Do people still use lubrisizers?

  • 1.9K Views
  • Last Post 08 March 2019
  • Topic Is Solved
max503 posted this 22 December 2018

Seems like tumble lube is the way to go.  Is there an advantage to using a lubrisizer?  I did look at the posts and saw some about lubrisizers, but it seems like everyone tumble lubes their bullets.

Does anyone NOT use a lubrisizer?

Is there an advantage to using one?  Like maybe for really high velocity loads?  (My newest project is cast 223 loads.)

Please don't tell me my Lyman 450 is nothing but an expensive relic.

 

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
Ross Smith posted this 22 December 2018

I use a lubrisizer for my very hard bullets because it seats the gc nice and square. The lubrisizer will upset the nose on softer bullets so I either pan lube or tumble lube them and use a push thru sizer to seat the gas checks.

Attached Files

Bud Hyett posted this 22 December 2018

Several lubrisizers are being used, even converted my Star to be nose first sizer for .30 caliber. I am traditional in many ways, I could not find a way to seat gaschecks correctly. Having the gascheck square is the first requirement for accuracy.

For pistol, convert the Star back to the standard mode and size a bunch at one time. Pistol bullets are all now plain-base, I have given up on the ear-splitting loads. Elmer Keith's favorite load for the .44 Magnum is the 429421, a plain-base bullet.  

For Schuetzen loads, the sizer die is .001 oversize. This allows the bullet to be lubed without being sized. Also, any shiny spot on these bullets when pulled out means the bullet goes back into the melting pot. 

For competition rifle loads other than .30 as detailed above, the gascheck is seated with the sizing die. A visual check on each bullet after sizing  is performed. Once in a while, the gascheck is obviously offset and these go back into the pot. 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
max503 posted this 22 December 2018

I use a lubrisizer for my very hard bullets because it seats the gc nice and square. The lubrisizer will upset the nose on softer bullets so I either pan lube or tumble lube them and use a push thru sizer to seat the gas checks.

 

I'm wondering if anyone besides me has used a lubrisizer on 22 caliber bullets?  They seem likely candidates for deformity.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 22 December 2018

Max,

A lot of people missed the decades old video from Lee where an LLA tumble lubed bullet is torched and the lead leaks out but the LLA remains in tact. They don't understand it either. LLA has no speed limit and sticks tenaciously to bullets. It is the best and obsoleted pressure lube decades ago.

Gary

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
John Alexander posted this 22 December 2018

Max503 asked -- "I'm wondering if anyone besides me has used a lubrisizer on 22 caliber bullets?  They seem likely candidates for deformity."

Shooters have been using lubrisizers to lube 22 bullets as long as there have been lubrisizers. 22 bullets can be deformed in the process as can any other caliber. It depends on bullet hardness and the amount the bullet is being sized down.  Use common sense and measure a bullet before and after sizing to see if there is a problem. I am currently sizing 25:1 22 bullets without distortion but sizing them only a little.

 

 John

 

 

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
max503 posted this 22 December 2018

Max,

A lot of people missed the decades old video from Lee where an LLA tumble lubed bullet is torched and the lead leaks out but the LLA remains in tact. They don't understand it either. LLA has no speed limit and sticks tenaciously to bullets. It is the best and obsoleted pressure lube decades ago.

Gary

 

I don't have a torch.  Would a road flare work?

All kidding aside.  I can never find ingredients for that 45-45-10 stuff and I don't feel like doing the cooking.  My 450 is set up for 22 caliber.  I'll probably use that for my 223 project.

Attached Files

John Alexander posted this 22 December 2018

Max,

Guesses and opinions are cheap but often something can be learned by looking at evidence. The Fouling Shot is a good source of solid information and a good reason to join the CBA for those who are humble enough to know that they may not know everything already.

Don't throw your lubrisizer away just yet.

I just looked at what the shooters at the CBA 2018 nationals used for lubes. First, over 15 different lubes were used giving support to Joeb's contention that about anything will work. One of the top shooters used pig grease which melts quite easily when torched.  It is not certain, but none of the shooters appeared to be using tumble lube except a couple who might have used both (belt and suspenders types.) Three mentioned "Alox" but seemed to be referring to the NRA formula.  None said LLA, 45-45--10, X-Lox, Rooster Red, etc.  It doesn't look like any of the shooters used only tumble lube.

From reports in this forum, The Fouling Shot, and personal experience it is clear that tumble lubing is a perfectly good way to lube cast bullets for pistol shooting and for rifle accuracy good enough for almost all hunting.  It is not clear if it is as good as conventional lubing for the best accuracy. I personally suspect that it is, but it hasn't been proven by winning matches as far as I know. Like a lot of things in CB shooting we just don't know because we seldom run good tests and publish the results.

It can be argued that match shooters are a conservative bunch and maybe they just haven't tried it yet, although I know of a couple who have tried it and failed. There is a great opportunity for someone using tumble lube to show what it can do in match competition and win a few matches in the process.

John

 

Attached Files

Tom Acheson posted this 22 December 2018

I agree with John. For some of us we want to know what handloading and casting methods prove themselves in the CBA match environment. I’ve not yet tried tumble lubing or a progressive press. Those approaches are probably favored by handgun shooters who shoot high volumes of bullets. 

A lot of our molds produce bullets that need to be reduced slightly in diameter to fit a specific chamber or produce a desired dimension of OD of a loaded round. Maybe the bullet is sized in one operation and then tumble lubed? But if the bullet is not sized in the tumble lube world, then definitely don’t discard your lumber-sizer. 

