J_McLeod
Member
I got a bunch of lead bullets as part of a package on a trade. About half are wadcutters and do not appear to be lubed. The other half are SWC, some have lubed and some do not. They are for .38/357. Should I load and shoot them?
Lead bullets without lube
- Thread starter J_McLeod
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earplug
Member
Paste or liqued auto Wax
For light to medium hand loads in 38 spl. Try tumbling the bullets in some automobile paste wax. I have read that Carnuba wax works well as a bullet lube. Let the stuff dry and load.
I use a commercial tumble lube on my own cast bullets. Rooster Bullet Jacket. Lee sells a tumble lube that many like.
For light to medium hand loads in 38 spl. Try tumbling the bullets in some automobile paste wax. I have read that Carnuba wax works well as a bullet lube. Let the stuff dry and load.
I use a commercial tumble lube on my own cast bullets. Rooster Bullet Jacket. Lee sells a tumble lube that many like.
CollinLeon
member
I use the Lee tumble lube, but mainly because a bottle of it came with each of the resizing dies that I bought... Some people suggest thinning it down a bit with mineral spirits though... We I run out of it, maybe I'll try the Carnauba wax instead...
David Wile
Member
Hey J,
Before you get into lubing your cast bullets, you might want to know whether or not they were ever sized. Also, if they were sized, to what diameter? Are both types sized to the same diameter? What diameter do you want for your gun? If it is a fairly new .357, chances are .358 or .359 would work well for you. You can slug your barrel and check the diameter it is. One, two, or possibly even three thousandths over your diameter could work just fine.
I think you need to find out your barrel diameter and the size of the bullets you received. If your bullets are the right size, then you can get busy lubing them for shooting.
Another thing for consideration, the bullets could be sized for 9MM use, and they would not work for crap in a .357. Is there a local gun club where you might find some folks who are familiar with cast bullets and how to use them? You might also check the Cast Bullets forum to see if anyone in the Tucson area might be willing to help you.
Actually, I wouldn't mind being in Tuscon right now to give you a hand. I hate winters and would rather be in the warm stuff, but we had to give up our SnowBirding in 2010 due to medical problems. Good luck with your bullets.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
Before you get into lubing your cast bullets, you might want to know whether or not they were ever sized. Also, if they were sized, to what diameter? Are both types sized to the same diameter? What diameter do you want for your gun? If it is a fairly new .357, chances are .358 or .359 would work well for you. You can slug your barrel and check the diameter it is. One, two, or possibly even three thousandths over your diameter could work just fine.
I think you need to find out your barrel diameter and the size of the bullets you received. If your bullets are the right size, then you can get busy lubing them for shooting.
Another thing for consideration, the bullets could be sized for 9MM use, and they would not work for crap in a .357. Is there a local gun club where you might find some folks who are familiar with cast bullets and how to use them? You might also check the Cast Bullets forum to see if anyone in the Tucson area might be willing to help you.
Actually, I wouldn't mind being in Tuscon right now to give you a hand. I hate winters and would rather be in the warm stuff, but we had to give up our SnowBirding in 2010 due to medical problems. Good luck with your bullets.
Best wishes,
Dave Wile
oldandslow
Member
- Joined
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- 220
jm, 12/21/11
I bought 50 rounds of .45 reloaded ammo from our local reloading business and after 20 rounds in my pistol I had a smoothbore barrel as all the lands were obscured by the lead. I pulled the bullets out of the remaining 30 cases and found that none had any lube in the lube-groove. I pan lubed the rest with my own recipe of 1-1-2 ratios of Johnson Paste wax and Alox and 90wt. gear oil. No more leading in the last 30 rounds.
Of course the degree of leading depends on many things, mostly fit into the barrel but also lube amount and type, bullet type (tumble lube grooves vs. conventional lube grooves), lead hardness and bullet speed. Finding a working cast bullet load is an art. Take a look at the cast bullet forum, www.castboolits.gunloads.com for some great info.
merry Christmas- oldandslow
I bought 50 rounds of .45 reloaded ammo from our local reloading business and after 20 rounds in my pistol I had a smoothbore barrel as all the lands were obscured by the lead. I pulled the bullets out of the remaining 30 cases and found that none had any lube in the lube-groove. I pan lubed the rest with my own recipe of 1-1-2 ratios of Johnson Paste wax and Alox and 90wt. gear oil. No more leading in the last 30 rounds.
Of course the degree of leading depends on many things, mostly fit into the barrel but also lube amount and type, bullet type (tumble lube grooves vs. conventional lube grooves), lead hardness and bullet speed. Finding a working cast bullet load is an art. Take a look at the cast bullet forum, www.castboolits.gunloads.com for some great info.
merry Christmas- oldandslow
evan price
Member
Lee ALOX. A thin coat. Works good. Or buy it from White Label Lube.
243winxb
Member
Commercial or home cast bullets? 
rcmodel
Member in memoriam
I would be interested to know if the wadcutters in question have grease grooves?
Or shallow knurling?
And if they are hollow-base or solid?
If HB & knurled, they are soft swaged bullets from Hornady or Speer, and have dry lube already applied to them at the factory.
No further lube is necessary.
Soft Swaged & dry lubed:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/28...8-grain-lead-hollow-base-wadcutter-box-of-250
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/59...8-grain-lead-hollow-base-wadcutter-box-of-500
rc
Or shallow knurling?
And if they are hollow-base or solid?
If HB & knurled, they are soft swaged bullets from Hornady or Speer, and have dry lube already applied to them at the factory.
No further lube is necessary.
Soft Swaged & dry lubed:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/28...8-grain-lead-hollow-base-wadcutter-box-of-250
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/59...8-grain-lead-hollow-base-wadcutter-box-of-500
rc
glockky
Member
I have used speer double ended wadcutters my dad gave me that were probably 20 years old and they had no lube rings just like a wax feel to them. They shot great with no leading in my smith model 15. I assume that was some kind of a lube or moly coating but they worked.
J_McLeod
Member
Don't know if they were commercial or home cast. Some are solid base and some are hollow.
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