Lubricating Bullets?

[mainegrw]

I scored a great deal on some 148gr 38 Special WCs earlier this week at one of my LGSs. $10 for a (supposedly) 500 count box was too hard to pass up. I did however notice that none of the bullets have any lubricant on them or in their lube grooves.

I am no stranger to reloading ammo, and have been doing so for around five years now, but I usually stick to jacketed bullets, or when I use lead, it’s almost always Hornady, and they come coated with some sort of powdery wax. Any other time I’ve loaded lead bullets (a particularly bad batch of very soft Speer 158gr LRNs comes to mind), I’ve been left with quite a mess in the bore, and would like very much to avoid this if possible.

As I don’t cast, and size my own bullets, I am not set up with a heated sizer/lubricator. Thus, I’ve looked around online for options and see that the cheapest and maybe the easiest way to go is to use liquid Alox, which appears to be a fairly messy process. Other techniques found included mixing and pouring a hot wax solution into a pan of bullets and letting it solidify, then popping the bullets out of the solid after curing. This also didn’t seem all that bad either, and quite a bit less messy...

What say you all? What’s the best inexpensive method for lubricating bullets that doesn’t require special hardware to complete?

Or is this just a waste of my time, and I should forgo lubrication altogether?

Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks!


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[iouri]

I don't think skipping lube would be a good idea, well unless you enjoy digging lead from your bore . As you've mentioned alox or pan lube would be inexpensive way to lube bullets.

 

[Milton]

I use ALOX with great results!I use a small empty butter container,place about 50 bullets in the container with a few drops of ALOX(you can easily use too much) put the top on the container and shake a few times.I then dump the bullets on a sheet of waxed paper and let them dry a day or so.I have loaded cast bullets that would lead that after an ALOX treatment would shoot without leading.

 

[OKFC05]

ALOX is messy only for a klutz with no technique. Use an old plastic container to put a LITTLE ALOX on the bullets, dump them out on wax paper, and let dry overnight before touching. I cast my own TL148gr Lee and lube with ALOX all the time.

 

[Calliope]

I use Lee liquid alox (LLA) on swaged lead bullets that give me trouble, even over the factory lube.

A handful of bullets in a small plastic tub with a couple squirts of the LLA, mix them around and let them dry upright on a cloth. The cloth wicks away excess LLA. If I want a thin coat I'll thin the LLA with mineral spirits.

Probably the best liquid lube is 1/3 LLA, 1/3 Johnson's paste wax (warmed to liquid), 1/3 mineral spirits.

My shooting buddy uses this on just about all his home cast bullets with good success. It's less tacky than plain LLA.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Stop by your local auto parts store and pick up a small tube of pure white lithium grease. You can apply it to the bullets using your fingertips, probably do over 150 per hour while watching the evening news. Nothing provides better performance with cast bullets up to 2000-plus FPS. Only drawback is that it won't work in lubricator-sizer machines because of its thin consistency, otherwise lithium grease would have become the standard 50 years ago.

For small batches, like you have (500 pistol bullets), nothing is better or easier. Shouldn't cost more than $4 or $5, and you'll have enough left over for another 10,000 or more.

After applying let the bullets sit on newspaper or paper towels to air dry for a day or so, then they can be handled without mess or fuss or muss. I use lithium grease all the time for lubing bullets intended for my antique rifles, for which there are no common lube-sizer dies, etc. Couple of hundred at a time takes very little effort, and the lubrication is excellent.

 

[Warren Sear]

^^^ LoboGunLeather, are you saying the white lithium grease actually dries?

 

[reddog81]

Swagged 148 grain wadcutters don't necessarily have a noticeable lube. Whose the manufacturer of these bullets?

Bullets lubed with Lee liquid alox and done correctly can also appear to have no lube.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

^^^ LoboGunLeather, are you saying the white lithium grease actually dries?

No, it does not dry, but it does become tacky enough to handle during the loading process and the lube will not leach out into the powder charge.

 

[Calliope]

Doesn't the grease make a mess of the gun?

