Too Alox or not to Alox

[wistlepig1]

Today I got MY New Lee sizer kit. In the kit was a sample of Alox lube and I have read some of the posts about using it in a coolwhip container to coat bullits. Is this a good thing for rifle and pistol bullits or just pistols?

I like the sizer so far.

[Lead Fred]

It smells bad. I still have the two that came with my sizers.
I pan lube, and it works really nice.

[DJ303]

I use LLA on my .38Spl with good results. Didn't have much luck with anything else. Bad leading on the .357 Mag & .303 Brit. Switched to Carnuba Red on those.

[Shiloh]

Haven't tried it with rifle boolits yet, but works great with pistol boolits. I have had great results with Tumble lube as well as traditional lube groove boolits. DON'T put it on too thick!!

A thin coat is plenty. Sticky boolits result from trying to put it in too thick.

Shiloh

[DLCTEX]

Do a search for tumble lubing, there is a wealth of knowledge here.

[collyer]

I tumbled lube and had good success but the lube being on the end of my bullet caused my lever action to have problem feeding correctly, My redhawk had no problem. Thease are all 44 mag.

[Wireman134]

Alox is a good lube but I don't like booger-ed up boolit noses and neither does my seating die. Every boolit that enters the die leaves a deposit of Alox/Xlox and causes seating problems. I have found along with others here mixing Alox with JPW and Liquid Luster, keeps the stickiness down and have used this since I've been on this board.

[sqlbullet]

Works great for me in every pistol caliber I have tried. These include 38/357, 10mm Auto, and 44 mag.

[Rocky Raab]

I use it on all my handgun bullets as well as my .30-30. Never had a problem (I do spritz my seating die every couple hundred rounds, though.) I also dust finished and dried bullets with a bit of mica. That eliminates any stickiness whatever.

I have used LLA straight, JPW straight, and the popular 45/45/10 mix which includes both of those and a little bit of mineral spirits. All work fine from 700 to 2000 fps, with no leading and no other problems.

The only problem with LLA is learning to use little enough. It is almost beyond belief how little you need. In a tub of 200 bullets, I "write" a single N or M with the bottle of LLA - that's all. I dry mine outdoors overnight. No odor, no problems.

Frankly, I see no need for me to use anything else.

[Recluse]

The only problem with LLA is learning to use little enough. It is almost beyond belief how little you need. In a tub of 200 bullets, I "write" a single N or M with the bottle of LLA - that's all. I dry mine outdoors overnight. No odor, no problems.

So true, so true.

Natural inclination is "if a little is good, then a lot will be better."

Whew boy, all you get is a sticky gooey mess, lots of smoke and some new ugly words to add to your vocabulary.

[prickett]

Today I got MY New Lee sizer kit. In the kit was a sample of Alox lube and I have read some of the posts about using it in a coolwhip container to coat bullits. Is this a good thing for rifle and pistol bullits or just pistols?

I like the sizer so far.

I'm new to casting and so far, I've not found Alox good for anything. I hope I'm wrong due to its convenience, but I'm not hopeful.

[wistlepig1]

Well, I now have 2 bottles with the new sizer, so I think I will try it. The alox, wax, min spitits sound like a good place to start. Thanks for your advice

[geargnasher]

Read Recluse's sticky on tumble lubing, all you need to know.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=67654
Gear

[Hitman]

Will Recluse's method work on boolits that are mot micro grooved?

[geargnasher]

Will Recluse's method work on boolits that are mot micro grooved?

Yes.

Gear

[EDK]

I got some XLOX from LARS after I bought a RANCH DOG mould....seemed like I should try what the designer used and see how it worked. Like most rookies, I used too much....but learned. The gas check or the xlox (don't know which one) sure cleans residual lead out of pistol barrels.

I started with pan lubing LYMANS in 1970; bought a LYMAN lubri-sizer in 1972 and graduated to a STAR in 1985. Starting out today, I'd get push through dies and a quart of XLOX....and spend the money saved on moulds and components!

[Mr Peabody]

I think the best thing to do with it is get it hot! I open the spout on a bottle and make sure it's open. Then about 45 seconds in the microwave at a 10 setting.
When it's hot it only takes a few drops in a plastic bottle to lube up 50 or 60 large
bullets. I don't do many more than that at a time, cause I have a small plastic bottle. But get it hot and that will thin it out and cause it to flow around nicely.

[JIMinPHX]

It works on pistol or rifle. I just don't like the smell & I don't like waiting for it to dry.

You can thin it out with mineral spirits. If you put it on too thick, it buggers up your dies & stuff. There's no permanent damage, the stuff cleans off, but you just have to deal with the boogers if you use it too thick.

It gets thick overtime just sitting in a closed bottle. Some how, the solvent in that stuff manages to escape right through the bottle. Same thing for a glass jar. I can't explain how it happens, but it does. If it's thicker than maple syrup, it's too thick. Even that thick is pushing it.

[tuckerdog]

I didnt have much luck with straight alox,but just recently mixed 3/4 stick alox,350 grn beeswax and 2 tablespoons atf.(and a redcrayon just cause I like red) I've had real good luck and the lube comes out solid enough not to be much of a mess and a little leading after a 50 round test batch in 44mag

[Master Mariner]

I give my bottles of Alox a hot water bath to thin it and use just a thin trickle on the bullets.
Less is better than more. I dry mine as per the instructions and have not encountered any stickiness.