Newbie Questions (Lyman Moly/lube sizer vs. Liquid Alox)

[alexanderkidd]

New to the casting world and wanted to ask the advice of the pros.

I recently purchased the Lyman Casting kit with 4500 lube sizer. Have been using it to size and lube bullets (with the Lyman Moly lube that comes with it).

Sizing seems to work just fine but I've seen on Youtube that a lot of people just tumble lube their bullets with Liquid Alox.

Wondering what the tradeoffs are. I find the thick Moly lube to be really goopy when I apply it in the lube sizer, so am potentially interested in using the 4500 to size only and then just tumble them with the Alox...

[btroj]

What gun? What cartridge?

Also, be very, very careful taking advice from YouTube videos. Any idiot with a video camera can become an instant Internet expert. Not saying they all are but many are of dubious value.

I prefer the traditional lube for almost everything. I do tumble lube my 38 special bullets. Not sure why but I do.

Tumble lube often doesn't do the best at velocities over 1400 fps in rifles. Some have good results beyond that but it is an individual thing.

You will quickly see that many of us here have pretty set ways of doing things. It isn't so much right/wrong as it is a matter of what fits our needs, desires, and what we do. Find something that works for YOU and run with it.

[alexanderkidd]

I'm casting for your garden variety handgun calibers currently: .38SP/357magnum, 9mm, .45ACP. I also dabble in 44-40 for my Uberti replica.

Using wheel weight lead because that what I managed to get a supply of. Mostly under 1100 FPS except .357 magnum loads.

Started to think about tumble lubing because I had exceedingly poor results trying to lube 9mm 'micro grooves' from a Lee 6 cavity. The 4500 + Moly lube performs a lot better on the rest of the bullets I've cast due to thicker/deeper lube grooves.

Just seems a little easier to size the bullets and then tumble lube them; cranking that lube reservoir ratchet hurts my hand after awhile.

[btroj]

Tumble lube can work for what you are shooting. Give it a shot. I recommend you look at the sticky on 45/45/10 Recluse lube. It is the way to go. Use way less than you think you need.

[alexanderkidd]

Does the Lyman Super Moly need to be heated to be used in the 4500? I don't have the heater for the unit and have tried without heating the lube. It works but isn't always optimal...

[geargnasher]

I've never used Lyman SM, but if it's painful to bump the wrench each time you size a boolit, try setting a 100-watt lightbulb behind the sizer for half an hour before using it. I use a small, aluminum, clamp-type spot lamp (Home Depot, $4) for the bulb and just lay it on the bench pointing right at the reservoir.

Personally, I enjoy dinking with lube and have always had better accuracy, less smoke, better smell and more confidence in conventional, groove-filling boolit lubes. Like Btroj, I usually "tumble-lube" my .38s with a liquid Alox-based lube (45/45/10 or Recluse lube as some call it). It works. Luber-sizers, like tumble lube and press-mounted sizers, are tools we use for different things, not rigidly established "best" or "better" methods. Try both and decide for yourself what you'll use, and when to use it.

Gear

[bstone5]

I have used the Lyman Super Moly lube on a Lyman sizer, it works, you will need to adjust the depth the bullet goes into the sizer to get the lube in the right place and to keep it off of the base of the bullet.

I adjust as close as I can and sometimes use a shim to get to the final position so the lube goes to the right spot on the bullet.

It works but the commercially available 45/45 /10 works as well for a low pressure pistol lube.