Lube and sizing question for cast bullets

[wilit]

I'm going to be ordering my casting stuff in the next week or two and in the meantime I've been trying to learn as much as I can from youtube vids. I've ordered the Lyman casting book, but apparently it's on the slow boat from China, so I haven't got a chance to read it yet.

I'm most likely going to go with a Lee sizing setup. On the youtube vids I've watched, everyone tumble lubes, then sizes.

My questions are:

1. What is the purpose of lubing the bullet? (My understanding is to help prevent leading the barrel)
2. Why lube then size? Sizing seems to remove the lube from the lube grooves.
3. Can you size then lube?
4. What's better, tumble lube or pan lube? (I know this question is kind of subjective, just curious what others are doing).

[BigBronco]

1. Yes lube helps keep barrel leading to a minimum provided your lead hardness is enough for the velocities/pressure you are loading.

2. Not all the lube is taken off. Enough remains in the grooves.

3. I do not tumble lube cannot answer this one.

4. ^^^

[gunboat]

I have not used tumble lube method, I have used the pan lube method and then moved on as soon as possible to a Star lube-sizer.

[Whiterabbit]

I tumble lube for rifle and do not pan lube because it's easier, they don't smoke (if they do I don't care), faster, and my rifle doesn't lead.

I tumble lubed for pistol and got terrible leading and the rounds smoked heavily when fired. Switched to pan lubing and now the rounds smoke less or not at all, and leading is solved.

I just bought a lubrisizer but still need the die for it. However, it looks like it'll be a real winner. Since my rifle bullets are not flat nose, for the time being I'll just keep tumble lubing them (aint broke don't fix.)

[Whiterabbit]

I also suggest that you can choose your standards of leading. For example, I tumble lube pistol bullets and scrub my bore for 30 minutes getting the lead out. I pan lube and my bore still leads up pretty good. But it takes two patches with hoppes #9 and one dry patch and I'm clean, less than 5 minutes. To me, that is as good as not leading a all. As far as I figure, the next round pushes out the old lead and deposits the new stuff. I don't care, it comes out so easy.

Size then lube, or lube then size. Or use a lubrisizer and do both at once. It all works. I've done all three (but not shot the lubrisized bullets cause they are .001 too small)

If you are pan lubing and sizing removes the lube, time to switch lube. if you are tumble lubing, who cares, you can re-lube 1000 bullets in 3 minutes all at once.

[bumpo628]

For tumble lubing, you're supposed to lightly lube before sizing to ease the sizing process. Then tumble lube again to ensure that the bullet is properly coated.

[Inkman]

I'm going to be ordering my casting stuff in the next week or two and in the meantime I've been trying to learn as much as I can from youtube vids. I've ordered the Lyman casting book, but apparently it's on the slow boat from China, so I haven't got a chance to read it yet.

I'm most likely going to go with a Lee sizing setup. On the youtube vids I've watched, everyone tumble lubes, then sizes.

My questions are:

1. What is the purpose of lubing the bullet? (My understanding is to help prevent leading the barrel)
2. Why lube then size? Sizing seems to remove the lube from the lube grooves.
3. Can you size then lube?
4. What's better, tumble lube or pan lube? (I know this question is kind of subjective, just curious what others are doing).

Helps to know what you are shooting, i.e. pistol vs rifle, 9mm vs .44 etc.

Al

[Inkman]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

Also spend a few months on this site

Al

[CSACANNONEER]

I lube and size at the same time with a lubesizer. I have never pan or tumble lubed so, I can't help you there. I will tell you that the cast bullet company that I visited used STAR lubesizers just like mine.

[Abenaki]

" Can you size then lube?"

Sure...But, your bullets will need to be lubed with something like dish soap first.
Then you will have to wash off the soap, or what ever you used for lube.

The reason for this is......If you don't, you will lead up your sizing die.


Take care
Abenaki

[fatfreadiescat]

With LEE I tumble lube and don't size, sometimes I tumble lube twice just to make sure the groves are full.
Never had a problem.
LEE drops a very round bullet very close to the right size.
Try a few you will see what I'm talking about.

[noylj]

Go to CastBoolits!

My questions are:

1. What is the purpose of lubing the bullet? (My understanding is to help prevent leading the barrel)
It lubes and seals the bullet and bore.
2. Why lube then size? Sizing seems to remove the lube from the lube grooves.
Why size? I sized my last cast bullet in 1979 or so. About all I shoot now are as-cast and tumble-lubed in LLA
3. Can you size then lube?
Only the Lee needs to lubed before sizing. Most Lubrisizers lube and size in one step. Again, do you need to size?
4. What's better, tumble lube or pan lube? (I know this question is kind of subjective, just curious what others are doing).
If I'm not going much above 1200 fps or in barrels greater than 12", a simple tumble-lube in LLA is all I need. Pan-lubing fills the lube grooves. Tumble lubing simply coats the bullet and does not fill the lube grooves.
A purportedly better tumble lube is Recluse's mix of 45% LLA, 45% Johnson Paste Wax, and 10% odorless Mineral Spirits (not the "green" crap).