Sizing lube questions?

[PNW_Steve]

Edit: The title should read "Sizing lube questions" not bullet lube.


Hey Everyone,

I have been using Lee sizing lube and it has worked ok. I ran low recently and bought Hornady sizing wax.

The Hornady takes notably less effort to size the case than the Lee. I was loving it until I started seeing dented shoulders.

I was sizing once fired .308 brass that I just purchased. At first I thought I was seeing already dented cases. Then I ran a few more rounds and they were all dented.

The dent is right on the shoulder. I have never seen this before. Are these safe to use? Will they fire form and get rid of the dent when I shoot them?

How do I keep this from happening?

Another question:

If I make up some 10:1 alcohol/lanolin mix for lube. Could I dip the cases instead of spraying them? That would be great to be able to dip, dry and size. Any downside to this?

Thanks.

Stephen

[ryanmattes]

Dented shoulders are from too.much lube. Hydraulic pressure is what's denting them. Clean out your does and use less lube.

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[DCB]

Clean the die. there is a vent hole at the neck in the die make sure it is not plugged . Use less lube on the shoulder. I will lightly wipe that area when I resize.
the brass will be ok it will fire form to the chamber and the dents will be gone.

[PNW_Steve]

Thank you for the replies.

I did a quick cleaning on the die thinking that foreign material in the die may be causing it. I will give it a thorough clean and try less lube.

What do you all think of my "dipping" lube question?

[ryanmattes]

Dipping sounds like too much. I use a fine spray lube.

I'll lay down a shop towel, put 20 or so cases down in a line, and fold the top of the towel down to cover the necks. Then I spray lightly, and then roll them on the towel a bit before sizing. It really doesn't take much.

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[DCB]

I have never tried dipping?
I use Hornady one shot spray which would be similar to the 10:1 mix,
The only cases I have trouble with are the cases with long necks and I use a little spray straight down in to the case.

[PNW_Steve]

I am having to put a bit of lube inside the neck. That is were I got the idea of dipping in the liquid lube.

[jim147]

When I resize bottle neck cartridges with Lee lube I do lube below the shoulder and use a qtip to put lube in about every fourth or fifth case neck.

[44magLeo]

I have used the Lee for years and like it vey much. I put a small dab of lube on my palms and roll 5 cases at a time in my hands to lube the bodies. Run a brass brush in the necks to cleam any crud from there.
Rececntly I got a Redding kit that came with a tin of Imperial lube and dry lube. I tried the Imperial and didn't really noptice much difference in ease of sizing cases. It is a bit easier but not enough to pay for the priviledge of using the Imperial.
I do like the dry lube. It has a little box with ceramid beads and mica. Dip the cases in to the bottom of neck amd a bit of the shoulder and this lubes the outside and inside of the neck. This makes much more difference os ease of sizing and lessens cases neck stretching when the expander ball pulls through the neck.
I think most any lube for the body is good, the necks benifit from the dry lube. A pass over the brass brush remoes ant remaining dry lube so it won't effect bullt pull.
Leo

[jetinteriorguy]

Thank you for the replies.

I did a quick cleaning on the die thinking that foreign material in the die may be causing it. I will give it a thorough clean and try less lube.

What do you all think of my "dipping" lube question?

Do not dip, that would be way too much lube and a waste of lube. For rifle brass I’ll put about 30-40 pieces of brass in a dedicated plastic bin, use a fine sprayer and give them one spritz, shake them around, then a second spritz, and a final good shake. Then set aside until the alcohol flashes off and size away. I always rub them good in my fingers as I’m loading them in the press as a final way of spreading the lube around, plus this is really good for dry hands as a bonus. The bin I use is from a large family size container of cold cuts from the grocery store.

[Tar Heel]

I make my own sizing lube with PURE lanolin and 99% Isopropyl alcohol. In a large plastic container with a screw lid I add two or three sponges cut into 1" squares. Spray the case lube into the jug and get the sponges moist. Add the brass to be lubricated. Cap the jug and rotate, shake, agitate the contents to get lube on all the cases. Dump out contents on a cookie sheet. Put sponges back into the jug and cap it for the next use.

