What helps remove lead bullet lube from loaded rounds?

[LiveLife]

What helps remove lead bullet lube from loaded rounds?

I have used paper/cotton towel to wipe the lube off the bullets with good results, but this method is time consuming.

If tumbling to remove the lube, what media/additive combinations have worked best?

How long do you tumble and how long does the media/additive last as removed lube builds up?

Can you add anything to the media to extend the life?

 

[Jumping Frog]

I simply tumble my rounds after loading. My bullets are cast with Lee Liquid Alox.

I keep two different batches of corn cob with Nu-Finish and dryer sheets. A clean batch for empty brass, and the dirty batch for the finished rounds. The lead and lube makes the corn cob get dirty in a hurry.

When the clean batch for empty brass gets dirty enough, then it moved to loaded round duty, and a new batch replaces it for empty brass.

 

[LiveLife]

Thanks! And how long does the dirty media last?

 

[Iron Sight]

Lubing .45 ACP cast bullets with liquid Alox as per the instructions on the container where the entire bullet ends up coated with the lubricant.....didn't work for me in a vibratory tumbler with walnut hulls. The bullets ended up with walnut hull particles stuck to the still remaining Alox and were a mess to clean up. Used a rag and brake cleaner to take care of that mess.

So later if I use Alox I just just shoot them with the lube still stuck, no tumbling of the loaded rounds.

If I end up with Lube on the case itself I will wipe it off as I feel in might interfere with chambering in the barrel.

 

[Russt]

My experiance is like Iron Sight's with tumbling, a mess. A trick I've learned over at castboolits website is to mix the LLA with Johnson Paste Wax and a little mineral spirits, 45/45/10 is the ratio I use. It dries quicker and is not sticky when you load them.

 

[Jumping Frog]

Not sure why you guys were having problems, but I've tumbled roughly 5.000 loaded rounds in the last year and never had any problems. Maybe the corn cob instead of the walnut shells makes a difference. There isn't anything sticking to the bullet or the case when I pull it out of the tumbling media.

I also spin the finished rounds in the Cabela's Rotary Media Separator when done just to get the rounds out easily, but it makes no difference in media sticking to the bullets.

Before I tumble, I put the LLA bottle into very hot water so that it is running out very thinly, like water.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

Just shoot them as-is. I used to wipe mine off, but I just shoot them now. Less hassle. You just have to get over the cosmetics.

 

[EddieNFL]

Is the lube causing a problem? I've never bothered removing it unless there is a large clump. It does collect and can cause failures to return to battery, but I've never had a problem unless I exceeded 500 rounds without cleaning.

 

[LiveLife]

I have been removing the sticky lead bullet lube post loading by wiping off with paper/cloth towel, but have read on threads they tumble to remove the lube.

 

[Iron Sight]

Jumping Frog

Are you using a rotary or vibrator tumbler?

Thanks

 

[EddieNFL]

The difference may be the lube, Frog. I had the same problem as Iron Sight did with corn cob and Red Roster lube.