which order for cast bullets?

[Auss1e]

Ok so i cast but i need to lube prior to sizing in my LEE sizer, which then means they are covered in Alox so i cant oven harden. But if i heat treat in the oven and then size they say sizing will reduce hardness?? So which step comes when?

[reloader28]

I am no expert and others will come with better opinions than mine, but I run mine thru the lube sizer dry, then heat treat, then run back thru and lube.

I've had no problems doing this, so its the way I do it IF I heat treat, which I seldom do. I dont see a problem dry sizing as the size die is much harder than the lead. If it starts screwing up the boolit, then try something else.

[snuffy]

Auss1e, some use a solution of dish soap and water, about 50-50% to lube while sizing. Then a rinse in plain water to remove the soap. Others use case lube on the bullet to ease it's passage through the sizer. Sizing bare is not a good idea. The sizer will lead up just like a gun barrel.

As far as surface softening of a heat treated bullet, I don't know if, or how much softening occurs.

[chris in va]

Auss1e, some use a solution of dish soap and water, about 50-50% to lube while sizing

I'm gonna have to try that...right now I'm using liquid ALOX to size, but when I reapply afterward it ends up with too much on the boolit nose and gums up my feeding cycle.

[noylj]

Why size? A bullet 0.002" larger will shoot just fine. All I do is tumble them. Never saw a need to harden except for magnums.

[GP100man]

As long as a lead bullet will chamber , shoot it !

I have a bullet for 7.62 that`s 314 , I lube & size 314 then size it with a 310 ,it springs back to 312 & my Rem 700 loves it !!!!!

The Rem won`t chamber a 314 tried but too tite !!!:cool:

[Rusty W]

I water drop .30cal bullets straight out of the mold into a pan/bucket of water. Size within a couple hours of casting with a Lee sizer while they're still wet. Pistol bullets I use straight wheelweights, no treatment just air cooled. A couple Lee molds drop at .360 for a 38spl bullet I use. I load a few and make sure they'll chamber, if they do I load the batch and shoot. No problems so far using the same style bullet for 9mm & 38/357.

[noylj]

Don't know why the unlubricated bullet should lead up the Lee cast bullet sizing die? My Lubrisizer dies never leaded up. Also, I would think that lubing before sizing would be more likely to "squeeze" the lube into the bullet surface than wipe the lube off. Also, you need so little Alox that I can't see there being a need to add more.
As anyone experimented with NOT following the Lee instructions and see what happens? I figure Lee knows what they are doing, but maybe they are trying to sell more LLA?

I tumble lube some of my lead bullets (see my topic on results of liquid bullet lubricants on swaged and cast/lubed bullets) and need just a hint of yellow (or whatever color the LLA is--I'm color blind, sorry) on the bullets. I have never had too little on the bullet. What I would love is some way (like for fingerprinting) to have a very thin film of ALOX on glass and just roll the bullet over the surface. Maybe add a little mineral spirits as the LLA "dries" up. There really should be some way to apply LLA without wasting a bunch or having to apply it over the whole bullet.