Tumble Lube?

[LubeckTech]

How are bullets tumble lubed? I'm considering some bullets which are described as being tumble lubed with liquid alox. Are there any downsides to this process or Lee Liquid Alox?

 

[jcwit]

Usually the bullets are placed in a plastic butter or spread container with a small amount of the liquid alox and tumbled in a rotatory mixing motion. Then the bullets are placed on wax paper or alu. foil to dry. Some folks go so far as to stand them up. You use enough alox to get a good coat and have the lube grooves somewhat filled.

As far as does it work? I used this method for a couple of years but now use a Lyman #45 lube sizer, I like it better, but does the tumble lube work, Yes. Maybe there is less chance of leading with the Lyman but the difference is very little. Biggest difference is the larger selection of bullets with the Lyman lube sizer.

Hope this helps
jcwit

 

[armoredman]

Used LLA for a while, it works fine.

 

[fourdollarbill]

LLA is a very good lube. Easy to use and works very well even under 357 mag speeds. I thin it down with mineral spirits pretty thin and coat the bullets with a thin almost not visible coating. If I use the bullet for a hotter load I will lube it a second time with thicker LLA. It is definitely worth it.

 

[lgbloader]

I use it for my bullets I cast for 375 WIN. I use a bit of LLA and then use JPW for a second coating to remove the tacky stickiness.

I never have issues with leading.

LGB

 

[243winxb]

Are there any downsides to this process

The diameter of the bullet if to larger or to small can be a problem. The idea of TL bullets is to skip the sizing process, less work. No problem with the lube if applied correctly. The bullets should have a brownish color to them if lubed correctly. http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/faq/index.cgi

Liquid Alox application

Best results in applying liquid alox are when the alox is heated before applying, or thinned with paint thinner. This makes it flow more easily, and results in a more even coat. One technique is to boil water and pour it into a coffee mug, and then drop the bottle of liquid alox into the mug for about five minutes.

Place your freshly cast bullets into something about the size of a Cool Whip bowl and drop a few drops of liquid Alox on the bullets. Mix the bullets around until they are all coated. Lay the freshly coated bullets on some wax paper to dry. Liquid alox will usually dry enough overnight to reload the next day, depending upon the humidity. Tacky bullets can be dusted with powdered graphite.

If you subscribe to the "more is better" line of thought, your coated bullets may never dry. Don't go for a "golden" color but rather just a light varnish. If you discover that your bullets are sticky the next day, you can get by with using a little less the next time. Keep reducing until the "stickiness" is gone by the next day.

If you are sizing your cast bullets, it is necessary to lube them first. Because the sizer will remove some of the surface of a larger diameter bullet, you may need to re-lubricate the bullets after they have been sized.

Many of our bullets are of the "TL" or Tumble Lube design. These bullets have many shallow grooves that are perfect for allowing Liquid Alox to adhere to a great amount of surface. It has been reported that the accuracy of these bullets is high.

 

[NCsmitty]

I generally shoot as cast using LLA coating, and I just shake them up in an old cool whip container and dry them on wax paper standing up.
These are for plinking, so sizing is not necessary. LLA has been around for quite a while because it works.



NCsmitty

 

[jcwit]

The only real downside to LLA is the build-up of the lube on the seating die. If not watched the bullet gets seated deeper and deeper. Solution of course is to keep the seater cleaned off, not a big thing, just one more thing to watch out for/be aware of.

 

[Maj Dad]

Midway Mold Drop-Out

Let me throw something else out for your consideration: Midway (and other brands) Mold Drop-Out. It's a carbon/graphitic spray on for your molds that I have used for years after running out of matches to blacken the cavities I read an article in Handloader magazine years back where some guy used it to lube cast bullets with "stupendous" success. Somewhat skeptically I tried it, and lo! Works like a charm. I have used it on fast rifle loads (=/> 2000 fps) and pistol standard & mag loads with zero leading. I put gas checks on 06, 30 Carbine, Krag 30-40 and 303 Brit without sizing and sprayed the bulets (standing up in a pie pan, or rolling around, as they usually wound up), then loaded as usual. I did use a 313 or 314 expander on the big 30s to let them seat easier; 303s loaded as usual but with an as-cast 30 (180 g & 200 g). Out of habit (and native frugality), I usually run them through the RCBS sizer/luber, but I can whip up a bunch in no time with the spray method.

Just another weapon in our arsenal of reloading and spending quality time in the shop...

 

[jcwit]

Question here. Does the Drop-Out dry so as the black doesn't get all over everything? Sounds like something I'd like to try. Oh, does it build up on the seater?

 

[zxcvbob]

Another one to try is called Rooster Jacket. I haven't used it at magnum velocities (like I have LLA,) but for 800-900 fps target loads it works better than LLA and it dries clear and not sticky.

 

[ThomasT]

I use the LLA on my bullets before I size them. I have gotten better accuracy from sizing even the TL bullets. After they have been sized I use the Rooster Jacket to put on a second coat. Like Zbob says no leading and no stickiness. Plus RJ dries really fast. I have used these at a little over 1100fps in a 32 mag with no leading.

I have wondered for a while if Rooster Jacket isn't the lube that Hornady uses on their lead pistol bullets.

I have some of the Mold Release. I didn't like it on the mold but you can bet I will try it on a batch of bullets. Thanks for the tip Maj.Dad.

 

[jcwit]

Ratshooter--Let us know how the Mold release works and if it messy or not when dry.

 

[Galil5.56]

Add a tiny amount of corn starch to the dried bullets, and the stickiness and die buildup will disappear. A whole lot cleaner than powdered graphite; which I have tried as well.

 

[ThomasT]

JC it may be awhile before I lube any bullets, right now I am more concerned with killing a couple of deer but I can tell you the mold release is very dry.

I haven't tried the corn starch but have heard of using it. I do have some of the motor mica and it does get rid of the tackiness on TL bullets. I think I and everyone else probably uses too much TL on their bullets. I think it takes a whole lot less than what I have been putting on.

 

[jcwit]

Thanks Ratshooter. Think I'll give it a try as I still have some molds that are made for tumble lube. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Thanks again jcwit

 

[bullseye308]

I use tumble lube on everything I shoot. I size everything then tumble lube it. No leading on the sizing die after 8K bullets sized.