Roll on or Spray on?

[MUSTANG]

How does lanolin/alcohol compare to the others? I tried One Shot and it does NOT play well full length sizing 223 brass. Many stuck cases before I gave up. Lee lube works much better but is a pain, messy and dulls my nice shiny brass.

Would lanolin/alcohol be a good fit for sizing 223?

Thanks

My answer is "YES, Lanolin/Alcohol works well with .223". Some caveats. You want to use 91% or greater alcohol if possible; this will allow the alcohol to vapor off more quickly. One can use 70% alcohol if nothing else is available but the liquid lanolin will not stay suspended as well and requires frequent shaking, additionally the water content in the 70% means that it takes considerably longer to vaporize off (Lanolin remains behind). Attempting to spray your brass (.223 in your case) and immediately size them will cause some difficulty with some cases; let the alcohol "Vent Off" for a couple of minutes, then size. One could put brass on a plastic sheet or Clear Plastic film and then spray too; I like the RCBS Lube pad because the residual Lanolin remains on the RCBS Lube pad and rolling cases on it works until the Lanolin is depleted on the pad.

[Conditor22]

Just buy a red container of ISO HEET + INJECTOR CLEANER WATER REMOVER + fuel line antifreeze.
with the DIY lanolin/alcohol you can mix to whatever "strength/slickness" you want.

I just pour my desired amount of lanolin into the HEET container, toss in a couple of boolits (re apply lid ) and shake it up leaving it on my reloading bench to top of my spray bottle whenever it needs more.

I've been watching some gunblue videos on youtube and am thinking about trying the lee case lube that comes in a tube.

[PNW_Steve]

My answer is "YES, Lanolin/Alcohol works well with .223". Some caveats. You want to use 91% or greater alcohol if possible; this will allow the alcohol to vapor off more quickly. One can use 70% alcohol if nothing else is available but the liquid lanolin will not stay suspended as well and requires frequent shaking, additionally the water content in the 70% means that it takes considerably longer to vaporize off (Lanolin remains behind). Attempting to spray your brass (.223 in your case) and immediately size them will cause some difficulty with some cases; let the alcohol "Vent Off" for a couple of minutes, then size. One could put brass on a plastic sheet or Clear Plastic film and then spray too; I like the RCBS Lube pad because the residual Lanolin remains on the RCBS Lube pad and rolling cases on it works until the Lanolin is depleted on the pad.

Thank you.

I have lanolin and RCBS pads. I am going to try that out tomorrow. I will check for 91% again. We haven't seen it in the shelves since Vivid hit.

Regarding the Lee tube lube..... I have been using it for full length resizing .223 and it is really slick. Unfortunately it is messy and dulls my nice shiny brass.

[MUSTANG]

Thank you.

I have lanolin and RCBS pads. I am going to try that out tomorrow. I will check for 91% again. We haven't seen it in the shelves since Vivid hit.

Regarding the Lee tube lube..... I have been using it for full length resizing .223 and it is really slick. Unfortunately it is messy and dulls my nice shiny brass.

As Condit22 says, ISO HEET will work also as it is about 99% alcohol. Check the Auto section at Wally World, your Car Parts Store, etc..

To keep your brass "Shiny"; keep a roll of paper towels beside your reloading set up. Clean each case with a paper towel (replace as it gets too dirty) after sizing, that will keep it almost as shiny.

[alamogunr]

I found 99% alcohol online. Unfortunately, you may have to buy a gallon(in pint bottles). I have other uses than case lube so it is not a big disadvantage for me.

[Russel A]

I also prefer to spray on, alcohol and lanolin 12 to 1.
I add about 100 rounds in a plastic container along with a spritz or two of lube. Close the lid and give it a quick shake.
Let it air for a minute then dump it in my case feeder. Then repeat.

[Static line]

How does lanolin/alcohol compare to the others? I tried One Shot and it does NOT play well full length sizing 223 brass. Many stuck cases before I gave up. Lee lube works much better but is a pain, messy and dulls my nice shiny brass.

Would lanolin/alcohol be a good fit for sizing 223?

Thanks

I have good results when sizing my 223 brass with Hornady Unique. No fuss,no muss. A little on the finger tips and you are good to go.

[3006guns]

Thank you.

I have lanolin and RCBS pads. I am going to try that out tomorrow. I will check for 91% again. We haven't seen it in the shelves since Vivid hit.

Regarding the Lee tube lube..... I have been using it for full length resizing .223 and it is really slick. Unfortunately it is messy and dulls my nice shiny brass.

First, I hadn't heard about Unique lubes.........thanks and gonna check that out.

For anyone having trouble locating good quality alcohol.......just hit your neighborhood Ace hardware store. Look for "denatured alcohol" in their paint section, either by the quart or gallon. It's just about pure alcohol, in fact it's advertised as "stove fuel" on the can itself.

I usually mix alcohol with castor oil and spray it on with a small "finger sprayer". An occasional shake of the sprayer keeps things mixed up and it seems to work very well. The only caveat is that it MUST be removed prior to loading, and it sticks like glue. I usually resize/deprime all my cases, then treat them to a hot water soap bath afterwards. Once they're dry I finish my loading.

This won't work in a progressive press of course, unless you're willing to wait for overnight drying before continuing. When using my Dillon, I have a can of Hornady One Shot.....but I'm not all that crazy about it. It does what it says, but seems hard to resize with.

I think I'll be investing in some carbide sizing dies in the near future.............

