Applying Lee Alox

[smokemjoe]

I have a rifle that has a long tappered lead that leads after 5 shots. Bullets has a nose like a 405 - 45-70 bullet but 41 cal. I have found after I size and lub. my bullets if I apply Lee alox to the nose and bore ride I can get 20 shots before leading starts. Its a mess to do this, Is there any better way to do this then with a Q- tip. Thanks- Smokemjoe

[44woody]

I think the easy way to do it would be to hold the bullet in one hand and have some lla in a small container and dip the bullet tip in it then spread it on with your fingers :castmine: 44Woody

[versifier]

Tell us more about the gun, cartridge, boolit (weight and alloy), the charge you are using, and the MV. That will help to narrow down the possible causes. I am assuming that we're talking about a rifle here.

Where in the barrel is the leading occuring, breech or muzzle? Breech leading often indicates undersized boolit with poor initial obturation, muzzle leading that you are pushing it too fast for the strength of the alloy and it is stripping.

Have you slugged the bore? What are your bore/groove sizes? What are you sizing the boolits at? (Are your boolits undersized for the bore?)

If they are sized correctly, then I would try a harder alloy, adding linotype to the mix until it gets better, and/or backing off on the charge, depending on where in the barrel it is happening.

If the leading is happening the entire length of the barrel, you need to back off the charge considerably and/or try some different powders, working up from mild loads.

If you slightly dilute the LLA with mineral spirits, you can dip the loaded cartridges into it without getting it all over your fingers. It is also possible that you are shooting a load that is too hot for LLA, but I doubt it with a big slow boolit.

[smokemjoe]

The rifle is a Swiss Vetterli R.F. that I convert to C.F., Its like the one I am holding in the pic. of me, The bullet is 1/2 wheel and lino. 13 gr. unique, Vel. ?, bore size is. 413 , groove is.435, at the end of the case there is a lead that is .600 long, like a funnel, no rifleing . .452 to .430 then the rfiling starts. I shoot a bullet that is 1.064 long, Made by CBE-380 grs.bullet is. .436 OD,nose ride .426 to .424. I seat the bullets out to seat into the rifling. I was out yesterday and shot 15 rounds with the nose with alox painted on them. no leading, at the end of 20 rds. it started showing lead again. I got groups from .750 to 1.900, Before without the alox I had leading at the end of 5 shots,So this helps. But its smells like a junk yard putting it on and was a mess. Going to use this rifle in a 2 day miltary cast bullet shoot in Sioux City Iowa in June and have 2 -20 rd. matchs also. There is a story comming out on the 41 Swiss Vetterli in The Fouling Shot this month, Hope you all enjoy it. Any easy way of aloxing please help me out, Thanks for reading, Smokemjoe

[versifier]

Dilute the LLA just a little so it will apply evenly, then dip the noses in it and let them stand overnight. It dries a lot faster when it's thinned, and you don't need a thick layer of it to do the job.

With this rifle, I think you might benefit from an alloy of 100% lino. It's easy enough to try and will save a lot of work cleaning if it does the trick. RIGG makes about the best lead removing solvent that I've tried, too.

[Springfield]

I'm no expert on Veterlli's, but I have one I am going to convert also as soon as my moulds and dies show up from the Militaria group buy. But personally I think 100% wheelweight bullets should be hard enough, going to all Lino is going the wrong way. I shoot BP, but I have never figured out why guys love really hard bullets in a gun that isn't pushing the envelope on speed. I cast my 44-40, 45 Colt and 45-70 bullets from a 70/1 lead tin mix and it works great. They work fine in my wifes 45 Colts with smokeless also. I never get more than a trace of leading in the barrels. . As for Alox, I just got that gallon of it from the GB on this site. I have 2 aluminum pie tins. I put enough bullets in one to cover the bottom, and then put it on my hot plate for a bit until the bullets are warm. Then I put a teaspoon of LA on them, put the other pie tin on for a lid and rotate/turn/wiggle around the two tins until the bullets are coated. Take off the top tin and let the bullets set overnight until dry. Have done about 600 of them for my wife, brother and a friend and they have been working great. Easier to do than Moly coating and less messy. Does make your garage smell like a car junkyard, though.

[smokemjoe]

Its not my garage that smells,its my basement, Wife in K.W. Fl. for a month. She pulled the plug on my lead pot and said that was enought after 35 years.Got to get 200 bullets dipped for a shoot at the miltary match in June. Could I alox the whole batch after I sized and have the lub. on them also. I casted up 250 bullets with 1/2 lino and 1/2 W.W.s, With the nose dip in alox I can shoot 20 rds. before it starts to lead and I could go more with my sighters. Is unique a bad powder in a large bore that would cause leading, 13 grs. behine a 380 gr. bullet in the 41 Swiss, Thanks- Joe