lube leaking past Lee 358-125-RF boolit.

[Marlin Hunter]

Lube (Felix) is leaking past the Lee 358-125-RF boolit, and gets on the nose. The lube groove is also not filling properly. The harder I turn the crank the more comes out onto the nose. I am guessing that the size die is barrel shaped on the inside. The boolits base band is 0.085" thick, the second band is 0.065" thick, and the top part is 0.055" then tapers to the ogive. I have the boolit seated to where the edge of the lube hole in the sizer is about half way into the boolits lube groove and the rest of the hole is towards the base. Below is a kinda picture. The upper and lower negative signs "-" are the lube hole, the "0" is the boolits lube groove, and below that is an underscore "_" which is the base of the boolit.
-0
-_

I fiddled with different depths but nothing happens. Tried different temps from hot and runny to cold ~55*F. At 55*F the lube is very flaky and has white streaks and comes off easier. I think that it's from the cold wax tearing past the sharp corners in the sizer die.

It's an RCBS luber with Lyman 0.359 die. Boolits cast 0.362 (yes .362). Boolits measure 0.359 after sizing. I used 92-6-2 Pb/Sb/Sn mix. Boolits are ~16 BHN with the Lee tester and my half blind crooked eye. Punch is centered in die. I checked with feeler gauge wires.

I don't have this problems with and of my 44 cal boolits, 45 rifle boolits, or Lee 452-200-SWC pistol boolit. I have no other boolits that have lube grooves.

[462]

Marlin Hunter,
Too much reservoir pressure?

[Echo]

+1 462. MH, you should use just enough pressure to fill the lube groove - DON't crank the pressure way up!
I assume you are using a Lyman/RCBS LS - right?

[sagacious]

Yup, too much pressure can do that. Warm the sizer just enough that it does not require a lot of reservoir pressure.

Also, adjusting the depth stop should have an effect. You can adjust the depth stop so that the lube port just barely reaches the lube groove (i.e: shallower). That setting gives the least potential for lube leakage.

[Spudgunr]

Do the bullets cast .362 in all directions? Could it be egg shaped and one way is less than the .359?

[mooman76]

I usually run mine in twice to make sure the gooves are filled.

[Marlin Hunter]

Do the bullets cast .362 in all directions? Could it be egg shaped and one way is less than the .359?

It's .362 x .361. There is shine around the entire boolit from sizing.

[Marlin Hunter]

+1 462. MH, you should use just enough pressure to fill the lube groove - DON't crank the pressure way up!
I assume you are using a Lyman/RCBS LS - right?

Yes, it's an RCBS LAM2 with the newer Lyman 2 holer sizer (not the older 4 holer). I have one row (level) of holes blocked off.

I first thought that air was trapped in the groove, but if the wax can come out, the air should also come out.

More fiddling needed.

[Marlin Hunter]

I tried different lube and it now works better.