Lube build up in seating die?

[gishooter]

I've begun loading .303 cast bullets. I'm having a hell of a time keeping a consistent bullet seating depth. The bullet lube from the bullets seem to be building up inside the seating die and starts seating the bullet deeper than needed. After about 20 rounds I have to clean it out.
What am I doing wrong? Or is there any way to get around this?

[prs]

I tend to get that problem when using a very soft black powder type of lube on my .45 Colts, not quite as bad as every 20 rounds though. I suspect you may also be getting some scraping or shaving of the boolit with the case mouths too, right? Dang case mouth dies are typically spec'd for those dern copper condom bullets and are a wee bit snug for our lead cast jewells. Try an "M" die or such and see if the boolits don't slip in thar with less scrape and less de-lubing of the grooves.

prs

[happy7]

If you are using Lee Liquid Alox, then you are putting it on too thick. Not only is it messy and wasteful, but bullets are normally more accurate with a thinner coat of lube.

[44man]

Me too but I love my lube. Results at the target is more important to me so I put up with cleaning dies---and the bench--and the press handle-- and everything else lube gets on. :drinks:

[Hickory]

This is the one thing that plagues us shooters/casters/reloaders.
It seems that we're always cleaning something.
Wether it's a bore on your gun, boolit mould, reloading dies or
just wiping things down to keep the rust at bay.
It's still fun no matter what. Or, it's the price you pay for having fun.

[smilie=s: :bigsmyl2:

[mooman76]

You didn't say what type of lube which is needed to help you out better. Yes it is a problem fairly common especially when you use LLA. I'm assuming you use LLA. Put it on thinner. You can also wipe it of the nose of the bullet with thinner and a rag to cut down on excess. Or you can apply it differently by putting a little on wax paper and rolling the bullets through the lube with something like a ruller or paint stirrer. Either wat takes more time but it also takes more time to clean your clean your dies.

[Shiloh]

One has to clean them on occasion. Experience dictates when. I agree with what happy7 said about light, thin coats of ALox lube. It works a LOT better and in not as messy on your dies or firearms. Like Hickory said, we're always cleaning something. Add seating dies to the list.

Shiloh

[462]

Hickory and Shiloh have it right...just part of the hobby.

Hopefully you are expanding the case mouth with either a Lyman M die or a Lee universal neck expander. Rifle die sets don't come with an expander and they are required when loading boolits, the same as with a handgun cartridge.

[mpmarty]

I finally broke down and melted some JPW in LLA for a 50/50 ratio and the resulting coating is less messy and seems to dry faster also. I don't experience the filling up of the seating punch you describe.

[Crash_Corrigan]

When loading my .38's on my Dillon 550 I used to have serious problems in that area. I bought Dillons dies with the spring metal thingie that allows removal of the guts of the seating and crimping dies without taking the die out of the toolhead. This only takes a few seconds and a rapid removal with a Q Tip soaked in Ed's Red or Mineral Spirits gets you back to loading again real fast.

Use of light coatings of LLA and JPW mixed 50/50 and allowed to dry overnight also lessens the need to clean the dies. Use of a properly adjusted expansion die with powder flow through ala Dillon or Lee prevents even more lube build up.

As said before this is a price we pay for the use of lead boolits that is not paid if you use the expensive j word bullets.

[deltaenterprizes]

Dillon pistol dies have a hole drilled lengthwise to vent built up lube away from the stem in the bullet seating die build up after only 20 bullets seems to indicate other problems.

[gishooter]

Not LLA, I'm using the Lar's white label 2500 lube. And yes, I'm using a Lyman M die. Have not noticed any bullet shaving. [smilie=b:

[ghh3rd]

I've got to scrape Felix lube from my .44 Hornady seating die fairily often. Not sure what the preferred method of die cleaning is, but I have been scraping lube out with a pointy wooden Shish Kabob stick.

[gishooter]

I started belling the mouth of the cases even more. I was doing it just enough to keep the bullets from shaving. But I'm thinking the edges of the case mouth were still pushing a thin ring of lube up and off the bullet when seating. That is the only thing that makes sense to me right now. I'm going to try that. During my next batch of bullets I'll also try to put a little less lube on each bullet going thru my Lyman lube/sizer.

[462]

gishooter,
I think you are on the right track, by expanding the case mouth a bit more.

Don't know how you can put less lube on the boolit, though.

[gishooter]

UPDATE: I just belled (a lot) the rest of the 100 cases I was loading. Damned lube still building up inside the seating die in less than 15 rounds! Then the bullets get seated way too deep if I bring the press handle down more than halfway.:-(

[Dutchman]

WD40 on a .45 pistol patch gets bullet lube out of seating dies real good. I use WD40 as a cleaner on all manner of "stuff". Works good for die interiors.

Dutch

[mastercast.com]

Folks,

This is what you run into with "JELLY LUBE"...it builds up in the dies and needs to be cleaned out VERY FREQUENTLY or the bullets seat much deaper in the case and pressures RISE!!!

Find a lube that is clean to use and does not build up in the seating/crimping die. Some folks call that "Crayola Lube" but it sure works here! No build up in the seating/crimp die to worry about and ZERO leading.

It seems that those that complain about "Crayola Lube" make the "JELLY LUBE".

I do not make bullet lubricant here or sell the same.

[DWM]

I was reading this post with interest , I have the same problem , same lube , I have RCBS 30'06 dies and bought Lee dies as they are easy to clean , I need to do a trick , I have sucess a very cold day , the lube get frozen and no build up at the dies , next time I'll put the bullets in the freezer to have a hard lube and load it ..

Daniel

[happy7]

I would be willing to be that using a harder lube, like Lar's Carnuba Red would solve the problem, as mastercast indicates. You could also maybe try freezing the lubed bullets before you load them.

However, the 2500 I don't think is a really soft lube. I am not really able to visualize how you are losing so much lube off your bullets so quickly. I have not really had this happen, even with really soft lubes like speed green. Usually excess lube ends up on the case and the bullet for me. Perhaps if you try a different brand of seating die. Just out of curiosity, which bullet is it that you are using? A lot of lube grooves, or a really large lube groove?

[MT Gianni]

I don't mond cleaning the dies as I find lube to be a function of accuracy. I would rather shoot small groups, if that involves cleaning the dies so be it.

[rob45]

You could also maybe try freezing the lubed bullets before you load them.

This is one of those things that I have heard of being done, yet I have never tried it myself. When I ask others about it, the response is the same- they've only "heard about it".

My question is this: Has anyone tried this, and if so, were any condensation problems experienced?
Seems like anything I bring from a cold environment (freezer) to a warm environment (loading bench) starts to sweat.

Maybe I'm too old-fashioned in that I like to "keep my powder dry". I also do not like the idea of condensation in contact with a steel reloading tool.
Perhaps it doesn't even have an impact on things. Maybe there isn't any condensation, or if there is, there isn't enough to be of any detriment.

Like I said, I've never tried it, nor do I need to. But it would be interesting to hear from someone who has done it, and what the results were.

[DWM]

Rob

for me was a surprise loading with cold bullets from the garage and found the lube was not sticky , and hard , I think temperature was around 2ºC (I'm in europe not sure or Fahrenheit measures ) , I plan to freeze to -14 ºC and wait until they are around 2 to 5º C , you have condensation from the air humidity , I live in the coast and I have 70 to 80 % humidity in central Spain you have under 50% or lower , this water it's pure and no salts to produce corrosion , you need to wait until the bullet dry or blow with an hairdryer ( cold air OK ) , I'll post my experiences.

daniel

[gishooter]

Bullets are from a Lyman 314299 mould. Sized at .314 with a Hornady GC. Running it thru the Lyman 450. The lube is fairly firm. I put enough pressure on the lube sizer to fill the grooves and creeps up the side of the bullet. The die se is RCBS. :confused:

[mastercast.com]

Folks,

If you freeze the lube and/or the bullets, the lube will not stick to the bullet.

Just thought I would share that with you.

Stuff that "sticks" in warm weather, does not work worth a darn in cold weather. The USPS flat rate boxes that I use for shipping here come with a glue tab to close the boxes. Works like the devil in warm weather, but not worth a c*#p in cold weather. Just an example of what I am talking about.

[DWM]

HI Master , I freeze the lubed bullets , not the lube , the bullet , and try to lube it.... or this is the way I think to do it... after loading at normal temperature the lube will be soft again .

Daniel