Learning to cast

[jerf123]

I am trying to learn how to cast. What is the recommended way to lube bullets. Looking for everyone's answers on this one please .

[avogunner]

Jerf, I don't think there's any one way recommended but I would guess most casters use a lubri-sizer. Others however, pan-lube, tumble lube, or powder coat. You'll get a bunch of different answers here but I guess which method you use will fit your personal circumstances - the type of shooting you do and your budget. Good luck and welcome to the club.
Semper Fi.

[kungfustyle]

what do you have the patients and money for?
Lyman (used) $60 ebay, top punch $10, $26 size die, $2 bullet lube tube.
pan lube: used pie pan $0, homemade bullet lube $7.
Alox/alox mix: $20 Lee push through sizer w/ alox bottle (messy) go with 45/45/10 mix.
All work but if you need to size your bullets then Lyman or Lee option. You can still pan lube with Lee.

[trapper9260]

I am with what is stated. What ever that will work out for you and go with that.

[TrashcanDan]

Been lurking around here for a while.

Everything seems to be a matter of preference, so I'm going to go with the "do what you think will work for you" answer.

Although there is a ton of stickies with pages of different opinions.

[toallmy]

Do you want to do a 50 round box for your handgun , or 20 rounds for your 30-30 ? Are you looking for big production ? Do you have more money, or time ? These are the questions we must use to help you decide how to help you spend your $$$$$$$$ . If you are just looking to get a feel of it 30.00 in a lee push through sizing die with the lube will get you going , then you can play with pan lube and cake cutter as well , or powder coating to .

[Yodogsandman]

By far, the cheapest and easiest way is to size with a Lee sizer die in your press and tumble lube with Lee Liquid Alox (comes with the kit). My choice for tumble lube is with Ben's Liquid Lube (BLL). This is also one the best ways to size long, narrow boolits.

The star sizer is considered faster and you can use regular wax or grease lubes. I don't have one but, it's regarded as the best sizer.. The cost is much more, like $400 and you'll need star sizer dies for it.

BLL is made from 60% Lee Liquid Alox and 40% S.C.Johnsons "One Step", "No Buff", liquid floor wax.

No leading to at least 2500 FPS. First shot goes into the group.Dries quickly. Easy to apply.

I put about 50 boolits in an empty plastic ice cream bucket, pour in about a quarter size amount of BLL, swirl the boolits around and dry on a rectangular 2"x4" wooden form with 1/4" hardware cloth on the bottom. Dry in 2 hours.

[runfiverun]

easiest/cheapest by far for most beginners is tumble lube [and not just alox alone] and a LEE push through sizer.
I use T/L and run them through my stars for a couple of boolits.

the rest just go through the star sizers.
I sized 2300 9m boolits on Monday and got about 600 of them in cases that afternoon.
then sized just over 2-k again on Tuesday and got another 600 in cases, I also went to town for 5 hrs that day and took the wife to dinner.

but there is a huge price difference between a 25 dollar sizer and a 600.00 machine.

you can pan lube and size through the LEE sizers too which is also on the slow side but just as effective as the stars are.
or use the other brands of lube-sizers they are faster than pain lubing but slower than the tumble lube/lee push through method.

[jerf123]

Ok I appreciate the input from this forum. My budget small and my patients pretty good for reloading. I don't know any thing on the lube end. Still waiting for the casting book to come in and read it. What is tumble lube. Auctally putting it in a tumbler ?

[jerf123]

Now will the lee sizing die fit a regular rock chucker ?
And probally more like 50 44/40 bullets a time thing. I don't really have many guns that I can cast for yet
the pan lube I just put the bullets on and melt wax to full it up and cut them out ?

Runfiverun

[jerf123]

I will have to look for the BLL thank you
Yodogsandman

[Screwbolts]

Now will the lee sizing die fit a regular rock chucker ?
And probally more like 50 44/40 bullets a time thing. I don't really have many guns that I can cast for yet
the pan lube I just put the bullets on and melt wax to full it up and cut them out ?
Runfiverun

Lee sizer dies will fit all 7/8-14 threaded presses. Standard die thread.

Pan Lube, melt bullet lube not just wax, after cutting boolitz out of lube, with cake cutter. (I might still have a Lee 44 cal pan lube cutter, Cake cutter, I might donate to your venture.)) simply fill holes in lube with more boolitz, re heat to flow lube into fresh boolitz, and over and over again..

BLL, look into that, simple fast efficent, lots of pistol boolitz can be shoot unsized. Cast, Lube, shoot, keep it simple. look for thread, sticky or whatever to learn about BLL.

Ken

[Lead Fred]

Pan lubing is the cheapest, tumble lubing is the messiest. Lubrisizer the most costly.

Lee moulds are designed to be tumble lubed. Id check and see who made your molds.

I use both. Id prefer not to tumble lube (I dont tumble, I dip each one by hand). But half my moulds dictate I do.

I prefer to pan lube. Once your set up, its quick, easy, and not messy

My pan lube is:
1lb bee's wax
1lb Lard
8oz STP

[runfiverun]

for pan lubing you'll want a bees-wax based softer lube.
I'd go with the old stand-by of 50-50 which is alox and B-wax mixed together.
when I first melted it down I would add 1/2 tsp of lanolin per stick, this will help it stick to the boolits better and remain a bit more flexible throughout the process.
I would also get or make a cake cutter to remove the boolits from the pan.

[robg]

Lee tumble lube just put your boolits in a tub shake them around tip them onto some grease proof paper let them dry over night job done.size them if you want to or just load them up as they are.

[fryboy]

Most of us remember being new lolz
The main question we lack is about the desired boolits/usage ...indeed this wieghs heavily on any suggestions I mite make,many good examples above,by far the cheapest is the tumble lube ( OK OK so I don't really tumble - I swirl ;) ) which can be done on any style of boolits but is more suited to some than others

[Dimner]

Alot has already been said about tumble and pan lubing. One thing I would throw in is buying the NOE push through sizer instead of the lee sizing dies.

In the long run (even mid run) it will save you lots of money and space too. You can buy bushings for $10 each for the size you want. All sizes are available. This is especially convenient if you are going to be casting for multiple firearms and/or multiple calibers. Initial outset of $40 followed by $10 for each size you want to use.