Lead bullet loading questions

[NateG]

Okay, this is going to be a stupid question... How do you avoid getting bullet lube squeezed out of the grooves and gumming up the seating die? I'm loading some 185gr lead SWC bullets for .45 ACP, and nearly every completed round has red wax all over the bullet. I don't remember having anything like this much trouble with .38/.357. Any suggestions as to the problem? Seating depth wrong? Not enough/too much case mouth flare? (I've got it pretty wide at this point, thinking it might help.)

Thanks in advance.

 

[redloki]

Sounds like you may need to put a little bit more of a bell on the case mouth. Even then you may still get a little build up over time. I usually clean mine every 1000 rds or so when loading lead.

 

[Car Knocker]

If the lube doesn't protrude past the drive bands, I don't see how the lube could migrate anywhere as long as there is some flaring of the case mouth. I have seen some brands of bullets that were excessively lubed and a mess just out of the box with lube on the nose. These, of course, would get lube all over the seating die.

 

[ReloaderFred]

As redloki said, you need to bell the case mouth more for lead bullets than you do for jacketed. The further the bullet sits in the case before the seater pushes it the rest of the way, the better. Lyman makes a die specifically for that purpose, called the "M" Die. It not only bells the case mouth, but enlarges the case enough to accept the lead bullet.

The crimp should also be added after the bullet is fully seated. This is done with a separate crimping die, but another seating/crimping die with the seating stem either removed or backed out works just fine. You can usually pick those up at gun shows for very little from someone who deals in used reloading equipment.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[SASS#23149]

It would,and does,seem to me..

that the amount of bell makes little if any differnece.the crimp action is going to happen at the same time on every bullet and it's the crimping while seating that shaves lead/lube/jacket.I switched to seating and crimping in two operations YEARS ago,and have never looked back.

 

[robctwo]

I'm running Oregon Laser Cast in 9mm, .45ACP, and .45LC. Modest case belling and no lube running around. What brand bullets are you using?

 

[Bronson7]

I agree with opening the bell just a tad. I had the same problem with getting lube on the case. Opening the bell a bit solved the problem. OBTW, I also crimp in a separate station.
Bronson7

 

[NateG]

Thanks. I didn't have have the expander die screwed in enough. My bad.