Case lube?

[Mausermeister]

I hope this is the right place for this question...

I recently got a Lee Classic turret press since I am now loading a lot of pistol and my old RCBS single stage is just too slow for that. I was thinking it would be great for loading 223 plinking rounds. I would still prefer to use the single stage for my AT&T rounds.

The problem I see loading rifle ammo on the turret press is dealing with case lube on loaded ammo. I've always tumbled my cases for a couple hours after sizing to remove the case lube, then prime and load.

Am I missing something here? How do you deal with it? It seems there is no real advantage to the turret press on rifle ammo if I wind up with a bunch of gummy, sticky ammo.

[osteodoc08]

I keep two seperate batches if doing volume loading. I will spray with Dillon Case lube, deprime and resize, then toss back in the tumbler. Once I have as much done as I'm gonna load, back to the progressive. I try to keep a batch of 223/5.56 ready to go (already deprimed and resized) and stored away in gallon ziplock bags on the shelf.

In other words I have 3 stacks:
1. Dirty brass
2. Deprimed, sized and clean-ready to load
3. Loaded

Some people just load it and wipe off any remaining after it is loaded. Personally, I dont like having case lube anywhere near my powder.

[Bzcraig]

I decap as a separate function then load after or later. I always have a box of about 1k ready to load for the reason you mentioned

[Mausermeister]

I always tumble, deprime & size, tumble again, then prime my brass in batches and keep a bunch ready to just load. I really don't see the advantage of the turret press for rifle ammo if I can't do all steps together at once like pistol ammo. Guess I will keep doing all my rifle on the old RCBS single stage.

[Bullshop Junior]

I never tumble brass. After sizing it gets a quick wipe with a paper towel, and then it gets wiped again before going in the box to take care of any bullet lube on the bullet or neck. I use sizing lube I made from beeswax, and ATF.

[Mausermeister]

I never tumble brass. After sizing it gets a quick wipe with a paper towel, and then it gets wiped again before going in the box to take care of any bullet lube on the bullet or neck. I use sizing lube I made from beeswax, and ATF.

It is my experience that any trace lube left on brass + semi-auto rifle = jammed gun at match.

[Bullshop Junior]

Well I don't shoot semi auto so I don't have to worry about that lol. I like classic old style guns. Single shots and levers mostly.

[sig2009]

I tumble my loaded rounds for 10 minutes in walnut and gets all the lube off.

[BPCR Bill]

I use the Hornady One Shot spray lube on mine. It dries ( matter of fact, let it dry a few minutes before sizing, as per directions). No need to wipe it off or run it through the tumbler afterwards. Never had a malfunction in the AR or the Springfield M1 as a result of the lube on the case. If you're pad lubing with a grease type lube, then yes, you had better clean it off afterwards. Spray lube is the best thing to come along since canned milk.

[trixter]

I use Hornady Unique wax and have never stuck a case, .223/556, 30-06 or 300 Savage. The secret is in the application. Get a little on your fingers, and massage a bunch of it in an old Tupperware bowl (a big one).

[Love Life]

Tumble your loaded ammo for 20 minutes to remove the lube.

[zuke]

LEE lube and SS tumbling for 20 minute's after sizing

[r1kk1]

I've been playing with different lubes lately. When case forming, Imperial on the outside, Lee on a Q-Tip for inside the case necks or graphite. A little goes a long way for this. I also use Dillon (lanolin & etoh) for volume straight wall case sizing. Again, little goes a long way. I may wipe cases of with a cloth rag or goes into the tumbler. When I have an expensive hunt, a ritual with me when I'm done is to do a finally inspection of the loaded rounds, many of these are wildcats, I wipe the loaded rounds down with a rag and a little Bushmills. Afterwards a toast. It may be silly or superstitious, but it's the way I've done it on the more expensive hunts.

I picked up some Royal lube and I will see how that does.

Take care

r1kk1

[762 shooter]

Bushmill's as solvent? That's some happy brass!!

762

[mdi]

You could always disengage the auto index feature of your press and use it single stage instead of semi-progressive. Lube, size/decap, then clean. Then finish with clean deprimed brass. I got my Lee turret about 12 years ago and have been using it without the auto-index for 11 3/4 years. I prefer to advance the turret by hand...