Which Case Lube Works Best For You?

[skydiver]

Found this article. Raised a good question.
Which case lube works best for you?

Some Case Lube Products I've Used « Ultimate Reloader

Read More

 

[rrojohnso]

Well... when it counts, it only takes One Shot for me.

I know the article said .223 cases have stuck, and he uses something else for rifle. That may be, as I believe that happened to my brother-in-law using One Shot on his .223 cases. I load for .308 and don't have any issues with One Shot and stuck cases (Lee Dies).

 

[Judicator811]

rrojohnso is correct - I have had .223 cases stick in my Hornady dies in my LnL AP. One stuck so bad that I pushed on it a bit and the shell pulled through and chipped the shell plate. I eventually disassembled the die as much as I could, put it in the vice, and used a small rod to bang the shell casing out of the die.

The interesting thing was that I had two sets of cases - one Remington UMC, and the other was Federal stuff. I did about 180 rounds of the Remington with no issues using One Shot, but the Federal cases kept sticking and jamming on the neck sizing part of the die. I eventually had to back it way off so that only the opening and first 1/16th of an inch of neck was actually being sized, and even then most of the cases were at least sticking a little. Not getting stuck, mind you, just sticking a little. I'm not sure what is different about the Federal cases, but they definitely were not as easy to reload. Maybe they were/are in need of annealing?

 

[Beta1759]

Hornady One Shot Case Lube. Easy to use and works great. You just have to remember 2 things.

1. use a good amount of the Lube
2. Let it sit for like 2 minutes

 

[Member 18201]

PAM cooking spray

 

[gunfreak]

Unique works AWESOME, and I've used alot of different lubes. Got it at wholesale sports in Salem.

 

[Greenbug]

Hornady one shot applied to cases lying on an old kitchen towel. Spray some on roll the cases one way, spray some more and roll again. It coats them pretty evenly. I also like Imperial sizing die wax applied to the inside of the case neck with a Q-Tip, it's like butter!

 

[giddyupgo55]

I like Hornadys one shot. works great for me. As Beta1759 states coat them real good.

 

[HotRod61]

I've tried the Hornaday one shot and the Lee that comes in a tube and found that I didn't like them. I settled on the RCBS in the pump bottle. Not for everyone just my preference..... ..Good shooting

 

[AMProducts]

There are a few things I look for in a sizing lube:

1) good lubricity properties
2) ease of cleanup
3) ease of application

Of these, the best two I've found are Imperial Sizing Wax, and the lanolin based lubes (like dillon)

However, because of the different methods of application, I use each for a specific purpose.

Imperial sizing wax I use on all of my "match" ammunition, usually this is .308, which is heavier and works best with more lube, and I'm also doing smaller volumes. For this I bust out the case lube pad and rub them down. Works best this way.

For .223 and high volume cartridges, I tend to use the lanolin lubes (I make my own). Mainly because I can toss cases into a pan, spray them down, roll them around with a gloved hand, dry them off with the compressor and dump them into the case processor.

 

[skydiver]

Hornady One Shot Case Lube chemical warning:

<broken link removed>

Better use outdoors or in well ventilated areas. Also states it could be absorbed through skin. Also flammable.

 

[skydiver]

For .223 and high volume cartridges, I tend to use the lanolin lubes (I make my own). Mainly because I can toss cases into a pan, spray them down, roll them around with a gloved hand, dry them off with the compressor and dump them into the case processor.

I've made my own lanolin lube with 91% alcohol. However, it causes dents in the shoulders of .223 brass. What am I doing wrong?

 

[deadshot2]

There are a few things I look for in a sizing lube:

1) good lubricity properties
2) ease of cleanup
3) ease of application

Of these, the best two I've found are Imperial Sizing Wax, and the lanolin based lubes (like dillon)

However, because of the different methods of application, I use each for a specific purpose.

Imperial sizing wax I use on all of my "match" ammunition, usually this is .308, which is heavier and works best with more lube, and I'm also doing smaller volumes. For this I bust out the case lube pad and rub them down. Works best this way.

For .223 and high volume cartridges, I tend to use the lanolin lubes (I make my own). Mainly because I can toss cases into a pan, spray them down, roll them around with a gloved hand, dry them off with the compressor and dump them into the case processor.

Ditto here except I prefer Hornady Unique for single stage sizing. Not a lot of difference between it and Imperial but I just happen to have the Uniquee

A note on sizing dies, if you have a die with the expander ball adjusted so it is close to the inside of the neck when you start to lower the ram (like Forster dies) make sure it has the "relief hole" drilled in it. The combination of lube, case, die, and ball can create a vacuum and increase the force required to withdraw the case from the die. Under the right circumstances this can result in a stuck case. Also, sizing dies with this relief hole drilled in the shoulder forming area don't have problems with lube dents. Excess lube is relieved through the hole rather than causing the "hydraulic" dent. Lee and new Forster Sizing dies are now made with this. I have an older Redding .223 sizing die that is nasty for making dents if I either apply too much lube or enough lube accumulates in the die from previous cases.

For those that neck size only, no lube required if you use a Lee Collet Die. You also get straighter cases with this die.

 

[IheartGUNS]

Hornady one shot is good stuff, pricey and goes down fast. I agree, use this stuff outdoors or in a very well ventilated area. I get really bad headaches when I smell it.

 

[traderpats]

I've made my own lanolin lube with 91% alcohol. However, it causes dents in the shoulders of .223 brass. What am I doing wrong?

Those are called "hydraulic dents" Basically it's an indication of too much lube / liquid. Sometimes there is a vent on the die which is there to give excess lube in the shoulder area someplace to go during sizing. This pinhole vent, if even present, may also be clogged. Liquids can be put under pressure but cannot be compressed so even tiny droplets will dent the brass. Back off on the amount of lube you use and adjust the lanolin to alcohol ratio if needed. I believe I use around a 10:1 alcohol (99%) to lanolin ratio. Hope this helps....

 

[bballer182]

I found that WD-40 was the best way to get a stuck case. Dunno what it is about WD but I'd get a stuck case just about every time I tried it. What I did find was that WD worked great on the inside of the neck for the expander ball. And I use leftover clean/new Mobil 1 for case lube. Works like a dream. For 223 I lube every 4th case, the .458 SOCOM every single case gets lube inside and out, 30-30 gets lube every other, 30-06 gets lube every case too.

 

[Grommit327]

I use dillon on rifle and hornady on-shot on pistol brass. The dillon gets wiped off afterwards, the one-shot doesn't. Too much lube causes dented cases...learned that the hard way when I first started

 

[skydiver]

Those are called "hydraulic dents" Basically it's an indication of too much lube / liquid. Sometimes there is a vent on the die which is there to give excess lube in the shoulder area someplace to go during sizing. This pinhole vent, if even present, may also be clogged. Liquids can be put under pressure but cannot be compressed so even tiny droplets will dent the brass. Back off on the amount of lube you use and adjust the lanolin to alcohol ratio if needed. I believe I use around a 10:1 alcohol (99%) to lanolin ratio. Hope this helps....

Thank you! I will dilute the ratio and try using less. I'll also check for vent holes.

 

[PBinWA]

Throw the brass in a zip-loc give it a couple of squirts of One-Shot and shake it all up. Then let the cases dry out. Easy.

 

[jonn5335]

I throw my brass in a one gallon bucket w/ a lid squirt some hornady one shot and shake till evenly coated. resized on 30-06,7mm rem,30/30,223,6x45,6.5x55,9mm luger,44mag and more works great but is a little spendy.