PDA

View Full Version : Case lube war



LittleLebowski
02-01-2017, 04:18 PM
Let's do this!

LittleLebowski
02-01-2017, 04:25 PM
I mainly use Royal nowadays, I think it decreases my effort running the handle. Tumble off using vibratory tumbler and walnut media.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/882809/sharp-shoot-r-royal-case-sizing-lube-8-oz-pump-spray

45dotACP
02-01-2017, 04:29 PM
Same technique, I just use the Frankford arsenal stuff that I can buy from the LGS because it's available.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Matt O
02-01-2017, 05:11 PM
I only load pistol rounds (for now) and use One Shot. Too lazy to tumble it off afterwards and haven't had any issues thus far.

JohnO
02-01-2017, 05:25 PM
Speaking strictly about straight walled pistol cases I was using One Shot. Once I discovered that One Shot was adding little to no benefit I stopped using One Shot and never looked back. The Nu-Finish and mineral spirits I am adding to the tumbling media is providing adequate friction reduction.

punkey71
02-01-2017, 05:27 PM
Only loading pistol but I've found slick cases make the process much smoother.

I've an old 8oz bottle of Froglube on my bench. I put about a dime size dab on my palm, rub my hands together and dive my hands into my plastic bin of brass and try to touch most of them. The bin holds several thousand cases.

Maybe have to do it once more as I get half way through the bin of brass.

I don't know if it's the best or most economical way but it's easy and I have the lube sitting there. It doesn't take much. I bet I've used less than an ounce of lube for the last 20K cases.

When it runs out I'll probably try a purpose made case lube but I've got 6 ozs left so it's gonna be a while.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

JCS
02-01-2017, 05:33 PM
I recently discovered the magic of case lube. I picked up some hornady one shot and it does make it easier.

Has anyone tried the homemade lonolin/alcohol mixture?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

SecondsCount
02-01-2017, 05:36 PM
Dillon's lube is good stuff and is easy. I have used Midway Spray Lube, Lee, One Shot and a product made by Load Ready which is a small company here in Utah.

I've made my own lube using vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, and a little dish soap when processing high quantities of 223 brass. It works by throwing a couple hundred 223 in a plastic grocery bag and a teaspoon of my homemade lube, shaking vigorously, and let dry for about 15 minutes. The alcohol evaporates and leaves a thin film of oil and soap. After sizing/depriming I wash them in hot water and Lemi-Shine and it takes all the lube off.

There is a lube recipe floating around that uses a bottle of HEET and lanolin which is basically what the Dillon lube is. A friend uses it and has had good success.

olstyn
02-01-2017, 06:03 PM
One tumbler load of 9mm brass usually fits pretty well in a gallon ziploc with some room to spare. Spray in One Shot generously, close bag, shake/mash/rotate until it seems like enough, start loading. I don't find that there's enough leftover lube to matter after loading, so I don't usually bother cleaning it off. I think I bothered once, by hand, with paper towels, for a big match, but there really wasn't any good reason to. I know that theoretically you don't need it for straight-wall cases, but it does seem to make the press run more smoothly/require less effort, and it's a pretty low level of added cost.

GuanoLoco
02-01-2017, 06:30 PM
I need multiple choices. I picked handmade but that is only partially true.

One Shot for lubing pistol brass before U-die resizing it on a Mark 7/1050. Not lubing means more friction/clutch back pressure means I can't run the auto-loader as fast and the cases don't reform as nicely. Also good as a tarnish protector but gets nasty and accumulated grime if you use a lot. I usually have to use a lot because pre-processing 10K (a little more than a 5 gal bucket) to 70K cases at a time is rather boring and I want to go fast.

Home made anhydrous lanolin clear liquid + 99.9% Isopropyl alcohol / Isopropanol (off Amazon) for bulk rifle case lube 223, 308, 300 AAC, 30 Carbine, etc.

Imperial Sizing Wax in the little tin for manually lubing cases when setting up size/trim dies, etc.

CCT125US
02-01-2017, 08:18 PM
I have been using 40 year old Lyman aerosol lube. I have a pan that I toss about 150 9mm in and make a single pass over. I just make sure the cases are on their side so no lube gets inside......

Rich@CCC
02-01-2017, 08:37 PM
I chose "home made" but I make it with Lee lube and 99% isopropyl alcohol and use it like one shot, kinda. I load a gallon size zip loc up with cases, spray a couple shots of my lube mix in the bag and tumble the bag around for a few minutes. Then I dump the cases and let it dry. I tumble the finished cartridges for a few minutes to clean the lube off. This is shouldered rifle only, I don't lube straight walled cases.

pdb
02-02-2017, 06:35 AM
Rifle case lube I use a 1:4 lanolin: 99% isopropyl alcohol mix in a spray bottle. Cases go in ziploc bag, hit them with a few squirts, knead, and load. Lube gets wiped off of cases with a rag after they're resized.

For loading pistol I hit the bin of cases with a squirt of Hornady One Shot to smooth things out a little. I don't like One Shot for rifle cases at all.

martin_j001
02-02-2017, 07:12 AM
Other...

Only reload 9mm at the moment. Dump cleaned cases into 5 gal bucket, spray a couple squirts of Frankford Arsenal lube into bucket, shake violently, and leave until ready to load.

Hambo
02-02-2017, 07:16 AM
I'm still using an old bottle of RCBS. It even works for case forming. I'd say that when it runs out I might try something new, but at some point I bought a spare bottle I haven't tapped yet.

BigT
02-02-2017, 07:24 AM
I use the Dillon stuff.

Throw cases in an ice cream tub. Squirt some lube. Shake and then throw into the case feeder on my 650.

I dont bother tumbling the lube off afterwards either anymore and it seems to make zero difference.

martin_j001
02-02-2017, 09:17 AM
Other...

Only reload 9mm at the moment. Dump cleaned cases into 5 gal bucket, spray a couple squirts of Frankford Arsenal lube into bucket, shake violently, and leave until ready to load.

Forgot to add, I haven't bothered with cleaning any lube off the cases after loading yet either.

LittleLebowski
02-02-2017, 09:19 AM
Other...

Only reload 9mm at the moment. Dump cleaned cases into 5 gal bucket, spray a couple squirts of Frankford Arsenal lube into bucket, shake violently, and leave until ready to load.

Added to the poll.

H&KFanNC
02-02-2017, 10:08 AM
Same technique, I just use the Frankford arsenal stuff that I can buy from the LGS because it's available.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Exactly! I spray a couple squirts in a Ziplock prior to throwing the brass in.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

JM Campbell
02-02-2017, 10:17 AM
I've been using the Hornady Unique case lube. Only on rifle brass, wearing nitril gloves I dab my left index and middle fingers into the lube and am able to lube up 5-8 caliber depending cases right before I insert them into the press. Not the fastest but I use the time for case inspection before I resize. Now if I was going to do a massive rifle reloading session I will need to rethink my method. I usually load 3-500 556 and 300blk and about 250 308 at a time in a typical reloading session.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Trigger
02-02-2017, 11:38 AM
Selected Other. Best fit answer.

I use Ballistol spray for bulk reloading on the 1050. Works better than Dillon DCL (Lanolin and Alcohol) because the DCL will leave a film that gets sticky after a month+, thus needs to be tumbled off. Ballistol does not need to be tumbled off, and I use spray Ballistol on large quantities of cases (let evaporate for 5 mins before sizing) or the liquid stuff on a pad for smaller quantities.

I use Imperial Sizing Die Wax for precision rifle case sizing. I recently picked up some Forster case lube and dry neck lube, we'll see how that works. I use this when making wildcat cartridges, forming 6.5SLR from 243 Win brass, or 6.5Creedmoor from 308 brass. I neck turn with Imperial.

LittleLebowski
02-02-2017, 02:19 PM
I'm telling you guys, that Royal stuff is pretty good.

Hambo
02-02-2017, 02:22 PM
Other...

