Harder lube at lower velocity? Xlox?

[SeabeeMan]

I've been soaking up info on here for weeks getting ready to pull the trigger on moving beyond casting tumble lube 9mm bullets. I now have some 30cal molds (311413 & C309-130) and a 109gr Lee 6 cavity 9mm. I have a lyman 450 and would like to know have to buy another one for a while.

Is there any problem with running the harder lube for the 30's in my 9mm 109gr's? I'm looking at carnuba red or 2500+ from white label or Jake's moly or purple. I'm not quite ready to start making my own lube, although I just found out a good friend of my wife's keeps bees and is tired of storing beeswax . I'll be picking up another 450 or RCBS if a deal comes my way, but not at this point.

Also, is white label Xlox interchangeable with Lee LLA in lube recipes?

[RobS]

The two tumble lubes you refered are very similar in regards to their application. As to stick lubes, I would go with White Label's Carnauba Red or their 2500+ if you are after the harder lubes. Jakes lubes are very hard, require heat to apply and for me did not performed as well as the White Label lubes. I personally prefer the softer lubes and use my own brew now-a-days for higher pressure rounds such as the 454 Casull and upper end loads in my 375 H&H. The softer lube also works well and flows from the lube grooves better with lower pressure applications i.e. 45 auto 38 special etc.

[SeabeeMan]

I have a heater/mounting plate made from a 3/8x6x12" piece of aluminum and an iron...simple and controllable...so heat isn't a problem, but I like the idea of CR and 2500+ being a bit softer for use in my 9mm while still handing 30cal velocities. I know the 311413 can't handle much above 1500fps, but I'm planning on getting at least one higher speed mold at some point.

[RobS]

NRA 50/50 will work on up to 2000 fps or more depending on bore conditions, boolit, powder selection etc. BAC is a step up from 50/50 with it being a mix of the 50/50 and CR (it is tacky/sticky similar to 50/50). I used CR for a while and the only problems I had was in the coldest of winter shooting at longer ranges. I found lube out on my targets at 100 yards which was an issue regarding accuracy. The same loads shooting MOA or less groupings during the summer was more of a pattern in my 375 H&H loads in the cold. I even had issues with the revolver loads when shooting out at 50 yards. All this off course was when it was 10 to 15 degrees below freezing out.

[Dannix]

I used CR for a while and the only problems I had was in the coldest of winter shooting at longer ranges. I found lube out on my targets at 100 yards which was an issue regarding accuracy. The same loads shooting MOA or less groupings during the summer was more of a pattern in my 375 H&H loads in the cold. I even had issues with the revolver loads when shooting out at 50 yards. All this off course was when it was 10 to 15 degrees below freezing out.

Thanks for posting that Rob. Any tips on what would be appropriate to add to make stock CR a more cold friendly? Would simply going half beeswax, half CR do the trick?

[RobS]

Thanks for posting that Rob. Any tips on what would be appropriate to add to make stock CR a more cold friendly? Would simply going half beeswax, half CR do the trick?

Half beeswax and half CR would create pretty stiff lube and would be worse in the cold I would think. If you ment 50-50 NRA and CR then I believe that is pretty much White Label's BAC lube. Mixing White Labels 50-50 and CR in different ratios would provide a person some flexibility to their own specific boolit lube needs though. As an example, maybe more 50-50 in the winter for better lube flow than in the summer months.

[Dannix]

Thanks Rob! I'm giving TAC lube ago as a summer lube. (It's similar to CR). I may pickup some Xlox to add to it for winter purposes, or JPW ... or both.

Thanks again