to size or not to size - tumble lube bullets ?

[watkibe]

I have been trying this out. Richard Lee says his TL bullets often shoot better without sizing. (probably won't apply to any GC bullets) His 2R-358-158 has shot so well unsized in maxi cases that I don't think I've ever sized them.
Today I seated some TL-358-158 SWCs over a prudent amount of Unique and fired them  through my 357 Maximum Handi: 5 shots went into 2 holes, a half inch apart; one hole was 2 shots, the other hole was 3 shots !
I have heard rumors that shooting the shorter magnum case in the longer maximum chamber will degrade performance, but I think that's not the case here !

[stimpylu32]

I shoot a lot of the Lee TL bullets in my 41s and have never sized any of them , with the lube grooves being as shallow as they are I'm not sure that there would be any groove left to hold lube if they were sized 
 
stimpy

[gcrank1]

The only reason to size would be to make the bullet fit the throat, obviously these are fitting it fine. Too many people think they need to size a bullet to fit in the re-sized case mouth, which is why a lot of people have trouble shooting good cast bullet groups.
FWIW, I shoot a lot of 'two group groups' similar to yours, I think Im catching the hammer drop at the two ends of my heatbeat.

[watkibe]

GC - I agree: you size the bullet to fit the barrel, and flare the case mouth to fit the base of the bullet for easy seating.
The "2 group groups" happen often with that gun. I don't know about the heartbeat thing though; it would have to be pretty fast to happen between trigger pull and hammer drop !
Stimpy - I shoot a 210 gr TL in my 41 Redhawk. So far, I lube with liquid alox, size, and then re-lube. I have the 240 gr mold too, but that bullet shoots so high (with recoil) I can't adjust my sights (or scope even) to match it !

[gcrank1]

This 'two group' thing is not uncommon among my mates here; you go into a squeeze and when the sear breaks sometimes you are on heatbeat, sometimes between, and if you try to snatch it at one or the other you are.........foolish..... There is a major artery running through your arm/shoulder and if you are picking up beat off that it goes right into the buttstock; its the back of the gun that steers the shot.
FWIW, fitting the bullet to the barrel groove dia. or plus a thou' or two isnt quite the same as fitting it to the throat at the front of the chamber. If the throat is actually proper for the barrel dimensions, great, but lets say the fire-formed case neck will easily take a .361 bullet but the barrel groove dia. is .357, if you size to .358 you are still too small and leading/accuracy issues are likely. With a lead alloy bullet there will be no pressure issues swaging that bullet down to bore dimensions when fired. Your results may vary from mine, but for many years now, with my toys and those of friends, when we use that methodology the 'problems' go away  . Some chaps in 'The Cast Bullet Assoc.' have even been using smooth side bullets (no grease grooves at all!) with some success.
Its a wonderful world of experimentation, isnt it!

[watkibe]

GC1 - Perhaps I am persuaded about the heart beat thing, because I get " 2 group groups" from 2 different barrels for my Handi: a superlight 223, and a heavy, 22 inch 357 Maximum.
Besides the receiver, the only thing in common is...me !

[ratdog]

if the bullet is 358 dia don't size them if your shooting the 357 mag handi.

[manatee1947]

Glad to hear about the 2 group groups, that has happened to me also but I thought it might be all me, now I know better. Now all I have to do is figure out how to eliminate the second group...........

[kbstenberg]

So long as the loaded round's fit in the cylinder they should be ok.  Only the gun can tell you that.
  Kevin

[res45]

I only resize on Lee TL bullet the .312 160 gr. RN that I shoot in my 300 Sav. the back driving band is the fattest part of the bullet and I can knock it down to .310 without hardly touching the TL grooves.  Doing so make it chamber much more smoothly.  Otherwise I just shoot all my other TL bullets as is.

[lee1954]

I use the sizer to crimp on the gascheck only -- try not to touch the tumble lube bans -- then push it back up ,, with my old Lyman sizer...Can't say I'm right, but that is as close to sizing the Lee tumble lube as I get.....
I only have one TL mold that is made for gaschecks           Dan