bullet lube

Swampman1 · January 10, 2014, 10:28 AM

OK guys, just when I think I've covered all bases after doing a lot of reading...I find something that may have slipped by me. Before Christmas I bought a couple of Lee molds. One is the 356-120 TC. I cast my first 9mm bullets yesterday(photo below). I have the liquid Alox to tumble lube them with, but I'm hearing the term "tumble lube bullets" most commonly referring to multiband. Yet someone said these single band bullets can also be tumble lubed. Is there a reason why the multi band are more appropriate for tumble lubing than single band?

mehavey · January 10, 2014, 10:49 AM

Single-band/tumble works fine.
Multi-band may give you more grooves, but they are each smaller/retain less lube than the big single.
Not-to-worry....

Mike / Tx · January 10, 2014, 01:38 PM

I tumble both types and to be honest they both shot pretty darned well.

I DO however believe that you will have instances where the standard lube grove bullets will lead more towards the muzzle at less velocity than the TL ringed ones when only coated with Alox or similar. I just feel the tiny grooves DO hold a bit more of the Alox on them as it is simply more surface area which will contact the barrel.

I still dump what ever I am loading into a bag, along with a glob of 435/45/10 and then hit it all with the hair drier to warm up before tumbling.

That said, I usually use two coats and way too much anyway just in case I didn't have enough on the first coat.

Swampman1 · January 10, 2014, 02:15 PM

OK thanks guys. One more question, these bullets are dropping at .357-.358. While loading a few dummy rounds, I noticed one of them shaved off a little lead when seating the bullet. Now I have the usual flare that I've been using for jacketed bullets but should I flare the case a little more, or would it be advisable to resize these down to .356? Thanks.

Mike / Tx · January 10, 2014, 06:36 PM

For lead I usually give the case mouth just a touch more especially if they are flat based.

Some of the molds have a bit of round some have a lot more on the bases and these usually seat easier but don't necessarily shoot better, and sometimes even have a tendency to lead a bit more than normal.

Just to elaborate a bit more on the little extra, I try and use as little as possible and usually this amounts to just enough that I can feel it with my thumbnail or see it when held against a contrasting background. Nothing that is funnel shaped though.

Hope this makes sense.

m&p45acp10+1 · January 10, 2014, 07:20 PM

It will work just fine on the ones you have. I would suggest you put the bottle of lube in a cup of hot water for a few minutes to thin it. It will take less lube, and they will dry faster that way. (By hot I mean pull your finger out from under the tap hot tap water hot.) Or about 25 seconds or so in the nuke box (microwave).

Swampman1 · January 12, 2014, 01:10 PM

OK guys, this morning I loaded a handful of 9mm cartridges. I set them at 1.082 and they cycled through my XDm-9 beautifully. Went out to fire them, did some firing and rapid firing, and all went well. 5 of them I left at .357-.357.5 as dropped by my mold. Another 5 I sized down to .356. After firing I field stripped my gun and noticed small fibers of lead towards the end of the barrel. Read somewhere that when seen at the end of the barrel it signifies the bullets ran out of lube at the point? Any ideas? BTW these bullets are 1-1 WW and soft lead, and water dropped and tested a BHN 13.5.

mehavey · January 12, 2014, 08:05 PM

If the gun shot well, don't worry about it.
Tiny free "strips" of lead are not unusual, and are shot out shot-to-shot.
It's when lead gets literally "soldered-in" that things erode and bullet bail for the hinterlands.

bedbugbilly · January 12, 2014, 09:37 PM

I'm using the same bullet. I throw a couple of handfuls in a tupperware bowl - heat them up good with a hairdryer - add a small "gob" of paste wax and heat until it melts (Johnsons, Minwax, etc.) and swirl them around - heat with the hair dryer a little more and then drip in a small about of Alox and swirl good. I don't "overdo" the Alox - I then put them on wax paper - stand them on their bases and let them dry overnight. I'm shooting them in a SR9 over 3.5 gr. of Bullseye - gun functions perfect with them and no leading. I use the same method of lubing on all of my 38 spl. as well - WC, SWC, RN.

My mold is throwing this bullet at about .358. To keep things consistent - I tumble lube them (as above) in paste wax and then size to .357 in a Lee push through sizer - then lube with the paste wax/alox mix.

Since this bullet drops at about .358 - I also am using it in my 38 specials - works great. I seat to the top of the lube groove and put a slight roll crimp on it. I have a number of 38/357 revolvers - different barrel lengths. I'm still playing with loads for this bullet in the 38 but right now, it looks like 3.4 gr. of Bullseye seems to be the sweet spot for my S & W pre 10 - 5".

Swampman1 · January 12, 2014, 10:03 PM

Thanks for the input guys, although I stated my mold was dropping at .357+, the majority of what I've seen since, is closer to .358. I haven't crimped any of these, and I probably won't unless I see the need. The XDm-9 seems to like both the .356 and .358s equally so far.

