How important is Lube?

[ahhbach]

I know this has probably been discussed before but how important, in say 45acp, is it to lube the bullet? would be nice to just cast em, load em, and shoot em. been casting for about 6-7 years now and wondered if for these bullets I could skip lubing.

Thanks
Brian Murphy

[Wally]

Cast bullets must be lubed....the lube acts as a gasket, seal to eliminate or mitigate a build up of lead in the barrel. If you think about it, were it not necessary, why would anyone bother to lube their bullets?

[waco]

Cast bullets must be lubed....the lube acts as a gasket, seal to eliminate or mitigate a build up of lead in the barrel. If you think about it, were it not necessary, why would anyone bother to lube their bullets?

agree

[Iowa Fox]

Bullets for the 45ACP are going to due the best job for you at least dipped in thinned Alox or 45-45-10. My mold drops bullets at .4535 that I use in the 1911. I tried some sized to .453 and would get a few where the pistol failed to lock into battery every now and then so I size everything to .452 and problems gone. The 45ACP is where the Star sizer really shines with its high production rate. If your mold drops close to .452 you could probably get buy without sizing but I think your going to want some lube.

[williamwaco]

Do not skip the lube !

Do not skip the lube !

Do not skip the lube !

[btroj]

How important is lube?

Shoot some dry and see.

[Hickory]

When metal rubs against metal you need lube.
Even a car engine is lead babbit rubing again steel. It needs lube.

[ahhbach]

Thanks for the info, I kinda thought in lower speed rounds I might be able to get away with the Tedium of lubing/sizing. I hate that process. I'll continue lubing.

[btroj]

Lubing isn't a tedium, it is part of what we do as bullet casters.

Work to find a method that better suits your desired level of effort or style. You can tumble lube which is pretty fast and easy or even look at one of the coating systems, they are great for handgun bullets and pretty quick.

[Shiloh]

Do not skip the lube !

Do not skip the lube !

Do not skip the lube !

Yep.

Shiloh

[Foto Joe]

45-45-10 plus one large empty Planters Peanut jar = 45acp boolits that don't lead.

[HARRYMPOPE]

i shoot without lube quite a bit in rifles and pistols.In an indoor range i shot unlubed 200 SWC's in my 45 to keep the smoke down.My session was about 100 shots and leading wasn't a problem.In my 35 Whelen i can shoot 1400 with not lube for about 40 shots before accuracy drops off.Seldom is the barrel leaded up like you would think.It is just a grey wash that one or two well lubed bullets clear right up.My 30-06 with plainbase loads will shoot unlubed bullets as well on some days than the lubed ones.

You have to try it before you decide it wont work.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

someone here posted about lubing with only JPW and had success. That'd be about as easy as doing nothing [in regards to lubing and sizing], if that is your goal.
ALTHOUGH,
lubing with 45-45-10 is nearly as easy as nothing, once you are setup for it.

This is all made easier if you have a mold that drops close enough to the right size, if you boolit needs sizing, you're gonna have to size it...you don't want to assemble ammo that doesn't chamber reliably.
Jon

[HARRYMPOPE]

Here is a thread from a while back

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?87949-No-lube-35-whelen-loads&highlight=lube+35+whelen

post #20 has some pics.

[Trey45]

How important is lube?

Shoot some dry and see.

I support and endorse this reply.
Try it for yourself and judge for yourself just how important, or unimportant lube is.

[oldandslow]

ab, 9/16/13

I've shot some .45acp boolits dry (without lube) and the results were ugly. I bought some commercial reloads from a local outfit and after twenty rounds I had a smoothbore barrel. I pulled some of the boolits from the cases and there was no lube at all. I pan lubed the pulled boolits and shot the rest and had no more leading. So the moral of the story is that lubing for .45acp boolits is a necessity. Good luck.

best wishes- oldandslow

[mdi]

I agree with btroj. As an experiment, load 10 without lube and 10 with lube. Shoot the lubed loads first, and examine the bore. Clean the barrel and shoot the ten unlubed loads. Examine the bore. Is there any difference?

[runfiverun]

i'm alway's amazed at how little lube I can get away with.