 

[Regaj]

Congrats on the score. A ten-spot for 500 bullets is crazy!

It's going to be hard to beat the ease of tumble lubing with a small bottle of liquid Alox. That's what I'd do. I'm guessing you're going to load them up as mid-range target/plinking rounds. The Alox should be fine for that.

I would put a mic on 'em to verify their girth. Since they're not lubed, they're probably not sized either. You might be okay, depending upon the dimensions of your gun(s). But if you end up needing to size them, the Lee Sizer is a pretty inexpensive option.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Doesn't the grease make a mess of the gun?

Not at all. A small deposit of grease on the muzzle is usually evident. Quick cleaning with a dry bore brush followed by a solvent-soaked patch, then dry patches until they come out clean, and you are done.

I have loaded .30 caliber cast bullets to over 2500 FPS using white lithium grease. No leading, no extensive cleaning necessary. Nothing is better. As stated earlier, the only drawback is that the consistency will not allow automated application with the lubri-sizer machines, so hand application is necessary, so only small lots are practical. (See Cast Bullets, NRA publications, Col. E.H. Harrison, a compilation of studies dating from about 1957 to about 1970, the definitive study of cast bullet performance including lubrication methods).

 

[planojack]

I've done cast bullets for 60 years. Have every tool and contraption ever made. Now, I use nothing but liquid alox. My shooting pals swear I buy it in 55 gallon drums. I do buy it direct from Lee in gallon cans. Adjust the amount you use to what the bullet and load is.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Has any one tried a cookie sheet and a can of "Pam" ?

1-2 coats ?

Just curious...........

 

[mikld]

As noted above, alox is a good choice. 45-45-10 is also a good choice Tumble Lubing--Made Easy & Mess-Free Also available from White Label Lubes. If you don't like the mess, try dip lubing. I grab a bullet by the nose and dip it into a container of lube and set, base down, on a piece of wax paper or alum. foil. Much less mess...

 

[fredj338]

Not at all. A small deposit of grease on the muzzle is usually evident. Quick cleaning with a dry bore brush followed by a solvent-soaked patch, then dry patches until they come out clean, and you are done.

I have loaded .30 caliber cast bullets to over 2500 FPS using white lithium grease. No leading, no extensive cleaning necessary. Nothing is better. As stated earlier, the only drawback is that the consistency will not allow automated application with the lubri-sizer machines, so hand application is necessary, so only small lots are practical. (See Cast Bullets, NRA publications, Col. E.H. Harrison, a compilation of studies dating from about 1957 to about 1970, the definitive study of cast bullet performance including lubrication methods).

Well we will disagree on what is determined a mess. I have shot conventional lubed bullets for decades. Compared to jacketed or plated or coated lead, the crud that is created by carbon & lube mixing together is certainly messy, especially if you shoot a lot & clean less frequently.

 

[boatbum101]

+ 1 on tumble lubing with 45 - 45 - 10 . All you need is a thin coat . If you're using the Lee Alox heat it up in a pan of boiling water first will make it easier to work with . You can also thin it with mineral spirits . You just want a thin coat & bullets should have just a brownish tint to them . Dump them on wax paper & let dry .

 

[mtgianni]

10 drops of alox should lube your 500 bullets. Stand them up on a piece of cardboard on a concrete floor and load in the morning.

 

[daniel lawecki]

Coat with Alox just like all the post and shoot. I've shot thousands & thousands lubed this way. Enjoy this really doesn't need to be done the hard way KISS program always works.

 

[mainegrw]

Thanks for the replies all, Alox it is. Unfortunately, none of the local gun stores stock it, so I’m going to order some online.

On the other hand, I have contemplated casting my own bullets for a while now, maybe this winter is a good time to invest in a sizer/lubricator, as I have everything else at my disposal already. My grandfather and I have been talking about casting bullets ever since I started loading ammo, and I know it’s something he’s always wanted to do. Over the years he has collected a bunch of molds and tools, and I’ve been collecting scrap lead in small quantities for the last few years.


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