Lee tumble lube molds

[woodknack]

I just casted for the first time the other day. I have 3 molds that I tried. 9mm 124gr, 40s&w 175gr and 45acp 230gr. All Tumble lube bullet molds.
Lee says the tumbler lube bullets don't need to be resized.
every mold casted a couple thousands over what they should have.
So before I ordered a sizing die, I decided to try something.
My 45 acp bullets I casted measured .454. So I setup my lee dies in my press and sized my brass then flared it and seated one of the .454 bullets (no primer just dummy round) and then used the factory crimp die (like I normally do on all my auto bullets).
I then pulled the bullet and measure it. Guess what?
It measured .452! right where it should be.
Am I missing something here or do some people just go over board and size anyway because that is what they are use too?

[Elkins45]

What you describe isn't unusual. This is why a lot of picky cast bullet shooters will use precision neck expanding dies like the Lyman M die and avoid the factory crimp die to prevent their bullets being squeezed down by the case or the crimper.

[woodknack]

correct me if i'm wrong but if it doesn't get crimped down to where it should be then wouldn't the barrel just resize the bullet as it exits?

[bannor]

yes, the barrel would "re-size" it, at the throat, tho, not upon exit, if your loads are mild pressured, you'll be fine. If they are hot loads, tho, with propely sized bullets, then using oversized bullets COULD MAYBE tip the load over into "unsafe" pressure levels. Unlikely, but possible

[Mtnfolk75]

The only cast bullets I size are when they are for an autoloader due to throat/chamber tolerances or when they require a gas check. I've always used my revolver bullets as cast after tumble lubing ......

[rsrocket1]

Nice observation woodknack. Your next step is to load up a few and see how they feed, cycle and shoot in your gun. Make sure you do the plunk test with your finished rounds.

With the truncated cone Lee boolits, I seat to where the cone meets the vertical part. My M&P 40 and 9 barrels have very skinny throats and won't fully chamber if the fat vertical portion sits above the rim so that's where I seat to.

[woodknack]

Nice observation woodknack. Your next step is to load up a few and see how they feed, cycle and shoot in your gun. Make sure you do the plunk test with your finished rounds.

With the truncated cone Lee boolits, I seat to where the cone meets the vertical part. My M&P 40 and 9 barrels have very skinny throats and won't fully chamber if the fat vertical portion sits above the rim so that's where I seat to.

Plunk test?
My dummy round drops right in the barrel fine.
im going to load some tomorrow and give it a try. I tumble lubed some today. just waiting for those to dry.

[woodknack]

yes, the barrel would "re-size" it, at the throat, tho, not upon exit, if your loads are mild pressured, you'll be fine. If they are hot loads, tho, with propely sized bullets, then using oversized bullets COULD MAYBE tip the load over into "unsafe" pressure levels. Unlikely, but possible

I always load mild. Just plinking rounds.

[williamwaco]

I like the Lee Tumble Lube bullets. I use a lot of them.

The myth that they don't need to be sized is just that. A myth.

I Use them in 9mm, 38 Special, and .44 Special.

If I load them unsized, on average, one or two of each ten I load will be too large to chamber completely and must then be torn down to recover the components.

Size them befor you tumble them and you will be very happy with them.

[woodknack]

I like the Lee Tumble Lube bullets. I use a lot of them.

The myth that they don't need to be sized is just that. A myth.

I Use them in 9mm, 38 Special, and .44 Special.

If I load them unsized, on average, one or two of each ten I load will be too large to chamber completely and must then be torn down to recover the components.

Size them befor you tumble them and you will be very happy with them.

Do you use lee factory crimp die?

[Echd]

I like the Lee Tumble Lube bullets. I use a lot of them.

The myth that they don't need to be sized is just that. A myth.

I Use them in 9mm, 38 Special, and .44 Special.

If I load them unsized, on average, one or two of each ten I load will be too large to chamber completely and must then be torn down to recover the components.

Size them befor you tumble them and you will be very happy with them.

It's not a myth, but it's going to depend on your gun.

For my .45s with the 200 TL SWC, I don't resize them at all and they feed fine in all of my .45s with the exception of my G30, which I can't get to feed them reliably no matter what.

[Elkins45]

I like the Lee Tumble Lube bullets. I use a lot of them.

The myth that they don't need to be sized is just that. A myth.

I Use them in 9mm, 38 Special, and .44 Special.

If I load them unsized, on average, one or two of each ten I load will be too large to chamber completely and must then be torn down to recover the components.

