Lead Cores

[plus1hdcp]

Ok guys, I anticipate BT to be finishing up some 22 dies in the near future and want to talk about cores. I have my lead cores cast and bled to a common weight. I have read others have taken these cores prior to use and degrease and/or boil to clean. These are bench rest guys and wonder if there is any gain to our use? I look forward to your comments.

[Utah Shooter]

Are you talking about them cleaning the lube off after squirting?

[plus1hdcp]

Excatly

[Utah Shooter]

Yes that is a must.

[plus1hdcp]

Appreciate the reply, time to fire up the turkey fryer and put on a pot of water (man I get a lot of uses out of the turkey fryer propane base I purchased years ago)

[R.Ph. 380]

I just planned on cleaning with mineral spirits and roll around on towel. Would it be better to boil?

Bill

[Utah Shooter]

Anyway you can get the junk off. I use Acetone but then again I have change from using bullet making lube to using 3 in 1 oil.

P.S. Gotta love those turkey fryers.

[plus1hdcp]

I'll have to try 3 in 1 oil as a swage lube.

[Lizard333]

Acetone. You need the cores to be as clean as you can get them. Lube left on can be a bad thing.....

[plus1hdcp]

How long to soak/agitate in acetone? 5-10 minutes or so?

[sargenv]

Lube left on can be a bad thing.....

Wondering why this is true?

[dkmulford]

Wondering why this is true?

Yeah, I'd like to know as well. I've read where you *must* clean the lead cores....but I've left them as is and gone to the range and had very accurate shots out to 200 yards. What are the problems?

D

[Lizard333]

As far as cleaning my cores, I use a canning jar, and place the cores inside and add the acetone. Place the lid on and roll your cores around for about 30 seconds. I use the lid as a strainer and pour our the acetone. I pour the cores on a clean towel and allow the acetone to evaporate.

As far as cleaning them...... You have the possiblity of core jacket seperation. Think about it. What is the swage lube providing you when you swage? It gives you a physical barrier preventing your lead or jacket from gauling to the dies. Leaving the lube on the core prevents the lead and jacket from bonding.

Now, it doesn't happen very often, but the fact that it might happen, is reason enough for me. I value my face and firearms.

[mold maker]

How would lead/jacket separation be dangerous to your face or gun?
With 20,000+ psi behind the closed base of the jacket, it is pushing the lead, to at least, exit the barrel.
Just asking, I learn every day.

[midnight]

It seems to me that cores that are not very firmly pressed against the inside of the jacket will spin at a different RPM than the jacket due to the difference in density between the jacket and the core (inertia) and that cannot be good for accuracy. Maybe the lands pressing the jacket into the core lock them together well enough, I don't know. It seems to me that the tighter the fit of the core in the jacket, the better off you are. Bonding would be even better and we havn't even begun to discuss terminal performance on game.

Bob

[BT Sniper]

Going back to the 3 in 1 oil....... I haven't tried it but the only thing I currently reccomend to be used in my dies is an Anhydros Lanolin mixed lube.

As far as removing any lube from inside of jacket or core..... YES it is common practice to remove all the lube possible. You guys put in this much effort in making these bullets I can't imigine you want to leave anything to chance when it comes to how well these bullets will shoot for you. A simple soak in mineral spirits and rub down in a large towel is what I do but you can't be "too" clean in your practices.

BT

[Utah Shooter]

3 in 1is what my "mentor" uses. I decided to give it a try and have not seen a need to go back. It works great and comes off super fast.

[fredj338]

How would lead/jacket separation be dangerous to your face or gun?
With 20,000+ psi behind the closed base of the jacket, it is pushing the lead, to at least, exit the barrel.
Just asking, I learn every day.

Well the core is probably leaving the bbl but a stuck jacket getting hit by another bullet is NOT going to be good for the bbl, gun or maybe shooter.

[Reload3006]

I doubt very seriously that you would stick a jacket in your bore. But you remove as much lube as possible. I personally use MEK (Methyl Ethyl Keytone) to clean mine and I too use only anhydrous lanolin and castor oil ... the reason for cleaning as much lube off the cores as possible is to reduce the amount of voids and make a more accurate bullet. As BT said why go through all the trouble of drawing jackets, swaging an accurate core. Then throwing away the work in making an accurate core by not cleaning it when you core seat? Trapped air is a real accuracy killer in swaged bullets. the more you can do to eliminate it and insure more consistant accurate core seating will result in the most accurate bullet you are able to make. Dont do it it won't blow up your gun but you probably will have a bunch of Boolits that arent very good for even plinking

[plus1hdcp]

Thanks guys for a good discussion. I used anhydrous lanolin and castor oil as a lube and a swirl/soak in mineral spirits to aid in cleaning. One reason I started this topic and I was not too terribly clear is I read where others were adding an additional step of boiling in a dishwasher soap mixture and subsequent rinse. I have not done this to my cores but it seems like a small extra step to take. I also like the line Reload3006 added "to reduce the amount of voids and make a more accurate bullet." BT also commented, "you guys put in this much effort in making these bullets I can't imagine you want to leave anything to chance when it comes to how well these bullets will shoot for you." As for me, I have not yet received all my dies and hope mine will be included in the shipment BT received this week but I plan to add a second cleaning, if you will, to the swaged cores and anxiously await the final steps to make my own. Thanks again for a good discussion.