Tumble bullets before loading??

The Berrys I've bought have all been pretty shiny. Campro not so much. I don't tumble my pills, why on earth for? Pretty for me is the end result on my paper targets. If you're doing this for looks, you haven't been reloading for very long. :p
 
Well you need to load the tumbler with bullets and media. Let it run. Separate the bullets and media whether it's SS or dry. Lay them out to dry if wet tumbling. And put them all back in a box.
I would avoid all those steps, no matter how small they are, and just load the bullets into ammo and shoot it.
If you really want pretty ammo, go right ahead you're free to do so, but I wouldn't bother. No matter how little work it is, it is still work for nothing in my opinion.
If the bullets were somehow dirty and it could effect my dies or firearm I would want clean bullets. But if they are just dull I don't see a point.
 
Trinimon said:
The Berrys I've bought have all been pretty shiny. Campro not so much. I don't tumble my pills, why on earth for? Pretty for me is the end result on my paper targets. If you're doing this for looks, you haven't been reloading for very long. :p
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Honestly just bored. I do not have the time to go out and shoot more test reloads, so need to do something gun related, my guns are clean. Added grip tape to my Shadow, loaded 60 test rounds for an Alfa 9mm. Just cleaned up my reloading bench and noticed the differences in the bullets. I just dry tumble anyway, so no work involved like with brass and getting the media out etc. I might do a few for sh-ts and giggles.
 
Lead hammer said:
Honestly just bored. I do not have the time to go out and shoot more test reloads, so need to do something gun related, my guns are clean. Added grip tape to my Shadow, loaded 60 test rounds for an Alfa 9mm. Just cleaned up my reloading bench and noticed the differences in the bullets. I just dry tumble anyway, so no work involved like with brass and getting the media out etc. I might do a few for sh-ts and giggles.
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LOL, I hear ya. Well, if you dry tumble, just make up your loads and then dump the loaded ammo into the tumbler for an hour or so. Now you got shiny factory looking ammo. :)
 
I do when I load with hard cast bullets, I find there is always a little bit of bullet lube residue left on the bullet that if not cleaned off tends to gum up chambers over time.
 
Clean ammo is the way to go, including bullets.
On a cold frosty ugly morning and the rifle got all dirty and wet, maybe
even a tad frosty, I think clean shiny ammo would load and unload easier.
Heck, might even gain a foot or two per second with less frickshun.
 
I picked up a couple box's of 30 cal bullets that were going into the garbage because the box's got wet and stayed wet for a couple year's. They were more then a little green. A couple hour's tumble and a couple water change's and I had me some purdy bullet's that loaded up and shot nicely
 
I only tumble bullets when I'm applying moly.


Edited to add . . .

I also tumble bullets when shooting with too slow a twist, today's test was a .224 90 gr Berger in a 1:12 which produced a perfect silhouette at 25 yards, but nice round holes with my 1:7.
 
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Why? Seems pointless.
I don't spend a lot of time looking at ammo, I just shoot it. But maybe I'm too old school - maybe bullet makers need to be in tune with the realities of a new generation. Maybe a bullet should look pretty enough to get included in a selfie, at least.
 
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I didn't think you could do this. Wouldn't the powder break down into finer grains and cause the powder to burn at a different rate. Isn't that why powder comes in different forms such as ball or long grains like Varget.
 
mac100 said:
I didn't think you could do this. Wouldn't the powder break down into finer grains and cause the powder to burn at a different rate. Isn't that why powder comes in different forms such as ball or long grains like Varget.
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I knew someone would bring that up eventually...
It's a myth, plain and simple. The amount of time you would have to tumble loaded ammo for this to happen would probably wear through the brass cases. Factory ammo is tumbled before packaging. Millions of rounds have been tumbled by reloaders before shooting. The myth is printed in various reloading manuals without proof or testing.
 
mac100 said:
I didn't think you could do this. Wouldn't the powder break down into finer grains and cause the powder to burn at a different rate. Isn't that why powder comes in different forms such as ball or long grains like Varget.
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no, that's a myth. factory loaded ammo is tumbled to get any last bit of oil or dirt off the finished product. i've tumbled live rounds 5 times give or take for several hours and haven't noticed any difference with the same load non tumbled.
 
We'll, tumbled 1000 of them, they look good and feel more slick, maybe they will seat better who knows. Now that I found 2 lbs of H110, I can make a few 357mag test rounds to keep busy. Oh wait, the 158 Cam pro's need some lovin too! Off to the garage.
 
I wet tumble loaded ammo all the time.
Still shoots fine, no adverse pressure signs, still shoots the advertised FPS over the chrony, still has the accuracy I like.

+ 1 for bling-bling bullets.
 
LUTNIT said:
I knew someone would bring that up eventually...
It's a myth, plain and simple. The amount of time you would have to tumble loaded ammo for this to happen would probably wear through the brass cases. Factory ammo is tumbled before packaging. Millions of rounds have been tumbled by reloaders before shooting. The myth is printed in various reloading manuals without proof or testing.
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Just one of the great many myths regarding shooting and in particular, reloading.
 
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