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Very Hot Topic (More than 25 Replies) Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet (Read 754 times)
joelpend
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Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
May 2nd, 2026 at 7:55pm
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I have a Ballard 25-20 SS (10 tw) that I plan to breech seat bullets. My bullet is a long 117gr and is tapered. I have some White Label Lube 45-45-10 made for tumble lubing. Has anyone tried and had success with tumble lubing breech seated bullets. It sure is quicker and easier than pan lubing but I want accuracy whatever it takes.
  
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gnoahhh
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #1 - May 3rd, 2026 at 8:01am
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Can't speak to the usefulness of tumble lube for your application, but my gut questions the efficiency of such a long slow bullet in a 1-10 twist. Didn't the .25-35 with a long 117 grain bullet (at much higher velocity than a .25-20 ) utilize a 1-18" twist?

  
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pmcfall
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #2 - May 3rd, 2026 at 10:37am
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I'm far from an expert in anything, but after going to all the trouble striving to cast perfect bullets, I can't get enthused about banging them around to tumble lube.
Phil
  
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joelpend
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #3 - May 3rd, 2026 at 12:33pm
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I purchased the Borton mold from a forum member. I think Match Results indicate some shooting this weight bullet with 25-20 SS and 25-20 wcf in Quarter bore competitions. Nice looking bullet. I will pan lube some and will know in a few days how they do. I made 200 cases from 223 (what a time consuming project). Looking at the amount of effort now should have sent SSDAVE funds for some Jamison like I used for my R2 Lovell.

gnoahhh wrote on May 3rd, 2026 at 8:01am:
Can't speak to the usefulness of tumble lube for your application, but my gut questions the efficiency of such a long slow bullet in a 1-10 twist. Didn't the .25-35 with a long 117 grain bullet (at much higher velocity than a .25-20 ) utilize a 1-18" twist?


  
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oneatatime
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #4 - May 3rd, 2026 at 12:43pm
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gnoahhh, I'm sure you meant to type 1 in 8.
  
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Cbashooter
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #5 - May 3rd, 2026 at 5:48pm
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I tried lee tumble lube  breech seated. Mind you, this is in my 30-06 Ruger #1  which isn't the most accurate but shoots best breach seated with cast bullets over fixed ammo. Everything went good for about 50 or 60 shots.Then I could barely push a bullet in and shots all over the paper. Leading  was severe in two inches forward of the throat.
This is only one instance , but that was my experience.
« Last Edit: May 3rd, 2026 at 6:01pm by Cbashooter »  
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gnoahhh
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #6 - May 5th, 2026 at 8:33am
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oneatatime wrote on May 3rd, 2026 at 12:43pm:
gnoahhh, I'm sure you meant to type 1 in 8.


Indeed yes.
  
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Skalkaho
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #7 - May 5th, 2026 at 9:00am
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Tried Red Rooster  clear lube. Throw 100 bullet in a plastic bowl,swish around and dump on wax paper.....Will sell bottle CHEAP !   Back to Javalina lube and stick with it...period.
  
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Cbashooter
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #8 - May 6th, 2026 at 12:08am
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Skalkaho wrote on May 5th, 2026 at 9:00am:
Tried Red Rooster  clear lube. Throw 100 bullet in a plastic bowl,swish around and dump on wax paper.....Will sell bottle CHEAP !   Back to Javalina lube and stick with it...period.


I have great luck with Rooster Liquid Jacket in handgun cartridge loads kept to about 1200  fps.Ive gone through two bottles this last few of years.In my  original 44-1/2 32-20 with so-so bore its never leaded.
  
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JKR
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #9 - May 6th, 2026 at 8:11am
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I believe tumble lube works pretty well on low velocity pistol bullets. I used 45-45-10 on hundreds of 45ACP bullets when I was shooting BE pistol. Also on 32&38 WC. It worked perfectly. 
I’ve tried it on 30 cal rifle bullets applied in addition to my regular lube. I can’t say there was any benefit there.
For rifle length barrels and higher velocity, I'm pretty sure leading will be a problem.
  
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Skalkaho
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #10 - May 6th, 2026 at 3:20pm
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Ya George your right there.in my pistol loads I used the modified Lee Lube cut with Johnson Paste Wax.  Worked very well,still have some, so yes the RR would be OK on pistol. I tried on breech seating and the Javalina by far the better of the two !
  
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Cbashooter
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #11 - May 6th, 2026 at 3:26pm
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Skalkaho wrote on May 6th, 2026 at 3:20pm:
Ya George your right there.in my pistol loads I used the modified Lee Lube cut with Johnson Paste Wax.  Worked very well,still have some, so yes the RR would be OK on pistol. I tried on breech seating and the Javalina by far the better of the two !


I used to make all my own lubes, and I just finally went to Javalina on plainbase rifle loads.It's not worth fighting it , it works so well.
The Lee Alox when thinned a little bit works really well.I used to just use mineral spirits.
  
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marlinguy
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #12 - May 7th, 2026 at 10:07am
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I make my own lube also, and I have a bunch of old Lee liquid alox, so I put some into every batch of bees wax based lube I make. Some of it is old enough I have to put some mineral spirits into to get it back to shape so I can squirt it out of the bottles!
  
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frnkeore
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #13 - May 7th, 2026 at 11:54am
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For lube groove bullets, in rifles, I wouldn't use it. 

The lube in the grooves, helps to keep the bullet from distorting. W/o it the bullet can bump up and shift, in any manner it chooses.
  
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Cbashooter
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Re: Tumble Lube for Breech Seated Bullet
Reply #14 - May 7th, 2026 at 1:40pm
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frnkeore wrote on May 7th, 2026 at 11:54am:
For lube groove bullets, in rifles, I wouldn't use it. 

The lube in the grooves, helps to keep the bullet from distorting. W/o it the bullet can bump up and shift, in any manner it chooses.


I've never run into a problem using it with grooved bullets at moderate velocity. I don't doubt it's happening, but I'm not seeing any difference in accuracy  the loads I use compared to traditionally lubed bullets.But then again , I don't shoot any cast bullets very fast.

Do you remember when Merrill Martin was putting dams in the lube grooves to try to get rid of band collapse?


  
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