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I've read until my eyes are about ready to fall out, and feel like I'm none the wiser. Some say sizing wax as they go in the feeder drum, others use one shot and let it dry before going in the drum, some use the RCBS lube die. The lube die just seems like a mess waiting to happen. What do you guys prefer and have you settled on one method over another?
The one time I ran cases lubed I used the Dillon mix (alcohol/lanolin) and man it made a mess of the feed tube. Not to the point to cause issues, but it quickly soiled my otherwise clean Dillon drop tube (oh well. It's like the first dent you get in the new farm truck. Sad, but, it's a tool after all, meant to be used)
I just don't load anything that I can't get carbide dies for on my dillon, which so far is just about everything I shoot, with just one rifle.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbGE...nel=GunBlue490
31 minutes in
Hornady One Shot case lube allowed to dry before adding to hopper. When I first started with my 650's I used Dillon lube but that turned into a sticky mess to the point the cases would stick in the feed tube.
Switched to the Hornady and never looked back. Sized maybe 80K that way with zero issues except a couple of times I didn't allow it to dry properly and I almost stuck a case twice. I mostly load bottleneck case but I still use it lightly on straight walled pistol cases with carbide dies. Other than load development or specialized hunting loads I normally don't load in batches of less than 500 so for me the Hornady One Shot suites my loading style best.
Simply lubing "in mass" and using an automated case feeder are two different thingsQuote:
Originally Posted by Conditor22
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^^^^^ nhyrum is absolutely correct -- unfortunately. ^^^^^
I can only dream of an "automated" Dillon 650 and bottle neck cases. I use one at the indoor range loading handgun ammo, never thought of the case feed tube as an issue.
I use Iso-heet/lanolin spray mix for everything. I use dillon case feeders on all 5 progressives, pistol and rifle, and have never had a problem. The feeders get dingy but clean up is easy.
I don’t use one shot for rifle.
I have an old bankers box lid under my bench that I put a few hundred cases in, they are all laying flat but there are not so many they can’t roll around.
I take a bottle of Dillon lube (lanolin/alcohol) and fan a couple squirts on the brass and roll back and forth. Then I fill the primer tube, powder hopper, bullet collator and by this time the alcohol has flashed off or evaporated, so I dump that batch into the collator and turn it on.
I then load the lid back up with cases, lube, shake them and set aside so they are ready when I need them.
Start loading.
99% Isopropyl Alcohol Mix with pure Lanolin oil in an 10:1 mixture. Set rifle cases in a box or crate, spray the cases with the spray lube, shake the box to make sure the lube is distributed across all cases, let the alcohol dry out and then run it through the casefeeder, which in my case is a Dillon XL750 case feeder. I clean the case feeder every few runs just to make sure the lanolin lube residue doesn't build up with alochol wipes and run the cases through for case prep with an RT1200 case trimmer for .223 or .308 cases in bulk.
I will note though I wet tumble my range pickup and fired brass before I resize/decap so this method may not be ideal for people who are just dry tumbling and I could see how the press/feed tube gets gummed up very quickly but in my case this isn't an issue since wet tumbled brass is pretty much like new once it goes through the tumbling cycle after a few hours with stainless steel pins.
Or you could lube and resize off the Dillon and then tumble to clean the cases. Thus using the machine as a "Loading Machine" instead of a "Reloading Machine."
Since most of my .223's are gone after shooting, I'm buying ready to load primed brass which eliminates the sizing/depriming/priming steps. IE: using the machine as a "Loading Machine."
Randy
As Randy suggested, I single stage size and prime the 223/5.56, then load on the 650. I have used the 650 up for sizing and priming, and it was aggravating. Every 10 or so would have a primer misaligned.
I’ve had zero luck w/ any spray on lubes and bottle neck rifle cases. And I’m not running them through a feeder. I know many do it and I wish I could get it to work w/ 223. But I grew tired of sticking cases. Went back to mink oil, lanolin, and individually sizing on a single stage.
