shed lube specks on 50 yard target. should I be thinking about it?

[Lance Boyle]

Ok my lube and cast boolit experts I have a topic that has my brain engaged.

I shoot a .357 lever gun at 50 yards usually. I use different lubes at different times in my testing and research. 2500+ and Carnuba Red mostly. This summer I am noticing flecks of the 2500+ on my target about the size of a #7 1/2 shot. Not all over but one, two or maybe three flecks on the 14x14 target paper. Happens to a lesser degree with Carnuba Red.

I read there are two theories on desired lube activity after the muzzle, spin it off immediately or retain it til the berm.

I get some good fifty yard groups but there are often one or two group spoilers. That could be caused by anything though.

Is there really an ideal outcome for the lube on the bullet? Maybe my thoughts are getting in the weeds again.

[Ford SD]

I have had it happen to me rcbs bullet, rcbs lube at extended ranges
not sure on effect on accuracy

Now using a softer lube that does not require a heater, and a different bullet

now also using pc on straight wall cases

[waksupi]

Nothing wrong with lube sticking with the bullet. If it has lube grooves, you could lube fewer grooves and see if there is a change in accuracy. I suspect as it is, you are getting some lube purging, and causing a flier or two. You may need a harder lube if there is only one groove on the bullet.

[Lance Boyle]

Thanks for your thoughts. My mold that I am thinking of is an older NOE 358-160 FN, it has two thin lube grooves. 18.5 inches of barrel in the carbine.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I prefer a soft lube that flings off the bullet as it exits the barrel. SL68B does that.

[ascast]

I be interested to see where this goes; what you find out. I haqve been curious about this. It might be an interesting test to lube one side of a bullet and see how that groups.

[Mr.doug]

I use spg lube on everything. From bp. To smokeless. Never had any problems with it sticking
And works very well.

[Froogal]

I use spg lube on everything. From bp. To smokeless. Never had any problems with it sticking
And works very well.

Same here. Everything gets lubed with SPG.

[Lance Boyle]

I be interested to see where this goes; what you find out. I haqve been curious about this. It might be an interesting test to lube one side of a bullet and see how that groups.

Ha! I had similar thoughts when I lazily changed lubes in the sizer without melting out the last lube. I had LBT Blue still in the sizer with 2500+ on top. Sometimes accuracy was fine to acceptible and then there were fliers too. I was sure it wasn’t best practice but hoped it would flush out of the sizer quicker than it did.

Now you have me wanting to do a crazy lube test of lube on one side carnuba red and the other side 2500+ …..maybe make five of those up and shoot a 50 yard target. I would assume that there would be a density of lube/weight imbalance.

I also look askance at bullets that have a gap where no lube is in the lube groove. On my bullets I run them again until they’re full. The commercial bullets I got from acme have their share of lube voids.


It’s probably easier to flush a soft lube out with a harder lube versus what I did switching to a softer lube. Live and learn. The next time I put the lube a matic in the oven on the lowest setting in a disposable foil pan.

[ascast]

Oh got you thinking huh? I remember an article by Mike Venterino where he deformed bullets by drilling small holes or filing notches; that type of thing. That was in a 44 mag IIRC. I don't remember the final result but it looked like a nice approach to backwards engineering. I have always wondered about "lube issues". You will find bullets at about any 500meter-600yard range that still have blue lube in them. I can not believe that if it survives "hammer fall to birm" it can't be doing any lubing in the barrel : at all. I know in the BPCR circles consistent lubing is a topic that come up a lot. gotta go

[kevin c]

So, as a life long bullet coating and j word user, let me ask this:

I occasionally find targets (not my own) that have a couple grayish spirals surrounding the bullet hole, 180° apart. Are these lube depositions or propellant burns?

[bruce381]

Kevin
In my cast loads all using carnuba red they are all black ring around hole 45 acp, I always thought they are lube since I get them on all targets no matter powder used.
I have seen lube specks before using softer lube but are in random places don't know if that address your question tho.

[Lance Boyle]

So, as a life long bullet coating and j word user, let me ask this:

I occasionally find targets (not my own) that have a couple grayish spirals surrounding the bullet hole, 180° apart. Are these lube depositions or propellant burns?

Possibly Molten lead if you’re talking jacketed. I have had that a few times.

The old Hornady 55 grain SPSX bullets would do that. They came with a slip of paper in the box with a velocity cap, basically ok for .223 rem but not .22-250. This was in the days before Al Gore invented the interweb so I didn’t know until I opened the box. So there they sat maybe 15 years until I loaded them for .223 rem.

Although the several I saw had one leak not two.

[Rickf1985]

There was a test somewhere that sounded like the one you describe from Ventorino where they went as far as loading the bullets backwards in the case. From what I remember the results were nowhere near as bad as most thought would happen.

[WashingMike]

A number of years ago I was shooting some 30 cal cast loads in preparation for a postal match. The group sizes were “reasonable for me.” One of the older guys who I had great respect for came by and looked at my targets. He pointed out the faint brownish rings around the boolit holes in the target. He asked me how many lube rings on the RCBS bore rider I was filling. I told him just two with 50/50 alox beeswax. He suggested I try just filling just the small gap around the gas check and shoot some, stating that you only need enough to do the job, no more. I took his advice, and I was surprised at how it worked. My groups did get a bit better, the rings around the holes went away and I saw no increase in leading. The real difference is that the flyers were reduced. I have followed his advice ever since.

[redhawk0]

I almost hate to say it...cuz I'll likely get crucified...but ditch the lube...and PC your boolits...PC stays put. It eliminates the variable.

redhawk