Idea to Clean Tumble Lubed Boolits...

So I've been reading all about how tumble-lubed pills can leave build-up inside seating dies, which will eventually affect seating depth. I know I'm nowhere near the first to suggest cleaning pills before loading them, but I figured that showing my use of a commonly used tool to accomplish another task could help someone else.

I used a wood caliber-specific block to place the 230gr pills that were ready to load. Notice how the pill noses are just clearing the top of the block...I deliberately chose this size block to ensure I didn't take lube off of the grooves, where it's needed. I then dabbed a towel in mineral spirits, and ran it across the noses of the pills in the block:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RBH...ew?usp=sharing

A pic of a pill that was wiped in the block:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R8R...ew?usp=sharing

And the final product all loaded up and ready to go:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R30...ew?usp=sharing

Hope this helps in some way, even though I'm a n00b caster. Thanks for reading.

I get around most of the tumble lube transfer in my seating dies by dip lubing. I warm a bit of 45-45-10 in a small pan and grab bullets by the nose and dip them in the lube, some with big tweezers or forceps, sit them on a piece of aluminum foil to dry. If your method is working for you, great. I prefer to keep my bullet noses clean rather than have to clean them off later...

Both of your methods will work and each has something going for it.

I simply deal with the buildup in the seating die by making small adjustments as needed during a loading run.
The knob on my Lee seating die is marked for repeatability. As I adjust it, I can see how much buildup I am getting. When it gets to be too much, I remove the die and clean the gunk out of the die.
I can usually load up to 500 rounds before I need to clean it out.

So now we have three different methods of dealing with the same problem. A person can choose which method suits them the best.

PILL; i guess you mean BULLET! a pill is something you take for medical reasons

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Originally Posted by porthos

PILL; i guess you mean BULLET! a pill is something you take for medical reasons

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Sometimes a boolit is the proper 'pill' for idiots who need euthanizing. You know, the 'idiot' who walks into the Shooter's Grill in Rifle CO, where the staff all open carry, except the underage staff, and expect to rob the place. Yup, proper medicine for those who wish to take the 'room temperature challenge.'

I use Xlox on my TL bullets. I let them thoroughly dry by setting them out in a shallow aluminum pan for days. Then I re-tumble using a small dab of liquid auto wax. Again, I let them dry. I loaded many hundreds with this method and had zero lube buildup on my seating dies/screw. So why don't I use the 45/45/10? Because I have a 32 ounce bottle of Xlox to use. I have found that using the Xlox and then the liquid car wax keeps my barrels cleaner than if I use Xlox alone. When using Xlox, it's best to use a light coating as a heavy coating doesn't work any better, so I have found.

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Originally Posted by porthos

PILL; i guess you mean BULLET! a pill is something you take for medical reasons

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Of course he was talking about bullets. The word Pill in place of bullets was a term used during the Civil War where the slang was "Lincolns Pill". The word Pill for bullets is still used by a lot of people across the big pond. Not the first time I've seen the term used in this forum or other forums. Actually the word Bullet originated in France for cannonball over 500 years ago.

I like your methods, and I have plenty of time on my hands nowadays. I have always chosen a day about once or twice a year, as needed, and disassembled all of my dies and cleaned them and reassembled them. Now like tazman I'll have a few different choices. Good thread.

I like a bit of lube on the bullet as it keeps the lead from oxidising. My thinking dates back from when factory loaded 38 specials, came with bees wax on the bullet...

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Originally Posted by gnostic

I like a bit of lube on the bullet as it keeps the lead from oxidising. My thinking dates back from when factory loaded 38 specials, came with bees wax on the bullet...

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I remember those. The stuff would sometimes dry and flake off. Some of the swaged lead boolits from that era also came with a wax coating.

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Originally Posted by tazman

I remember those. The stuff would sometimes dry and flake off. Some of the swaged lead boolits from that era also came with a wax coating.

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When we were kids we'd take a coping saw and cut X's in the bullet. Causing them to expand and break into pieces depending on the resistance of the target...

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Originally Posted by mdi

I get around most of the tumble lube transfer in my seating dies by dip lubing. I warm a bit of 45-45-10 in a small pan and grab bullets by the nose and dip them in the lube, some with big tweezers or forceps, sit them on a piece of aluminum foil to dry. If your method is working for you, great. I prefer to keep my bullet noses clean rather than have to clean them off later...

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Or, you could just tumble the dried TL'd bullets in Motor Mica......

I use BLL for tumbling and it doesn't gum up my dies.