First time to use a Lee mold

[RDub]

Hi
Well I've been a Lyman/RCBS mold user since high school, (long time ago:)) and recently realized I need to replace a .38/.357 mold. The Lee 358-158-RF design caught me eye and decided to try one.
I had some of my favorite alloy, pure lead/10% tin, ready and followed Mr. Lee's instructions, casted up some bullets.

After some trial and error with temperature and timing I was pleased to find that this Lee mold produced some excellent bullets! I weights some and found them to fall into 157.0 to 157.6 grs., and the diameters were right around .358". Haven't weighed and miked them all but thats the initial result.

Ok, now comes the lube and sizing part... I tried lubing the bullets in the 450 sizer with a .358 H&I per usual, and found as I was afraid of, that the bevel base created a mess with lube and makes a very tedious chore of cleaning up the 'butts' of the bullets.

So.. Here's my question.. finally..
I have not ever 'tumbled' bullets using Lee Alox.. After some research that seems to be the way to go.
Do I need to 'cut' the alox with mineral spirits before using or, can I just heat the alox in hot water and use as is?

And the second part of my question.. Can I, (since the bullets are coming out right at .358") alox the bullets and shoot without the 'sizing' process?

Thanks for the patience. :)

[runfiverun]

rdub
look for recluses sticky in the lube section.
amd yes you can lube them and not size them.

[mpmarty]

I lube with LLA and don't size at all normally. I don't thin the LLA with anything but a bit of heat when needed.

IMHO thinning reduces the lubricity of the LLA by reducing the film thickness. I've used LLA for many years with good results. Tumble lubing is quick and easy though a bit messy if you are as AR as I am and stand the boolits back up after dumping them on waxed paper.

[Jumping Frog]

Do I need to 'cut' the alox with mineral spirits before using or, can I just heat the alox in hot water and use as is?
I have an old Folgers red plastic coffee can. I use about an inch of water in the microwave for 4 minutes. Drop the Lee Liquid Alox container into the water to heat up, and then it flows like water for tumble lubing.

[mooman76]

I cut mine with mineral spirits but not much(about 10%). It is really just what you feel comfortable with. I here some dilute up to 50% with success and some mix with JPW so it isn't as sticky. I'm trying that next.

[bigboredad]

I use the 45/45 10 jpw mix and it does dry hard and I personally have had no problems with leading out of any of the guns I shoot

[RDub]

Ok, thanks much for the thoughts! I'll try this out soon. Probly after Christmas..

Merry Christmas all :drinks:

[Cloudpeak]

I cut my Xlox (same as LLA but cheaper and from a vendor on this site: http://www.lsstuff.com/lube/index.html ) about 10-15% with low odor mineral spirits. For sizing, I use the Lee push through sizers (around $13.00) and they work well.

[Tazman1602]

Hey Rdub,

Heck no, don't cut nuthin. Put that bottle of Alox in a cup of HOT water and let it sit for five minutes or so, the put the bullets in an old butter container or whatever and roll them around. Make SURE they are the size you think they are, I've got that mold and it consistently throws .359-.360 for me, one of the best molds I've got.

If the bullet fits your barrel slug, no reason to size if YOU DON'T WANT TO. Only reason might be to make sure they are round.

Heck do 20 without sizing and 20 with sizing and let us know the results on paper. Some of us old buggers are ALWAYS learning..................

Art

[jdgabbard]

A little off topic... But I've never understood why Lee or any other manufacturer puts bevel base designs on the market. Honestly, I've loaded quite a bit of ammo in my short loading career. And 95% of it has been cast lead. And I find that if the brass is trimmed to square it up, and properly flared I have no issue whatsoever seating the boolits. I think should I ever decide to purchase another Lee mold I will most likely have the bevel machined out. But then again I'm a very outspoken anti-Lee caster...

[RDub]

Well I've been shootin some, after loadin up some test rounds with the newly casted boolits from the LEE 358-158-RF mold. The test rounds duplicate loads using the RCBS SWC mold that shoot very well. I also loaded up some rounds using my old standby RCBS 158 SWC.
I ran some of the 358-158-RF boolits through a Lyman 450 sizer and the rest just tumbled with LEE Alox as cast. As casted, they are a fat .358"

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f218/rafswede/Shooting/Jan-10-1038Spcl.jpg

First, please disregard targets 1 - 12... This is what happens when you forget your shootin glasses and try to shoot anyway..:violin:

Movin on...

Range 25 yds
Temp 45°F
Just restin my wrists on sandbags.
4" S&W 686
.38 Special cases

Take a look at targets # 14 and 15. This is the same load. The only difference is, 14 is loaded with boolits sized in a 450 sizer to .358, and 15 is loaded with boolits tumbled with Alox as cast.
I would call that a significant difference..

Targets #16 - 20 are the rest of the test loads. Seems I always manage to 'throw' one off from the rest..:x

Anyway I'm quite pleased with this LEE mold so far. Lookin forward to working with it some more.

[geargnasher]

If the BB bothers you, just scrape it out with a sharp utility knife.

Gear

[lwknight]

I have great results with that mold as well. It drops a healthy .358 and releases easily even with Hardball mix. I just use the TL myself since the hydraulic lube is not necessary and the BB is a PITA in the lube sizer.

[Tazman1602]

Rdub --

Are you talking about the ones that are circled marked 13 and 14??? If so you're saying that 13 was sized and lubed to .358 in a lubesizer and 14 was TL'd with LLA and shot as cast? Inquiring minds want to know............

[XWrench3]

i only have lee dies, i shoot 5 different pistol calibers. and i shoot all of them with l.l.a lube. i use a LARGE plastic peanut butter jar and apply the lla directly, without heat or thinning. i rotate and flip the jar (with the top on of course) and spread them out on wax paper. let them dry and load em up. the only exception is for gas checked boolits. sometimes, for those, i use my homemade grease / wax/ (*&%$ / mix lube.

[RDub]

Rdub --

Are you talking about the ones that are circled marked 13 and 14??? If so you're saying that 13 was sized and lubed to .358 in a lubesizer and 14 was TL'd with LLA and shot as cast? Inquiring minds want to know............

Yes, that is correct.. but the targets in question are 14 and 15.

The 'sized and lubed' rounds were shot 'at' 14, and the Alox lubed rounds were shot at 15. Most of these .38 Spcl loads shot low and left, as the gun is sighted in for my .357 Mag carry loads.

[Tazman1602]

Whoa Nellie...............that's huge. Now I've got some more testing to do....

Thanks,

Art


Yes, that is correct.. but the targets in question are 14 and 15.

The 'sized and lubed' rounds were shot 'at' 14, and the Alox lubed rounds were shot at 15. Most of these .38 Spcl loads shot low and left, as the gun is sighted in for my .357 Mag carry loads.

[RDub]

Ok.. now I tried some loads with the LEE Alox lubed 358-158-RF bullets using .357 Mag cases.. To see if this bullet still shoots left. I duplicated loads that yield about 1000 fps with an RCBS 158 SWC mold.
Power Pistol has been providing some pretty amazing performance in my guns. I tried IMR4227 for the first time in .357 loads... Lots of unburned powder..


http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f218/rafswede/Shooting/02-07-10.jpg

This bullet insists on shooting left.. A lot more left than anything else I shoot in this 686.