $ Lube - Size on a Budget $ $"

This article is about 15 yrs. old. The prices for things have gone up, but
the general idea of things is unchanged by time.

Thanks,
Ben
-----------------------------------------------------

I have 3 different lubri-sizers. I have a friend that is beginning to take a real interest in cast bullets for his 03' Springfield.

Unfortunately he wasn't in the position to order a $114 Lyman lubri-sizer from Midway. So I introduced him to the " old way " of doing things.

I use a lot of .30 cal. cast bullets that are sized .310 dia. Unfortunately Lee doesn't offer a .310 " Push Thru " sizing die for .30 cal. cast rifle bullets. So I ordered a .309 and opened it up to .310.

I bought a hot plate for $10, my wife was about to throw away a metal pan , so I grabbed that and said.." Hey, I need that ."

The Sizing die was $12.29 from Midway .

For someone on a limited budget , this is still a very effective way to size and lube .30 cal. cast rifle bullets ( and by using a " parent " case like a 35 Rem, for .35 cal. cast bullets, or a 444 Marlin Case for a .44 pistol bullet the system can easily be adapted to many other calibers other than .30 cal ) . Assuming you already have a .30 cal. mold, some bullet lube, and some gas checks, this equipment cost the sum total of $23.00.

Mis-alignment of the nose punch and the sizing die has ruined many hundreds of groups for me using Lube sizers like the Lyman 4500 until I really began to understand what a concentric bullet was. In my opinion , the nose 1st system of bullet sizing is " THE WAY " to size bullets concentrically .

Photos below.....

In order to lube .30 cal. cast bullets , you'll need a FIRED 30 / 30 case. The case should be a snug fit over your cast bullet that you've already sized to .310 " diameter.

Now, take a 16 penny nail and turn the head of the nail to about .295 dia. with a flat file and an electric drill so that the nail head fits in the neck of the fired 30-30 case. It should move freely in the neck of the case. Drill out the flash hole in the 30 / 30 cartridge case so that the 16 penny nail will slide freely through the hole. I then cut a piece of wooden dowel and fit it to the nail with a snug fit and a few drops of super glue. When the bullets sit in the molten lube , you cut the heat off, the lube will solidify. You need a way to get the bullets out of the solidified lube. This tool will accomplish that. This fired 30-30 case with the nail down the center makes me a " push rod " to eject the lubed bullet from the solidified lube.

The business end of the home made Kake cutter :

The $10 Elect. Hot Plate

The lube is melted in the metal pan and the bullets that have already been sized to .310 are placed in the pan of liquid lube . You don't want your bullet lube excessively hot. Get it molten only. Lube NOT smoking. If the bullets can sit in the hot lube for about 10 minutes before you cut the heat off, it greatly aids the bullet lube flowing into the lube grooves of the bullet.

Here is the finished product ready to load and shoot :

Here is what the bullets look like when they are removed from the cooled , solidified bullet lube with the " Kake Cutter " :

Next question is , will they shoot ? ?

I have a Custom Heavy Barrel , A & B, F-54 contour , stainless fluted , VZ 24 Mauser bench rifle chambered in .308 Win. that really likes the Lee 155 gr. , CE Harris bullet sized .310 , with 17.5 grs. of 2400 and a Fed 210 primer. The bullet is seated into the lands so that light engraving occurs upon chambering . This group was fired at 50 yards with the bullets that you see , 5 shots with a .22 rim fire case for size comparison purposes :

 

[JWFilips]

That is the article that got me started pan lubing with Ben's Red!

 

[graybeard]

Thanks for this.

 

[Ben]

Enjoy fellows !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!