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Thread: No need for boolit lubes with easy powder coating available ??

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy

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    No need for boolit lubes with easy powder coating available ??

    Is there anyone that thinks this? Is there an application of lube on a lead bullet that I or anyone else should be using?

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy MaLar's Avatar
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    I only lube my Black Powder cartridge rounds.
    Make my own lube.
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  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Even easier is BLL and no oven needed when the SHTF.
    Don Verna


  4. #4
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    I lube powder coated boolits for my trapdoor, but only when I'm using black powder.
    if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by rancher1913 View Post
    I lube powder coated boolits for my trapdoor, but only when I'm using black powder.
    Yup me to.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    You can lube in the conventional manner, or you can powder coat, or you can use that new high-tech coating. All will take about the same amount of time and effort, but conventional lubing may actually be quicker.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Froogal View Post
    You can lube in the conventional manner, or you can powder coat, or you can use that new high-tech coating. All will take about the same amount of time and effort, but conventional lubing may actually be quicker.
    I have a Star. Powder coating is never going to be as fast unless you can shoot unsized bullets.
    Don Verna


  8. #8
    Boolit Master
    JWFilips's Avatar
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    I'm a traditionalist! However That said; I have been proving PC coating is far better in my shooting hands down in the past 3 years!
    " Associate with men of good quality, if you esteem your own reputation: for it is better to be alone than in bad company. " George Washington

  9. #9
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    I think its a question of what you prefer. I have several great molds that make bullets my guns really like-- but they are plain based. Those, I powder coat so that I can use them at reasonably high velocities. On the ogher hand, I have some gas-checked molds that give me great accuracy with a little lube-- so those I stay traditional using lube. I automatically PC any plain based bullet, just so I don't have to worry about velocity limitations.
    Hick: Iron sights!

  10. #10
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    What ever my guns like they get.

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  11. #11
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    Went to powder coating 100%-sold the 450; three the Lee mule snot away, cleaner in both application and shooting, leaves bore cleaner, no smelly smoke, and pc’d boolits slide through the sizer like butter. And my favorite is color coating by use/ velocity or hardness or what ever- 357 max for example- blue for target- plinking- varmint loads black for hunting loads- red for hot hollow point boolits. Love it. Also love that the same “lube” ie PC acts the same in 95 degrees or -20.

  12. #12
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    I am shooting unsized in all calibers at the present , and so I do save the step of sizing , but my biggest time saver was not having to clean out seating and crimping dies , but I did save the liquid lube for if there is no more powder coat or electricity goes down , same as I have saved the old cast casting pot and ladles , same reason I use balance beam scales and case trimmer that runs off hand , I like coated but if I need it lube and sizer are still here along with all the older molds , just in case they are needed.

  13. #13
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    Larry Gibson's Avatar
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    I still prefer to size and lube in a lubrasizer. I've done considerable testing of PC'd bullets That several others have sent of various rifle and pistol bullets with both HT and PC on them. I have no advantage what so ever other than less "smoke" of which doesn't bother me at all.

    I want performance out of my cast bullets.....not convenience...…..
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
    ― Nikola Tesla

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master
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    One of the reasons I did not try powder coating was what my fiancé would want if she saw those "lipstick rounds".

    I am blessed that she loves to shoot. But I like my reloading like my women....fast and easy, LOL. That means either Star or BLL lubed pistol bullets. Until now, I never thought about having her do the PC'ing. That would take one aspect of making ammunition off my plate. I do not feel comfortable having her load on the 1050 and she too pretty to have a casting accident. She is smarter than I am, but she bores easily, likes to multitask, and does not have the focus I do. For example, she wanted a radio in the tractor...which to me is just plain silly as you need to concentrate on what you are doing and not listening to music. I wound up adding the damn radio.
    Don Verna


  15. #15
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    I bought some of the Hi-Tek coating and I'm not entirely convinced it saves any time. By the time you coat, dry, bake then repeat at least once you certainly have tumble lubed them. You might even have been able to run them thru a sizer one at a time. The only way I see it saving time is if you invest in big trays and a big oven so you can do large batches. Doing a handful at a time in a tabletop convection oven isn't very efficient.
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  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by dverna View Post
    I have a Star. Powder coating is never going to be as fast unless you can shoot unsized bullets.
    Thank you!! You just confirmed my suspicions. I've done the tumble lubing, (MESSY), and I've done the pan lubing, (frustrating to say the least). I ordered a lubri-sizer. It should be here Tuesday.

  17. #17
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    I have seen Mr. Gibsons test result and they are quite conclusive. Unfortunately, I have never become that proficient with lubing, what with different lubes for different applications, cleaning lub-sizers between lube changes (or owning multiple lube sizers), keeping/cleaning the lube off the bottom of boolits, cleaning lube out of dies, having lube dry out and crack with time. I remember the mess of making my own lube sticks. And the extra (un-needed) smoke (don't get me wrong, I like shooting black powder
    As others have stated the versatility of having different colors to designate different loads for the same boolit plus I love playing with different colors and women like pretty boolits

    PLUS powder coating is not affected by hot or cold. You don't have to change powder coatings when the weather changes

    Plus once the boolit is powder-coated you are no longer touching lead when you size, load and shoot.
    In short, both work and it boils down to what you're most comfortable with.
    Last edited by Conditor22; 01-13-2020 at 06:24 PM.

  18. #18
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    I hate painting and the smell and fumes of any of it.
    I’d rather stick to my simple lube techniques and paper patching for high velocity stuff.
    I thought it was only for pistol bullets that don’t need accuracy anyway or to fill in the voids of hard cast commercial bullets that are barely groove diameter at best.
    People swear by them.
    I swear at them as giving cast bullets a bad rap for hunting purposes..

    I’ll tell you what thou.... I shot my old hornet with jacketed bullets and it takes like for ever to clean with those god damn awefull cleaners.
    The stuff gets into your hands and stinks like high heaven.
    Thank god I only have some hoppes #9left and not some of those more aggressive ones.

    Give me cast any day.

    How to you clean out the paint from the bore??
    Last edited by barrabruce; 01-13-2020 at 08:22 AM.

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Froogal View Post
    Thank you!! You just confirmed my suspicions. I've done the tumble lubing, (MESSY), and I've done the pan lubing, (frustrating to say the least). I ordered a lubri-sizer. It should be here Tuesday.
    If you ordered the Magma (Star) and you lube in large batches, you will be very satisfied. I also have a couple of Lyman 450's I purchased for smaller runs and/or different lubes but have never used them. I was going to use them for .308 and .224 bullets but those projects are either dead or back burnered. I currently have over 30k lubed bullets in inventory in three bullets: 122 gr 356, 130 gr 358, 200 gr 452. My cast bullets are used for pistol and pistol caliber carbines. I doubt many members here are only shooting a handful of bullet types. Their needs are different.

    For the person who uses multiple bullets/calibers/lubes in small batches, a Star is not optimum IMHO. There is niche for every method depending on individual needs and circumstances. No one "right' way. For example, when my current inventory of bullets is consumed, I plan to cast bullets that require no sizing and use BLL. For plinking ammo at 800-1200 FPS, that may be all I need; and will offer least effort and fastest way to produce bullets. Operating a Star for a couple of hours gets old too!!! LOL.

    Good luck with your new sizer!!!
    Don Verna


  20. #20
    Boolit Bub
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    I usually lube or powder coat most of my cast boolits ,but my dad and older brothers(my mentors) taught me that properly sized and moving along at the (correct velocity) that I/you did not need to use any lube. I have found that to be true. Out of habit, I suppose, I have gotten into the routine of lubing or coating.

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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
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