Mike / Tx · January 14, 2014, 07:17 PM

On the leading, if you look down the barrel and it looks like this one you need to change something up. This was after only 4 shots,

This one on the other hand has over a hundred rounds through it and still looks pretty good,

If yours look like this or even less I wouldn't worry about it until your accuracy starts to fade.

Swampman1 · January 14, 2014, 07:27 PM

Thanks for posting the pics Mike. After firing 27 rounds this afternoon, it looked more like the botton pic. I bring my little piece of Chore-Boy copper and it cleans whatever is there in short order.

That bottom pic of yours sure looks good after 100 rounds. Very nice.

Mike / Tx · January 15, 2014, 04:42 AM

These are both Redhawks, the top being my 41mag and the lower being my 45 Colt.

The loads for the Colt are all in the 1K fps range using alloy in the 9.5 to around 12 range. I personally have never fired a jacketed round through it. I picked it up as used, but to be honest if it was ever fired there was no sign of it what so ever.

The 41 usually looks the same, however I was hot to try some of a new blend of alloy out in it and figured it might do that but had to try it anyway. I was right.

That alloy was in the 10 BHN range, and it simply didn't like the load of AA-9 I touched off below it at all. I can bump the BHN up to around 12 everything else being the same and they shoot wonderfully and leave not much more than powder residue. I might have to send a few up to Beagle for a paint job and see how they work then.

Swampman1 · January 15, 2014, 12:46 PM

On the topic of bullet lube, do you guys cast and store your boolets "naked" until you're ready to load...then lube them? Or is it OK to store them already lubed?

Chaz88 · January 15, 2014, 09:02 PM

I do both. Keep some lubed so they are ready when I need them then replace that stock from my store of un-lubed.

PawPaw · January 16, 2014, 07:33 PM

I generally lube my bullets, then store them. It takes the tumble lube a day to properly dry, so after they've dried overnight, I store them. Then when I'm ready to load, I'm ready to go. Sometimes I'll keep bullets naked, but generally I lube them when they've cooled a bit after the casting session.

Mike / Tx · January 17, 2014, 05:59 PM

Quote:

do you guys cast and store your boolets "naked" until you're ready to load...then lube them? Or is it OK to store them already lubed?

For me it depends on which ones it is. For my 45cal 200gr SWC's that I shoot quite a bit of I size lube and store in a plastic bucket with a snap on lid.

Most of the rest I size and lube when I am getting ready to load a batch up.

I just have found that with the ones I don't shoot quite as many of this works out the best for me.

January 10, 2014, 01:38 PM	#3
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	I tumble both types and to be honest they both shot pretty darned well. I DO however believe that you will have instances where the standard lube grove bullets will lead more towards the muzzle at less velocity than the TL ringed ones when only coated with Alox or similar. I just feel the tiny grooves DO hold a bit more of the Alox on them as it is simply more surface area which will contact the barrel. I still dump what ever I am loading into a bag, along with a glob of 435/45/10 and then hit it all with the hair drier to warm up before tumbling. That said, I usually use two coats and way too much anyway just in case I didn't have enough on the first coat. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

January 10, 2014, 06:36 PM	#5
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	For lead I usually give the case mouth just a touch more especially if they are flat based. Some of the molds have a bit of round some have a lot more on the bases and these usually seat easier but don't necessarily shoot better, and sometimes even have a tendency to lead a bit more than normal. Just to elaborate a bit more on the little extra, I try and use as little as possible and usually this amounts to just enough that I can feel it with my thumbnail or see it when held against a contrasting background. Nothing that is funnel shaped though. Hope this makes sense. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

January 10, 2014, 07:20 PM	#6
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	It will work just fine on the ones you have. I would suggest you put the bottle of lube in a cup of hot water for a few minutes to thin it. It will take less lube, and they will dry faster that way. (By hot I mean pull your finger out from under the tap hot tap water hot.) Or about 25 seconds or so in the nuke box (microwave). __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 12, 2014, 01:10 PM	#7
Swampman1 Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2013 Location: South Louisiana Posts: 432	update OK guys, this morning I loaded a handful of 9mm cartridges. I set them at 1.082 and they cycled through my XDm-9 beautifully. Went out to fire them, did some firing and rapid firing, and all went well. 5 of them I left at .357-.357.5 as dropped by my mold. Another 5 I sized down to .356. After firing I field stripped my gun and noticed small fibers of lead towards the end of the barrel. Read somewhere that when seen at the end of the barrel it signifies the bullets ran out of lube at the point? Any ideas? BTW these bullets are 1-1 WW and soft lead, and water dropped and tested a BHN 13.5.

January 12, 2014, 09:37 PM	#9
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	I'm using the same bullet. I throw a couple of handfuls in a tupperware bowl - heat them up good with a hairdryer - add a small "gob" of paste wax and heat until it melts (Johnsons, Minwax, etc.) and swirl them around - heat with the hair dryer a little more and then drip in a small about of Alox and swirl good. I don't "overdo" the Alox - I then put them on wax paper - stand them on their bases and let them dry overnight. I'm shooting them in a SR9 over 3.5 gr. of Bullseye - gun functions perfect with them and no leading. I use the same method of lubing on all of my 38 spl. as well - WC, SWC, RN. My mold is throwing this bullet at about .358. To keep things consistent - I tumble lube them (as above) in paste wax and then size to .357 in a Lee push through sizer - then lube with the paste wax/alox mix. Since this bullet drops at about .358 - I also am using it in my 38 specials - works great. I seat to the top of the lube groove and put a slight roll crimp on it. I have a number of 38/357 revolvers - different barrel lengths. I'm still playing with loads for this bullet in the 38 but right now, it looks like 3.4 gr. of Bullseye seems to be the sweet spot for my S & W pre 10 - 5". __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

January 10, 2014, 10:49 AM	#2
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,894	Single-band/tumble works fine. Multi-band may give you more grooves, but they are each smaller/retain less lube than the big single. Not-to-worry....

January 10, 2014, 02:15 PM	#4
Swampman1 Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2013 Location: South Louisiana Posts: 432	OK thanks guys. One more question, these bullets are dropping at .357-.358. While loading a few dummy rounds, I noticed one of them shaved off a little lead when seating the bullet. Now I have the usual flare that I've been using for jacketed bullets but should I flare the case a little more, or would it be advisable to resize these down to .356? Thanks.

January 12, 2014, 08:05 PM	#8
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,894	If the gun shot well, don't worry about it. Tiny free "strips" of lead are not unusual, and are shot out shot-to-shot. It's when lead gets literally "soldered-in" that things erode and bullet bail for the hinterlands.

January 12, 2014, 10:03 PM	#10
Swampman1 Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2013 Location: South Louisiana Posts: 432	Thanks for the input guys, although I stated my mold was dropping at .357+, the majority of what I've seen since, is closer to .358. I haven't crimped any of these, and I probably won't unless I see the need. The XDm-9 seems to like both the .356 and .358s equally so far. Last edited by Swampman1; January 12, 2014 at 10:09 PM.

January 14, 2014, 07:17 PM	#11
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	On the leading, if you look down the barrel and it looks like this one you need to change something up. This was after only 4 shots, This one on the other hand has over a hundred rounds through it and still looks pretty good, If yours look like this or even less I wouldn't worry about it until your accuracy starts to fade. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

January 14, 2014, 07:27 PM	#12
Swampman1 Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2013 Location: South Louisiana Posts: 432	Thanks for posting the pics Mike. After firing 27 rounds this afternoon, it looked more like the botton pic. I bring my little piece of Chore-Boy copper and it cleans whatever is there in short order. That bottom pic of yours sure looks good after 100 rounds. Very nice.

January 15, 2014, 04:42 AM	#13
Mike / Tx Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2000 Posts: 2,101	These are both Redhawks, the top being my 41mag and the lower being my 45 Colt. The loads for the Colt are all in the 1K fps range using alloy in the 9.5 to around 12 range. I personally have never fired a jacketed round through it. I picked it up as used, but to be honest if it was ever fired there was no sign of it what so ever. The 41 usually looks the same, however I was hot to try some of a new blend of alloy out in it and figured it might do that but had to try it anyway. I was right. That alloy was in the 10 BHN range, and it simply didn't like the load of AA-9 I touched off below it at all. I can bump the BHN up to around 12 everything else being the same and they shoot wonderfully and leave not much more than powder residue. I might have to send a few up to Beagle for a paint job and see how they work then. __________________ LAter, Mike / TX

January 15, 2014, 12:46 PM	#14
Swampman1 Senior Member Join Date: February 17, 2013 Location: South Louisiana Posts: 432	On the topic of bullet lube, do you guys cast and store your boolets "naked" until you're ready to load...then lube them? Or is it OK to store them already lubed?

January 15, 2014, 09:02 PM	#15
Chaz88 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2010 Posts: 1,243	I do both. Keep some lubed so they are ready when I need them then replace that stock from my store of un-lubed. __________________ Seams like once we the people give what, at the time, seams like a reasonable inch and "they" take the unreasonable mile we can only get that mile back one inch at a time. No spelun and grammar is not my specialty. So please don't hurt my sensitive little feelings by teasing me about it.

January 16, 2014, 07:33 PM	#16
PawPaw Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2010 Location: Central Louisiana Posts: 3,137	I generally lube my bullets, then store them. It takes the tumble lube a day to properly dry, so after they've dried overnight, I store them. Then when I'm ready to load, I'm ready to go. Sometimes I'll keep bullets naked, but generally I lube them when they've cooled a bit after the casting session. __________________ Dennis Dezendorf http://pawpawshouse.blogspot.com