My Boolits, lube, sizing and leading ???

[sniper7369]

OK, I've been sctraching my head about this all day. :confused:
The other night a poured a bunch of 200gr SWC (Lee mold) and a few 225gr RN (lyman gas check mold) and I have a question.
The Lyman bullets are right at .453 and the Lee are right at .451.5-.452.5. Should I run these through the sizer? Or just pan lube them and shoot them as cast??
I'm using WW's with a little over a pound of 50/50 to 9lbs of WW in my Lee production pot and dropping them into VERY cold water from the mold. (The gargage barely stays above freezing this time of year even with the heater on)
I've been getting some leading in my 1911 and my G30 with these boolits and Lyman Orange Magic or Lyman Black Moly. I've tried dropping the velocities down to less than 800fps and up to 900+ fps. Hot weather or cold, I still get a pretty badly leaded barrel in both my .45's
I'm having the same issue with my Lee 105gr rn mold for the 9mm/380. They lead up my 3904, P-11, TZ-75, and P-3AT. I'm using the same lube and sizing to .356, would it help to size them to .357? They drop at ~.358.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. :mrgreen:

[docone31]

I size to .452. I also make my own lube. I have not gotten leading with that combination. I also push the castings. 10gns Blue Dot.
So far, so good.

[sniper7369]

I size to .452. I also make my own lube. I have not gotten leading with that combination. I also push the castings. 10gns Blue Dot.
So far, so good.

What lube are you using to not get leading at those velocities?? :shock:
I'm getting pretty bad leading even with a light load of bullseye or W231. [smilie=b:

[docone31]

55% beeswax, 45% Vaseline, a dollop of Marvel Mystery Oil, a tad of Castrol synthetic stick wax. Melt together, pan lube, size, load, and enjoy.
Smells good also.
To tighten it up, I toss in more beeswax if needed.

[sniper7369]

Hmmm, I'm gonna have to hunt down a beeswax candle or something tomorrow and try some of that on a few the boolits. I have the MMO, Vaseline, and stick wax already.
It seems, the more I've been reading the forums here, that the commercial lubes don't really work as well as the homegrown stuff.
Thanks for that recipe, hopefully that works better than the Lyman stuff. It'd be great to be able to shoot and not have to spend an hour scrubbing barrels afterward. :-D

[docone31]

I hear that.
Actually, that receipe came right out of Paul Mathews book, The Paper Patch. I modified it a bit with the synthetic stick wax.
It has been a winner for me.
I use the Lee Push Thru Sizer System. On the occasional casting that has voids in the lube, the extra that gathers around the bottom of the die, I rub into the void. It comes out like it was already there.
So far, so good.

[Cloudpeak]

I size my Lyman 200 gr SWC's .452 and my 105gr Lee SWC to .3575" with Lee push through sizers and lube with LLA. I'm loading moderate loads, 3.8gr- 4.0gr Clays with the 45's and 3.9gr W231 with the 9mm. I don't really need to run the 45's through the sizer but I have always run any bullets from a Lee 6 cavity through the push through because, every once in awhile, I find a "fat" Lee bullet. That hasn't happened with any 45's out of the Lyman mold but I size them anyway.

I have a very small amount of leading which is easily cleaned out with a piece of "Chore Boy" copper scrubbing pad wrapped around a brass brush. Three or four strokes through the bore slick things right up. My bullets are straight wheel weights and are air cooled.

Have you slugged your bores?

If you're shooting reduced loads, you might consider air cooling for a softer bullet.

Cloudpeak

[sniper7369]

With the lighter Unique and W231 loads the leading doesn't seem as bad as with the hot bullseye loads, but it's bad enough that it takes a good long time to scrub it out, especially in the 9mm's. With a VERY light Unique load in the .45 there is almost no leading though. With the light bullet in the 9mm though, even a powder puff load is around 1,000fps.
I haven't slugged the bores yet, probably something I should do.
I'd also like to figure out a good alloy/lube combination for .45 loads in my G30, it is by far the worst offender with leading. I have to stop every 50rds and scrub out the barrel.

[Lead melter]

Hmmm, I'm gonna have to hunt down a beeswax candle or something tomorrow and try some of that on a few the boolits. I have the MMO, Vaseline, and stick wax already.
It seems, the more I've been reading the forums here, that the commercial lubes don't really work as well as the homegrown stuff.
Thanks for that recipe, hopefully that works better than the Lyman stuff. It'd be great to be able to shoot and not have to spend an hour scrubbing barrels afterward. :-D

To offer a possibility, do a member search for randyrat...he's the beeswax man. Nice guy, great service. He'll do you right.

