Lee mold shallow lube grooves

[timotab]

I'm sizing and lubing 3 9mm boolits, Lee 356-120tc & 358-105swc and the NOE 358 124 tc. Both the Lee boolits have shallow lube grooves and it takes a lot of pressure in the lubrisizer to completely fill the groove. The NOE doesn't require the same pressure and fills the groove more consistently. I was wondering if anyone else had experienced this and if there was a remedy.

This occurred using BAC lube in a Lube-a-matic with both .357 and .358 H&I dies.

[Walter Laich]

Yep, they are harder to fill.
.
I went to a heater to soften my lube a bit and it helped.
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be sure you have the groove at the center of he lube holes in the die. With wider grooves you can be off a bit and still have success. The thin grooves require more care.

[Maximumbob54]

I have shot what I approximate to be one metric butt ton of both of those Lee bullets. The TC one used to be run through a Lyman 450 with WLL BAC and it worked just fine but as said did need a little heat. The SWC one I always tumble lubed with WLL 45/45/10 and those were cheap easy little paper punchers. I now powder coat both of them so no more lube issues.

Proof:

http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x333/Maximumbob54/Reloading%20and%20Casting/IMG_20150508_203942289_HDR_zpsrkcje5pn.jpg (http://s1176.photobucket.com/user/Maximumbob54/media/Reloading%20and%20Casting/IMG_20150508_203942289_HDR_zpsrkcje5pn.jpg.html)

Edit: I never noticed I missed a piece of WC brass. Oops.

[bedbugbilly]

Can't help on the lubesizer as all I do is tumble lube. I cast both the 356-120 TC and the 358-105 SWC - use them in my 9mm and 38s. Nice boolits. I use them both "as cast" and don't bother sizing them at all. Have to agree though - not much of a lube groove . . . but again, nice boolits to play with!

[timotab]

I might try tumble lubing some anday see how they do. I'm shooting them out of a CZ P07 and there's no throat to speak of so it might be pushing it.

[blikseme300]

My 9mm boolit of choice is the Lee 120TC and I lube/size them using a Star without any trouble. Been using Carnauba Red for a few years and this just works where I'm at as summer temperatures are typically 3-digits. No need to go PC to get the results you need when using a Star.

[r1kk1]

I have a custom six cavity 255 grain Lee mould my DW 44 mag really loves. I use a Star and LsStuff lube and it works well. I have a six cavity 310 grain custom mould in .512 diameter for my Linebaugh revolver. I have favorite moulds from different manufacturers. I do wish the Lee moulds had deeper lube grooves to hold more lube. So far at 1570 fps the 255 grain bullet carries enough lube for 10" of barrel.

take care

r1kk1

[VHoward]

My 9mm boolit of choice is the Lee 120TC and I lube/size them using a Star without any trouble. Been using Carnauba Red for a few years and this just works where I'm at as summer temperatures are typically 3-digits. No need to go PC to get the results you need when using a Star.
But with powder coating, you have no greasy mess in your reloading dies and no grime from the lube in your gun. Also no smoke discharge from your gun due to the greasy lube. Cleaner all around and I load my powder coated bullets at close to jacketed loads with no leading.

[Maximumbob54]

Guys, I don't mean to say PC is the perfect answer to this question. I only mention it as another option on the table. As i said, the tumble lube also worked more than adequate. I always sized mine to .358" which meant I had to tumble lube them a second time and let them dry again. This was at least a two day process. And it worked just fine. I can do the PC in one day and it also works just fine. It's pretty rare but from time to time I still tumble lube. If the SWC will feed for you then it also makes a great bullet for 9mm loads. I'm sure others have had better luck but as great shooting as it is in .38's I never had any luck with them in .357's of any real velocity. And yet when sized to .358" and loaded for my 92FS they worked just fine. Never did figure that one out.

[blikseme300]

But with powder coating, you have no greasy mess in your reloading dies and no grime from the lube in your gun. Also no smoke discharge from your gun due to the greasy lube. Cleaner all around and I load my powder coated bullets at close to jacketed loads with no leading.

I have yet to experience the greasy mess I keep hearing about even after many 1000's of boolits loaded. There is also no grime in any of my guns while the coating that the waxes leave in the barrel prevent rust and prevents the build-up of hard soot. The lubes I use contain no grease and smoke level is purely a function of powder choice. I often meet and sometimes exceed factory spec velocities from rifles while maintaining good accuracy and never any leading.

I do agree that PC has it's place but it is not the quantum leap forward for CB caster & reloaders that some make it out to be and that those of us that still use lubes need to see the light. PC is not a cure-all for bad mold choice, bad casting technique or any of the pitfalls that inexperienced folks face. Once PC establishes records or wins premier rifle CB events maybe I will reconsider and try it.

I don't have an issue with PC as a method but I do take some offence at the way some posters on this board try and belittle any method other than theirs. I spend more time preparing brass during the deprime, clean, pocket uniform, resize, trim, anneal etc than probably taken to prepare boolits with PC so time is not the reason I choose not to. I spend the time to prepare ammunition that works every time and is accurate while not damaging firearms and leaving them easy to clean.

[VHoward]

I'd like to know where I belittled your way of lubing bullets. I just pointed out my experience with greasy/waxy lubes vs. powder coated. When I was using White Label Lubes BAC and Carnuba Red, I was constantly having to clean my bullet seating dies due to the grime from the traditional lube. Now that I powder coat bullets, I no longer need to clean the seating dies. I get the same accuracy with either method. I also noticed that my guns were much cleaner after a session shooting powder coated bullets than they were after shooting traditionally lubed cast bullets. It seems to me that you are the one belittling powder coating without even have ever tried it.

[Maximumbob54]

Please, let's not allow this to devolve into yet another PC vs. lube thread. I don't know what it is about PC that causes such vitriol on this forum. I don't remember plated doing this and plated certainly has a solid hold in the sport. But the mere mention of PC in a section of the forum that isn't in the coatings section is always met with friction and dislike. No one ever says it's the only way, best way, superior way, or any other such platitude. It is only said that it can stop leading which it can if done right, minimizes or eliminates smoke which it does, it reduces the need for perfect matching of alloy hardness, and a few other perks. Just like plated it's not a replacement for lubed lead, and the more people that try it the more new ideas and techniques that come along and make it better and better. And I don't mean to keep saying PC like it's the only coating. Hitec as a coating seems to work just fine and is also gaining a hold in the industry. Epoxy coatings also work. I'm sure there are more but those are the three that so far have the most following. But the constant bickering serves none and only holds everyone back from further possibilities.

I've said my piece and I'm now done with all this. I won't mention coatings in another non coatings section of the forum because flat out I can not stand the ongoing fight. It's just pointless.