Adding lube to commercial lead bullets

[RealGun]

Last range trip was with 38 Special and 45 Colt loaded with bullets I bought and then coated in alox. 38 was BHN 12 and barrel length 4". This was the first time cleaning guns was short work. There was no leading except a trace toward the muzzle on the 7.5" 45 NM Blackhawk. I guess with a barrel that long the bullet might run out of lube. I have done everything else that can be done, short of making my own bullets. I expect I will routinely add alox to everything going forward.

 

[41 Mag]

It does help sometimes. Quite a few years ago I purchased several boxes of cast to try out. For one or more reasons I never got around to working with all of them and some that I did play with left sort of a bad taste due to the leading which occurred.

Now that I have been pouring my own cast for a number of years I have found that the lube in those bullets had dried up. Barring melting them down, I started just rolling them around in a sandwich baggie with a few drops of warmed alox. Works like a charm long as I don't push the velocity too much.

 

[mdi]

Lots of reloaders use alox, 45-45-10, or Ben's Liquid Lube to give their cast bullets a bit more "shooting cleanliness". I haven't tried it yet mebbe cause I'm not troubled with excessive leading, but they do work...

 

[RealGun]

Frame of reference is not home-cast bullets. Commercial bullets have only the wax ring (or two), and it doesn't seem to be enough. Tried "coated" and still had too much cleaning to do, perhaps of the coating itself. There is no debate here about what casters do and how they somehow have no problems..

 

[Catpop]

I like this! I will try soon!!!

 

[243winxb]

Xlox built up in my seating die when i played with it. http://lsstuff.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2 Lee Alox is said to do the same?

I like my Lyman 450 lube sizer better., with soft lube, 50/50.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Most of the commercial bullets use high temp lube to keep it on the bullets during shipping and storage due to high temps. (My brother lives in LasVegas and "likes" the high temp lubes) . However, I've seen him miss "easy shots" because his bullet lube fails in low temps (i.e.:hunting season). This lube is often intact on a fired bullet, meaning it failed to do it's job. Couple that with an undersized bullet, and over hard bullet means LEADING!!! If it requires a heated sizer/lubricator, it might fail in low temps! I.e.: shot of a lifetime on a trophy animal. I prefer SPG. Flows through my lubricant-sizer in basement in winter... It ALWAYS works.

Coating the commercial bullets with Lee liquid Alox, or even stripping factory lube and re-lubing is a trick I learned as a high level PPC Competitor. I stripped Star, or Precision Delta bullets and relubbed them with a "known" lube for superior performance. Better the "devil you know" than the one you don't! Just one less variable.
Now, we've got powder coating too!!!

 

[RealGun]

Xlox built up in my seating die when i played with it. http://lsstuff.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2 Lee Alox is said to do the same?

I like my Lyman 450 lube sizer better., with soft lube, 50/50.

Sounds like shaving, or maybe the mix is too thick.

 

[Dog Soldier]

The modern lubing of properly sized cast bullets is tumble lubing. The bullets are tumbled in JPG/Johnson Paste Wax. allowed to dry over night.

 

[243winxb]

maybe the mix is too thick.

After sitting for 6 month, Xlox does get thick and chunky. But when new, it still changed OAL as it built up in the seat die.

http://s338.photobucket.com/user/joe1944usa/media/IMG_4506.jpg.html Needed to be thinned after 6 mo.

 

[mdi]

My frame of reference is when I first tried cast bullets, I bought some. Got leading from too small, too hard bullets and alox helped...

 

[RealGun]

My frame of reference is when I first tried cast bullets, I bought some. Got leading from too small, too hard bullets and alox helped...

Wondering how you got lead bullets that were "too small".

 

[41 Mag]

I use a hair drier to warm up the bullets and the lube just enough to add in a drop or two to about 50'ish bullets. Then roll them around for a couple minutes and dump them on a pan. Usually after this you can just barely tell there is any on the bullets.if you can easily see it your usually using too much.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

You mentioned that the BHN was 12 on your .38 bullets. What is the hardness of the .45 bullets?

Hopefully they are 12 as well, unless your pushing them really fast.

 

[RealGun]

You mentioned that the BHN was 12 on your .38 bullets. What is the hardness of the .45 bullets?

Hopefully they are 12 as well, unless your pushing them really fast.

I am pushing them hard at likely above 20k psi with 9 grains of Unique. The gun is a NM Blackhawk. Can't say about the hardness, since Lucky13 only states "premium hard cast". This is what you get when you buy your bullets. Everybody's bullets are harder than the home casters seem to endorse. That, and I was looking for .454 and plain base. I endured enough of a debate just getting to what bullets I should order. I am equipped to cast and might try my hand at it one of these days. My lead supply is Lyman #2 I bought from Missouri. At the time I wasn't so cost conscious as I was concerned that I would have something, anything to shoot. I have gas check moulds as well as regular.

These are the bullets.

 

[Dog Soldier]

The higher the BHN the larger the diameter and lower the weight. The Lyman #2 is closer to the specs of most every bullet mold. Lyman # 2 can handle velocities up to 1,500 fps if sized to bore.

 

[RealGun]

The higher the BHN the larger the diameter and lower the weight. The Lyman #2 is closer to the specs of most every bullet mold. Lyman # 2 can handle velocities up to 1,500 fps if sized to bore.

Let's add that Lyman #2 is BHN 15.

 

[Dog Soldier]

I add a small amount of Linotype and it runs a #16 on my tester. This alloy is a good one for all around shooting in a handgun. For the ,357 and .44 Mag in rifle barrels I use Linotype.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

For standard loads, I like straight wheel weight alloy which is 11 or 12 BHN. I've shot 17 grains of 2400 with them and no visible leading.

If I'm going to really push them into the "Ruger only" category, I cast them a little harder.

A lot of folks don't realize that a bullet that is too hard will lead a bore just as quickly as a bullet that is too soft, if not quicker. There has to be enough pressure to seal the base of the bullet. If the bullet is hard and the pressure is low, it won't work and hot gasses will escape around the bullet, causing severe leading.

I will say though that the fact that your bore is only showing leading at the very end of the bore points towards a lube issue. If it were a BHN issue it would present itself before it got 7" down the bore.

 

[Dog Soldier]

The cast bullet can allow gas cutting after longer lapse time in the barrel. That is why a gas check is used in rifle barrels. Proper sizing to bore would work but that is seldom considered.

 

[Buckeye357]

Yes I do. I use Lee Alox with all my commercial lead cast bullets that have hard lube from factory. I thin the Alox with a little mineral spirits then put some in an old Tupperware container pour 500 bullets close lid and shake a little. Then empty onto wax paper and let dry for a day.I figured it wouldn't hurt to try and it helped with barrel clean up after a day of shooting.The key with Alox is to thin it out and do not over do it.

 

[Dog Soldier]

Yes, I add mineral spirits to alox before I tumble them.

 

[RealGun]

Yes, I add mineral spirits to alox before I tumble them.

I followed that advice with what I lubed. Sort of tames having sticky cartridges and messy loading.

 

[RealGun]

The cast bullet can allow gas cutting after longer lapse time in the barrel. That is why a gas check is used in rifle barrels. Proper sizing to bore would work but that is seldom considered.

My bullets were bought to fit the .454 throats. The barrel slug is barely .451. I also sought out plain base. Seems to be working, but the alox was a refinement.

 

[Dog Soldier]

Yes, that is a cure for the Colt error in chambering a .454 black powder chamber to a post war .452 barrel. You are using the best compromise I am aware of.