I am going to start casting for my 9mm and .40S&W and if everything works out then eventually for my .45ACP, .45Colt, .44Mag, and .357Mag.

I've heard alot of good things about Lee's Liquid Alox and I've noticed that Lee sells molds made to be tumble lubed. To minimize my cost starting off is it possible to tumble lube bullets that you would normally lube through a machine or do I need to stick to Lee's Tumble Lube bullet molds??

Thanks for your help,
Brandon

you can tumble lube any bullet but the lees are designed to not need sizing. Some of the others may be a little to big as cast. But most will work.

If you happen to have a mould that is too big for the bullets to work as cast and Liquid Aloxed, the Lee pushthrough sizers are less that $15.

But I would not bother to buy one until I needed it were I starting out and money tight.

I use Lee liquid alox on conventional grooved cast bullets all the time in my .45acp, .38 spl and 45-70.

how is the leading when you use the lee's? Do you have to keep the velocities down towards the lower range?

My experience with Lee liquid alox was in .45ACP at about 900 fps. I regularly shoot 250 rounds in one range trip without cleaning, and the small amount of leading (if any) is removed with 1 pass using a piece of copper scouring pad wrapped around a worn out .38 cal brush. Boolits were sized with the Lee push thru die. However, the liquid Alox never dries so it leaves a sticky mess on everything the boolits touch: ammo boxes, magazines, your hands, etc. I also tried Rooster Jacket lube, and although it was cleaner, it left a fair amount of leading. It was because of this that finally I bought a used Lyman 450 & quit using liquid Alox.

22pinshooter (another Shooters refugee)

The stickiness of LEE liquid also alway's bothered me also, then I started tumbling the Lee lubed boolits in powered mica from midway. End of problem. A little powered mica goes quite a ways. No more sticky boolits.

I use liquid alox for loads up to 1,400 fps. with no trouble. I use it on bullets designed for tumble lube and standard designs. It works great.

.......Lee Tumble Lube is good stuff. You do have to remember that it will gather dust and any bits of loose powder or residue. This always finds it's way into your plastic cartridge boxs when you return the inverted cases.

A trick is to cut the Lube with paint thinner or some other volatile in about a 50/50 mix. It allows the lube to cover better and it evaporates faster and seems to leave a harder 'finish'. As a rule I always TL any bore riding rifle bullets. It makes a measurable difference in how easily the bullets engrave the lands.

In auto pistols it aids in the nose riding up the feed ramp. In many instances the TL is all the lube you need. An especially good use is on full WC target bullets. If the boolits do need sizing, effort is much diminished if TL'd first, sized then TL'd again if desired. I store all my cast bullets now in those inexpensive Glad type airtight food containers. They stack well and seem very tough, and especially adaptable to keeping TL'd boolits clean.

The main negative to the TL process is as previously mentioned. It's afinity to have stuff stick to it. It can also build up in the nose of your seater die causing deeper seating on occasion.

........Buckshot

Dear Whitworth:

I forget where I got the suggestion, but I toss my Lee Alox lubed bullets in a plastic bag with a teaspoon of Motor Mica (which I think you can get from Midway or Ballistic Products via the net).

It totally eliminates the tackiness of Lee Alox (and, most importantly, the tendency to pick up grit and carry it into my expensive bore.

jpb

Shooters

I use LEE LIQUID ALOX, and I love it, I do not get any leading, and I do not size, my 45 acp bullets, I have noticed that if a bullett is not a tumble lube, then it seems stickier.

A question, is it good to have mica go down your bore, will it eventually wear out/hurt a bore?

Clint

azcoyhunter

Possibly -- it is a very fine abrasive (but it is also a lubricant and feels slippery to the touch).

I should have mentioned that I use it in factory rifle barrels, but not my (one and only, for now) custom rifle barrel.

I think it would take a LOT of shooting to do anything... the Motor Mica is WAY finer than even the finest barrel polising compounds for fire lapping.

Thanks for raising this point.

jpb

Hi Blboyd,

I'm a Lee Liquid Ear Wax fan too. Cuts loading time- especially if you don't have to size the bullet....no leading at all with a properly matched cylinder throat/barrel/bullet...and it tastes nice on a bagel too.....

Regards....

Thanks guys - that really helps.

I actually casted my first bullets last night - tried a Lee 9mm 124gr Tumble Lube Mold. I don't have a thermometer so I don't know the temp of the lead but I was casting wheel weights and the bullets looked a little wrinkled. They were filling out the mold rather well I thought. Hopefully tonight I'll get another chance.

Thanks,
Brandon