Hello,
My mold drops an oversized bullet core for patching,and I size it down for my differet bores.
I use Dillon case lube for these bullet cores,and wipe them with a rag dampened wth Hoppe's.
Yesterday I rolled a batch,and today I realized that I had forgotten to wipe the lube off,prior to patching.
The patch is just as tight;the bullet looks fine.I rolled a batch again,today,without removing the lube.
I have been told that this is a 'nono'.Does anyone,here,have any experience along this line?
I'll find out myself,when/if the weather ever moderates.
Frank

Wondering if it will make any differnce at all. Know I've been told not to lube, but haven't been told exactly why. The lead core has rifling marks when recovered...impressed theough the paper, not from direct contact. Doubt the core could roatate seperatly from the patch unless the lead was drasticly undersized.

I agree. I dont see how the core could rotate seperately.
If I oversize a patched bullet the patch is left loose on the bullet. I have shot some of these with mixed results - pretty much all bad.

I agree. I dont see how the core could rotate seperately.
If I oversize a patched bullet the patch is left loose on the bullet. I have shot some of these with mixed results - pretty much all bad.

I don't think the idea of not lubing bullets before applying the patch has anything to do with the bullet rotating under the patch. I think it has more to do with the patch sticking to the bullet. Ideally, the patch should not stay with the bullet but rather drop off as the bullet leaves the muzzle. This insures that the bullet is aerodynamically concentric and gyroscopically balanced. Lube under the patch could cause the patch (or worse, portions of the patch) to stick to the bullet creating an irratic bullet flight from one shot to the next. Certainly it's possible to add lube after patching and many do. Check out any of the books by Paul Matthews, Mike Venturino or Steve Garbe. All of these shooters agree that the patch must leave the bullet if shot-shot accuracy is to be maintained. All also agree that for hunting loads, where the patch is exposed to the elements, lubing after patching is a possible solution. None however, recommend lubing before patching and all site the above reason. My own experience (based on the 45-90) bears this out.

That's the idea, and a good one. Would test the ones at hand rather than pulling them, unpatching them, degreasing the lead, and repatching...but it may come to that if they shoot poorly, but I'd shoot a few to find out before embarking on the reclaimation process.

Patch is more of a sabot than a jacket...if the sabot doesn't release cleanly, can't get a decent group (or even anything resembling a group).

I think:
1. Lube used to size the bullet, unless very thick, is
not a problem
2. Lube in the grooves of a cast bullet would be if a
paper patch would be rolled over them. The lube
would expand as it would normally when fired and
not allow a good bond with the patch. Just where
that would led is a good question.