Getting after the pistol bullets

[Apple Man]

After a 30 some year hiatus, back at the pistol bullets.

[jdgabbard]

Very nice. Looks like you did quite a bit of casting there. Now to update your kit! A plastic folgers can with some airsoft BBs, a pound of powdercoating powder (not Harbor Freight's), and a toaster oven...along with some lee push through sizing dies. Then you'll be able to get rid of the lube for the pistol bullets. Trust me, it is worth it in the end.

[jsizemore]

Still lube my 45acp. It ain't broke so no need to fix it. And it takes less time to size/lube then coat, bake and size.

[lar45]

Hi Apple Man, welcome back to the insanity.
What caliber are you loading? Looks like some big fat meplats.
Love your setup, except your bench needs more projects/junk on it, lol

[dverna]

It can be an addiction. I have not needed to cast a bullet for a while as I have 10's of thousands put up years ago and then got heavily into Trap shooting. But I am coming back to it. Trap shooting is one of the most expensive games to play if one wants to be serious about it and I cannot afford it now.

I think I am down to 2-3k 9mm's. Have a new to me mold for the Master Caster to play with.

It is a strange "habit" for me. I do not really enjoy it, but once I get on a roll, I can spend hours at it. Seeing all those shinny bullets being made is additive. When things are humming along it is difficult to stop.

BTW, powder coating is just a passing fad...LOL. Been using lubed bullets for over 50 years and do not see the need to change for my needs. Lots of people PC'ing, some using HiTek. If you have been away from the hobby a while, do a search on BLL (Bens Liquid Lube). My goal is to be able to cast bullets that do not need sizing and use BLL. Nothing will be easier or faster IMO.

[G W Wade]

Have to agree with Jsizemore. Just started PC for some special firearms but takes too long for the 1000's of pistol boolits I do. GW

[Apple Man]

Very nice. Looks like you did quite a bit of casting there. Now to update your kit! A plastic folgers can with some airsoft BBs, a pound of powdercoating powder (not Harbor Freight's), and a toaster oven...along with some lee push through sizing dies. Then you'll be able to get rid of the lube for the pistol bullets. Trust me, it is worth it in the end.

Still lube my 45acp. It ain't broke so no need to fix it. And it takes less time to size/lube then coat, bake and size.

I've been reading about the powder coating and for the life of me it sure sounds like a hassle.

I got a bunch of white label, BAC for the new Lyman 450. I have mixed feeling, it is nice in that it is not sticky when handling but needs a little heat and then it flows very well. My loading room is attached to the garage and I leave the door open all Winter so the furnace in the garage doesn't run, consequently it is cool in there. Without heat at 55 degrees it takes a lot of pressure to get it to move.

I've got 50/50 in the real old Lyman and the temp does not affect it.

[jdgabbard]

I've been reading about the powder coating and for the life of me it sure sounds like a hassle.

I got a bunch of white label, BAC for the new Lyman 450. I have mixed feeling, it is nice in that it is not sticky when handling but needs a little heat and then it flows very well. My loading room is attached to the garage and I leave the door open all Winter so the furnace in the garage doesn't run, consequently it is cool in there. Without heat at 55 degrees it takes a lot of pressure to get it to move.

I've got 50/50 in the real old Lyman and the temp does not affect it.

Honestly, it does take a small fraction of time longer - enough time to shake them around in the can, stand them up, and heat them at 415F for about 40mins. But I prefer it over lubing now. A BIG advantage is I'm handling less bare lead... Being coated I am not touching lead when I go to grab a handful of bullets to load up. This doesn't mean I eat with fingers while doing it. But being coated, it's a barrier between me and the lead. And firing mostly at an indoor range for pistol stuff I prefer it. I just figure it's that much less exposure that I am subjected to while at the range.

I still own a lubesizer. I just don't really use it much these days.

[Apple Man]

Hi Apple Man, welcome back to the insanity.
What caliber are you loading? Looks like some big fat meplats.
Love your setup, except your bench needs more projects/junk on it, lol

For me this is super messy.

Pictured is loaded 40 S&W on the left. Then 40's, 38s in 155SWC and 150WC. The 2nd pic is 45s.

I picked up three of the Lee six cavity molds, two 45s SWC, one with BB and the other flat base. I am not wild about the BB so I got the second one.

My 38 molds are ones I have had forever, both 4 cavity, a Lyman and a Saeco. The Saeco is very nice.

The Lee make a LOT of bullets quickly.

[fredj338]

Still lube my 45acp. It ain't broke so no need to fix it. And it takes less time to size/lube then coat, bake and size.

I used to think that but once you start shooting cleaner coated bullets, you wont want to go back. I still have my Star sizer but it never gets used.

[Mr Peabody]

Still lube my 45acp. It ain't broke so no need to fix it. And it takes less time to size/lube then coat, bake and size.

I've gone back to the lube and size too

[AndyC]

I still have my Star sizer but it never gets used.

I use mine for sizing the PC'd boolits.

With that said, the final product is personal preference - so welcome back to the fold, Apple Man!

[LenH]

Apple Man - Welcome back. It sure looks like you have been busy.

I have tried the powder coating thing. I am too old school and went back to using lube. But to each his own. I have a Magma Star lube sizer and can size and lube
about a thousand in an hour.

I went so far as to buy the wife a new toaster oven and took the old one and hooked it up to a PID and got powder from Smoke here in the vendor section.
I played with the stuff off and on for a couple of years and went back to sizing and lube. I don't necessarily think it is for every one.

[gunseller]

Yes welcome back to the madness. I have powder coated bullets in the past but it is way faster to size and lube them. They need sized any way. I still powder coat rifle bullets inside of gas checking them. I like a sticky lube. I make my own it is an old sutzen formula. Works in rifles and pistols. I still size and lube the rifle bullets.

[BJung]

Don't cast bullets look like a work of art?

[Apple Man]

Don't cast bullets look like a work of art?

The full wadcutters look like shiny silver garbage cans.

[Soundguy]

Fun hobby..and a good skill to have. never know when it might be a key to survival...

[jsizemore]

I do PC my 9mm and a couple of bullets that I load for the 38sp that I use with the speed loader. The PC no lube groove bullets work real good. The H&G #50 and #68 work better lubed than PCed in their guns. The PC bullets work better in their guns too or I'd do something else. Ain't no need to fix what ain't broke.

I size both the conventional lube and PC through my star lube sizers. PC adds about an hour to it's process since I do 700-800 bullets after a single casting session.

[41mag]

Nice pile there Apple Man, looks like time well spent.

As to conventional lube - vs - PC, well I have to say I use twice as much lube than I do the powder. Yes I have a dedicated little oven and yes I DO use some bullets where the PC is a bit more useful, but mostly for rifle. I had the oldest grandson coat up a bunch of handgun bullets a while back. We ran then side by side in calibers ranging form 38 up to 454, the end result was the lubed bullets shot better groups through all but one load.

I usually pour up an amount similar to what you have there on the bench. A tub of around 15-20# will last me a while in most cases. I simply box em up and set them on the shelf until needed. I load mostly for hunting, but that takes practice shooting, so a hundred or so every couple of months just to keep the muscle memory going. It only takes me about 15-20 minutes to run them through the lubesizer and be done. I usually keep the most used dies installed and the units, so it only need to be warmed or pressured up. I use Carnuba red or blue depending on what is getting lubed and rock on from there.

[Apple Man]

@41mag,

I have mixed thoughts on the new luber I brought into the process. It has the White Label BAC, the luber must be warmed up some, a 100 light bulb with a metal shade gets it moving nicely in 15 min. or so. It runs real easy once warm and sizes easily and is not sticky. BUT it has to be warmed up to flow.

The 50/50 flows easily but is sticky and nasty.