Getting ready to pick up my new 28-35 on Saturday and getting bullets ready, and I'm having problems to get the lube to stick in the grooves. I have not had this problem with my 32, so I'm thinking it's a combination of temperature and groove depth.

Since it has gotten chilly, I have been using a heat gun to warm the bullets up before dumping Javelina Schutzen Lube in the pan that was heated over a double broiler.  Just to make sure everything stays good and warm, I put the pan with the lube and bullets over the pan of boiling water to make sure everything stats warm for a bit, then shut the hot plate off and let it all come down to room temperature. I leave the blocks of lube bullets in the garage overnight (it's been in the low 40's), then bring them in the house and punch them out after a couple hours.

Most of the bullets are missing lube in the bottom groove, but I started getting it missing out of the middle on the last few j punched out.

Any suggestions to get full coverage?

I push them out from the nose. The lube block is still pretty firm when I punch the bullets out, takes pretty good pressure to dent it with your finger

I haven't had the problem, but then I don't have any bullets quite that small.  I do have some with very shallow lube grooves though.

The only big thing different about my procedure is that I take the old hardened lube cake and I put the bullets into the old holes and heat the whole thing ( lube and bullets together ) up for a little over 30 minutes on a double boiler ( a bit longer for Alberta Schuetzen Lube as its harder to melt ).   Then I push them out one at a time with my thumb. 

Chris.

I've never had a problem with that lube, even with shallow grooves. But, I use a electric stove to do mine, then just take it off the burner to set and cool, in the house. Fortunately my wife doesn't mine the smell   She was a shooter, too.

My only suggestion is to put them in the frig for a while, after the cake hardens and see if the cold will help the lube stay in the grooves. Harder to push out that way. I use a piece of heavy leather under my thumb in a case like that.

BTW, the grooves have a funny color. Is that just because they have a little lube in them and the way the light is hitting it?

JHand wrote on Dec 4^th, 2025 at 4:40pm:


I don't put them in the fridge.  I pan lube them in the unheated garage and once they've cooled off to whatever the garage air temperature is, I push them out.  Although the garage is unheated, it's attached to the house so rarely gets below freezing.  Right now it's probably about 40 degrees. 

Chris.

Try this, it has solved all issues I've had with lube wanting to pull out of the grooves.
I use double boiler method, pushing bullets into the free holes from the last batch.
When lube is melted I set the pan on the concrete garage floor till it is room temperature again. 
If the cake won't pop out, pan & lube go in freezer for 10-20 minutes. 
If you froze it, let it come back to room temp.
Push all bullets from the base about 1/16th inch.
Flip block and push out by the noses.
For some reason, that pushing both ways gives me a much cleaner cut.
Hope this helps if nothing else works.

Dennis
BTW, I am lubing with SPG

Do you use any type of mold release on your bullet mold? I read that the residual of mold release on bullets can prevent the lube from adhering properly.

This is my method and I never loose lube in any groove with spg (or something like it) and my lube of 50/50 alox (the 100%alox that I have in sheets) and beeswax.
I take a small aluminum tin (like a 2 oz pipe tobacco tin, put on a hot plate and just get it to barely melt. Take a pair of needle nose plyers, dip the bullet to cover the groves, place on paper towel. Many years ago I had wad punches of different diameters/calibers made. I take a piece of LDPE and punch a hole in it. I push the bullet in nose first and voila, lube is scraped off. I have a punch that might work so if you send me your name and address I’ll cut a piece and punch some holes. See if it works.
vic4065@aol.com
peabody4070@gmail.com

If this a repeat sorry.
I have a number of punches. I’d be glad to extend my offer to all. Just send me your caliber and I’ll tell you if I have the punch.

Babydriver wrote on Dec 5^th, 2025 at 8:51pm:

 
I do similarly.  1qt sauce pan with lube on hot plate.  Dip the bullet holding with hemostats.  Place on sheet metal tray (immediately cools and sticks).  Then I use Lee push through sizer (0.001 larger than bullet OD) to strip off excess lube.   

I like your idea of pushing through sheet of LPDE or similar.

Never had a problem filling grooves using either a RCBS or Lyman lubersizer.

Quicker and cleaner than pan lubing unless you wish to be a true historical shooter like westerner.

Modern technology does have it's benefits.

Haven't figured it out yet, I should have time this weekend (finally started a new job this week after being laid off for 3 months). I think I'll make a punch to break them loose from the bottom to start and try the pushing both ways method. 

I'm using the pan lube for schutzen lube since my lubrisizer is loaded with spg for bpcr.  I may try a lubrisizer eventually if I come across a deal on one. Today's project is driving to pick up the rifle that goes with these bullets!

Remember the old Ideal tools to apply lube, or remove excess lube? They looked like an empty case and were bored through to size. Just push one bullet after another to cut excess lube off. At the end push the last ones out with a dowel. 
I think they also served as wad cutters too? I have a few in my collection of antique loading tools and have used them both ways.

I pan lube and lubrisizer lube and sometimes I just smear lube on there with my fingers when I'm feeling historical.

Pictured is a Bar gun bullet. Had no better way to apply bullet lube. That I could think of anyway.

Fat Girl Lube. Match winning lube. 

No base. .58 Minie ball.