Do you lube or powder coat the cast boolits?

[Kevinkd]

My 38, 357, 45 and 308 (slow plinkers) I use 45-45-10. They all shoot phenomenal. I'm not changing that any time soon.

As for the 308 heavy loads and 45-70's I used pan lubing, or a homemade lube press (simple one at a time). They work fine so not PC at this time (maybe in a few years).

Also kinda hoping for people to all switch to PC, so I can get used lube sizers and dies on the cheap

I can see the benefit but this time I'm sticking with lubing.

PS: One more thing, is if you re-capture your slugs, they will need to be broken or they may pop like a full metal jacket when heated (also the PC is gunking in smelting pot).

Peace

[hpeach]

hey- please fix the math on the survey results. the total is well over 100%.

[alamogunr]

hey- please fix the math on the survey results. the total is well over 100%.

Some voted twice?

[michiganmike]

I learned of BLL (Bill's Liquid Lube) and haven't looked back. It requires very little extra equipment (I bought a generic squeeze ketchup bottle at Gordon's Foods), is easy to use and yields excellent, consistent results. I have no plans to look further. Great job Bill!

[Down South]

From the numbers, it appears that the powder coaters are catching up with us old time lubers.

[hpeach]

wonderful, the survey adds up to 113%. that is great!

[10x]

In my 22 Hornet with the 37 Grain PB NOE bullet, powder coat is a sweet solution to give small groups.
Same load of subsonic 37 grain bullets with lube and powder coat - the powder coat groups were consistently 2/3 the size.
Just one gun's preference but in general powder coating matches or improves group size with all calibers I have used it.

[hutch18414]

Since I found out about BLL I haven't even thought about using another lube. All of my pistol loads get it, and thanks to a member here I have been trying out some 30xcb bullets with gas checks and 2 coats of BLL. Have pushed them at 2500+ with absolutely no leading. And plan on trying them a little faster, just for giggles. And I don't see any need to buy all that stuff to powder coat and jump through those hoops when BLL works so well. And another thanks to Ben for his great contribution to my shooting pleasure.

[yondering]

From the numbers, it appears that the powder coaters are catching up with us old time lubers.

I think many of us are the same people. I suspect the majority of powder coaters are people who used bullet lube in the past, and just switched or do both now.

Certainly of course there are some new casters who only powder coat and don't know the older ways, but I bet that's a small minority.

[trapper9260]

I size and lube on the sizer.I do not clean my barrel if I will just shoot cast .But if I shot jacket I will.The part I do clean is the chamber.Also found that when i shoot shot from my case with out the cap that I get no problems also with leading.I been size and lube since I started to cast and reloading I see no reason to change.I do not need any heat for my lube if I make it soft enough if I like to also.

[dmccord]

My lub a sizer is lonely, I have switched to powder coating everything. Less smoke and the dies stay cleaner. The reason I started was because my Grand Daughter started shooting with me at my little range (she was 8 then) and I heard the lead was worse for children that for us older guys and I do not know if its a problem or not but I just did not want to risk it with her around. Now she is 12 and she shoots and runs my Dillon 650 so I would not want her handling the lead bullets so this way its all sealed up and safe for her to handle when she is running the press.

I did enjoy running the Lube A Sizer I do not know why I just liked it.

[Whitespider]

I missed this thread the first time around...

I guess I'm too much of a traditionalist, coating lead-alloy boolits with epoxy/paint just seems wrong to me. It seems like a jacketed bullet to me... the gilding metal replaced with gilding epoxy/paint. And, colored boolits also look wrong to me... just wrong. I'm not putting anyone down for using PC... whatever floats your boat is the "right" thing for you, I'm only stating what's "wrong" to me, and only me.

However, I do see the advantages to PCing for certain applications... indoor shooting being the big one. And I am contemplating giving PC (shake 'n' bake) a try on the little .22 boolits used in my Hornet... they're a huge pain to get properly checked, lubed, and sized without wiping out the lube grooves. But then again, standing those little boolits on their bases and transferring them to the oven seems like it would be a challenge.

*

[murf205]

Both. Squeeze and grease and cookin' depends on what I launch 'em in.

[trixter]

Just an observation, I started with Lee Liquid Alox because that was what came with my Lee sizer kit for 452. I quickly learned that almost every time I was using too much. When I finally got it right, it dried nicely and worked great. When applied properly you shouldn't hardly be able to see it, and should dry overnight, or in about 2 hours with a fan on it.
So what I have concluded is this, most folks use too much, leaving the seating die coated and a mess.
Yes I still have to clean my seating die, but not nearly as often. Just an observation.

[17nut]

Yes and no.

I sometimes lube and for the rest i use Hi-Tek wich is actually formulated as a bullet lubricant not an industrial surface coating like PC.

[Lloyd Smale]

I do it both ways depending on the purpose for the bullet. High velocity rifle and pistol bullets for that semi auto guns get pc'd. Revolver and lever gun level rifle bullets get lube sized.

[trixter]

I used Lee Liquid Alox on my rifle boolits, and I think I have enough for a lifetime Lee C-309-150 F for my 30-06 and a bolt action Remington in 300 Savage. For my 223 lead boolits, so far I have run them through a lube sizer, but I am experimenting with powder coating them. For my 380, Hornady XTP factory bullets only, and for my 45 and 9mm I am powder coating all of them. So, a little of everything.

[edadmartin]

Hey, ive only been reloading for 5 years.i really enjoy all aspects except for one, lubing.somethines pan lube somestimes tumbl lube .ive made my own and ive used alox too. Its messy and stinky and at my indoor range its unpleasant at best.
So i cast and powder coated 4 batches of 200 gr lswc boolits and tried 4 different powders. White and black from powder by the pound red from hf.and a mixture of hf red and Pbtp black. I used the shake n bake method without any paintballs to raise static.
I tumbled them for 1 hour. About 50-75 at a time.Then put them on the toaster oven tray with parchment paper under them . The heat was set at 400 and i set the timer at 25 minutes. When done and still hot i quenched them in water. This seemed to eliminate the sticking together. All in all they came out good and sized fine. You must be carefull to get excess powder off before dumping onto the oven tray or they do stick together. I think when my system is perfected ill never look back on grease lube again.the caviaut would be for precision loading for long range competition.
Now you all will have to test for your self methods will and do vary. Powder by the pound is about 4 times as expensive. Ford blue black dark green do work well and only need one baking to cover well. HF red is the best for coverage and price.
I did add some PBTP black to the HF red and got a plumb color they worked together just fine. Fortunecookie 45lc and elvis ammo both have great info on you tube. Its fun it works plus the barrell in my 1911 doesnot leadup and it cleans quickly.

[gwpercle]

I was kind of surprised at the poll , I thought myself and maybe two other old guys were still cranking the handle on a lube sizer.....figured everyone had gone over to the new improved "shake & bake" method of doing it !

OK I just figured out what's going on....take a look at the age poll.....most of us are OLD guys...we have trouble with new tricks!
Gary

[Reverend Al]

I had to vote "other" since I use both methods ...