Anyone have good luck with Lee tumble lube bullets.

[koger]

I have only tried them in .45 and they did pretty good, anybody tried them in .38/357 or 9mm, all replies appreciated.

[tazman]

I have used them in 38Special and 45ACP with excellent results. In 9mm, they have a reputation for tumbling in some guns.
Haven't really figured out a reason for that yet, but it seems to happen fairly often.

[Hick]

I tumble lube everything I use in my 38 special. Lee DEWC (designed for TL), Lee 140 SWC (actually a lube design, but I still TL), Lee 150 grain round nose (also a lube design but I use TL instead). The 150 grain TL I also use in my Ruger New Model Blackhawk in 357. No leading or other issues with any of them.

[Kylongrifle32]

No 45 experience but in 9mm I tried the Lee 356-124 R2. I was using the Lee 356-120 TC with lube groove and had good results with them. I got tired of the mess of pan lubing large quantities of pistol boolits so I got the Tumble lube mold to speed things up. I am shooting several different guns Beretta 92, Springfield XDS, and Glock 19. In these guns I had about a 20% tumble and fliers at 21 feet with the TL 124's. I then learned that my lube choice of 45-45-10 would work on the 120 TC with no leading problem I went back to that Boolit and abandoned the TL 124's and sold the mold.
Now with being said my out come may have been something that could have been easily corrected with some simple fix. I have done so troubleshooting on the Tumble lube boolits and I think my problem may have come from not flaring the case mouth enough and swagging the Boolit down to a smaller diameter with the case itself. Another fix my have been to use a larger expander in the sizing die. I use the Lee TL 358-158 SW in a Ruger Blackhawk with very good results.
As with all bullets if you put in the R&D you can make them work very well for you. I can't put down the 9mm and TL boolits I just gave up to soon. I think I had several other different cartridges I was working with at the time. To many irons in the fire as they say.

[Texas by God]

I've used the TL swc design in 314, 410, and 430 for years with no complaints. The 9mm TL TC leaded horribly from a P38 and a P89 so I sent it down the road. I too use LLA on conventional lube groove bullets successfully.

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[Dapaki]

TL356-124-TC both PC'd and 45:45:10 tumbled. Both work well.

[Misery-Whip]

I got good results with it, just hated the mess. And gummed up dies. Your patience may level may exceed mine.

[kungfustyle]

Tumble lube = messy. The 45/45/10 mix with Johnson's Paste wax is much better. Make it yourself or buy it from white label lube. https://www.lsstuff.com/ Fit is king, otherwise you will get leading. It will work, but coat the boolits and let them dry. Less will get on your reloading die and you will have to clean them more often than other lubing methods.

[onelight]

I only have 2 Lee tl molds I have used the 90 grain 32 swc and the 200 grain 45 swc I have mixed results in my single seven Ruger with 32 s&w long cases I get key holing but not with 32 h&r or 327 cases Shoot good in my sp101 with all 3 case lengths , in 45 I get key holing in the ACP cylinder of my flattop convertible but not in any of my autos .i also have the 45 tl 230 grain rn I have not cast with yet.
I shoot as cast lubed with 45-45-10 .

[Rich/WIS]

Tried TL in 9mm when I was in Germany and all my sizers were in storage. What a mess and the RN design tumbled badly and the SWC style did too but not as badly. Gummed up seating dies etc. Found out after joining the form and seeing pics of other members bullets that I was applying it much too heavily. Light wash versus mine that looked like chocolate covered raisins LOL. All my molds are standard lube groove designs and size in a Lyman 450 or RCBS LAM II but would TL if the situation required it, only do it right.

[cupajoe]

The Lee TL 358 158 SWC is my "GO TO" mold for 38 Special and midrange 357 Mag loads. PC'd or sized and lubed in traditional fashion it works great. I don't TL so no input there.

[Froogal]

YES! ....358 diameter, 158 grain lead round nose work very well with tumble lubing.

[Froogal]

Tried TL in 9mm when I was in Germany and all my sizers were in storage. What a mess and the RN design tumbled badly and the SWC style did too but not as badly. Gummed up seating dies etc. Found out after joining the form and seeing pics of other members bullets that I was applying it much too heavily. Light wash versus mine that looked like chocolate covered raisins LOL. All my molds are standard lube groove designs and size in a Lyman 450 or RCBS LAM II but would TL if the situation required it, only do it right.

50/50 LEE alox and mineral spirits gives good results. I stand the bullets on end with space in between each bullet and let them dry overnight.

[Larry Gibson]

I use 5 different Lee TL pistol bullets of 32, 35, 41 and 45 calibers with excellent results. Mostly I size/lube them in a Lyman 450 but when I TL them I use LLA (straight) putting a very, very light coat on them, letting them dry thoroughly, size them and then another very, very light coat and let them dry thoroughly....as per Lee's instructions. I've been using the TL designs for over 30 years and quickly learned, the hard way, the key is the "very, very light" coats [bullets should just have a light golden hue to them, not globs of lube] and let dry thoroughly.....

BTW; same procedure works with standard lube groove bullets and also with commercial cast that are leading with the hard wax lube on them.

