A tale of two boolits... and lube

[crabo]

In my quest for a 100 meter pistol cartridge silhouette load in my 357 lever gun with a 24" barrel. I have 2 different boolits that shoot consistently into 1.5" at 50 yards. It will be 10 days before I can get to the 100 yard range.

The first boolit is a NOE 180 grain GC hollowpoint that weighs in at 167 grains. The second is a plain based 160 grain boolit that I had Mountain Molds make a mold for me. I used a 50% meplat for it, because I wanted a target boolit as opposed to a hunting boolit. I think both boolits with the hollowpoint and the small meplat, tend to help get the weight back toward the back of the boolit.

The plain based boolit is WD WWs, and the hollowpoint is AC WWs.

I used 13 grains of 2400 with both boolits, and the groups are interchangeable in size. A friend ran it on Quickload and it should go 1750 fps + or - 50 fps with the 24" barrel. Both boolits are lubed with C Red.

So here is the question. The plain based boolit has a single lube groove. The hollowpoint has two lube groves and the area above the gas check. How do I know if I have too much lube on the hollowpoint. I know that some target shooters only lube some of their wadcutters in one groove. I know I am pushing a lot faster and have a longer barrel to deal with.

Any advice on how to determine if I am putting too much lube on the boolit? I think one way to tell is by shooting a number of each boolit and see if accuracy degrades at 100 yards from the first group to the last group.

Any other considerations I should be thinking about, or things to look for? Does a lube star indicate adequate lube or too much?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Thanks,

[Blammer]

I have a winchester 24" brl that I shoot the 360180 NOE in and the Lee 358 158 in.

The lee has one lube groove like your's and the NOE, is, well, the same.

I get a lube star with both. A lube star to me indicates that you have enough lube for the length of the barrel and that is good.

If you are going for the ulitimate accuracy, make sure you wt your boolits and only shoot the ones that wt the SAME for each group. I think that will affect your groups far more than the amount of lube.

If you do decide to lube only one groove, I'd make sure you have a very very good lube.

Another consideration for accuracy would be to make sure the GC's are fully seated and consistent each time.

Let me look for some targets, I think I'm shooting 1.5" at 100 yds with mine.

[HeavyMetal]

Lube star is the way to check for to much, or not enough, lube.

If your star is dry and gritty, after about 50 rounds, you need more lube.

If 50 rounds produce's a "wet" star you got to much lube.

Now this is old info from the days when Javilina lube and 50/50 alox was all you could get.

I have been using Carnuba Red for 3 or 4 years now and have never had the issue of to much lube.

I'd shoot them and see how the perform at the 100 yd berm and then check lube star.

If the accuracy stays good don't worry be happy!

[Blammer]

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Targets/100yd207tycerA.jpg

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Targets/100yd207tycer.jpg

the middle boolit is the "tycer" boolit, it's a tall one and I only needed one lube groove fillled as it's quite large. it's a 207gr boolit. That is the one used in the above targets

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g81/blammer8mm/Targets/DSCN5820.jpg

evidently I don't have any good targets scanned for 100yds with the NOE boolits or the Lee 358 one.

[steg]

Not new to casting, and sorry if this question is out of place here, but I'm not familliar with the term lube-star, can someone explain?...........steg

[Heavy lead]

Not new to casting, and sorry if this question is out of place here, but I'm not familliar with the term lube-star, can someone explain?...........steg

It is the lube at the muzzle that is deposited when the boolit exits the barrel. Much easier to see on a stainless or nicked gun that a blue, a patch will show it on a blued barrel quite easily.
See HeavyMetal's post.

[steg]

Thanks Heavy Lead, I wouldn't have figured that one out on my own!

[303Guy]

I think both boolits with the hollowpoint and the small meplat, tend to help get the weight back toward the back of the boolit.Actually, it's not about moving the weight toward the back of the boolit but rather about moving the weight to the circumference of the boolit where it has the most stabilizing effect. Sorry - that doesn't answer your question one little bit!

I have cast, lubed and loaded up a few 357 magnum rounds and shot them through a friends Rossi Puma carbine at 110yds and obtained a stunning accuracy, even though the mold was somewhat dinged! Alox lube, I think. (Never saw any leading in that gun). The group was a boolit diameter wide but with a little vertical stringing which I put down to the way the sun was glinting off the fore-sight. I'm not talking 'three shot groups' either! Closer to ten.

[crabo]

I'm not talking 'three shot groups' either! Closer to ten.

I don't do 3 shot groups. In my pistols and rifles it's at least 5 and in revolvers it is a full cylinder. I see beautiful 3 shot groups from revolvers and it doesn't mean anything to me, because I have done the same thing. Shoot 3 more and the group doubles in size.

[LeadThrower]

For those of us that are still learning... what set-up at the bench are you using to produce these results, gents? Optics or open sights? Fore end on a rest (or bags?) or fore plus buttstock (leadsled style)? To quote Crabo's original post: Inquiring minds want to know!

Great thread, btw. That NOE hollow point is sure beautiful!

[crabo]

For those of us that are still learning... what set-up at the bench are you using to produce these results, gents? Optics or open sights? Fore end on a rest (or bags?) or fore plus buttstock (leadsled style)? To quote Crabo's original post: Inquiring minds want to know!

Great thread, btw. That NOE hollow point is sure beautiful!

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=412484

I use this rest in the front. It is not too expensive or heavy. I use a bunny bag in the rear, and I always test with optics if I can. (even if I don't intend to shoot that way.)

On my lever guns, I use a Cabella's laceon cheekpiece so I can get a good cheekweld.

[Blammer]

For 100 yd shooting I'm usually standing, with the sun in my eyes, the wind blowing from left to right at about 10 knots and I use open sights. :)