Lee PrecisionMidSouth Shooters SupplyInline FabricationWideners
Load DataRepackboxRotoMetals2Reloading Everything
Snyders Jerky Titan Reloading
Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Pan lube my already TL'ed bullets?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Sep 2014
    Location
    Bowling Green, KY
    Posts
    282

    Pan lube my already TL'ed bullets?

    Hello everyone. Our weather today here in South Central KY was sunny and brisk. I finally got outside a bit, and of course that inspires me to finally get back to the range. Fantastic.
    Last year I began casting my own, with bunches of patience and help from the wonderful people here. Thank you again so very much.
    In casting for my shooting hobby I have no choice but to stay within my very limited budget, and I chose tumble lubing exclusively. I can't afford the expense of pressure lubing. I use the 45-45-10 recipe talked about here, and like it a lot. I cast, lube, size then re-lube as taught.
    I only use Trail Boss powder and like the ease of use it allows as well as the lower velocities it offers.
    My trouble is that the bullets I cast from WW for my Ruger 77/357 carbine ( my favorite rifle for many reasons) seem to be running out of lube by the time they get to the last 3 inches of the barrel. After about 10 shots from a clean barrel , the 50 yard 3/4 inch groups begin opening up to 2 1/2 inches until I scrub the bore again.
    I use a 140 grain RCBS 38-140-CM mold, and size to .358. There's only one grease groove in this bullet.
    All my current bullets have already been tumble lubed and are awaiting my loading.
    My question is can I now additionally pan lube the sized and tumble lubed slugs I have on hand? Maybe that would help out in the deteriorating group trouble if indeed the slugs are running out of lube. Would I have to re-size all the slugs again after pan lubing? or would they sort of pop out ready to use? I've never tried pan lubing but have watched several Youtube videos about the process.
    Thank you again everyone so very much. I did try searching here before asking, but I couldn't find a clear, specific answer. If there's a link to a thread about what I'm asking, please feel free to direct me instead of rehashing an old topic.
    If changing lube methods doesn't work all I know to do is to see about lapping my barrel, which I have strongly considered many times though I don't see any obvious leading in any one specific area. Don
    Last edited by Tallbald; 02-18-2016 at 11:51 PM.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

    jcren's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    South, Central Ok
    Posts
    2,175
    I switched to pc, but you can certainly add more layers of lube. Is it a tl mold? Of course you can tl either, but the micro grooves seem to carry more of the to lube. I have dip lubed the driving bands on pc'd tl style bullets for a 06 just as a little insurance. I use Bill's and just dip the bands and set the bullet on wax paper to dry. Repeat as needed.
    "In God we trust, in all others, check the manual!"

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Castlegar, B.C., Canada
    Posts
    7,954
    Have you slugged your bore? Is boolit fit good (0.001" to 0.002" over groove diameter)? If the boolits are undersize at all you may be getting some gas cutting resulting in that leading.

    Is the boolit plain base or gas check and if GC are you using gas checks?

    Yes, you should be able to dip lube as jcren points out or pan lube though the pan lubing might melt off the tumble lube... which shouldn't matter anyway as it will just become part of the pan lube.

    Longbow

  4. #4
    Banned

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    soda springs Id.
    Posts
    28,088
    I would just pain lube or dip lube. [use a bees-wax based lube]
    then run through the sizer.
    I'd also double check your boolit diameter.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
    JSnover's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    Sicklerville NJ
    Posts
    4,391
    How much neck tension do you have?
    I ended up in the same predicament once and didn't think much of it until I noticed my overall length was shrinking. Turned the excess lube was working it's way up as the boolits were seating and it filled the nose punch, causing each one to seat a little deeper than the last.
    You won't have to re-size them but if you're seating them in a press, watch for excess lube. If your case necks are loose enough to thumb-seat you won't have a problem.
    Warning: I know Judo. If you force me to prove it I'll shoot you.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master

    blikseme300's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Deep South Texas, RGV
    Posts
    1,595
    As R5R pointed out, check the diameter of the sized CB's as the size that dies are marked are not always correct. I have had San Diego made Star dies that size smaller than marked as well as the last 3 Lee dies I bought. I use a micrometer to measure but good quality verniers can work in a pinch. It is quite easy to open up sizing dies and there are a number of posts on this forum to describe the method. If you get stuck feel free to pm me.

    Pa(i)n lubing does work but is a labor of love. Dip lubing does work but is a little messy and I would recommend you try either to see if the lubing works and then it is decision time. Considering your limited budget you may want to consider another mold more suited to TL such as those from Lee. I have a number of custom made (Ranch Dog) rifle molds that use the TL grooves and these work perfectly with Lee Alox, 45-45-10 or BLL fired from my Marlin micro-groove rifles.
    Liberalism is the triumph of emotion over intellect, but masquerading as the reverse.

    I don't know how we ever shot maximum loads before P/C come along and saved us all. R5R

    "No mosque in the United States flies an American flag."

    "Dueling should have never been made illegal in this country. It settled lots of issues between folks."- Char-Gar

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Dan Cash's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Western North Dakota
    Posts
    3,332
    Quote Originally Posted by runfiverun View Post
    I would just pain lube or dip lube. [use a bees-wax based lube]
    then run through the sizer.
    I'd also double check your boolit diameter.
    I fully concur with the above save for the need of sizing if the bullet fits. Pan lubing won't benefit a tumble lube bullet much so sould recommend investing an a good grease groove bullet.
    To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the trouble with many shooting experts is not that they're ignorant; its just that they know so much that isn't so.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master Ricochet's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Bristol, Tennessee, USA
    Posts
    4,897
    He is using a grease groove bullet, guys. They're already tumble lubed and he's asking about pan lubing on top of that.

    Yes, it will work fine. I've fired thousands of rifle boolits first tumbled in Alox and then dipped in my molten waxy lube mixture. And I've dipped boolits in liquid Alox, which as I recall is Ranch Dog's preferred method of lubing his microbanded gas check boolits.
    "A cheerful heart is good medicine."

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

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