1st go at tumble lubing. Is it really this easy????

[Vance in Ak]

Ok, the only thing I cast in the past was roundballs, so the whole lube thing is new to me (other than spit patching).
Today I took some of my new 400gr cast boolits for my 480 & tumble lubed them in Xlox. I took about a teaspoonful of the Xlox & cut it with a dallop of mineral spirits & mixed. I took almost all of it out of the coolwhip container I had it in & oly left a little bit. I lubed about 50 boolits that were not water quenched, then did a seperate batch of 15 more that were. I ended up with a little more on the 1st batch than the last, but neither is what I would call "thick". On he 2nd batch it's just a thin coating that you have to look for to see, but it is uniform. Do I need to do a 2nd coat (no sizing or GCs) or am I done? Is it really that simple????
In one post someone said folks don't trust the Xlox (They said Alox from Lee) straight because it's too easy. It does seem too good to be true!

[geargnasher]

Liquid Alox always works under your fenders, on offshore oil platforms, and sometimes actually works effectively as a boolit lube. Sometimes it doesn't. There are no hard and fast rules for success with it, or particular limits with regard to pressure or velocity. I think the .480 might strain it a bit, but who knows, you might not have any issues with it if all else is done correctly.

Next time add 50% Johnson's Paste Wax by volume and your boolits will dry sooner and be less sticky, plus many folks find it improves the perfomance in some instances.

Shoot 'em and see!

Gear

[rob45]

+1 on what Gear said; have to try it and see.

I also use the formula as developed by Recluse (LLA, JPW, mineral spirits) and get great results. I'm not sure about the limitations with it, as the highest pressure/velocity I've used it for is the Ranch Dog 350s (Lee TL design) at over 2000fps close to 40,000 psi- no leading, but then again the bullet fit was right and the alloy was too.

So I think it's safe to say if you keep everything else right then the xlox isn't going to be a problem.

[Shiloh]

Yes it is.
That is the beauty of TL.

Sounds like you did it right a small amount cut with mineral spirits.

Shiloh

[Rocky Raab]

Straight, diluted or mixed, I have never had LLA fail, even at full-power 30-30 levels.

Yes, it really is as easy as you found - and you seem to have done it correctly, also. I lube a couple hundred handgun or rifle bullets at a time in a plastic tub and simply "draw" a single "N" or "M" across the top of them with the LLA squeeze bottle. Swirl gently for one minute and spread to dry. I usually dust them with mica afterward, but before I do, they have just the faintest "honey" tint to the lead when covered sufficiently.

[Rex]

How many of you use the XLOX sold on this forum and is it everything LLA is?
Rex

[kbstenberg]

I'm a newby. But i really like the XLOX, both in price an in product. Just remember first coat by tumble lube is put on VVVEEERRRYYY sparingly. Just enough to make the bullets looking damp. Only takes seconds.

[six_gun]

I have been using LLA on everything for years now. I even tried Lees test with a auto pistol barrel. Weight before starting to use LLA was heavier before shooting a batch of bullets lubed with LLA. It does clean out the barrel, just like they say it does. Also have done the melt test. The bullet will melt and run out the bottom and the lube is still there shaped like a bullet. I have used it on lots of different handgun and rifle bullets and had very little leading after thousands of rounds. Bottom line is, it works.

PS, I use it streight. I don't cut it with anything.

Sixgun