Lubing Bullets Before Sizing

[357cyrus]

I'm patiently waiting for UPS to deliver a Lee .430 Lube and sizing kit today. It got me to thinking... I believe I've heard to save Lee Liquid Alox I can size and seat gas checks w/ a lite coating of something like wd40. Then once thats done to coat them with LLA. Or should I just use the LLA to size too? What do you guys do?

[daboone]

I've not used WD40 but I bet it would work.

I do like to use the Bens liquid lube before and after sizing. That the way I save alox if that is saving.

[mikld]

I haven't tried WD 40 because I think it may interfere with whatever lube I use after sizing (either wax bases or dip/tumble lubes sticking to bullet) but I've not tested my theory. Now I mostly pan lube and size with a Lee sizer and have no need to add lube for sizing, it's already there. Sometimes, if necessary on nekkid bullets, I use whatever case lube I have on the bench at the time, and most take very little (I have my jar of mink oil boot dressing cream handy and use that a lot). I tried alox for sizing when I first started casting/sizing but I didn't like the mess.

[Ohio3Wheels]

I've done it both ways. Lube and size or size and lube. So far lube and size using Ben Liquid Lube (60% LLA and 40% Johnson's One Step Floor Wax) has worked okay. I did pan lube a bunch of 452-300's with Emmerts then sized and seated gas checks. The next time with those I wiped a little of Imperial sizing wax on about every 5th boolit and sized and seated then pan lubed with Emmerts, did the same thing with a bunch of 454-405's but no gas check. I've also push totally naked 8mm boolits through a Lee sizer seating gas checks along the way with no ill effects, but they weren't being sized by quite a .001 so not a lot of squish happening. The die didn't show any sign of leading after about 100 rounds.

Tried using straight LLA once and if that was the only alternative I'd more dies for my Lyman 450.

Make smoke,

[Ranch Dog]

I size with WD-40 if the bullets are going into to storage and I don't want lube on them. WD-40 will provide the necessary lube and dissipates over time.

Given what I've learned lately about BHN and bullets stored for a long time, I am now just casting small batches and lubing & sizing them with Ben's Tumble Lube recipe.

[357cyrus]

I just got done. I did a coat of LLA for both steps. I'm sizing a bullet thats not a tumble Lube design so I got to thinking two coats of the stuff would be better than one.

[Ranch Dog]

I just got done. I did a coat of LLA for both steps. I'm sizing a bullet thats not a tumble Lube design so I got to thinking two coats of the stuff would be better than one.

Depending on how hard you are going to push it I would keep coating it until the lube grooves are full.

[357cyrus]

Depending on how hard you are going to push it I would keep coating it until the lube grooves are full.

You read my mind. That was my next question.

[357cyrus]

Since you guys mentioned it I searched the interweb for info on Ben's Liquid Lube. I soon discovered that everyone raves about it. Then I discovered that the 2nd ingredient is discontinued and people are hoarding it LOL! I called around to the nearest hardware stores and found a single solitary can. I was able to snatch it up on the way into work. I asked if they'd be ordering more and they said they weren't able to, even their supplier was out. Glad you guys brought it up!

[Ohio3Wheels]

You'll like I think. A little goes a long way and it dries fast. I dump them out on wax paper and set them in the sun on which ever porch has the sun on it. I mix and store mine in a squeeze bottle sort like catsup in restaurants except it has a cap. Got in the kitchen gadgets section at Wally World.

Make smoke,