Dip or pan lubing with Lee alox

David LaPell · Aug 13, 2011

I can't afford either a Lyman or RCBS Lubrisizer, but I am wondering if there is a way to pan or dip lube using Lee Alox lube, or is there another way to use the stuff to lube the bullets than by tumble lubing. It seems alot of good lube gets wasted this way. I tried using some RCBS lube like a pan or dip lube but wasn't too thrilled with the outcome.

Maximumbob54 · Aug 13, 2011

This is my best results with alox so far. If I tumble lube for slow movers like .45 or .38 then I thin the alox at least by half with mineral spirits. It should just have a light brown varnish. For the faster movers like .357 and my Ranch Dog .30-30 bullets I use Ranch Dog's method. I warm the alox some and dip the bullets in the goo and set them on wax paper to dry. Repeat and shoot. It's a little smokey but no leading to speak of. I just tried doing a fifty fifty mix of Johnson's Paste Wax and alox but have yet to shoot any.

imashooter2 · Aug 13, 2011

Dipping uses more lube than tumbling because the film is thicker. Besides, the whole point of film lube is that you don't have to handle every bullet individually.

But if'n you gotta:

Ranch Dog's tips for dipping liquid Alox

jimkim · Aug 14, 2011

You might also like Recluse's 45/45/10. Tumble Lubing--Made Easy & Mess-Free - Cast Boolits

skeezix · Aug 14, 2011

I put the bullets in a plastic zip-loc bag, dribble some liquid Alox over them (it doesn't take much), "tumble" the mix around so that the bullets get coated, and pour them out onto wax paper to dry for a few hours.

SKS52 · Aug 14, 2011

I kinda do a mix and match I use the Recluse Alox/JPW lube and Ranch Dog's dipping method to lube my bullet that will be fired at higher pressures and velocity,and then get run through the appropriate sizer. For the low pressure/velocity stuff I just tumble lube and shoot as cast.

Here are a few I do,after the lube dries I push the bullets back through the Lee sizer GC first leaves the bullets nose and front driving bands nice and clean as well as the reloading dies.

Maximumbob54 · Aug 14, 2011

Those sure are pretty brown rings of alox. I have never put them through the sizing die again. I just feed them into the brass as is. Am I missing out on anything?

SKS52 · Aug 14, 2011

Maximumbob54 said:
Those sure are pretty brown rings of alox. I have never put them through the sizing die again. I just feed them into the brass as is. Am I missing out on anything?

With the dipping method it puts a nice coat of Alox/JPW lube on the entire bottom portion of the bullet,I dip the bullet up to the crimp groove and stand them on wax paper overnight to dry,the next day or when I get around to it I push the bullets back through the sizer GC first.

Since the bullet has already been previously sized it basically compresses the lube into the grooves and shave the rest off for lack of a better word instead of packing it up around the front driving band if you go nose first,as I mentioned the final bullet is much cleaner and doesn't deposit lube in the seating die.

It's just the way I decided to do all my HV rifle and pistol bullet using my cheap Lee equipment. All I know is that,bullets are accurate,I get no leading and my bore is nice and shiny after I'm done shooting so that's why I do it. This is my Alox/JPW lube at room temp,when heated it's very fluid much more so that straight thinned Alox.

planojack · Aug 14, 2011

I buy the liquid alox direct from Lee in gallons. I thin some with mineral spririts for slower handgun bullets and heat the stuff to soften it for rifle loads. Either way, tumbling is my way. When lubed after sizing in the Lee die, the bullet is fully coated and leading is not a problem. I have 4 lubrisizers and only use one to size the bullets that are not covered by the Lee sizers.

SKS52 · Aug 14, 2011

If you need a custom Lee sizer your can order one from Lee or just hone it out yourself to the desired dia. you want.

http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/HowTo/How to Hone a Size Die.pdf

walnutred · Aug 15, 2011

I think you are making things harder for yourself than they need be. The cost of whatever lube is on the nose of the bullet is minimal. While I prefer to use my lubrisizer to size and lube bullets it’s only because for some odd reason I enjoy using the devise. For 32 Long and 9x18 I tumble lube because I don’t have sizing dies for those calibers but I see no performance deference between tumble lube and traditional sizing/lubing.

Dip or pan lubing with Lee alox

David LaPell

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Maximumbob54

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imashooter2

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jimkim

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skeezix

SWCA Member, Absent Comrade

SKS52

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Maximumbob54

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SKS52

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planojack

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SKS52

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walnutred

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