Lube, Dipping vs Tumbling?

[steve4102]

I tumble lube my cast bullets. I started out with Alox, I am now experimenting with 45/45/10. I do it according to Lee's instructions, light tumble coat, let it dry, size in Lee push through sizing die, apply second Light tumble coat.

I see some of you do not tumble lube, but dip lube. Aside from keeping the lube off the exposed nose of the bullet is there any advantage to dipping as opposed to tumbling and covering the whole bullet? Does this technique help reduce leading?

BTW I'm casting WW alloy for 10MM pushing 175-180gr to 1200fps.

[BBQJOE]

I tumble lube everything except my HP's. I want their noses clean, so those I dip.

[runfiverun]

I mostly run everything through my stars.
I do tumble lube a few rifle boolits with a modified form of the 45 lube.

anyway dip lubing allows you to fill the lube grooves on normal boolits without pan lubing.
this allows you to use certain lubes that don't respond to pan type lubing well.
you still need to size them to clean everything up.

[steve4102]

Is tumble lube effective in the lube groove? I thought it was only effective applied to the bearing surface of the bullets. I'm just learning about casting so be gentle on me. :-)

[runfiverun]

tumble lube is just a coating.
either way you rely on boolit fit to stop leading and gas cutting.

it would take me 4-5 posts [pages] to really define the differences in lubes and how they work.

[ku4hx]

I've done them all and with the proper attention all will work fine. For the last several years I've been tumble lubing all my high volume pistol boolits (45 ACP, 40 S&W/10mm, 9mm) with thinned LLA and dusted with Motor Mica. I have no complaints.

[imashooter2]

I film lube all my high volume pistol boolits by tumbling and shoot them as cast, no sizing.