BTW, I have seen that strange script at your sig line before, but can't figure it out. Can you tell, or is it a secret password or something?[smilie=1:

[sniper7369]

To offer a possibility, do a member search for randyrat...he's the beeswax man. Nice guy, great service. He'll do you right.

BTW, I have seen that strange script at your sig line before, but can't figure it out. Can you tell, or is it a secret password or something?[smilie=1:

Thanks for the beeswax connection. :mrgreen: When I have the extra cash I'll have to get a few pounds. Just wanted to grab a small amount to experiment with (like a beeswax candle or toilet ring) since cash is pretty tight right now.


Molon labe refers to an ancient Greek expression for "Come and take them!", in reference to unilateral disarmament. Molôn Labé! was the reply of Sparta's King Leonidas to the Persian demand for surrender at the Battle of Thermopylae. The phrase is becoming a modern-day Second Amendment cry of resolve never to disarm in the face of tyranny.

[docone31]

A toilet ring won't work! it can be added to beeswax, but it is not beeswax.
I used to get mine from Ace Hardware. They had it in 16oz pats. I do not know any more. I get it in 5lb pans now.
Check the folks here. They have always done me right.

[cabezaverde]

Are you guys lubing both grooves of the 452460's?

[2muchstuf]

sniper
I don't get it. I've got 2 .45s that just don't lead. They both slug at .4505. I size at .452. Used lube from 1, 2, 3 kinds of mystery lube left in my 2nd hand 450 (this stuff was probly 20 yrs. old)to speed green, 50/50. They all seem to work very well in the .45. Even the old gunk. Only lead that i got was a few streaks now and then. 5 swipes with the chore boy cleaned it up.
Boolits were straight WW.
Slug your barrel, you might just be a little oversized.

Cabe
If it's got 2 groove I fill them both. I think that the 2nd is there for a reason.

Just my .02
2

BTW boolits were Ly 452-460 and Lee 452-228

[sniper7369]

sniper
I don't get it. I've got 2 .45s that just don't lead. They both slug at .4505. I size at .452. Used lube from 1, 2, 3 kinds of mystery lube left in my 2nd hand 450 (this stuff was probly 20 yrs. old)to speed green, 50/50. They all seem to work very well in the .45. Even the old gunk. Only lead that i got was a few streaks now and then. 5 swipes with the chore boy cleaned it up.
Boolits were straight WW.
Slug your barrel, you might just be a little oversized.


BTW boolits were Ly 452-460 and Lee 452-228

That's it, I have to get off my lazy butt and slug the 1911 and G30 barrels tomorrow. I've been searching around the site a bit more and it looks like I should be sizing the 9mm at .357 rather than .356 All three of my 9mm pistols lead like a son of gun. In the 9mm's the leading actually seems a lot worse with commercial cast bullets than it does with mine too.

[Cloudpeak]

T and slug the 1911 and G30 barrels tomorrow..

Is that the factory barrel in the Glock? If so, you know what they say about polygonal rifling and lead bullets, right?

Cloudpeak

[sniper7369]

Is that the factory barrel in the Glock? If so, you know what they say about polygonal rifling and lead bullets, right?

Cloudpeak

Yep. :mrgreen: It's actually octagonal rifling in the .45 Glocks though. I've heard and read all the rumors and internet talk of Glocks blowing up from reloads or cast bullets, but I don't buy it.
IMO a lot of the Kb's you hear about with lead in Glocks stem from those guys who feel that they do not need to clean the bore of their pistols but every 5,000 rds or more. IMO, that is just asking for problems. I pull my barrel every 50rds and scrub it out when I shoot lead in the G30, it's been fine so far.

[2muchstuf]

Hay sniper
Forgot to tell you about the 9mm.
I cast the 358-242 sized to .357 of WW for my son. Can't remember what gun(it's one of those cheepys) No lead in that one either.
My books call for .356 for cast in 9mm but I strongly disagree with that. .357 seems to be the way to go. Still you must slug to be sure.
2

[sniper7369]

Thanks, I bought the .356 sizing die because that's what the books said to size them at. Looks like I should have slugged the barrels before I did that, huh? :-?
Then again, my .380 shoots great with the 90gr cast when sized at .356, and some how I wound up with a .357 sizing die for the 4500, so it's all good. :)
I just got into casting over the summer and I've been doing a lot of trial and error, seat of my pants, kind of stuff trying to figure out all the details. It's part of the hobby and it's fun, but I don't want to get tennis elbow scrubbing lead out of my barrels either. [smilie=l: