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Posted: 7/16/2017 10:31:10 AM EDT
[#1]
I tumble mine for about 15 minutes to get the case lube off.
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Posted: 7/16/2017 10:39:36 AM EDT
[#2]
yessir, do it all the time not an issue...its also a good way to find out if you set your seating die improperly as powder will turn the media black
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Posted: 7/16/2017 10:48:38 AM EDT
[#3]
Nope... I wipe the case lube off off each round with a soft cotton cloth.
Last thing I want is my finished loads tumbling around, banging into one another. YMMV |
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Posted: 7/16/2017 10:58:55 AM EDT
[#4]
I do it all the time. I've never had an issue with damage of any sort, even with some really soft cast bullets.
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Posted: 7/16/2017 11:10:40 AM EDT
[#5]
You can if you want.
I don't because lube removal is part of case prep for me and I won't load lubed cases. |
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Posted: 7/16/2017 11:23:06 AM EDT
[#6]
I do it with just raw walnut for 30 minutes. It's works great for a final cleaning/shine.
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Posted: 7/16/2017 11:24:11 AM EDT
[#7]
I tumble the lube off of my cases right after sizing for about an hour or so, sometimes only 30 min.
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Posted: 7/16/2017 11:25:38 AM EDT
[#8]
I have a few times. Just for shinyness. No ill effects.
I always tumble my cases after sizing. I don't like lube on my cases when actually loading. |
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Posted: 7/16/2017 11:34:19 AM EDT
[#9]
I don't tumble completed rounds - there's no reason to do it. I tumble sized/trimmed cases in dry medium for about an hour as the final case prep step before priming, charging, seating. Tumbling won't make your completed rounds shoot any better and the target doesn't care if your bullets are nice and shiny or not. My concern is that excess tumbling might change the burning characteristics of the propellant - a short tumble probably wouldn't hurt anything but an hour or more might (in my mind). Also, note that most of my reloading is for precision rifle / accuracy at distance so maybe I am a little OCD finicky about my propellant getting bruised!!! LOL!
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Posted: 7/16/2017 12:28:22 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I don't tumble completed rounds - there's no reason to do it. I tumble sized/trimmed cases in dry medium for about an hour as the final case prep step before priming, charging, seating. Tumbling won't make your completed rounds shoot any better and the target doesn't care if your bullets are nice and shiny or not. My concern is that excess tumbling might change the burning characteristics of the propellant - a short tumble probably wouldn't hurt anything but an hour or more might (in my mind). Also, note that most of my reloading is for precision rifle / accuracy at distance so maybe I am a little OCD finicky about my propellant getting bruised!!! LOL! You are aware that factory ammo is all tumbled post loading? Think about the powder during shipping. Think it's getting shaken up any? Same with loaded ammo being transported in a vehicle. eta, found it. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/303242_Live-ammo--in-tumbler-for-over-200-hours-with-microscopic-images---OP-UPDATE--fired-rounds.html |
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Posted: 7/16/2017 12:30:20 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
You can if you want. I don't because lube removal is part of case prep for me and I won't load lubed cases. |
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Posted: 7/16/2017 12:39:19 PM EDT
[#12]
My pistol tends to get a build up of very fine brass particles in it if I don't tumble the rounds after loading. Been doing it for years, and I haven't experienced any ill affects.
Something in my loading process is amiss, but I can't figure it out. |
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Posted: 7/16/2017 2:08:12 PM EDT
[#13]
WHAT I DO -
I've removed lubricant with my vibratory cleaner and walnut media for decades. I've never seen any change in accuracy or speed as a result. Of late, I have been cleaning lube off my rifle cases after sizing and trimming but the reloading process allowed me to do that. Were trimming not needed, I reload in full progressive mode and clean at the end. CLARIFICATION - I intentionally avoided the use of the word "tumbling". With the increasing popularity of wet process case cleaning, a distinction should be drawn. Vibratory cleaning of finished rounds barely moves the cartridges. Most of the motion is the media moving over the cartridge surface. There is nothing you'd call an impact of one cartridge with another. I have proven this to be safe (to myself). In the wet process, the cartridges would truly be tumbling as they move up the side of the bowl and drop down to the bottom. I would not want the wet cleaning solutions in contact with my finished cartridges and would not want them banging into each other. It might be okay but I do not know it for a fact, so it might not. |
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Posted: 7/16/2017 3:15:02 PM EDT
[#14]
I tried it but it did nothing for me. I wipe rifle cases with a soft cloth after sizing (I load rifle on a single stage). My pistol cases are lightly lubed for loading on the 650. By the time they are loaded there is no lube on them,
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Posted: 7/16/2017 6:27:31 PM EDT
[#15]
After loading all my ammo it spends 10-15 minutes in corncob and NuFinish to get the lube off.
Just like the ammo manufactures do.... Every day.... They just use cement mixers instead of Dillon tumblers. |
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Posted: 7/16/2017 8:26:40 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I see you are new here. Welcome, but that Myth was busted years ago. You are aware that factory ammo is all tumbled post loading? Think about the powder during shipping. Think it's getting shaken up any? Same with loaded ammo being transported in a vehicle. eta, found it. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/303242_Live-ammo--in-tumbler-for-over-200-hours-with-microscopic-images---OP-UPDATE--fired-rounds.html Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I don't tumble completed rounds - there's no reason to do it. I tumble sized/trimmed cases in dry medium for about an hour as the final case prep step before priming, charging, seating. Tumbling won't make your completed rounds shoot any better and the target doesn't care if your bullets are nice and shiny or not. My concern is that excess tumbling might change the burning characteristics of the propellant - a short tumble probably wouldn't hurt anything but an hour or more might (in my mind). Also, note that most of my reloading is for precision rifle / accuracy at distance so maybe I am a little OCD finicky about my propellant getting bruised!!! LOL! You are aware that factory ammo is all tumbled post loading? Think about the powder during shipping. Think it's getting shaken up any? Same with loaded ammo being transported in a vehicle. eta, found it. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_6_42/303242_Live-ammo--in-tumbler-for-over-200-hours-with-microscopic-images---OP-UPDATE--fired-rounds.html
Yeah, I know that loaded rounds are exposed to shaking and vibration in real life. I don't think tumbling loaded rounds is dangerous or hazardous... I just think that it is potentially detrimental to medium/long range accuracy - something I am interested in. For me, one of the main reasons to reload is that I can make better ammunition than the "factory" so telling me that they tumble loaded ammunition it is sort of meaningless... the Factory is concerned with how their ammunition looks because their perception is that it effects sales - something they are interested in... The cost/benefit analysis for tumbling loaded ammunition doesn't make sense for me so I don't do it. Having said that, I don't mind if you tumble your loaded ammunition - have fun and enjoy your pretty bullets... 
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Posted: 7/16/2017 8:46:30 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I don't think tumbling loaded rounds is dangerous or hazardous... I just think that it is potentially detrimental to medium/long range accuracy - something I am interested in. For me, one of the main reasons to reload is that I can make better ammunition than the "factory" so telling me that they tumble loaded ammunition it is sort of meaningless... the Factory is concerned with how their ammunition looks because their perception is that it effects sales - something they are interested in... I compete in an ELR match at NRA Whittington Center a couple times a year using ammo I loaded on a tweaked Dillon 550 with a Prometheus measure. Far target is 2023 yards. Tumbled ammo still hits it and wins matches. Tumbled 243 ammo was 4th place at the 2017 Nightforce 2-gun Precision match. Out of the tumbler I still have less than .001 runout and single digit ES over a Magnetospeed. If I miss a target, it was my dumbass that messed up not my ammo. |
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Posted: 7/16/2017 9:03:59 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I even tumble all my long range (>600 yards) ammo from 243-338 Lapua. I compete in an ELR match at NRA Whittington Center a couple times a year using ammo I loaded on a tweaked Dillon 550 with a Prometheus measure. Far target is 2023 yards. Tumbled ammo still hits it and wins matches. Tumbled 243 ammo was 4th place at the 2017 Nightforce 2-gun Precision match. Out of the tumbler I still have less than .001 runout and single digit ES over a Magnetospeed. If I miss a target, it was my dumbass that messed up not my ammo. Also, are your loads "compressed" or very nearly 100% of your case volume??? Arguably, completely or almost completely full cases would decrease the effect of vibratory tumbling significantly. |
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Posted: 7/16/2017 9:17:23 PM EDT
[#19]
My rifle cases are all 100% processed before loading, as are bottleneck pistol cases. My straight wall pistol cases are generally loaded with carbide dies, and are cleaned beforehand. However handling the cases as I load results in fingerprints on the cases, and I tumble everything as a final step before boxing/packaging in walnut & NuFinish like almost everybody else. Vanity is not involved at any point, I'm tumbling to protect the cases. I only wear gloves when packaging.
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Posted: 7/16/2017 10:07:03 PM EDT
[#20]
done it in the past with no issues, no I tumble the lube off after sizing then move on to the next step: trimming then primer pocket prep
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Posted: 7/17/2017 3:27:58 AM EDT
[#21]
I always used to tumble my long range handloads with no detrimental effects, you can't "bruise" power!
But we all develop pet ways to load that will get the best accuracy in our minds at least..
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Posted: 7/17/2017 6:33:14 AM EDT
[#22]
I tumble mine for the most part. Now, Im not loading anything exciting though. Just your basic handgun rounds and .223. Ive never had an issue associated with tumbling.
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Posted: 7/17/2017 5:22:11 PM EDT
[#23]
I tumble loaded ammo with no ill effects. Done it that way for years.
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Posted: 7/18/2017 9:17:25 AM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I even tumble all my long range (>600 yards) ammo from 243-338 Lapua... In addition, I ask again >>> I am curious, why do you tumble loaded rounds when you can accomplish basically the same outcome by tumbling before priming and thereby take a variable out of the equation??? |
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Posted: 7/18/2017 11:24:43 AM EDT
[#25]
I tumbled some surplus .30-06 ammo that was looking mangy. Left it in there overnight, woke up to shiny ammo that functioned fine.
Considering most powder is transported by truck all over the country and is subject to days of vibration, I'm not worried about a few hours in a tumbler. |
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Posted: 7/18/2017 11:56:48 PM EDT
[#26]
I remember my uncle would tumble his reloads when I was young, he always said it was just to make them shine.
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Posted: 7/21/2017 1:59:32 AM EDT
[#27]
I tumble completed cartridges in walnut media with nufinish. No more than 30 minutes.
Will leave a thin film that keeps my reloads from tarnishing. |
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Posted: 7/21/2017 2:55:21 AM EDT
[#28]
Quoted:
Kudos to you sir! How long do you tumble your loaded ammo??? I think a few minutes might be OK but I wouldn't want to go "long-ish" - say 1 hour or more. I tumble just long enough to get the lube off. Let's call it an hour but more likely 30 minutes. This is all based on my "perception". Don't base things on "perception". My perception is that your perception is incorrect. In fact, the testing has actually been done and reported. Plus, re-read the posts about powder and ammo shipments. Just for fun some day I may run a test - 2 small batches - no tumble vs 2 hours of tumble and run both over a chrono. My chosen components & my gun and see if I can document any appreciable difference. But as I said above, I feel that tumbling might introduce a variable unnecessarily. If you are interested, do your test. Otherwise skip it, it's already been done. Vibratory cleaning of lube residue does absolutely nothing to the powder or reload's performance. I am curious, why do you tumble loaded rounds when you can accomplish basically the same outcome by tumbling before priming and thereby take a variable out of the equation??? I reload using a progressive press. I do not interrupt the process to de-lube because I can do that at the end. Also, are your loads "compressed" or very nearly 100% of your case volume??? Arguably, completely or almost completely full cases would decrease the effect of vibratory tumbling significantly. No, they are not 100% load density. It doesn't matter. |
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Posted: 7/22/2017 4:48:40 PM EDT
[#29]
I give everything a final tumble prior to storing them in plastic containers. I don't do it to remove any lube as I do that after I resize them and prior to loading. I do it to remove any oils and such from handling. They sit sometimes for years in the container but will still look the same as the day they went in when opened.
I also tumble .22's and most factories before a range session for about 15 minutes. It really slicks them up. It has no ill effect on the components or causes a degradation. |
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Posted: 7/23/2017 8:11:18 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I ask again >>> How long do you tumble your loaded ammo??? In addition, I ask again >>> I am curious, why do you tumble loaded rounds when you can accomplish basically the same outcome by tumbling before priming and thereby take a variable out of the equation??? As posted in my first reply to the OP, 10-15 minutes. I am loading on a progressive reloader, a Dillon 550. It makes no sense for me to resize in a separate step, wipe off/tumble off the lube and start over. I just lube the case and start reloading. Every time I pull the handle a loaded round pops out. If I do it different, I might as well switch back to a single stage and use hand dies/arbor press to seat. Doing that all I did is take more time to produce the same quality ammo. Bad plan in my book. In the end all I care about how the ammo preforms. If I thought I could get better quality ammo but changing something *and* then prove it at the range, I would. Already been down that path. Tumbling ammo does not hurt the accuracy at all in any way shape or form. I have verified it over a chrono and targets out past a mile. |
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Posted: 7/26/2017 5:06:15 PM EDT
[#31]
Routine truck transport is rough on things.
We used to make very fancy equipment to allow transport of major aircraft equipment to protect it from damage. Moving older gyro systems was a real PITA. We ended up attaching them to large steel blocks and then isolating the blocks using magnetic suspension. Very soft dampers with large swing space lowered the applied g forces. Ring laser gyro systems are more rugged but still rather delicate items. |
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