| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 08/08/13 10:12 AM |
|
Grease Cookies Made Easy
|
So I am now getting into shooting my Black Powder Express rifles with real black powder - I know, go figure...
I had used Shockey's Gold substitute in my 500/450 No. Express and No.2 cases which worked OK and required no lube at all.
All seemed to work just fine, but my heartstrings kept getting tugged in the direction of using genuine black and I do have a couple of muzzle loaders in the safe.
So I have been reading about the use of grease cookies in loading BPE cartridges.
I have no experience in this so I went with the basics as far as the composition of the lube - 60% bees wax and 40% petroleum jelly roughly measured out by volume.
The end result feels pretty good - not too soft or hard and could always be adjusted if needed.
Now, to the method of making the cookies themselves.
Being a lazy man, I was looking for the easiest way to make these things in reasonable quantities.
Here is what I came up with but surely I wouldn't be surprised that my self satisfaction is unjustified and that this is the widely accepted method.
The lube in a cake pan.
Cutting the cookies with an unprimed 500NE case.
Now, to get them out... Ah, air pressure!
Here they come!
And the final product.
My pan isn't as flat on the bottom as I would like, so my cookiies vary some in thickness, but you get the idea.
No compressor? No problem!
5cc syringe with the end cut off. Not as nice, but works for .50cal cookies.
3cc syringe makes .340" cookies and the 5cc syringe makes .470" cookies.
Probably easier to use the empty cases which are the same diameter as that which you are loading for.
I am using the 500NE case to cut the cookies for my 577/500 and a 45-70 case to cut them for the 450BPE and 500/450 cases.
| aromakr |
| (.375 member) |
| 10/08/13 04:38 AM |
|
Re: Grease Cookies Made Easy
|
Try melting your lube in a pan of water, then the cookies will be even thickness. The lube will just float on the water, when cool tip the container and out will come a even thickness of lube.
Bob
| DarylS |
| (.700 member) |
| 10/08/13 02:10 PM |
|
|
Re: Grease Cookies Made Easy
|
Yes- Dan mentioned that one to us on another forum. Works well. Thanks aromakr.
Good mix, Huvius - it works for me as well as anything store bought. It also works well as bullet lube in muzzleloaders - if you must use bullets.
I was able to shoot 10 200gr. Lee R.E.A.L. bullets in my .45 longrifle with .012" rifling using 60gr. of powder, then go back to using a .445" ball and .022" (10 ounce denim) patch without difficulty loading - no wiping necessary.
| aromakr |
| (.375 member) |
| 11/08/13 09:44 AM |
|
Re: Grease Cookies Made Easy
|
If you will lay that slab of lub on a sheet of wax paper you can punch right through the paper. That will also give you a wax paper cookie that can sit on the card wad. Unless you use waxed milk cartons for the card wad, then the wax paper is unnecessary.
Bob
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 12/08/13 01:38 AM |
|
|
|
Re: Grease Cookies Made Easy
|
I melted the lube in another pan and poured it into the cake pan which seemed to be petty flat on the bottom just ended up not being as uniform as I thought.
These I am using in my 577-500 so I wanted a pretty thick cookie.
I am cutting my over powder wads from thick card stock. It isn't waxed though, is that important?
What about a card between the cookie and the bullet?
Is it only important with paper patched bullets?
| aromakr |
| (.375 member) |
| 12/08/13 04:43 AM |
|
Re: Grease Cookies Made Easy
|
A waxed card will help keep the lube from getting into the powder (a milk carton works very well) and if your not using paper patched bullets I see no need for a wad between the bullet and the lube.
Bob