Liquid Alox Question

[kynardsj]

While I know that Lee makes bullet molds especially for use with the tumble lube ( Liquid Alox ) I was wondering how a standard molded bullet cast in a Lyman or other mold works with it. The heavier bullets I want to cast, 170 gr SWC in a .358 and a 255 gr SWC or FP in a .452 don't come in the TL design. Best I can do is a 158 gr TL in a .358 and a 230 gr TL in a .452. Thanks.

[Torwe]

I use lee alox to tumble lube all my cast bullets. Not just thier TL molds. For me it works fine on both 358 and 452 convential grooved bullets with no leading problems. Thats my personal experience.

[bilmac]

I do the same as Torwe except that bullets that I use in smaller quantities I lube conventionally. I love the TL for bullets I shoot lots of and that don't sit around for maybe more than a year. I worry about the powder becoming contaminated over long term storeage. I also don't like the exposed noses of my bullets covered with lube if they are going to ride around in my pickup or in my pockets. They get dirty.

[JRiddle]

I use tumble lube on all my bullets, only about half of them are the 'TL' molds...I can't see any difference in performance or leading. 
JR

[woodchukhntr]

I use it on .30 cal. conventional cast bullets .30-30 & .30-06 up to about 2000 fps and see no difference from conventional lube..

[Reverend Recoil]

I lubricate 0.452 round balls with Lee liquid Alox for 45 ACP loads.  Nothing else works as well for round balls.

[26-t]

I us Liquid lube on all my castings. From .357 to 500 mag. works great for me. If you don't like lube on the nose, wipe it off with some solvent on a rag. 26-t 

[manatee1947]

I use it on most of mine, one coat on pistol, two on rifles up to about 1600 fps. I have never had problems with them.

[Lloyd Smale]

Ill be the odd man out here. Ive used it but never got the results ive gotten with conventional lube. It will work on about any bullet but at rifle velocitys i find the stuff lacking. It will get you by in a pinch if its the only way you can afford to lube bullets but it isnt as good as conventional lube when it comes to prevent leading and getting accuracy. It also has a tendency to deaden powder when loaded ammo is left for a long period of time especially in hot areas. It also is a dirt magnet.

[jhalcott]

  I will agree that alox IS a dirt magnet. I ain't so sure about it "deadening" powder as I have not kept loaded ammo long enough to see that effect. I HAVE used it on a lot of rifle and handgun cast bullets from .22 to .458 dia. Accuracy CAN indeed be affected by the choice of lube AND the other components , also! I find it rather easy to get velocity above 2000 fps with it in most calibers with decent(NOT benchrest) accuracy.

[res45]

I use a 50/50 Mix of Lee Alox/JPW for all my TL and some non-TL bullets.  Less smokey to the point I don't notice it,dries faster and isn't tacky.  For my rifle bullet with traditional grease grooves I TL first before apply the GC with the Lee sizer and ranch dip them the second time and run through the sizer to clean them up which fills the grooves nicely.

It doesn't take long to do 100 bullets to load up a batch of ammo and accuracy is good enough for my needs.  I'm pretty happy with 1" groups or less in my SKS,54r,30-30 and 300 Sav.

Tumble Lube made easy.  I don't use the mineral spirits.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=67654

[johnjohn]

I don't know about it affecting powder,but I found some .38spec. from 1996 in my garage and they went bang just like the lately loaded stuff.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive had it happen on many occasions. It will happen if you store bullets in area that gets hot. I once had some 38s that did it and i pulled some bullets and the powder was just a hard glob. Its happened to me too by just sticking ammo on the dash of the truck in the summer. Ive had missfires and many squibs using it.

[bilmac]

Happens to me too. I expect if you put your ammo in boxes and store them bullets down it's not much of a problem, but the ammo I make with liquid allox is generally for mass consumption for me, so I have developed the practice of just throwing them all jumbled up in a ziploc bag. That allows some of the bullets to be up while they are stored, then if they get warm, trouble.

[bustermchooter]

Thanks for the link res4! I have just started casting and have all the necessary ingredients to make the lube; now I have a great tutorial.

[blhof]

I've still got about 200 357's that I tumble lubed and stored for a few months in the summer several years ago,  I had just got my Loadmaster and ran off about 400 and shot the 1st 100 or so and went on to other loadings, well when I got back to the TL batch, they squibbed and upon pulling them; the powder was an oily cake, been pulling them a few at a time ever since.  I use it in my 9mm, but I usually shoot all that I load in a week end and have never had a problem, although I do wipe the bottom of all the bullets to lessen the contamination.