Do you store your boolits lubed, or dry?

[zubrato]

The longest I can wait between casting and shooting is a month, so I can't say much regarding longevity, but I store my boolits tumble lubed with 45-45-10 so they're ready to go when I need them, and aren't tacky or sticky. At that point it feels like a hard shell, slightly waxy with a bit of alox smell to it, so I'm not too worried. But I'm wondering in terms of 6 months, 1 year, or 3 years. As much as I love casting, I don't always have time so it's nice to squirrel up a nice reserve. :D
So brass tacks, what lube, how did you apply it, and how long do you find it keeps?

Sorry if this thread has been done before, but I googled and didn't find anything regarding this topic. Thanks!

[warf73]

Lubed

I just loaded up 400 380acp Wednesday, the boolits were lubed with 45/45/10 around the end of July early August. They loaded up like jacketed bullets, I have 500 that need sized (were lubed same day as others) later today. I really don’t see this lube have any issue as in long term storage other than dust and dirt, I would make sure they were in a sealed container.

[Airman Basic]

I just shot up a batch of 41 wadcutters that I found in a corner. Greased in a lubamatic 25 years ago with 50-50 alox beeswax, (state of the art at the time). Don't think LLA existed then, or at least I didn't know about it. Anyway, shot fine and a good time had by all.

[btroj]

Whichever they happen to be.

I cast and size as time allows. I have had bullets sitting here lubed for many, many years. Some probably 10 years or more. No problems, they still work.

I try not to overthink things.

[Elkins45]

I store tumble lubed bullets in bulk. For ones to be conventionally lubed I usually keep a couple hundred stored lubed but the rest are dry. THey are easier to store in bulk dry (no hand stacking needed) and they are free to use with new experimental lubes.

[Garyshome]

Every situation is different. I store them dry, and move on to the next step when I get ready to load them. Some of them get PC.

[Aunegl]

I lube all my cast bullets and store. All I have to do is load them when I need them.

[runfiverun]

I fill one 5 gallon bucket with cast boolits and the one next to it with sized/lubed boolits.

[fredj338]

Both, depends on what I am casting & what my sizer is setup for. They get stored loose in small cardboard boxes.

[bangerjim]

I powder coat everything and then store them....so I don't have to worry about grease sticking or drying out or collecting dust and dirt.

PC is permanent.

bangerjim

[xacex]

I powder coat everything and then store them....so I don't have to worry about grease sticking or drying out or collecting dust and dirt.

PC is permanent.

bangerjim

+1

I do the same now also. The nice thing about this method of lubing and storing is you can go back and re heat/water quench any time to bring hardness where it is predictable. Once you lube with traditional lubes you are stuck with a boolit that will harden over time, or soften over time depending if they were water quenched. You cant go back to a starting point because the lube will cook off unlike powder coat.

[bangerjim]

Excellent point. Just another reason to use PC'ing!

banger

[el34]

Heck, armed with a new gallon of acetone and a box of canning jars I'm delubing stored tumblelubed's so I can PC. I hate when I get that way.

But I know that bangerJ has done that too. I think.

[bangerjim]

I still have about 9K of the grease-globbed slugs I am gradually cleaning of all "antique" contamination!

It is almost faster to melt them down and recast, but many of the ones I have I do not have any molds even close to the cal's and designs.

banger

[el34]

It is almost faster to melt them down and recast, but many of the ones I have I do not have any molds even close to the cal's and designs.

banger

Cleaning them is faster than tumble lubing. I fill a 1.5 pint jar half full, swirl them in acetone, and pour the acetone in an empty jar. Then cover with new (er) acetone and swirl for a minute, again. Then a third time with fresh acetone, and spread them out in a baking pan to dry.

I use the first (dirtiest) acetone to kill weeds and keep the other two for the next batch, shifting the jars so the oldest acetone is used first on the next batch of boolits and do the 3rd rinse with fresh.

Faster than TL'ing because there's virtually no drying time. You could do 1000's an hour if you keep all three jars working, like a progressive press.

[retread]

I powder coat everything and then store them....so I don't have to worry about grease sticking or drying out or collecting dust and dirt.

PC is permanent.

bangerjim

I cast, lube and then seal them in vacuum Food Saver bags. Easy to store, pack in whatever amounts you want and are shiny, clean and ready for loading.

[Kull]

Both. I'll size/lube until I have what I feel is plenty on hand and stop. Dry or lubed I store them in empty tobacco cans.

[gwpercle]

Sized and lubed...never had any go bad and some have been on the shelf years.
Gary

[bangerjim]

Cleaning them is faster than tumble lubing. I fill a 1.5 pint jar half full, swirl them in acetone, and pour the acetone in an empty jar. Then cover with new (er) acetone and swirl for a minute, again. Then a third time with fresh acetone, and spread them out in a baking pan to dry.

I use the first (dirtiest) acetone to kill weeds and keep the other two for the next batch, shifting the jars so the oldest acetone is used first on the next batch of boolits and do the 3rd rinse with fresh.

Faster than TL'ing because there's virtually no drying time. You could do 1000's an hour if you keep all three jars working, like a progressive press.

A step I have added that guarantees perfect PC every time is after the 2nd( or 3rd - your call) wash with acetone, I put them in VERY VERY hot water with SimpleGreen in it and give them a real good swish around. That degreaser is the best thing for cutting any kind of grease film. Dump, rinse again with hot water in the sink and dump out to dry. Since they are hot, that does not take long!

banger

[Fishman]

I have lots of tumble lubed boolits in storage, some 20 years old, and they are just fine. Lladed some the other day. I stored most of them in freezer zip locks.

[Fishman]

I have lots of tumble lubed boolits in storage, some 20 years old, and they are just fine. Loaded some the other day. I stored most of them in freezer zip locks.

[Victor N TN]

20% lubed and dusted with motor mica powder. Those are stored in old cigar boxes with chipboard between layers. The other 80% just as they cooled off in gallon jugs with the big mouth that rice comes in.

[el34]

A step I have added that guarantees perfect PC every time is after the 2nd( or 3rd - your call) wash with acetone, I put them in VERY VERY hot water with SimpleGreen in it and give them a real good swish around. That degreaser is the best thing for cutting any kind of grease film. Dump, rinse again with hot water in the sink and dump out to dry. Since they are hot, that does not take long!

banger

I went to Home Depot looking for a good degreaser that works on JPW. A guy strongly recommended SimpleGreen. I saw it had something in it (forgot what) that I thought might not set well with lead so I just stuck with more acetone. Might try SG if the 3-stage acetone doesn't work out.

[mdi]

Yes!

I have a bunch of as cast bullets stored in 1 gal. containers. I also keep some bullets in boxes of 100 (I made some light cardboard boxes) sized and lubed and ready to load. My boxes keep the bullets standing on their bases, not loose and rattling around...

[Springfield0612]

So far I haven't been able to make it more than 3 months with cast bullets on hand. If the wife finds out I've got extra components that need to be assembled, she ensures that I have a reason to put them together. She likes to shoot, A LOT! I guess I'll never have to worry about longevity of the lube!