I use both a conventional Lyman lubrisizer and tumble 45-45-10. My 3rd method is jacketed bullets.
With over 45 years using lube, I saw no need to PC for my situation. Low smoke is not an attribute I require.
Initially, PC techniques involved standing bullets up and ES coating...definitely not for me. The development of using airsoft BB’s was a huge improvement, and now that people are getting acceptable results dumping coated bullets onto a tray makes the process much less onerous.
If I was starting over, I would start with BLL, as it must be the best bang for the buck wrt time and money. If what you shoot does not lead, and is accurate, you are done. I have never tumble lubes but have a lifetime supply of Johnson One Step just in case my Star bites the dust. It is truly a good way to lube.
As I have a Star, and only use a handful of different bullets, nothing is better for my needs. IF you shoot many different calibers, and bullet styles, it is a poor choice. IMHO
If BLL does not work for you, try PC. The issue I see with PC is the need to cook the coating...that is an outdoor activity or done under a vent hood if indoors.
Take claims of accuracy with caution. I do not believe many, if any, cast benchrest competitors use PC. If it was a panacea, they would all use it. But then do you need that degree of performance? Sometimes good enough is good enough. For the vast majority of pistol shooting it is a moot point anyway.
Again, if I was starting over and wanted to experiment with different calibers and bullets styles, BLL, or PC in that order. Unless most of your shooting will be 9mm..Then PC gives you a higher chance of success.
BTW, I only use lubes....but I have a large investment in the equipment and it has worked for me for many decades. For me to recommend BLL and/or PC is telling.
Don Verna
When you figure out how to load TL bullets, and when you find the guns that can shoot 'em (not all of them can), then it's as good as it gets. No need for PC. But PC will work in most all your guns.
When you have a case and bullet that seals the chamber and bore, you don't necessarily get any smoke using TL. I can do rapid fire in an indoor range and make no smoke with many of my locked breech guns where all the stars have lined up. I have zero fouling in these guns with TL bullets. My 10mm pistol in an interesting example. When loaded in 40SW cases, I get smoke coming out of the chamber. With 10mm cases, no smoke. If everything is sealed tight, the lube (Alox, to be specific) seems to combust pretty much completely/cleanly so there's no smoke. You still get the Alox smell, though.
Rifles are another example. No smoke, at all, in any TL rifle load I have ever fired.
Blowbacks and revolvers always make smoke with TL, IME.
Last edited by gloob; 02-18-2019 at 06:41 AM.
So I think I am having some success improving my PC system. This is what I came up with. I have a lot of these take out containers. I keep finding uses for them with reloading and casting.
I did have a few boolits that stuck together end to end. I feel better about culling a couple given the amount of time saved.
I tumble lube what I cast and for the type of shooting I do, it has always worked out fine. I have purchased some PC boolits though and have really been impressed with them. I guess it all depends how involved a person wants to get and how much room they have to get set up to do PC. With the results I've had with the PC I"ve purchased - I'll buy more for sure and forget about casting/TL for those calibers.
You can find a toaster oven secondhand pretty cheap. I held out for a convention model because I heard those were a bit better.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |