Lube on the base/gas check.

[caseyboy]

Is this a problem when loading. Should I wipe off any lube on the base, or not worry about it?

[beagle]

Long as there's not globs on there that will contaminate the powder, you'll be all right.

I've loaded a lot in my lifetime like that with no problems. I'd rather wipe it off as I load but in cold weather, that's pretty hard sometimes.

An old towel, thumbtacked tight on the bench works pretty well for this./beagle

[44man]

Not unless you lube like my friend! He has more lube on the base then the grease grooves of 10 boolits will hold. :bigsmyl2:

[Calamity Jake]

When using a lube sizer no lube on the base has always been my moto.

Tumble lubing is another story.

[Jim]

I can't prove that it makes a difference as I've never allowed that to happen. Kinda' like Beagle, I drape an old shop towel over my knee and wipe each one before loading.
Now, if the lube is DRY, like maybe JPW, it probably won't make a difference.

[Von Gruff]

There should be no lube on the base of the boolit using a lubrisizer if it is adjusted correctly and the ratchet handle is not over used. Pan lubing should leave the base clean as well. TL with LLA left to dry propperly is no cause for concern. Having said that I also have a piece of towling on the bench for those times when I am a bit enthusiastic with the ratchet on the lubrisizer, even though I do it for cleanliness sake rather than any concern for powder contamination.

Von Gruff.

[madsenshooter]

I can't prove that it makes a difference as I've never allowed that to happen. Kinda' like Beagle, I drape an old shop towel over my knee and wipe each one before loading.
Now, if the lube is DRY, like maybe JPW, it probably won't make a difference.

Wow, I never thought of that, I just wipe them on my pants, when I wipe them.

[45-70marlin]

I use Lee tumble lube on my 7mm-08 Lee 130 gr. and I tried it both ways, lube on gas check base then with out. It does make a diffrence. The bullets with out the lube on the gas check base were more accurate than ones with it. I took a 1 1/2" x 11/2" pice of wood about 8" long and drilled a few holes in it a bit larger than the bullet and deep enough so only the gas check shows. I insert the bullets nose down and then hold the wood and wipe off the end of the gas checks. A easy way to hold them doing this operation.

[caseyboy]

Clever idea 45-70marlin. I will have to make one myself and give it a try.:D

[rintinglen]

MY 2 cents. It depends on the lube. I have experienced issues with squib loads when using homemade lubes that have STP or other petoleum type lubricants in them. Especially in warm weather, there seems to be a problem with powder contamination. I use an old shp towel tacked to the bench and give the base a swipe if I see lube there. With the softer lubes I favor that works fine, though were I back inMichigan, I think I would have to use a little heat.

[Bass Ackward]

Everyone will see this differently based upon how and what they shoot.

Biggest factors are powder speed (quantity), if you store your shells with the bullet down, and how long you store ammo.

[btroj]

Use a Star. That way you get the excess on the nose instead!

[GP100man]

I use Carnauba Red lube I have some 38s under the seat of my truck yr round for 3yrs. now to see if it`ll leach into the powder , I take 10 & shoot em each yr.

They still go bang & I have 2 yrs. worth left .


Thanks Lar45 !!!

[soldierbilly1]

Funny. I have had this problem (squibb loads) from time to time with my 45 ACP. I use Lithibee; it is soft and I store loaded boolits with the nose down. BTW, I do wipe the lube off, but sometimes one will get away from me.
I guess I should store with the boolit up. interesting
billy boy

[PacMan]

Not enough experience either way but i can see no good in the fact that lube and powder are mixed.
With slower powders the results may be diffrent and not as noticable but with small doses of the fast powder it has to have a more pronounced effect.

[PacMan]

To add to my above reply.
Getting much lube on the base of a GC bullet can be caused by diffrent things.A couple that i have found is.
1- the sprue did not cut flush and if your return punch is not recessed in the center the protruding sprue will hold the base up enough to get lube around the edges.Also if you do have a recessed return punch, on the down stroke punch it a little harder.That extra effort seals the GC against the base and seals the bottom off.
I use a Saeco sizer that has a built in GC seater so the above works.With another push pull sizer i think that you have to make sure that your sprue is flush to cure the problem

2- If you have a larger than bullet dia.sizer/not sizing down any you have no friction to hold the bullet in place letting the lube preasure push the bullet up.
3- If you have laped out a die over about .001 and not made a return pin to fit the die which lets lube around the pin and onto the bullet base.
4- on the rare ocassion if the shank of the bullet is to small for the check what happens is when you push it thru the die it rolls the check up causing the bottom to bell/bulge out and you will not get a good seal around the edges. This problem also ruins accuracy at a alarming rate.

Hope this helps
Dwight

[HangFireW8]

Whenever I wipe off the base of a boolit on the rag on my lap, I think about Harvey Donaldson and Phil Sharpe arguing, er, discussing the merits of different ingredients in bullet base grease wads. They used them in both cast and j-word loads, mostly rifle, often for the same reasons we use gas checks and lube- less fouling, better gas seal, and interestingly, to lower throat combustion temps and extend barrel life, especially on cartridges like the 220 Swift.

And here I am, wiping it all off, every time.

One of these days I'm going to experiment with greased boolit bottoms or maybe even grease wads, but I have to come up with a good testing methodology to make it worthwhile. Possible results of 5% longer barrel life or 5% better accuracy are barely quantifiable and hardly defensible. Leading versus lead-free barrels (or close enough) are more quantifiable, but solvable through other methods.

Its one of those things that sits in my mind, and sooner or later I'll come up with some way to test it. Or, forget about it.

-HF