.40 cal boolit - ongoing experiment

[ghh3rd]

I am experimenting with .40 cal boolits, for my Glock with a Lone Wolf barrel.

I cast a test batch of 100 175 gr tumble lube boolits from 100% clip on's that dropped between .403 and .4035 according to my caliper. I tumble lubed them and loaded them with 5.5 gr of Accurate #5.

All of the boolits fed well, unlike my first batch, so I am making progress.

I was only able to find 50 of my 100 rounds in my gun bag (until I got home :-?), but 50 was enough to demonstrate that they are leading a good bit.

I think that my next step will be to order a .401 sizer, and leave all of the other variables alone for now.

Any feedback welcome.


Randy

[hithard]

Randy,

While your boolits may start out at .403 when you seat them they could be getting sized down, and if your not pushing them enough they will not orbitrate. I was leading pretty good with WW at .401 , not having a .402 sizing die I cut the WW to a 50/50. There is the variable of not pushing your bullet enough so that it orbitrates to seal the bore. which was my problem, so I went the other way and made my lead softer leading went down to an acceptable level. .

Let the fun begin!

Greg

[truckmsl]

I've shot a bunch or those through my glock 23 with Lone Wolf barrel. I've decided to move on to a conventional lube groove boolit and leave the tumble lube for the revolvers and lever gun. I've found that I needed to tumble lube twice to get the lube to perform in the .40. The lube on the exposed boolit occasionally would prevent the round from fully chambering (the Lone Wolf's are fairly tight chambers). If I've got to size, tumble lube twice, and clean off the exposed part of the boolit, I'd rather just run em through a lubrisizer and be done with it.

[Bret4207]

My money is on the seating die or crimp reducing the diameter of the boolit. I'd check that. Better to have a boolit the right size to start with rather than hoping obturation will fix a case of "the skinnys" for you.

[Gunslinger]

A few months back I couldn't get my 9mm to stop leading. I was suggested to take apart a few rounds and measure the base of the boolit. I found out I was crimping the boolit far too much, actually to the extend that my bases measured .354. The bore is .356 and i size .357

I turned down the crimp and 70% of the leading went away.

[mpmarty]

I use the same LEE 170gr tumble lube boolit in my 10mm pistols regularly. I don't size them at all, just tumble lube in LLA and load em up. They cast at .401 - .402 from my WW alloy. They don't lead the barrel, feed well at max OAL and are accurate.

[ghh3rd]

They cast at .401 - .402 from my WW alloy

I think I'll eventually try sizing down to .401. You are lucky that your mold is dropping that size for you. Wanna trade? :-)

Was going to tinker a little tonight, but got sidelined by a little nap.

Randy