Reloading observation - bullets

[Irish Red O'Toole]

Having just started reloading in volume, I picked up some .45LC bullets from Bonus Bullet Co.  They were .452 dia. and 250 grainers.  They also had a lube groove filled with a blue wax material.  Well, I didn't think anything about it, so I just started loading up.  Afte about 800 rounds through the seating die, I had a bullet stick in the die.  It took 15-20 minutes to get it out.  When I did, I found all sorts of wax built up on the seater plug and insides of the die.  I cleaned it up and then bought 1,000 .45s from Bear Creek Bullets.  The Bear Creek bullets had no waxy lube and the seater die required no special cleaning.

So, what did I learn?  Not to use a bullet that has a wax lube on it.  After a while, you'll have problems.  Anyone else have this happen to them?

[Lou Graham]

Yeah, smokeless lube is like crayon wax.  I take the die apart about every 150 - 200 rounds if I'm loading smokeless.  Easiest way to tell is to check your OAL every 20 -30 rounds.  When they start to get shorter, you got wax build up.  Just like Mamma tought me.  (OK, so maybe she thought I'd spend my time scrubbing floors instead of making ammo)   

[john boy]

Soot Lady
You can never be too thin, too rich or have too much ammo
Ya sure Lou.  Which one hasn't your Mom heard about ... YET

[Kid Cavalier]

Irish,
I learned the same lesson you did and went to the same bullet manufacturer as well.  I find the moly coated bullets shot better in my guns and reduced leading.  Not everyone is a fan of the Moly Bullets.  But in my experience they have worked very well and don't gum up my reloader.  Hope you have the same success. (not too much success mind you.  I like our friendly competition the way it is.  If you shoot any better I'll have to start practicing! )

[Delmonico]

Those hard lubes like that are made for higher velocity bullets than CAS loads.  I use then in Nitro rifle loads at up to 2000 fps and beyond.  Good lubes for what they are intended for.  I just unscrew the seatin' die every couple a hundred round and give it a whoosh of aresol gunscrubber.   I then go have another cup of coffee after washin' my hands ta remove any lead.

when I get back the die is dry and ready ta go.  One seldom loads more tha a couple of hundred of these type loads at a time, or even full house mag pistol rounds, so a little extra work ain't that big a deal.

Often also the lube build up, if excessive will tell ya you ain't belling the case mouth enough and yer scraping lube off the side of the bullet when you are seating.  Not a big deal at CAS ranges but it will damage a bullet enough to raise you know what at longer ranges.

[Stump Water]

This is strange.  I've never had any lube build-up on the inside of the seating die in 15+ years of reloading... from Bonus or any other brand. 

Y'all gotta clean yer die every 200 rounds or so?!!

The onliest thing I can figure is what Delmonico said about not belling the case mouth enough. 

-- Stump (what's gonna go look in his seatin' die) Water

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Irish,
I learned the same lesson you did and went to the same bullet manufacturer as well.  I find the moly coated bullets shot better in my guns and reduced leading.  Not everyone is a fan of the Moly Bullets.  But in my experience they have worked very well and don't gum up my reloader.  Hope you have the same success. (not too much success mind you.  I like our friendly competition the way it is.  If you shoot any better I'll have to start practicing! )

Since I started using Bear Creek moly coated bullets my cleanup is way less due to less leading. No problem with reloading, either. I won't use anything else. The groups may or may not be better, but I never checked them against other bullets for this.

[Delmonico]

I lube my 22's and 375's by pan lubing and a cake cutter.  I most likey don't need ta clean that often but I like to be sure on rounds I might not want ta miss with.  I know a friend had the build up on store bought bullets, till I helped him set his belling die ta open enough.  I like about 3/32 og the bullet to be able to slip in and it be wide enough that the mout never touches the side of the bullet till it is crimped.  Also with cast bullets a good inside champher will help a lot on bullet scraping.

[Driftwood Johnson]

That's strange, I've loaded zillions of smokeless bullets with bue or red hard crayon lube in them and never had any trouble with lube building up in the die.

But the PRS or Mav-Dutchman with 20 or 30 pounds of SPG on each one, that's a different story. That goop builds up like mad. I have to take the die out and carve the lube out with a Q-tip every once in a while or my bullets start dissapearing down inside the neck of the cases.

[Matthew Duncan]

Couple thousand rounds thru a Square Deal B.  Zero lube build up.  Sure you're belling your cases?

[Irish Red O'Toole]

Sure you're belling your cases?

Yep.  Even got out the micrometer to make sure the bell was big enough.  Just musta got a batch with a ton of lube.  Switched to non-lube bullets now, do it's a moot point.