This method works best on large batches of cases of 50-100 at a time. I use it on 223 brass. No mess, no waste, and you can apply just the right amount of lube to prevent oil dents.

I saw this on a You Tube video years ago. It works real well.

[1hole]

.... bought Hornady sizing wax.

The Hornady takes notably less effort to size the case than the Lee.

I've used a lot of excellent sizing lubes, both commercial and home brew. None of them work quite as easily or any better than Hornady's "UNIQUE".

I was loving it until I started seeing dented shoulders.

Bottle neck case shoulders get dented from ONE cause; too much case lube.

Noobs are prone to put lots of lube on necks/shoulders and much less on the lower case; that's the reverse of what should be done.

It helps to size cases in a measured fashion, not in a race for speed. Many people think the pin hole in the shoulders of most bottle neck sizing dies is to let excess lube out but what it's really for is to bleed off trapped air and it needs a moment of time even for that.

Are these safe to use? Will they fire form and get rid of the dent when I shoot them?

Yes and yes.

How do I keep this from happening?

Use less case lube, especially up near the top.

I find the best and fastest way to lube cases is to lightly touch a couple of finger tips in Unique (or second choice Imperial) and quickly rub a thin film of the lube all over when I pick up each one to size it. Done that way my lubing takes about one second per case and I never get too much or too little.

If I make up some 10:1 alcohol/lanolin mix for lube. Could I dip the cases instead of spraying them? That would be great to be able to dip, dry and size. Any downside to this?

Well, it would work but it would still take up some time.

Downside is it would take several hours of drying before I'd be confident the insides are bone dry and ready to use. Then, at best, there would be a thin layer of lanolin left inside the cases and that may not be long-term safe; I would never feel confident that a trace of internal lanolin wouldn't eventually degrade the ammo.

I'll stick with my thin waxes and slick finger applied lubes.

[gwpercle]

There is a very fine line between just enough and too much lube ... don't dip ...too much .
Several ways to apply . Two I like are Thumb and forefinger , apply with fingers this is most economical way ... or lay cases out on small towel , spray cases then roll around on and in towel to remove excess .
Apply lube inside neck with lube on a Q-Tip .
Gary

[lesharris]

Use a small piece of wire, a straightened out paper clip, to clean out the vent hole in the sizing die.

[Wayne Smith]

Or, for inside neck lube, fill an old pill bottle with lead shot - 6 to 9 size, add some graphite, cover and shake. Dip your shells in this to get lube on the inside, shaking every once in a while.

[1hole]

Or, for inside neck lube, fill an old pill bottle with lead shot - 6 to 9 size, add some graphite, cover and shake. Dip your shells in this to get lube on the inside, shaking every once in a while.

I often do that with bottle neck cases. The outside graphite dust gives me some dirty fingers (and cases) but my everhandy loading bench spray bottle of Windex and a paper towel fixes it.

[tankgunner59]

Make sure not to get lube on the shoulder after you clean your dies.

[myg30]

Couple of sprays of liquid lanolin mix in a zip lock baggy, add brass, zip, swish around, dump and load. Repeat again. Don’t over spray where brass is swimming, just enough to slip n slide when you move them with you fingers in the bag.
After reloading, that thin film can be wiped with a rag or just leave it on.
When I do rifle, same process with baggy and I spray a Q-tip and wipe the stem of the die if it feels like it’s dragging on the necks every 4th or 5 th case neck. It also removes any brass or dirt in the die mouth around the stem.

Mike

[lightman]

I've been using the Lanolin/Alcohol spray for a good while. I put the brass in a gallon size Ziploc bag, give it a couple of squirts, roll it, shake it around some and dump them out on a towel to dry. I work the press handle with my right hand and move the brass in and out of the press with my left hand. I keep a rag in my right hand and wipe each cases neck and should area off before sizing.