Pure lead or alloy for Smith bullets? Also, filler?

[Hal]

Steve,

I pan lube mine.

[Maillemaker]

Hey guys, maybe a silly question.

I dip-luped some Eras Gone Smith bullets tonight. My technique is to dip them in the molten lube, then I "tap" the base of them on some wax paper to wipe their bottoms, then I set them on wax paper to solidify.

If I don't do the "tap" step, then each bullet ends up with a crust/ring of lead attached to the base of the bullet that I imagine would make it hard to insert into the case.

But even when I do this, the lower driving band of the bullet (below the grease groove), gets lube on it. This is enough to swell the case mouth when you push the bullet in. So I sat down and spun each bullet in my fingers using my fingernail like a lathe to carve off the excess lube.

Do you guys push your bullets through a sizer after lubing to achieve this?

I just ordered a .515 push-through sizing die from Lodgewood:

http://www.lodgewood.com/Precision-S...er_p_1605.html

With 1:20 tin:lead alloy, my bullets are dropping at .522 diameter. I pounded one down the barrel with a wooden dowel - the bullet max diameter (by gently spinning the bullet in some caliper jaws) is .511 - .512. So I figure .515 will be a good size for the die?

Anyway I figured sizing would scrape off the excess lube. Good plan?

Steve

[bobanderson]

You can reduce the amount of lube that dipping applies by preheating the bullets. When I was experimenting with lubing round balls for my smoothie, I discovered that I could put them in boiling water. This reduced the temperature difference between the lube and the ball making for a thinner coating of lube.

[Maillemaker]

Yeah I do that with my Moose Wilkinson bullets prior to dipping them. I just set them on the hot plate 10 at a time as I'm dipping and they heat up nicely.

[Michael Bodner]

Steve,

I dip my Smith Bullets into melted lube, scrape the bottom on the edge of the pan, then place them on either waxed paper or an old wooden cutting board (that has seen so many bullets, the wood is oil-soaked). I'm using MCM lube from Old Trapper BTW.

Once they harden, I pass them though my sizing die. This takes all the excess lube off the bullet sides where it does no good. It does however, tend to make a 'pile of lube' towards the front of the bullet. After I hand-press the bullet into the plastic smith tube, I smear this excess lube down towards the lip of the plastic case. I used to remove it, but my grease groove was so small that this extra lube was absolutely needed to prevent fouling (I'm using a Rapine 315gr single-groove bullet).

My sizing die happens to be around 0.517 (regardless of how it was marked...) and that has worked for me and my gun....

So YES, letting the sizing die scrape the excess lube is a good idea in my opinion...

-Boots


Do you guys push your bullets through a sizer after lubing to achieve this?

I just ordered a .515 push-through sizing die from Lodgewood:
Anyway I figured sizing would scrape off the excess lube. Good plan?

Steve[/QUOTE]