Dragon813gt,
Just curious, is it all your dies? All on the same press? Have you tried other dies or presses? I have never had a problem like that, although I have forgot to lube and spend hours fixing my screw up. It just seems to me there must be a fix.
Shelly
Iso Heet and lanolin 12 to 1 mixture no residue on the case feeder or feed tube of my 2 650s. Tubes are dirty from 20+ years of reloading.
I use imperial die wax ( now Redding). When I was shooting NRA high power seriously. I went through several thousand 308 223 and 243s a year. I loafed the years ammo ahead in January / February. I bought a tight knapped large bath towel and dedicated it to lubing cases. I first washed it good to remove whiteners and other things. I would pour a couple thousand cases in it laid out on the floor. added a couple fingers of lube. ( took out a small amount on finger tip) and worked them thru the cases laying there. Then one sides corner in each hand and work up and down agitating cases and spreading lube. At first you need to pay close attention to lube on cases but once towel is impregnated its pretty quick and easy. Just fold towel when done and store in ziplock bag.
A buddy line a sidewinder bowel with felt and did cases in it running for 5-6 mins. Again once the lining was impregnated it went a lot better
The difference in peoples experiences on this type of stuff always surprised me. Between my 650's and my 1050 I have loaded 80K to 100K of bottleneck cases. Mostly .223 and 308. I do have a vacuum and compressed air at each machine. Never stuck a case on either but I did come close twice when I didn't let the one shot dry enough. For stoppages on the 650 I average one stoppage apx every 6K. On the 1050's I average one stoppage apx every 9K to 10K. Normally I load in 1,000 round or larger batches.
Normally I do a light corncob tumble followed by deprime, size and trim & chamber. I rough trim with the Dillon trimer followed by a finish trim and chamfer on a Giraud Power Trimmer. Cases are stored fully processed until needed for loading. Second time through the machine is prime, drop powder and bullet seat. The 223 is mostly fired in AR match rifles with a https://www.tacticalbrassrecovery.co...brass-catcher/
In full discloser I do not count case feed jams or upside down drops as stoppages. On my feeders the debris hole is large enough that occasionally .223 neck will stick in it and jam the feed and on the .223 I do get random upside down cases that I clear but not count them as stoppages. Also if I get a stoppage I stop and analyze the cause. That is counted as one stoppage
The few times that I have loaded 223 with my 1050 I sized/trimmed with a Dillon 1200 and then the sizing die was just expanding the neck.
I tumbled the cases to remove the lube and everything stayed nice and clean!
I’ve thought about a brass catcher, it’d make it easy to keep my prepared brass.
Depending upon how I feel I either deprime with a universal die then tumble, then swage the primer pocket then size and tumble to remove lube or I tumble, deprime and size, swage and tumble to remove lube. In either case the brass is ready to load when it goes into the hopper for the 650.
I primed off the press when I had a lock n load, but so far the 650 priming has been great.
I use one shot if the sizing isnt to drastic. If it takes more the one shot will handle i use lanolin and a single stage. I usually size deprime and reprime then tumble and then run them back through to charge and seat a bullet.
Most of my .223 brass comes from 3 gun matches so ai always have to two pass load anyway. Size/deprime and trim on the first pass then the load pass. One can’t rely on pre sizing lengths of brass has been fired from unknown chambers.Quote:
Or you could lube and resize off the Dillon and then tumble to clean the cases. Thus using the machine as a "Loading Machine" instead of a "Reloading Machine."
Leaves one with a very easy and smooth load pass and brass all identical in length, regardless of what they were last fired in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La83ZVKnBzw
The guy doesn’t make them any more but a friend of mine has what was called an EZ Luber, I attached a photo below.
The wheels take lube from the upside down Federal primer tray and roll it onto the case, via 4 slots machined into the tube, as it drops through the case feed tube. He has used it for years. My method was already in use for a long time though and I don’t usually fix what isn’t broke.
Instead of lanolin and alcohol, try PEG75 lanolin and alcohol. Works better for me, cheaper, AND best of all, it's water soluble!