Teflon tape boolit lube?

[snuffy]

Anybody here ever try Teflon tape instead of a grease lube? Years ago I read an article about somebody using Teflon pipe tape to lube a boolit. Procedure was to use two sizers, first a .001 smaller sizer, then wrap the tape around the driving bands and size again with a .001 bigger sizer.

Since I have .457 and .459 sizers, I may give it a try. Watcha think, worth the fiddling around?

If there's any been there, done that, didn't work, I'd like to hear about it. Then I won't bother!:confused: :roll:

[jack19512]

I tried it but best I remember it didn't work all that well for me. Maybe I just didn't do something wrong though.

[charger 1]

The only time I ever heard the tape thing was instead of paper when patching. Never heard of it in lube grooves. I just dont see how it would fit the need there

[Bret4207]

It worked for me, but it's a pain to go through the mechanics.

[Antietamgw]

I tried it some years ago to try to bring an undersize bullet up in a .32-40. It worked OK, was a pain to apply. A proper mold was found and I haven't tried it since. Heard some folks used it instead of paper to patch bullets.

[JDL]

Back in the late '70s, I tried that in my .358. I don't remember having a problem doing so but, the accuracy must have been unremarkable or I would have tested futher. -JDL

[hs45/70]

Have been teflon taping all my cast since 1990... Board member, "Freightman " started a thread on teflon tapeing 05/09/2007 called "Experiments gone good".

If you care to know more about teflon taping results look up this thread.

cheers.......

[snuffy]

Have been teflon taping all my cast since 1990... Board member, "Freightman " started a thread on teflon tapeing 05/09/2007 called "Experiments gone good".

If you care to know more about teflon taping results look up this thread.

cheers.......

Hmm, tried a search, but nothing showed up.

Well looks like I have something to try out. No reason, the NRA formula alox works real well on the last run of tests I did, so I may not try it, at least for now. Winter has a way of making projects seem more attractive.

[jhalcott]

i used teflon on several different calibers with success. by that I mean no leading and sub 2" 100 yard groups. I did use a gas check on the 7mm bullets and 30 caliber heavy (above 150 grain) because the mold called for one. I have some carpal tunnel and arthritis issues ,but it was NOT all that difficult to do. I cut about a dozen strips and layed them on an old mouse pad 1 at a time. I just rolled the bullet over the strip and pressed it on tightly with my fingers. I ran the taped bulets thru a sizer about .001 SMALLER than the cast diameter. I did lube ~ half with felix lube , but thought about it and tried it WITH OUT felix. There was little if any difference in accuracy results with or with out felix.
In the 7TC/U 14" barrel velocities were above 2000 fps and in a 21" barrel they were around 2300.Accuracy of the 14" was sub 2" while the 21" got a little OVER 2", 5 shot groups. A 2x7 scope was used on BOTH barrels. As caliber gets fatter, it SEEMS easier to teflon patch to ME.

[Finn45]

Hmm, tried a search, but nothing showed up.

Just use the quick search (without going advanced) and write:
teflon tape
and you'll get many threads, also above mentioned " Expierment gone good!":
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=16163

[**oneshot**]

I liked the results from teflon tape testing. I really hated the long and tedious task of putting the tape on every boolit.
If I can come up with a speed taper I'd use it without a doubt.

[Johnch]

I have been using it to "lube" almost pure lead bullets
I run then at 1500 - 1600 FPS out of the 454 Ruger SRH
With no leading

But a pain in the back side

Johnch

[snuffy]

After reading this thread and the one by freightman, I just had to try it. I rolled a double wrap of tape onto some as cast,(they drop at .460), .458 340-F lee boolits. Then loaded one into a nickel starline 45-70 case. They mike out at .465, but I could get them seated after increasing the belling setting on die #2. I'll do some more later, to see how they shoot. I may size to .458 first, then wrap with tape. They WILL chamber in the buff classic, so they should shoot.

It WAS labor intensive to roll the tape on, much more so than lubing in a 450, but about the same as dipping in LLA and sizing in a lee push-through.

[randyrat]

I think there is a liquid teflon to brush on, plumbers use it to seal pipe threads. Would that work?

