I lost my lube

[shootinxd]

I seem to be having an issue with leading the last 1" of my barrel.Not all that bad but i think a better lube might due the trick.i can only tumble lube.i have been using lee alox,and have tried the 45/45/1o jp,mineral spirits.i think it got worse so i went back to straight alox.any suggestion?:cbpour:

[sundog]

Need more information. How long is the barrel, what caliber, condition, velocity of boolit, size and shape of boolit, etc.

[shootinxd]

40cal,145grn lee boolits-4" xd.Barrel is new and slugs at .3995.boolits sized to .4015-.402

[Recluse]

What's your load (powder, primer, etc)?

What is your alloy mix?

What kind of crimp are you putting on the finished rounds when seating the boolits, and are you using a Lee FCD?

And finally, have you pulled a loaded round and mic'd the boolit?

:coffee:

[Dale53]

I keep seeing suggestions on here that trouble me. It is often suggested to pull a bullet and measure it. If you pull a bullet from a loaded round, the CRIMP will reduce it's size. On the other hand, when you shoot the bullet, the gas straightens the case out before the bullet moves. The crimp will have no effect on the bullet size.

Trying to pull a bullet and think you will get similar results to firing will just lead to erroneous thinking.

I use the Lee Factory Crimp die on most everything I load (pistols and revolvers) and get EXCELLENT results. However, my bullets are sized close to normal (.32's are .313", .38/.357 are .358", .44's are .430", and .45's are .452") and the Lee FC die does NOT reduce the size of the bullets. I get absolutely NO leading in ANY of my revolvers or pistols (and I am shooting a BUNCH of them).

My old standard lube was NRA 50/50 Beeswax/Alox. For the last couple of years it has been Lars White Label Carnauba Red. If I were having a lube problem, I would first try pan lubing using either NRA 50/50 or Carnauba Red before trying ANYTHING else. It would only require some lube and a discarded cake pan for equipment. Little or no cost would be involved.

I have a friend who was using Lee tumble lube and experiencing leading problems. I suggested he try pan lubing. He did and totally solved his leading problem. This was not the first time I saw this.

FWIW
Dale53

[Recluse]

Dale,

An over-done taper crimp can and will swage the projectile down. Over-doing the crimp on any projectile can affect size. One of lessons learned and preached by our (military) unit's armorer who hand-loaded all of our "precision" rounds.

Granted, it's hard to do--but it is entirely within the realm of possibility.

If you use a collet-type puller to pull the bullet, you'll learn nothing--we were taught to use the kinetic puller if we suspected inadvertent swaging.

I've found that it is easier to compile all possible variables in a problem, then systematically eliminate them in a linear order--starting with the simplest and least likely first.

:coffee:

[fishhawk]

actualy dale i think thats not the way it happens i think the boolit gets blown past the crimp and gas expands the crimp as the boolit is just getting past it. if the gas expanded it first there would be gas cutting on all rounds would there not? steve k

[StarMetal]

Dale,

Talking rifle cast loads here. I've notice in my crimped rifle loads after firing the case mouths are still kind of tapered in like part of the crimp is still there. In other words the case necks were not blown straight. This is with hot HV loads too, not low velocity plinkers. I know the brass has memory and that is how they sprung back, but my point being that memory does impose some force on the bullet as it passed and I can't say exactly how much.

Probably a way to remove a bullet with no case sizing effect is to slit the portion holding the bullet with a cutoff wheel in a dremel. If you do it slowly as not to build up heat I believe you can split the case there and remove the bullet with zero influence of the case sizing it down any.

As to the posters problems I was initially thinking he was shooting a rifle. Now we know it's a pistol. I'd have to say it's his load, alloy, and sizing. That's too short a barrel for the lube to run out, heck even Lee LLA works in applications like that.

[454PB]

I've pulled seated boolits for measurement, and they were the same size as when originally seated. If a crimp was "sizing" the boolit, it would have been quite obvious.

I'm with fishhawk, I believe the crimp is ironed out after the boolit is out of the case. I've found cases that still have a partial crimp when they were subjected to low pressure loads.

[StarMetal]

I've pulled seated boolits for measurement, and they were the same size as when originally seated. If a crimp was "sizing" the boolit, it would have been quite obvious.

I'm with fishhawk, I believe the crimp is ironed out after the boolit is out of the case. I've found cases that still have a partial crimp when they were subjected to low pressure loads.

It depends too on how hard your bullets are and what you expand your necks too also.

[runfiverun]

it could be as simple as the brass thickness or the sizing die.
i'd try a bit slower powder first though.

[shootinxd]

Well guys,I didnt seem to have this issue with175grn lee tc boolits.But just for the sake of a good discussion,I use accurate #5,and power pistol.As many here know I dont like or shoot max loads,I feel its hard on the gun and my wallet,powder is gettin pricey.Leading is only at the last inch of the barrel.no lead hairs hanging but way more than i like or am used to.I think it a loss of lubrication near the end,nothing more.Maybe I'll try bees wax/alox mix.Thanks 4 all the suggestions.