Lee Liquid Alox for commercial cast boolits and my .44 magnum

[Animal]

Hey guys,

I've worked up some loads that I like with 2400 and W296. I've also got a box of commercial cast 240 SWC BB that are a little undersized for my throats. The lube is the traditional blue commercial lube. I've used them over a 19.5gr of 2400 and have been pretty accurate, but they lead the snot out of my barrel. I then removed the lube and applied my own 60/40 beeswax/vasoline. That made a big difference, but I still had half the leading.

I don't have a mold for my 44 yet, but I've already slugged the throats, barrel and have decided I'll get a custom from accurate after the holidays. I'd like to get some use out of my commercial boolits in the meantime, so I'm wondering how the LLA will work for them?

I've seen where people use mineral spirits with the LLA and sometimes tumble a second coat after the first is totally dry. What recommendations would you guys suggest?

[Larry Gibson]

I've use quite a bit of LLA on such cast bullets. I usually just apply the LLA on the lubed bullets as when I wash off the commercial lube I relubed with and NRA 50/50 lube or with BAC. However, I have used LLA on such hard cast commercial bullets that the hard wax lube washed off. To TL lube yours with LLA I suggest just using the LLA straight as per Lee's directions. If the LLA needs "thinning" then simply soak the bottle in hot tap water for 10 minutes and it will be nice and runny.

I use a small plastic peanut butter jar to TL bullets. Most who use LLA the 1st time use way too much and end up with a gooey mess on the bullets. I suggest at 1st you take a 1' sheet of wax paper and cut it into about 2" squares, no need to be exact so just eyeball it. Now put the amount of LLA you think the bullets need on one square. Then scrap 1/2 of that amount back into the LLA bottle. Put the other 1/2 in the TL container and TL the bullets. Roll them around in the TL container don't shake them. You want a nice golden hue on the bullets not clumps of runny lube. I stand them on their base to dry on another sheet of wax paper. Let them dry completely, usually about 24 hours at room temp. With that load you might apply a 2nd coat. Make sure you let them completely dry before loading.

One last suggestion; I seldom use commercial cast with 2400 any more, especially the BB'd ones. I prefer to use them with 8.5 - 9 gr Unique for a comfortable mid level 44 magnum load. With LLA TL'd hard commercial bullets of .429 size I still get a light grey "wash" but it cleans out with a normal cleaning. There is none of what I refer to as "leading".

Larry Gibson

[paul h]

The reason they are leading is because the are undersize, and unless you powder coat them, you aren't going to get a lube that will build up their dia and cure the leading due to them being undersize.

I also started out with commercial hardcast bullets with the crayon lube, and I think that experience is why I got into casting. Honestly the best use I found for them when I got into casting was to mix them with my alloy to harden and flux it.

[josper]

The reason they are leading is because the are undersize, and unless you powder coat them, you aren't going to get a lube that will build up their dia and cure the leading due to them being undersize.

I also started out with commercial hardcast bullets with the crayon lube, and I think that experience is why I got into casting. Honestly the best use I found for them when I got into casting was to mix them with my alloy to harden and flux it.
Its funny that you said that. I had a box of laser cast bullets that leaded up my barrel something awful so I added a few of them to every new batch of alloy until I used them up.

[Larry Gibson]

The reason they are leading is because the are undersize, and unless you powder coat them, you aren't going to get a lube that will build up their dia and cure the leading due to them being undersize.

I also started out with commercial hardcast bullets with the crayon lube, and I think that experience is why I got into casting. Honestly the best use I found for them when I got into casting was to mix them with my alloy to harden and flux it.

That is not necessarily the case. I have shot thousands of Laser-Cast and other "hard" commercial .44 cal bullets through my Hawes revolver with magnum loads of 2400 and Unique. The bullets were all .429-.430 and were relubed with Javelina, BAC or LLA. Throats on the Hawes run .434+ (pin measured). Leading was minor and cleaned out with normal cleaning regimen. Accuracy was always as good as the Hawes would do, not bad actually running 1.5 - 2" groups at 25 yards twice around the cylinder. I do not hesitate to use the relubed commercial cast in any of my revolvers (32s, 38/357s, 41, 44s and .45s) even though with the exception of the .32 H&R Ruger, the .41 magnum Ruger and the .44 Colt Anaconda the throats are almost always larger than the commercial cast bullets by .001 - .004". I do not consider leading to be an issue with properly relubed commercial cast bullets and use them when the price is right.

Larry Gibson

[Boyscout]

I dip my .44 bullets in Lee Alox, place them on wax paper and cake cut them after they dry. I load them with 22.5 gn Win 296 and shoot them out of a Handi-Rifle. I get no leading, the bore is clean and they shoot great. I size to .429.