Lubing a bullet backwards

[megasupermagnum]

Here is a strange idea I've had rolling around in my head. There are many instances where a multi-groove bullet shoots better with only some of the grooves filled with lube. It's real common to only use a single lube groove of a wadcutter bullet... but in all cases I've seen, it has always been the bottom groove.

My question is, has anyone tried only filling the very top lube groove and see improvement?

[alfadan]

Ive tried some "upside down" wadcutters in my slightly leading-prone m67. I saw no appreciable difference in leading or accuracy.

[megasupermagnum]

Ive tried some "upside down" wadcutters in my slightly leading-prone m67. I saw no appreciable difference in leading or accuracy.

Were these dual ended wadcutter's, or button nose? I can't imagine a huge difference, I would think this would mainly be a question for the bullseye crowd, getting that extra 1/4" at 50 yards.

[alfadan]

double ended probably at my standard 15 yards

[MT Chambers]

Of course with a Star sizer you can lube any or all grooves, you don't have to do it backwards or upside down. The Star will size those same boolets nose first and thus more precisely, lubing whatever groove/s you want.

[greenjoytj]

I have a Redding/SAECO lubri-sizer any void between bullet and die gets lube filled.
How does the Star lube sizer work so it doesn’t squirt lube into every void?

[MT Chambers]

Greenjoy, because you are from my old stompin grounds I'm gonna tell you, the Star dies have sets of holes on the dies and you line up the holes with your lube grooves, if you have too many rows of holes you fill them with #8 shot, it's very simple and you will not get lube where you don't want it, no lube on bullet noses or bases. Fastest and produces the most uniform bullets.

[megasupermagnum]

The Star would be about the only option for effectively trying this. I do have one, but I don't mess around with multi goove bullets too much. I was only curious if the super accuracy wadcutter shooters had found it to have an effect. The idea I had was that any imbalance from the lube would have much less effect in the top groove, rather than right at the base.

[KVO]

I tried this in a very informal test during load development for a 6.5x55 sporter. Mold was the NOE copy of the Lyman 266469 GC Loverin style. Much longer and theoretically more sensitive to center of gravity changes if the lube doesn't all fling off at the muzzle. I smeared lube by hand (White Label 2500 IIRC) into the top 2 or 3 grooves just to see what would happen. I was surprised to see how much bigger the group was-on the order of 1.5-2"+. No leading though. Never tried with pistol caliber cartridges.

[SSGOldfart]

Greenjoy, because you are from my old stompin grounds I'm gonna tell you, the Star dies have sets of holes on the dies and you line up the holes with your lube grooves, if you have too many rows of holes you fill them with #8 shot, it's very simple and you will not get lube where you don't want it, no lube on bullet noses or bases. Fastest and produces the most uniform bullets.

Great until you try to remove that #8 shot.!!!!!!!!

[Winger Ed.]

When I was getting back my SW 52 in .38WC, and chasing around for the old school mold for it:
There was several good, lengthy discussions in the archives from when they were popular.

It was accepted that one or two of the DEWC 148s or so was the benchmark.
Then it got off into which grove or grooves to lube.

One end of the newer favorite Lyman mold had a tiny bit more angle on one end
than the other where on the old mold of the same part number, they were the same.

Then it was debated to load it sprue cut end on top or bottom.

Doing extensive research by lots of folks, there was some combination where somebody had
a 1/4" difference in group size at the longer ranges used in their tests.

Nobody else seemed to find any differences.

[MT Chambers]

Great until you try to remove that #8 shot.!!!!!!!!

No that shot just pops out, I have a couple of very stiff, very thin, hooks that I use to pop them out, takes seconds.

[megasupermagnum]

I've not had problems getting shot out of the die. I use a tiny drill bit, they come right out without fuss.

[vernm]

Great until you try to remove that #8 shot.!!!!!!!!

Easy ! Use a 1/16" drill bit. Turn the bit in a couple of turns to lock it in the lead shot.
Then just pull the shot out.