Is anybody up?

[PatMarlin]

I just slugged the barrel on my Trapdoor, and eventhough it's hard to measure it looks like it's .461 groove.

The fattest boolit I have is .460-.461 at the base, and I want to shoot her tomorrow. I don't have a sizer that size, so I've LEE aloxed them. Question is when/how can I apply mica? Just after I tumble them, or tomorrow morning?

Never used the mica powder before. I never use alox any more either.

Probably won't shoot worth a damn, but gotta give her a try.. :drinks:

[bishopgrandpa]

I have an NEI mold that throws a 400 and 500 RN using WW and 50/50 at .464. Would either of these be of help?

[44woody]

Pat you can pit mica on them any time after you size them a friend of mine uses mica and does his weeks in advance of loading them to apply you just put the projectiles in a contaner and shake them up I hope this helps :castmine: 44Woody

[44man]

Pat, why didn't you just rub lube in the grooves by hand? I use soft lubes like Felix for smokeless and an even softer lube for BPCR and it is easy to just smear it in the grooves with a finger. I don't like that tumble lube stuff, it will be rubbed off the boolit before it reaches the end of the barrel. My worst leading was with the stuff. Some guys like it and have luck with it, but not me.

[SharpsShooter]

My question is why Mica in the first place? Also if you are loading Black Powder, that alox ain't worth a nickel. The diameter you list is fine if the alloy is soft enought to obdurate upon firing. I'd forget the mica and load smokeless data in the proper range if it was all I had.

SS

[Urny]

Mornin', Pat. I use mica on LLA lubed boolits, usually apply it the day after lubing. It works OK to keep the seating stems in the reloading dies clean, and does the same for hands. Also helps reduce the chance of something clinging to the loaded round and winding up in your barrel. I know this won't matter in your current use, but the mica does a nice job of polishing up those push through sizers, too.

[Newtire]

I used the mica before and just put it on right after the LLA dried. It's primary job for me was just to keep the LLA from picking up dirt. Any kind of lube that is soft is going to be messy. LLA is the nastiest. It works just dandy in everything I've used it in and gives "0" leading, mica or not. I picked up a Lyman sizer and have been Felix-lubing most stuff but for the different sizer sizes I dont have. I honestly don't really see any difference in performance between LLA and Felix. The are both great lubes if you ask me although the Alox stinks more and smokes more. I used Alox on the RanchDog with full power .444 loads as well as in .44 mag & .30-30 full power and (like 44 man says) some guys like it just fine.

[PatMarlin]

Thanks for the tips fellas.

I'm using mica, cause I don't like how LLA gums up tools. I thought about hand lubing but I was making some turkey soup, and I didn't want touch any gunk last night. Felix lube mighta been kinda tasty in my homade soup, but i didn't want to take a chance.. it was a giant pot... :mrgreen:

THe lead is ACWW, and I'm going to use smokeless cause I gots no BP.. !:drinks: I've got fake BP, but I didn't want to experiement with that on my old rilfe. At least with smokeless, I know what pressures I'm dealing with.

Now how much Felix lube to a quart of soup?.. :mrgreen:

[44man]

Yeah, it is strange that I never got either it or 50-50 alox to work. I don't know why unless it is my boolits, powders or whatever. I remember shooting 50-50 in a .38 special years ago and even having leading on the outside of a S&W and the grooves filled to the top in the bore. I have tried it in many guns but Felix and Lar's CR work the best. Next is LBT magnum and then LBT blue.
Maybe it is mental, who knows? Each of us does different things and has different results so I will not ever say not to do this or that but only give suggestions. Some of my stuff doesn't work for some of you but I sure try what you say to do and I post what happens. Some very good, some not so good.

[PatMarlin]

I have an NEI mold that throws a 400 and 500 RN using WW and 50/50 at .464. Would either of these be of help?

Are you selling either of those BG?

[bishopgrandpa]

pm address and I will send some to try.

[Powderpacker]

Pat -
Apparently the mica leaves a neat "con-trail" as the boolit heads down range. I load at the range when I'm working up loads and I keep my lubed boolits dusted with mica for the reasons listed above. When the other guys at the range notice I'm shooting 'those boolits' they stop shooting and start watching - - seems to be a real crowd pleaser. Or maybe they're just easily amused.
Ted