Lubing Cast Bullets

[TraderVic]

OK........as I start out - I see a lubrisizer may be in order and I'd like to know more about these tools of the trade. This tool is designed to compress lube into/onto the bullet between the rings ( still learning the "casting language" ) - correct? A lube die is needed for each diameter of bullet ? FWIW.....I am reading a number of different sources about this new habit, however - it will take me awhile to get there.

Regards, Vic

[HORNET]

That pretty much covers the basics of it. It also resizes the boolit to the desired diameter and crimps the gas check (if any) in place.

[WHITETAIL]

[smilie=w:TraderVic, Welcome to the forum!

[canyon-ghost]

Yes, sizer dies lightly swage the lead to a smaller diameter if need be, the lube is applied lower in the die through holes machined in the die. I use Lymans with heat (for hard pistol lubes). It's all how many dollars fast you want to go.

Ron

[MtGun44]

Lots of ways to apply lubes, lots of lubes.

Cheapest is smear soft lube with fingers and don't change the as cast size.
You'll get sick of this real soon, but it works fine in most situations.
Next is liqud alox 'tumbled' on to shallow lube groove design boolits. Easy,
messy, doesn't always work but many have decent results.
Pan lubing and a cake cutter is next, both it and the tumble lube can use
the Lee push thru dies to change size. Cheap, kinda slow, but meets the
needs of a lot of folks.

Next comes the Lyman and RCBS and SAECO lubrisizers which size and
apply lube. good machines, last forever, dies are fairly reasonable. you
need a decent match of the boolit nose to the top punch to avoid distorting
the nose during sizing.

Then the Star lubrisizer, fast thruput, excellent machines, but fussy to set
up for different boolit designs (not only diameters) and much more
expensive to buy and so are the dies. Stars are best for designs that you
will lube 500 or 1000 at a whack. The Lyman and RCBS are more for
100-500 at a whack. The hand stuff is better for doing 50 boolits or less,
unless you are unnaturally patient. ;-)

Welcome!

Bill

[bbs70]

I think it depends on how much you shoot, and how much you want to spend.
I shoot 400 to 500 rounds when I go to the range (45 lc ).
And I cast, size and lube quite a few boolits at a time.

I was using the tumble lube method.
Roll the boolits in alox.
Let dry overnight.
Size with a Lee push through sizer.
Then tumble lube again.
And let dry again overnight.
It was cheap and easy, but what a mess.
But it works.

I recently bought a used Star and had Lathesmith make me a die.
The Star is push through like the Lee (nose first) but the star is so much faster and easier to use.
And I don't have to wait for the lube to dry overnight.
And it puts lube IN the lube grooves, the Lee puts lube ON the boolit.

A new star goes for 250.00 without dies.
I got mine used for 150.00 without dies.
The Lee sizer goes for about 20.00, ready to go.
Lar45's lsStuff (http://www.lsstuff.com/lube/liquid-x.html) sells liquid xlox for a heck of a lot cheaper than Lee's alox and it is the same stuff.

[budman46]

tradervic
bbs nailed it. if i'd found deal on a star years ago i might never have tried the lee's system..but i didn't. liquid alox and lee's push-thru sizers are the way i now lube after retiring lyman and rcbs sizers and stick lubes.

with liquid alox, i lube, dry on a pan with a fan, size, relube and fan-dry a second time. for me, cleaning bullet seater dies because of liquid alox is minimal and a small price for the convenience, speed and economy afforded by liquid alox and lee's sizing die system.

btw, i've seen no leading with liquid alox at chrono'd velocities up 1900 fps.
budman