Only reload 9mm at the moment. Dump cleaned cases into 5 gal bucket, spray a couple squirts of Frankford Arsenal lube into bucket, shake violently, and leave until ready to load.

This sounds intriguing, except the cleaning brass part.

Hambo
02-17-2017, 06:40 PM
This sounds intriguing, except the cleaning brass part.

In case anybody else is wondering, it works great with dirty brass. I couldn't resist the idea and bought some FA lube, sprayed some fresh from the range 9mm, and went to town.

Luke
02-17-2017, 06:57 PM
For the brief period I cleaned brass (9mm) inwer timbled and added lemishine, turbo sonic, and mothers car wax. Super slick. Could tell a huge difference with the mothers added and couldn't feel it on my hand.

Flintsky
02-19-2017, 10:36 AM
I use Dillon. I get a big ziplock bag, spray the inside 2-3 times, and then dump my brass inside and kneed it around. This keeps the lube from getting inside the cases, but thoroughly lubes the outside. After I'm done loading, I get a one of those extra large wash cloths soaked in alcohol, and dump the loaded rounds in it. I tumble the rounds in the cloth for a few minutes, and after that the brass is free of lube.

I lube both my handgun and rifle brass. For handgun brass, it just makes everything run so much smoother and easier during loading and it keeps my tolerances tighter.....especially when loading in tight +P brass.

H&KFanNC
02-19-2017, 10:57 AM
I have found with the Frankford Arsenal lube, that if you leave lubed cases around for a long period of time, they tend to get "sticky". I want to say that they sat for 4-6 months, give or take.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Greg
02-28-2017, 09:45 AM
The homebrew mix of liquid lanolin and 99% rubbing alcohol is all I've used for the last several years. Seems to be just like Dillon lube.

I do have some Redding wax that I use if I'm only doing a few cases and I don't want to wait for the alcohol to evaporate.

LittleLebowski
02-28-2017, 09:51 AM
For the brief period I cleaned brass (9mm) inwer timbled and added lemishine, turbo sonic, and mothers car wax. Super slick. Could tell a huge difference with the mothers added and couldn't feel it on my hand.

Did you tumble off afterwards?

JAD
02-28-2017, 10:01 AM
I tumble wet with mineral spirits and jeweler's rouge (get off my lawn). This does an effective job of providing a minimal amount of lube -- enough for new 9 (which I find to be sticky as bought) and for .223 through carbide dies, and of course for regular progressive pistol stuff.

When I load non-progressive rifle, like 7.5x55 and precision .223, I just neck size, so I spray one shot or midway lube on a towel and press the case necks into it as I size. It does not leave enough to be wiped off and does not interfere with powder drop.

On the rare occasion that I've full length sized rifle brass (feeding a buddy's HK91) one shot has been adequate. I tumble the brass in a towel after sizing to get rid of excess.

LSP552
03-01-2017, 10:29 PM
Dillon for rifle cases. i put them in a cardboard box, spray and then shake. I use carbide dies for all of my pistol stuff so I just clean and size.

rojocorsa
03-02-2017, 04:43 PM
I only load for pistol, and I use one-shot because that's what Les Pepperoni told me to use.

noylj
03-03-2017, 06:46 AM
For bottleneck cases I use my 40+ year old RCBS lube pad and RCBS lube. Never had a stuck case or other problem, so why change from perfection?
Occasionally, my 9x19 cases are difficult to size. At that time, I spray them with Frankford Arsenal lube and everything is fine. Either Dillon or Lee dissolved in water would be just as good.
Having not read the above posts, I just want to say that for any spray lube, let it dry for a few minutes, otherwise it won't act as a lube and you could stick a case.

LittleLebowski
03-03-2017, 07:59 AM
I only load for pistol, and I use one-shot because that's what Les Pepperoni told me to use.

You could do far worse for a mentor.

rojocorsa
03-03-2017, 01:20 PM
You could do far worse for a mentor.

I figured he knew a thing or two about the topic...