Sizing a tumble lube boolit

[35isit]

I read the sticky on tumble lubing made easy. The author said he sized the bullets after lubing. I have a Lee .357 mold 90321. Bullets drop .358. I have a ..358 sizer die and a lubrisizer. Can I simply run them through it and put a "stick type" lube in the grooves that are left? If this has been covered I apologize. I used the search feature and could not find it. They will be used in .38 specials.

[btroj]

I have lubed many a rumble lube bullet in a Star.

Not a problem

[35isit]

Thanks btoj. I didn't know if there would be enough lube in the grooves. I will try a few and see how they do.

[zuke]

That's why LEE designed them that way.
They don't need to be sized but hold the extra lube in the groove's to do so at firing.
Try them as is and see what happen's.

[Boolseye]

I shoot that bullet all the time. tumble lube, run it through the .358 sizer die and tumble lube again. No leading. very accurate. Some will say don't size it, but I get case bulging and hard chambering unless i do.

[btroj]

I actually think Lee intended for them to be sized using a Lee push thru sizer.

Either way, sizing them down a bit doesn't hurt a thing. They will hold plenty of lube. I just don't like sizing them down a bunch but that is rarely a problem unless you have a small ore and a large casting mould.

[Nick10Ring]

I cast with a 6 cavity TL,158gr. 38 mold and I have also used a 148gr.TL,WC mold in the past. I cast the bullets then put a thin coat of Rooster liquid lube on them. I then run them through the Lee sizer,coat them again and when dry I load them. I've had good luck with them.

Nick10Ring

[Shiloh]

Thanks btoj. I didn't know if there would be enough lube in the grooves. I will try a few and see how they do.

It can be done but defeats the purpose of the TL groove boolitsl

There is a minimal amount of lube, more of a smear, in the grooves. They worked fine with no leading. This was with Larsen's softer BAC lube. No experience with a harder lube.
This is with mild to mid power loads. Your specific applications may give different results.

I use the LEE push through sizers and use alox from LEE or Larsen's.

Shiloh

[35isit]

I have used straight Lee Alox in the past without sizing. I probably did it wrong but didn't like it. I want to use a soft lube and use in mild .38 special loads. .358 sizer will not size much if any at all.

[dragonrider]

Yes it can be done, my question would be "why", they are designed to be tumble lubed and shot as is without sizing, if you are going to size them get a real mold for that. As said above.
"It can be done but defeats the purpose of the TL groove boolits"

[makicjf]

I use the lee 158 swc tl for my wifes inexpensive 38 special snubby. the first 50 I lightly tumbled with LLA and sized to .358. Then tumbled again with lla. The next bunch I left as cast at .360 (they pushed through the cylinder throat with almost no resistance) and just tumbled them and let them dry. Loaded over 4.7 of unique with a WSP primer: my wife is a new shooter , but was putting some really good 2 inch 3 shot groups off hand at 30 feet. ( that little cheapo armscor 206 is a shooter, and my wife is pretty good too) No leading, easy to use.
I have a TC tl 230 (240 from ww) that casts at .454 but I size to .452 for my BH acp cylinder: I lube lightly, size then tumble again. Sizing does not seem to effect the efficacy of tumble lubing with LLA.
Jason

[Sonnypie]

I guess I'm weird.
But I read the instruction sheets Lee provides.
It sez to tumble lube.
Then size.
Then tumble lube again.

Imagine that...:bigsmyl2:

[Shiloh]

I guess I'm weird.
But I read the instruction sheets Lee provides.
It sez to tumble lube.
Then size.
Then tumble lube again.

Imagine that...:bigsmyl2:

That would work if you are step sizing them. That is ,sizing down a lot and doing it in two stages. If one tries to go more than a couple of thousandths on TL boolits, you wipe most of the grooves right off. Lubing first would help preserve the grooves.

Shiloh

[EDK]

One theory is that the tumble lubing works because the LLA or ? is ON THE BEARING SURFACE of the boolit, as well as in the lube grooves. Think it over for a minute. The system works very well within its limits on velocity/pressure.

If your boolit is at the diameter you want and no out-of-round issues, tumble lube and load it. LLA or XLOX is cheap AND you can process a lot of boolits in a short time tumble lubing WITH a minimal cost in equipment. I tumble or dip lube, size and seat the gas check, and tumble lube again...I'm using the RANCH DOG designs in a couple of MARLIN Cowboy rifles.

As I have mentioned often (probably too much for some of you,) the RANCH DOG TLC 432 265 gas checked and lubed with 45/45/10 removes leading from the barrels of my 44 revolvers. Don't know if its the gas check or lube or the design, but I do know that it works. I'd rather clean the barrel with another six rounds than get out the chemical or the CHORE GIRL.

:redneck::cbpour::2gunsfiring_v1: