how to lube christmas tree bullet

[ian45662]

How do you guys lube up your sharps Christmas tree bullets?

[Charlie Hahn]

Once the bullet is sized and glued to the cartridge I dip lube nose down. I use a mask for the nose of the bullet to prevent lube from getting on this portion. The mask is similar to an Easter Egg dipper with a cup soldered to the wire handle that supports the round and keeps the lube off the nose.

I keep the cartridge nose down till it is placed in my cartridge box.

Charlie Hahn

[ian45662]

Where might I find one of these or where can I get the naterial to make one

[Greg Ogdan, 11444]

Ian,

If you are pan lubing your musket bullets, you might want to try this. Make a "dip tray" out of perforated steel (find some with round holes). I dip mine, 21 at a time, for 25 seconds at 140* in MCM. To remove the nose lube, I just roll the cooled bullets around in an empty hole.

[ian45662]

Would a sizing die for a lyman luberesizer make a big mess with this particular bullet?

[mikea]

I use an artist's paint brush to paint melted lube in the rings. After a little practice it goes fairly quickly. That said, I think Charlie Hahn's method would be best if you go to the trouble of making up the apparatus he describes.
FWIW, I tried an accuracy test with my Shiloh Sharps at 100 yds with 10 rounds where the lube was only in the rings and 10 where the entire bullet - rings and ogive - was dipped in lube. I had heard that the top BPCR shooters don't put lube on the bullet ogive, and I wanted to see if it really mattered. I concluded it does matter - the group with the bullets where the lube was only in the rings was better.

[Scott Kurki, 12475]

You could always start like Charlie said, bullet tied to the charge, then use an acid brush and paint on the lube.

I tried all of this of course which is why I now prefer the Maynard.

[lastchip]

OK, lesson learned so far. Keep the lube in the ring and off the nose.

Thanks Gents

[Jim_Burgess_2078V]

Rather than using the labor-intensive combustible paper cartridges, I employ a reusable plastic tube that contains the powder charge and firmly holds the ringtail portion of the bullet. Once the cartridge is assembled I dip it nose first in melted lube (beeswax/crisco) to cover all the grooves and then immediately wipe the lube off the bullet nose with my finger. The lube on my finger is then returned to the pan (an old cap tin) of melted lube. This method is not nearly as sophisticated as Charlie's device but it works for me.

The grooves on the ringtail bullet are relatively shallow and I find it beneficial to apply a relatively thick coating of lube on the rings. Insufficient lube on the bullet could result in fouling building up near the muzzle and that will adversely affect accuracy.

This bullet is definitely not a good candidate for a Lyman or RCBS lubrisizer. I size my bullets in a .545 die screwed into my reloading press. The sizer die only touches the base ring. In a lubrisizer the tapered bullet will not allow the lube to be contained and you will find it going all over.

Jim Burgess, 15th CVI

[Jim Brake 3587]

I can't belive what I'm reading. In the only test I have run on my Shiloh and Armi-sport, if I removed the lube from the nose of the bullet the groups double or tripled in size. Enouph on lube. I also can';t imagine what someone would hope to accomplish by sizing a bullet for use in a rifle with a forcing cone. That said ......My Shiloh shoots 2" groups at 100yds. and 1" groups at 50 yds. and my Armi-sport does the same.........................My 2 cents worth............................Jim Brake

I use a Moose Mould 544-460 in the Shiloh and a 557-480 Moose Mould in my Armi-sport