[shotstring]

I used to use it on swaged reverse seated wadcutters, both speer and hornady. Then we found some teflon spray which worked better - and then the laws got crazy about anything with the word "teflon" in it so we stopped all production using it. It did work just dandy though.

[leftiye]

So where do ya get this stuff? Name of that spray stuff?

[shotstring]

I don't remember the name of the spray teflon and I'm not even sure it is being made anymore. This was nearly 20 years ago. It was teflon particles in a clear liquid, with the liquid evaporating off and leaving a teflon coating to harden on the surface.

[MT Gianni]

I think there is a liquid teflon to brush on, plumbers use it to seal pipe threads. Would that work?

The liquid teflon I have used for pipe fittings stays soft for several weeks. I have never checked what a thin film would dry to. It has some chunks but no flakes or bits. I would not mess with it, but then I use FWFL exclusivly. Gianni

[snuffy]

Well I went with my original plan, I sized some 340's in my lee .457 push through die. Then I taped them 2 layers. I then ran them through the lyman .458 die. It pushed the tape into the lube groves, leaving the driving bands completely bare. Well I then micked the tape, came up with .0025 thickness. I wonder if it's all that thick? Next I wrapped only one layer, then sized it. This seemed to be the best, some stayed on the driving bands.

I loaded some of both, along with 2 wraps not sized. I'll shoot them soon, had to watch the packers whup the Giants, so no shooting today!

Am I too concerned about NOT having tape on the driving bands? I realize that normal lube isn't rally on the driving bands, but it is semi-liquid during the run down the bore. I guess I will find out.

[scrat]

liquid or spray teflon is old school. at least now. that was part of the automotive lubricant craze in the late 80's and 90's. If you check your local auto parts store they may have it. Permatex also sells teflon in a small squeze tube. I had a brother in law back in the 90's he was a plant manager of an engine company. i was using the squeze teflon for a while. Then he started using it. then in a short time they had ordered cases of it for the shop. they were using that stuff for everything.

Dura lube uses teflon.

you think if it can protect a piston traveling at an average of 3000 rpms it should be good on a bullet.

[snuffy]

Well I tested the Teflon tape lubed boolits today. As a control, I shot some of the same boolits lubed with 50/50 alox, that had shot quite well before.

All I can say is never again! Most of the groups were double the size of the normal lubed, some a little less than double. BUT aside from group size there was leading for the first couple inches of the bore. In my estimation, the tape needed to get moving, or spinning to do it's job. Not that it matters, but the Teflon confetti on the ground looked like it had snowed!:twisted:

Velocity was the same as the alox boolits, except for the slugs that I simply taped as cast, but did not size. Those were around 50 fps HIGHER. I attribute that to the boolit not engraving as easily. Load was 27.5 gr. 4759 generating 1575 fps with the 340 lee boolit.

It works, in a pinch, if you didn't have anything other to lube with. I'll stick with normal lubes from now on.

[leftiye]

Were those the ones that you said did not have tape over the driving bands? If so, that is probably your answer. You might want to use groove diameter or smaller boolits, and size in a die a couple of thousandths (or several) larger. I don' know, just suggestions. There are other members here who swear by telon tape.

[MT Gianni]

Was the wrap in the direction of the twist or opposite? It needs to stay on the bullet all the way through the bbl and an opposite twist will unwrap it before it exits. Gianni

[snuffy]

Was the wrap in the direction of the twist or opposite? It needs to stay on the bullet all the way through the bbl and an opposite twist will unwrap it before it exits. Gianni

Gianni, I didn't even consider that! Duh![smilie=b::groner: But I just checked, I had a 50/50 chance of getting it right by accident. :(:( I guess I'd better not play roulette soon. They were wrapped in the direction of rotation.


Were those the ones that you said did not have tape over the driving bands?

Lefty, some were some were not, they all leaded to some degree. I have a .459 sizer coming, along with my .457 lee, I will be able to size to .457, wrap, then size to .459. Since the bore slugs at .457, I doubt they will work either. Nice thing is, the H&R buff classic has shallow rifling, also the leading was in the grooves, not on the rifling.