lubing procedure

[turmech]

Hi all,

I am new to casting my own bullets. I am casting bullets for 44 mag and have questions about lubing them. I have purchased a lee sizer and have acquired some molds from a reloading friend of mind who does not cast anymore. I am planning on pan lubing with Carnauba Red.

I know that lee pushes the liq alox lube for their sizer. My molds are not for tumble lube bullets. I know the liq alox works for any cast bullet but better for tumble lube bullets.

Do I pan lube before sizing? Or do I pre lube with light coat of Alox before sizing and then final lube by pan lubing? Does the liq Alox affect the final pan lube coat? do you install the gas checks before pan lubing (some of my molds use gas checks)? whould Carnauba Red be a good lube choice for pan lubing 44 mag and possibility 357 in the future?

Thanks for any help

[runfiverun]

i would seat the checks and size, then lube, cut out and load.
forget the alox...
you might want a little something on the boolits to help them go through the sizer easier.
some case sizing lube,dish soap and water, a little lanolin.

[turmech]

I am assuming any one of the three by its self not all three together. would either cause any problems with the lube if not removed before pan lubing?

[zomby woof]

I would spray my alcohol/lanolin case lube on my boolits, add GC and size with the LEE sizer. Then PL. I used a light coat of LLA before I used the spray lube.

[runfiverun]

one of them is enough. just let it dry after using and then pan lube.
the lanolin would help the lube stick to the boolits better.

[357shooter]

For the plain base bullets, try pan-lubing, then load and shoot. Skipping the sizing is worth a test run of your bullets and guns.

[Bullet Caster]

turmec, welcome to CastBoolits. I use Recluse's 45/45/10 and tumble lube, GC and size and then tumble lube again. I use tumble lube method on two different styles of boolits that are not meant for tumble lubing, i.e., the Lee 255 grain .452 RNFP and Lee 228 grain .452. I think you'd be happier if you just tumble lubed and not worry about the pan lubing. But then you did say you're reloading for 44 mag and that may require pan lubing for the magnum velocities. I do what is easiest for me. Just my 2 cents worth. BC

[mdi]

I cast both T/L and regular lube groove boolits for my .44s. When I cast some Lyman 429421 boolits (250 gr. flat based SWC) I pan lube with C. Red, then size. When I cast some Lyman 429244 boolits (255 gr. SWC GC), I'll size/apply gaschecks, pan lube then run through the sizer again to clean them up. When I put on the gas checks sometimes I'll lightly spray the boolits, in a tub, with a lube (Pam, WD-40, Amsoil, etc.), just enough to ease sizing and eliminate any possible galling. This way I get clean boolits with lube filled grooves...

[gwpercle]

turmech welcome to the wonderful world of boolit making.

Now that you have moulds you just might as well start saving up for a bench mounted lubricator / sizer. Pan lubricating and Lee sizing does work , its just somewhat messy and slow.

The best money I ever spent was for a new Lyman 450... it seats gas check, sizes and lubes with a pull down and a push up of the handle. I'm one of those people who loads on a single stage press, I cast with one and two cavity moulds with a ladle ... but a lube/sizer has pan sizing beat in every direction.

You can seat/ size/lube 500 bullets so much faster and so neatly you wont believe it... this gives you more time to go shooting. I know tumble lubing with Lee Liquid Alox works because I have done it ...but I just don"t like the way the boolits look when done this way. Some times looks are an adequate reason to do or not do something. ( looks is why I drive a 1968 Chevelle... it looks GOOD )

Good luck.....gary