Grooved Bullet Paper Patching

[yonderin]

Has any one paper patched grooved bullets and not filled the grooves with lube first?

In my reading, I only recall one mention of lubing the bullet first. I've wondered about the paper stripping into the grooves if not filled with lube, I imagine not a good thing. Or would the fit between bullet and barrel hold the patch in place on the bands? Maybe somebody with more experience can educate me on that.

Currently I pan lube and use a cookie cutter from an old casing. Not real satisfied with the results (if I need to do so for PP), often getting rough edges but mostly worried the lube might not release the patch properly. Haven't settled on a final lube yet but would like to keep using the same method if needed.

Right now I'm casting with the Lee 405 gr .459 hollow base. I am contemplating a smooth sided mould if need be but between locating one and expense.....

Thanks.

 

[zuke]

That's how I started and still do it. No lube at all, wet the patch with spit and wrap

 

[kodiak1]

I have done it both ways. Lube the bullet and not lube the bullet.
I kind of prefer the lubing it first then patching it.
A little extra lube isn't going to hurt anything was my thought on it.

Ken.

 

[fingers284]

The one thing I remember reading years ago about PP and lubed boolits is that they should be used very shortly after rolling as the lube moisture will migrate into the paper & degrade its performance considerably ( I suppose different lube formulas will work better or worse depending on content). Dry patched boolits have the possibility of storing for years, I have a box of dry PP purchased at a gun show at least 20 yrs ago and the paper is still tight on the boolits (grooved by the way).

 

[Lionel]

I lube grease groove boolits all the time. It's all I have, but mine are in 30 cal for the 303 British. I have a lid off of a spray can that I dip the patch on just before I roll it onto the boolit. I then let it dry, lube it up and then run it through the sizing die to iron things out. I guess you could say that I apply my patches "damp".

 

[yonderin]

Haven't rolled any yet with lube in the grooves and no problems that I could say are related to the patch stripping back into the grooves. As I said, in my research, only recall one specific mention of lubing the bullet first and wondering if I had missed that point repeatedly and been lucky. Sounds like a possibility but not common.

No concern with lube migration, I usually load up the night before I head for the range.