Rimfire Bullet 'Lube'

[jbmarshtx]

Does all the ammo from a given manufacture use the same lube?

If I am shooting Eley Force or Match or Team or Club is it the same lube?

How about less espenive brands like CCI standard vs high velocity?

[Panhandle]

The simplest answer is no, maybe and sometimes. That sounds like a horrible answer but a person would need to be a dedicated student of rimfire ammo to have a very detailed answer. For the most part you will have a solid idea of lube type by visiting the manufacturers web page. Eley has several lube types and they are somewhat grouped into ammo families or market audience. Lapua has a fairly consistent lube type they apply except there biathlon line is different.

I kind of stopped worrying about lube. If ammo X shoots good it shoots good. If I’m switching to ammo Y for testing I’ll pull a few patches through the bore and shot 5 rounds of the Y to get its lube into the bore before worrying to much about group size or changing zeros. I know we can get way more serious than that but I found other thinks to worry about. That said I’m not likely and switch a different ammo with different lube during a match because it can and does matter some and frankly if you only think it matters then it matters. Like all things rimfire the degree it matters is dependent on your barrel, the weather, moon phase and maybe your breakfast that morning. There is meant to be a little humor in that explanation.

[Emmett Dibble]

Generally speaking, Eley uses tallow and wax, Lapua/SK uses God knows what slimey stuff that works, CCI is a wax and Norma/RWS is a wax like substance.

If you are staying in the same manufactures family, I wouldn’t worry. If switching, pull a bore snake/ shove a patch or 2 and go to town. “Most” barrels will spread the lube in 5 to 10 shots… (custom or Anschutz barrels)

as with anything rimfire, YMMV…