Lubing swaged bullets ?

[Wrencher2008]

I just picked up 1300 Speer swaged 148 g wadcutters. I believe these to be older as the gentleman hasn't loaded in quite some time. Some appear to have a waxy like lube on them but others seem to have nothing on them. Should I maybe wash all of them and lube or just lube them all without washing ?
Any suggestions for washing ? Tumbler with corn cob, walnut ??
What lube would you guys recommend ?

 

[Spawn-Inc]

Are the ones that seem unlubed mixed in with the lubed ones?

If so load and shoot as is but even then I would still likely load and shoot them.

I assume they are hollow base wad cutters? If you have it Bullseye works awesome with them, I load them with 2.8gr of it.

 

[silverfoxdj]

Are they both exactly the same diameter if so I'd bell just enough to fit the non lubed bullets so they don't peel any lead.
The lubed ones should slip in easily but I'd mild crimp as well for both.

 

[Wrencher2008]

So is the lube for ease of assembly or to prevent leading of barrel or both ? It's my first time using plain lead and looking into casting my own some day.I have loaded a few thousand Berry's and Can-Ams. I know to keep them under 1000 FPS but how much crimp. I am roll crimping the plated.

 

[vviking]

I'd give the whole lot of 'em a light tumble lube in lee liquid alox.
It's cheap, easy, and available.
1300 boolit's is a fair pile, would be good to make them more or less uniformly lubed IMO.
The downside to tumble lubing is the buildup of gunk in the seater stem ... needs a cleanout from time to time, or seating depth's go wonky on ya.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

i would load up 50 or 100 and see how they shoot, they don't need alot of lube because of how the hollow base seals to the barrel and how slow they are going. i wouldn't bother trying to lube them unless the actually lead your barrel.

i put a good crimp on mine, have zero leading in my 6" 586 and 4.5" ruger black hawk, i've shot about 4000 of them over the last few years.

 

[vviking]

i've shot about 4000 of them over the last few years.

And that ^, is what a proper WC bullet roll crimp looks like wrencher.
The key is having all cases trimmed to the same length.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

The key is having all cases trimmed to the same length.

Very true, BUT I never trim pistol brass, way to much work and they don't really stretch anyway.

 

[vviking]

Very true, BUT I never trim pistol brass, way to much work and they don't really stretch anyway.

'Tis so ^.
If, one starts out with a batch of same headstamp brand new brass.
The other stuff tho, will benefit from a one time trimming to length right out of the gate.
Even crimps do contribute to small groups in my experience.

 

[Wrencher2008]

Thanks all. That is about the same amount of crimp that I am doing. I will load some up and see what happens. Will a FMJ bullet clear out leading if it was fired after the lead reloads were ? I thought I had this reloading down, but realize with lead it seems to be a whole new ball game. Maybe I read too much. Certain people say to resize after lubing but I don't think that is the case for swaged, just cast ??? I am ordering Lynmans Cast Bullet Handbook to try and figure some stuff out.
Thanks for the help.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

Depends on how you lube things, if you use a lube sizer, then no. It will size and lube at the same time. If you tumble lube you tumble lube, size, then tumble once more. Then the new thing is powder coating in which you powder coat them, then size.

I figured shooting a jacket would push the lead out, but it generally doesn't the few times I've tried some say it makes the leading harder to get out which I could see happening.

With those swaged bullets it's just a matter of load and shoot.