All of us that chime in here have a wide range of opinions and seldom is there a 100% consensus. That’s one reason it’s a hobby and no one is making a living expounding their opinions.

FWIW

Tom

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
BigMan54 posted this 22 December 2018

Yep,

I only have an old Lyman 450 left. Still use it all the time.

With that said, I've bought 7 Lee Sizers this year & a N.O.E. TL432-240-RF mold. This is the only bullet I've tumble lubed so far. Used just WLL 45-45-10. It works pretty well. If I can figure out how the N.O.E. sizers work with the Lee dies, I'll probably get that set up too.

Now I'm starting to experiment with PC.

But I doubt I'll ever give up my Lube-Sizer.  50/50 or WLL BAC. 

 

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

Attached Files

Ken T posted this 22 December 2018

I currently have eight Lyman lube sizers of various models and use them all.They're all set for different diameters with various lubes.They are convenient and  work well for the cast bullet shooting I do.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • TRKakaCatWhisperer
  • MarkinEllensburg
Tom Acheson posted this 22 December 2018

Having only two sizers on the loading bench seems out of phase here.

The RCBS is used for BPCR and plain base pistol bullets. This has SPG lube in it. The Saeco is used for smokeless load bullets, most using gas checks.That one has Tom Gray #26 (24?) lube in it. 

Maybe I need another one? Us Handloader sure have a lot of gizmos!

Tom

Attached Files

.22-10-45 posted this 22 December 2018

I use an old Ideal No.1 for lubing .22, 6mm, & .25 caliber with Lyman Super Moly.  This Ideal has Pat. May 31, 1892 cast into handle, has far less "play" in it's parts, with alignment of top punch to die my 1970's era 450 could only hope for.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • RicinYakima
  • M3 Mitch
RicinYakima posted this 22 December 2018

For match shooting I am using a Pacific push through die in the reloading press (and you thought Dick Lee invented it!) only to seat the gas check. Then I lube and size in a Cramer (now SAECO) to final size. I found tumble lubing dirty, messy and slow.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
onondaga posted this 22 December 2018

Max, "I can never find ingredients for that 45-45-10 stuff and I don't feel like doing the cooking. "

It's all over the internet...you ain't looking too hard, plus there is a no cook formula with Johnsons liquid floor wax. On top of that a lifetime supply of White's Deluxe 45:45:10 is about $15 for a GALLON. Yea, you should stick with pressure lube (sarcastic).

 

Gary

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
David Reiss posted this 23 December 2018

I have three RCBS lubesizers and a Star. All are set up for different lubes. I also use liquid Alox and White's Deluxe. I am off the opinion most anything works, but when it doesn't, I have options. I am not a paid spokesman for Lee as Gary is (joke), therefore I can't say LA is the only lube to use. Use what you wish and change when you feel the need, but don't get tied into one lube or method of application. 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

Attached Files

Hornet posted this 23 December 2018

   I've currently got 3 lubrisizers set up. One each with Emmert's, MML+soap, and a mix I call BAC2 (3 sticks 50/50 beeswax/Alox, 1 stick Carnauba Red). Each lube has applications that I find it very useful for and I have a couple of applications where I use Lee LLA, usually with some motor mica on it to keep it from doing bad things (like building up on the plunger of the seating die and changing OAL). I've also got spares  just in case I want to try something else.

   You've got to see what works for what you want to do. And, yes, a lubrisizer can upset the nose on soft bullets in some cases. Seating and crimping the gas check in a slightly oversize die and then sizing in steps helps minimize this and NOE does sell nose sizing dies if you can't avoid it.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • Ross Smith
Ross Smith posted this 23 December 2018

The original post didn't ask for lube. I use carnuba red in my rcbs lub-0-matic and have used spg in it. But now just pan lube with spg. I have also pan lubed with carnuba red. You need to get the bullets warmed up for that. And I tumble lube. I have also used carnuba red and then tumble lubed over that. It all depends on what I'm casting for which rifle. After pan lubing I usually use a push thru sizer.

Attached Files

John Carlson posted this 23 December 2018

My sizing/loading has been pretty much exclusively for 30-06 in the 03-A3.  Until recently I seated gas checks and sized with the RCBS lubramatic and WL 2500 lube.  Recently added the Lee push through sizing dies to size and seat the checks, then lube with the lubramatic with dies .001 larger than sized  for reasons mentioned above.

I did try LLA a couple of times, results did not lead me to pursue the issue further.

John Carlson. CBA Director of Military Competition.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • RicinYakima
  • M3 Mitch
RicinYakima posted this 23 December 2018

Holes in the paper target are always the final arbitrator. Empirical experience beats theory every  time.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
  • shastaboat
Eutectic posted this 23 December 2018

In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice;
In
practice, there is.

Various

I do not know why temperature stability of LLA should guarantee accuracy. If so graphite and molybdenum disulfide should be used universally.

Lee Liquid Alox works OK in pistol and low velocity rifle loads. For most shooting, OK accuracy is just fine. In my limited expedience, LLA is not the answer for ultimate accuracy.

If you have nose deformation using a lube sizer, are you using a fitted nose punch? If this is still a problem size nose first in a Lee die and then lube in the lubesizer using a die 0.001 larger.

Steve

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • M3 Mitch
Show More Posts
Close