I'm reloading some cast bullets and running into something that's never happened before - when I seat the bullet the bullet lube is 'smearing' - The lube is said to be Lyman Super Moly lube and seems to get pretty soft when handled -
Is this anything to be concerned with?
The green waxy bullet lube I used to use always ended up on everything else. After the crimp stage (very small little roll crimp on my .45 ACP brass) I always got a rag and wiped off the "smears" on the bullet and the brass. No issues after that.
Have not used this lube. Might be a property of lube de-emulsifying (if that's the right word) or constituent separating due to age or temperature, sunspots, or the Reagan administration.
Case mouths are flared out, and it's still smearing during seating?
I'd only worry about it if more than 50% of the lube is no longer resident inside the lube grooves once the bullet has been seated. Once seated, the lube is where it needs to be and shouldn't be able to wander. Should wipe off the bullet/case neck exterior with lint-free cloth. That's what I do with 'runny' batches of lube, like the low-viscosity and smeary brown Lee stick lube.
Also prior to seating, I give the bullet base a pass with the lint-free cloth to minimize contact between propellant and lube.
At the other viscosity extreme, there's the RCBS lube that's so stiff that it's hard to make it flow short of heating it or loading in July only.
Don't laugh, now- you can buy a huge, $1 wax toilet gasket, and use that to lube bullets. Fraction of the cost of name brand lube, works just as well. My 'friend' does this.
I have had lube build up in my seating die and slowly seat bullets deeper. Check often and keep your seating die clean.
TomJ,
Seating die buildup has been a easly fixed problem for me too. If the accuracy is okay and the barrel does not lead, full speed ahead.
Clodhopper