Size them befor you tumble them and you will be very happy with them.

This depends entirely on your particular gun and mold. My 45-200 TL has never needed sizing in any of my 45's. The 38 caliber 150 (I think) SWC, on the other hand behaves like you describe in more than one of my revolvers. You can get them seated, but every few rounds you have to really put the thumb to the case head to get a round fully chambered. Since it's a revolver it's not such a big deal, but if it were an auto I can see how it would be annoying.

My good luck with not having to size 45's is one reason I like that particular mold so much.

[TXGunNut]

Most of my TL pistol boolits probably don't need resizing but a few do. Resizing them all helps ensure consistency and that's important to me. I feel Lee's push-thru sizer is an integral part of the TL system. Doesn't hurt to try skipping that step, but it didn't work for me.

[bangerjim]

I size EVERYTHING.....to catch out-layers.....to make everything consistent. TL's seem to be more consistent, but I still find some that squeeeeeeeze thru a little hard.

I use the FC die on all semi loads. And some 38spl and 45lc rifle loads because the lip on the case of SWC's can hang up when loading from the tube.

I have found I must size 451 on my 1911 45ACP to prevent oversize case jamming. 45LC.....no problem with 452.

And I powder coat EVERYTHING to eliminate grease, smoke and leading. TL's PC great! Almost like the no lube groove 9mm boolits I make.

bangerjim

[woodknack]

And I powder coat EVERYTHING to eliminate grease, smoke and leading. TL's PC great!

Where do you get and what do you use for powder coat?

[woodknack]

Happy to report the two bullets I tried today went just fine.my 40 being the most accurate. These molds were all shot out of my factory Glock barrels. My g23 and g36. I have not loaded and tried the 9mm loads yet. Those will be shot out of my lone wolf 40-9 barrel.

[mdi]

Your FCD is not helping anything, it's just covering up the fact that the bullets are too large to begin with (will your reload chamber without the FCD application?). If you want/need .452" bullets, get a .452" sizing die (whichever method you want; lubersizer or push through). What you're doing is putting an oversize bullet in a case and sizing the whole thing at the end of the process. Depending on case wall thickness, you'll prolly get variations in "finished" diameter, and inconsistencies...

[woodknack]

Your FCD is not helping anything, it's just covering up the fact that the bullets are too large to begin with (will your reload chamber without the FCD application?). If you want/need .452" bullets, get a .452" sizing die (whichever method you want; lubersizer or push through). What you're doing is putting an oversize bullet in a case and sizing the whole thing at the end of the process. Depending on case wall thickness, you'll prolly get variations in "finished" diameter, and inconsistencies...

I shot 20 round from each gun. No problems. Why bother adding more steps of everything is working?
I did make a dummy round for the 9mm lonevwolf barrel. I didn't use the factory crimp die like you suggested. Dropped right into the chamber? So eyou suggesting I shouldn't crimp it?

[bangerjim]

Where do you get and what do you use for powder coat?

Read the stickies.....man...read the stickies! There are several very good ones in the alternative coatings area.

Harbor Freight sells powder as well as the ESPC gun, if you want to go that way. Or just dry tumble using the powder.

Again......all covered VERY WELL in all the many threads. There are hundreds and hundreds doing this very successfully and bypassing the grease lube route now.

bangerjim

[mdi]

I shot 20 round from each gun. No problems. Why bother adding more steps of everything is working?
I did make a dummy round for the 9mm lonevwolf barrel. I didn't use the factory crimp die like you suggested. Dropped right into the chamber? So eyou suggesting I shouldn't crimp it?

I'm suggesting you learn to reload properly, no offense intended. What did folks do before Lee introduced their FCD? They used the proper sized bullets and had their dies adjusted correctly. If the round chambers without the FCD you're "working" the brass and bullet needlessly. If thr round chambers without post bullet sizing, why are you using it? I have only been reloading semi-auto ammo for mebbe 18 years and use a plain old taper crimp die (not for a "crimp", but just to straighten out the case flare). I use 90% cast lead bullets, and have been trying PC coating lately and I have no need for an FCD (the one I tried now resides in a landfill in Southern Oregon...). All my ammo feeds well in 2, 45 ACPs, and 2, 9mm pistols...

I am definitely not a "Lee Hater" as I have/use a lot of Lee equipemt and tools, and I really don't care what kind of dies anybody uses, but I have a problem with folks telling new reloaders that the Lee FCD is the "only way to go with reloading semi-auto ammo".