[cowboy4evr]

Years ago when I started reloading the family heirloom , a Winchester 94 , sold in 97 chambered in 38-55 , 26" barrel , I didn't have a lube/sizer then so after I cast / sized using LEE push through sizing die I just tumble lubed them . I thought they were pretty accurate and absolutely no lead in the barrel . Regards Paul

[bedbugbilly]

I have several of the TL Lee molds and like them all. In my 38s/357 I have tried a while lot of different weights/designs that I have molds for and I still go back to my Lee 158 TL semi-wadcutter. I don't size them - they drop like butter from my 2 cavity and I TL in paste wax / alox. They shoot great.

And as Larry Gibson points out . . . . the same TL process works well on boolits with conventional lube grooves. I throw mine (TL design and conventional) in a quart size Tupperware container with a lid - put in a dab of Johnson's paste wax and put the cover on and swirl them around - then put in a "small" dab of Alox and swirl - then lay out on a sheet of tin foil or wax paper, stand 'em on their bases and let them sit over night. If I'm going to size a boolit or put on a gas check - I swirl them in a dab of paste wax to lube them before pushing them through the Lee push through sizer.

[bangerjim]

All my TL slugs work great - closest thing to NLG you can get. I PC everything and the grooves just fill in, leaving almost smooth sides after sizing, not that smooth sides make a darned bit of difference from my experiences over the years.

[redhawk0]

I've used TL designs in 9mm, 40 cal, 38/357, and 44 mag. I've never had any issues with them. I have to admit though...after switching from Lee Alox Lube to PC, my groups got slightly smaller....and a lot less cleanup after a shooting session.

redhawk

[saturn]

The 200gr. Lee TL SWC with 4.2 Bullseye is my most accurate 45 acp load.

[robg]

tumble lube all my boolits 357/308/223/45-70 gas checked and pb works fine if you dont go mad for speed.

[Rizzo]

I used to tumble lube with Lee Liquid Alox and found that my set C.O.A.L. was changing.
The reason turned out to be a build up of the Alox on the seating die.
When I took the die apart to check it out...wow!...lots of build up in there.
I do not tumble lube any more but do have a bunch of cast bullets that I tumble lubed.
Now, when I use them I drag the bullet tip across a paper towel to remove the Alox on the flat bullet tip and then seat the bullet.

[pacomdiver]

tried them in 9 (124 tl), and 45 a couple years ago, tried to make the 9 work solidly for about 2 months,tried them from 10 to 17 BRN sized in range from 356 to 358 with 3 different powders at multiple different charges, all shot like crap in everything i ran them thru but the carbines (they were indifferent), went so far on the case flare to make sure they werent getting swaged down,some looked like an old spitoon, didnt change the accuracy, I even tried some powder coated right before giving up, they still didnt shoot much better, pulled the bullets from loaded rounds to check swaging and the coatings (both LLA and PC at end)were intact. gave up bought the 120 TC and havent looked back, found a good shooting load almost instantly (sub 3" 60 round group at 10yards offhand in unsorted mixed stamp brass thru 3 different pistols), so the TL molds got put on the "not used" shelf and bought a second 6 cavity 120 TC mold. i did dabble with the NOE 359 135 RN PC mold,they shot pretty good but not as good as the 120s

[Froogal]

I used to tumble lube with Lee Liquid Alox and found that my set C.O.A.L. was changing.
The reason turned out to be a build up of the Alox on the seating die.
When I took the die apart to check it out...wow!...lots of build up in there.
I do not tumble lube any more but do have a bunch of cast bullets that I tumble lubed.
Now, when I use them I drag the bullet tip across a paper towel to remove the Alox on the flat bullet tip and then seat the bullet.

I encountered some of those same issues with the buildup, so now I regularly disassemble and clean ALL of my reloading dies.

[FLINTNFIRE]

I to was fighting the build up and was planning on going to coating so finished loading what was lubed then switched , as to good luck with them , Yes , I have had a 45 tumble lube bullet mold since the 90's and still use that design , also have a arsenal mold ranch dog style in 40 caliber that makes excellent bullets , and shoots quite nice .

In 38 and 357 they worked fine , in 9 my better moulds and bullets are the Mihec molds with traditional lube groove , though I am coating them .

[Lloyd Smale]

I shot ppc a few years with a clark ppc converted model 10. I used unisized tumble lubed 105 less of all things. Why? Because that gun was an absolute tack driver with that bullet and vit 310. It would basically put them in one hole off the bench at 25 yards. Most accurate revolver and load ive ever shot. Dont use it much anymore if any. To dirty and today we have pc. But id be the first to tell you if your on a budget give it a try.

[ddixie884]

Experience speaks........

[beefyz]

"I used to tumble lube with Lee Liquid Alox and found that my set C.O.A.L. was changing.
The reason turned out to be a build up of the Alox on the seating die.
When I took the die apart to check it out...wow!...lots of build up in there.
I do not tumble lube any more but do have a bunch of cast bullets that I tumble lubed.
Now, when I use them I drag the bullet tip across a paper towel to remove the Alox on the flat bullet tip and then seat the bullet."

GOOD info for you here. Yes, it gets a bit dirty but every now and then just clean out the dies with a bit of brake cleaning fluid. If you notice one of the other threads, i'm the guy who had a problem with a .357 Rossi. Tumbling my boolits also seemed to help solve some of the problem and so i do it for those specific loads in that rifle. With other rifles/ calibers/ loads, it didn't seem to make that much of it difference.