[leadhead]

Bag Balm... a can will last you 2 life times.
leadhead

[lightman]

I have used just about everything that was posted above and they all work. Some better than others and some are more trouble to use than others.

I've settled on two. I use Imperial when I am neck sizing and the Dillon spray on everything else. With the Imperial I gently run my finger across the top of the wax and rub it on the case neck. When using the Dillon spray I put the cases in a gallon Ziploc bag, give them a couple of squirts, roll them around pretty good, dump them out on a folded towel, let the alcohol evaporate and go to sizing. With the Dillon spray its important to shake it well before using it and its important to wait for the alcohol to evaporate. It doesn't take long, anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds.

I've used Hornady One Shot in the past and despite following the directions have stuck cases with it.

[kmw1954]

Another user of Hornady Unique.

[David2011]

Using either Imperial wax or my own lube, all I do is dab my fingers into the lube, then rub it around on the fingers I'll be handling the cases with. Then as I grab a case, I roll it a bit between those fingers. I have to repeat the process every 8 or 10 cases. Thats it! Use good stuff and it lasts danged near forever.
Chris

Exactly, when loading most rifle cartridges. Specifically, limited volume cartridges like hunting rounds.

Dillon spray lube. I was going to make my own lanolin/alcohol spray, then saw the Dillon stuff at Graf's in St Charles. Same stuff, don't have to mix, and I shoot a lot more pistol than rifle so it made sense to just buy it.

I’ve made my own and bought Dillon. So far I’ve had trouble keeping my home brew in suspension as well as Dillon but they seem to work equally well.

My answer is "YES, Lanolin/Alcohol works well with .223". Some caveats. You want to use 91% or greater alcohol if possible; this will allow the alcohol to vapor off more quickly. One can use 70% alcohol if nothing else is available but the liquid lanolin will not stay suspended as well and requires frequent shaking, additionally the water content in the 70% means that it takes considerably longer to vaporize off (Lanolin remains behind). Attempting to spray your brass (.223 in your case) and immediately size them will cause some difficulty with some cases; let the alcohol "Vent Off" for a couple of minutes, then size. One could put brass on a plastic sheet or Clear Plastic film and then spray too; I like the RCBS Lube pad because the residual Lanolin remains on the RCBS Lube pad and rolling cases on it works until the Lanolin is depleted on the pad.

Adequate dry time is CRUCIAL. If you are impatient then have a case extractor kit on hand before you start with any of the alcohol/lanolin lubes. Speaking from experience here, go do something else for a few minutes while the alcohol evaporates. OTOH, you learn more patience after using the case extractor a few times.

As Condit22 says, ISO HEET will work also as it is about 99% alcohol. Check the Auto section at Wally World, your Car Parts Store, etc..

To keep your brass "Shiny"; keep a roll of paper towels beside your reloading set up. Clean each case with a paper towel (replace as it gets too dirty) after sizing, that will keep it almost as shiny.

Mostly I use a lanolin lube on 5.56/.223 in larger volumes. I size on my Dillon 650 and then polish the brass with fine corn cob media. It only takes a few minutes to polish the lube off. Just another option.

The lube I use is determined by the type and number of cases that I’m sizing. Imperial for most bottlenecked rifle cases. All of my pistol dies are carbide. I give those cases a good polish before sizing so no lube is needed. For difficult to size cases I’ve found that straight pure lanolin has better lubricity than the spray lube. Belted magnums and .50 S&W fit in this category for me. Alcohol/lanolin for high volume rifle and for push-through sizing of .40 S&W. I do that with a Case Master Jr. fitted with the case feeder from the Dillon 650.

Had to laugh as I started to click “Post Quick Reply.”

[Kevin Rohrer]

Neither. I use Imperial Sizing Wax and rub it on.

[slim1836]

I used Hornady Unique lube for the first time today on 110 7.62x54R cases (neck sizing and de-capping) and had zero issues. The top of the lid holds my smokeless tobacco can which i have powdered graphite in for inside the neck lubing.

I've been using the ISO Heat method for a few years prior to that. Both work well in my book and I'll use both in the future. The others stay on the shelf.

Slim

[John Boy]

A little dab is all that is needed ... Bag Balm
https://target.scene7.com/is/image/T...id=1400&qlt=80

[robg]

used same rcbs lube on a pad since early 80s never had a problem so ive never changed.

[Wooserco]

Been 20 years since I've reloaded rifle cartridges. What do all of you use to lube the case neck on bottleneck cases (308 in my case). Back when I was shooting long range, Hornady One Shot was my favorite. Spray at 45* rotate block 180 and spray again. Let dry and start sizing. After divorce and remarriage (hence the 20 years) I'm starting all over again.

Would a cotton swap with resizing wax swabbed inside the neck work? What lubes the neck expander when using the wax type lubes? I really never used the RCBS lube sizing pads.

[Prairie Cowboy]

used same rcbs lube on a pad since early 80s never had a problem so ive never changed.

Amen. I have used same from the mid-70s when I drove a steam car and wore a derby hat.

I have never had any problems with it and it works well. It wipes off very easily.

If you are getting dents and find it gooey, then you are using too much or you aren't using a pad.

Why reinvent the wheel?

[imashooter2]

Spray on. A bottle of RCBS lube in a quart of isopropyl alcohol.

[shooterg]

Too lazy to mix ! The Dillon stuff has worked fine on everything for me since 1999 . A bottle goes a loooong ways.
Tried the Hornady spray stuff from LGS once when I ran out, had a couple stuck cases.