Cast bullet lube

[Todd NE WY]

I bought some cast bullets and many of them are missing some or all of the lube from the lube groove. I know I can’t shoot the ones with no lube but how much lube is needed to shoot them without fear of leading?
Thanks,

Todd

 

[MEHavey]

Go get some of this stuff
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101020682

Lightly Grease your thumb/forefinger with a bit, then grease the bullet.
Let completely dry overnight/24 hours.

at that point, the old lube is irrelevant.


.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

Good idea to use the Lee Alox, but there's another way to use it that may be easier.

Cut the alox 50/50 with mineral spirits. Get a whipped cream tub. Put 2 pounds of the cast bullets in, measure 1/4 teaspoon of the alox mix and add it to the bullets.
Swirl, shake gently, swirl. Do this for about a minute. Dump out the bullets on a sheet of wax paper, let dry overnight.

If those are handgun bullets, one coat is enough. If rifle bullets, do 2 coats.

 

[Armorer 101]

I prefer the old method of lubing bullets, you purchase a tube of lube or make your own, in a shallow flat microwavable pan, melt the lube, enough liquid to cover the lube groves only, take the pan out and set it on the bench, stand the bullets on their base in the liquid lube, let the liquid set until lube is cooled and turns solid, cut the bullets out with a bullet cutter.

Bullet cutter: Use a fired cartridge case, same caliber, cut the base off above the web, inside and outside campfer, wrap the case with tape to form a grip area on the case. Push the cutter down over the bullet.

This where you can put split necks back to work again. A simple lube for plinking can be made from perefin/wax and grease or petrolium jelly.

 

[MEHavey]

Hooda's ALOX plastic-tub-swirl method also works. well.
You will find, however, that even the thinnest single coat of the greasy-finger methods works at extraordinary rifle velocities.
See http://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...llets-w-ar15&p=4472544&viewfull=1#post4472544

 

[243winxb]

Lee Alox- Don't warm the whole bottle. Put the amount you want to use in a tiny plastic cup. Warm while it sits in the almost boiling water.
This keeps the whole bottle from* getting thick , like grease.

Pour in plastic bucket over bullets, that has a lid, and swirl around. Helps if bullets are warm , 70 ,80 degrees. Dump bullets on wax paper to dry.

Less is better. A 2nd coat can be done, if needed.

 

[whughett]

I too use the Liquid Alox method ever since I started using Lees push thru sizers. The small bottle came with the sizer kit but since some one tried to blow up an airliner Lee no longer includes it, but one can order it. Go figure.
Which brings me to a question for those that use the liquid or solid. I have several sticks of the solid, would it be possible to turn those into the liquid type by melting the stick then cutting with mineral spirits or turps.

 

[Hooda Thunkit]

Which brings me to a question for those that use the liquid or solid. I have several sticks of the solid, would it be possible to turn those into the liquid type by melting the stick then cutting with mineral spirits or turps.

The short answer is no, but....

The Alox/Beeswax ( also called 50/50, or NRA Lube) that comes in stick form is a different type of Alox than the liquid stuff.

There are many, many different types of Alox, identified by numbers. Many of the types are no longer manufactured for one reason or another.

The stick form of Alox 50/50 lube can be melted and used as a pan lube, but that's a completely different subject.

 

[whughett]

The short answer is no, but....

The Alox/Beeswax ( also called 50/50, or NRA Lube) that comes in stick form is a different type of Alox than the liquid stuff.

There are many, many different types of Alox, identified by numbers. Many of the types are no longer manufactured for one reason or another.

The stick form of Alox 50/50 lube can be melted and used as a pan lube, but that's a completely different subject.

Ok Thanks. I used the sticks in my RCBS lubesizer but since changing over the Lee push through sizer I pretty much retired it. Still have three or four of the sticks on hand. Come to think of it they are Lyman not Lee.

 

[243winxb]

melting the stick then cutting with

Something like - liquid Johnson's Paste Wax (discontinued?) ?? Maybe mineral oil?


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?259285-NEW-!-!-T-L-Liquid-Lube

Or ask here- http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forumdisplay.php?58-Boolit-Lube-!

 

[Swampman]

I bought some cast bullets and many of them are missing some or all of the lube from the lube groove. I know I can’t shoot the ones with no lube but how much lube is needed to shoot them without fear of leading?
Thanks,

Todd

A very thin, barely visible coating of Alox will work fine for most applications.

An even better choice than straight Alox is 45-45-10, a mix of Alox (45%), Paste Wax (45%) and Mineral Spirits (10%). It dries quicker than Alox and leaves a hard, waxy finish rather than the gummy surface of straight Alox.

It's a pain to melt and mix yourself, but fortunately White Label Lube sells it premixed for $13.86 a pint.

 

[Todd NE WY]

Thank you for the direction. I will get some alox and get them lubed up.