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Lee REAL bullet lube issue

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No need if you have a Harbor Freight near by They sell (CHEAP) hole punch sets $15 .00 enough punches to cover 3/8 to 1 inch every caliber you have and Dura Felt ships/Ed

Harbor freight is a US company! We don't have it in Canada. Looked at Amazon but punches were pricey. Going to turn one on the lathe.

Got one for my .54 off Amazon for $11.... General brand, Hollow Steel Punch.
 
Doesn't anybody use Lee liquid alox but me? It goes hand in hand with REAL bullets. It's so easy to use it's unbelievable!😳
I have experimented with Lee Liquid Alox, trying a multiple number of coatings to find what was best in a muzzleloader. Have to say it was easy to apply to the bullets, but it just didn’t work that well for me with the Lee Minie for example as the Mutton Tallow, Paraffin and Beeswax mix I previous mentioned. More difficult to load and lost some accuracy, though I did not try it with REAL bullets. Could be something there with the REAL and Alox….
 
Does alox cause hard fouling like petroleum? I have been afraid to use it without knowing much about it.
 
I use Lee Alox for smokeless lube but never tried it for BP. I have made good lube using a toilet wax ring and adding paraffin wax to stiffen it up. If its hot outside use more paraffin. If colder use less. I have never had this foul my powder. This was the lube I was using when I killed my first elk using a Lee Improved Minnie in 54 caliber. I had the base filled with lube. I started early in morning and killed my elk about an hour before dark. I used 90grs of 2F real BP.
 
Years ago (1970's) when I was playin with that stuff, I tried all of em that were on the market at the time (there were 3). I just couldn't get the tack drivin performance I wanted out of my Hawken rifle. I played with different loads, patches, mixin different amounts of time into my balls 😳😁, and anything else I could dream up or buy
Finally, I tried the purest lead I could brew up cast at .490, a .10 linen patch, exactly 90 grains of FFg powder, and for my lube I used ½ cup pure beeswax + ½ cup well strained and filtered buffo suet (only kidney fat is pure enough) + 2 drops of Dawn® dishwashing soap. While it was still very liquid, I put a stack of patches in an old percussion cap tin and poured in the mixture on the patches. The rifle became a tack driver, consistently< cutting out the bullseye in a 100 yard target off a bench. I also took the little wood "apostle* I carried 9 patched balls in holes cut through it. I drenched the apostle in the mixture so my lube wouldn't soak into the wood while I was carrying the balls in it. A stack of the patches also went into the cap box on my rifle butt and fit great. The mixture stayed oily but firm, so I could peel off a patch and scoot a ball down the bore quicker'n scat. The Dawn made the bore easier to clean in the field 7 and at home. Later on, I bought a flintlock Tennessee Mountain Rifle. Tried the. Mix in this much slower twist and it shot just as accurate. Just sayin...
 
Canadian Tire (awesome store) sells gasket punch sets cheap, Try any hobby shop or leather shop for the wool
 
I don't actually lube the REAL bullets unless I am using them in a QuickShot. I put a bead of T/C Bore Butter around the muzzle and just push the bullet down the bore. This prelubes the bore and scrapes the remaining lube into the lower grooves, but seldom causes any issues even in warm weather. I think the suggestions about cards and wool patches over the powder are good ideas as well though. I seldom leave my guns loaded for any length or time, so may have not experienced what others have.
 

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