Did the tumble lube contaminate my powder charge?

[Dave C.]

Ok, first let me say that I have used this lube with good results on double ended wad cutters.
I had a large quantity of HBWC at a good price. But they leaded the barrel. They measured .357" with very little lube.
So I tried my trusty LLA/Johnson tumble lube on 20 of them. I left them dry over night and loaded them up.

The next trip to the range they shot well and no leading! So I tumble lubed the remaining bullets left them dry for about a week
and loaded them up. Now, 2 years later 90% of them shoot well but the other 10% are under powered to the point of tumbling at less than 25 yards. They go through the target broadside. Yes I check the barrel to see if the bullet made it out.

I pulled the bullets from a sample of them and found that some of them had the powder caked in the hollow base of the bullet.
Maybe the lube that got in the hollow base of the bullet still had some residual solvent left in it and over an extended time contaminated the powder charge? Rounds that I loaded before and after with the same primers and powder, yes I record everything,
but with double ended cast boolits the same week are 100%.

The good news is that I only have 2,000 of them left. The bad news is I have 2,000 of them left.

What say you?

Dave C.

[DRNurse1]

Great practice, teaching loads, skip competing with them.

I do not tumble lube (at all!) so I cannot address the process, but I have had issues if lube wound up on the base of bullets and then the assembled cartridges were stored for a prolonged period (or travelled through a variety of weather extremes).

BTW, thanks for the great match this past weekend!

[williamwaco]

I have never seen lube damage the powder.

BUT -

A hollowbase wadcutter can hold a LOT of lube.

I suspect that is what happened.

[gwpercle]

After reloading, store them so the boolit is up and the powder down against the primer, I'm thinking this would keep the powder away from the lube in the hollow base. If that hollow base contained lube, it and the powder didn't agree. Are those other 2000 already tumble lubed? If so , reload and shoot them within the month, 2 years in contact with the lube might have been too long. Or load them hollow base first!
Gary

[Dave C.]

Great practice, teaching loads, skip competing with t

BTW, thanks for the great match this past weekend!

I can hear the commands in my sleep!

Dave C.

[Dave C.]

Are those other 2000 already tumble lubed?
Gary

Lubed and loaded 2 years ago.

[John Boy]

What say you?

I say, lube does not contaminate either smokeless or black powder reloads with no wad separating the powder column & the bullet or using a grease cookie

Background:
I had close to 3000 center fire reloads that were under 36" of salt water from Super Storm Sandy. After cleaning the cases, I have been shooting them monthly. Almost finished using them up and only close to 50 didn't ignite. Reason? When I pulled the bullets, the powder was wet!

Reloads ranged from revolver center fires to 50-70 BPCR reloads

[Dave C.]

Ok; What happened to them?
Dave C.