Case Lube questions

[Suther]

So Im about to start reloading next week when my press shows up and I go get some dies, and I had a few questions about Lube.

First, lube is a must unless you have carbide dies, right? With a carbide expander I can skip lubing the necks, but the rest still needs to be lubed?

Second, Is a lube pad a must-have? Or is there a cheaper alternative that works good?

Third, do you need to clean lube off after sizing but before loading the case?

Right now I have a tube of Lee case lube. It says I can use it wet or dry, is there any noticeable difference between the two?

Thanks!

 

[Receipt]

I've been using the same Mink Oil I use for my leather boots and motorcycle jackets; applied by hand or on case pad for thousands of rounds. Very cost effective and works well.

Wasn't a fan of lee lube, loved imperial sizing wax but mink oil is very similar for me with waaay less cost.

 

[yomomma]

Correct carbide dies do not require lube.

I still use Lee lube. Put a small smidgen on my fingers and work it around the case.

Lee lube you do not have to remove.

No

 

[bcsteve]

What are reloading? Straight wall pistol or bottle neck rifle?

 

[Suther]

What are reloading? Straight wall pistol or bottle neck rifle?

270 to start, 303 in the future when I get dies/bullets for it. Two friends both have 30-06s we'll be loading for as well.

Eventually, 9mm, but thats down the road a ways yet, need to get rifle dies, powder, and bullets before I start thinking about reloading the 9.

 

[Dezol]

I have used Lee lube in the past, however I now use and prefer RCBS slick spray lube in a spray bottle, works great.

 

[curseyou]

Not sure if this is clear in your post, but carbide dies are for pistol only and allow you to skip the lube. rifle brass must always be lubed. i use the rbcs pad and lube because it came with the kit. however any tumbling with liquis lubes would probably work. take a bowl and toss in brass, add a few drops and toss the salad. (no Chris Rock jokes please). lube is not complicated.

 

[Chas59]

Yes, carbide dies for pistol generally do not require lube. Rifle cases always do. There was a thread on the Hornady one shot case lube not long ago with a number of detractors but I have used a lot of it and it has work very well for me. You have to use it right though and let it dry once you spray your cases.
Regarding cleaning it off, what I do is after sizing is trim the case to length, deburr, chamfer, clean/uniform the primer pocket, and then throw it back in the tumbler for 30 minutes. This way I get any brass shavings, extra lube, etc. off the case before I load powder and seat the bullet. Works extremely well on my .308, but everyone has a different regimen.

 

[Suther]

Not sure if this is clear in your post, but carbide dies are for pistol only and allow you to skip the lube. rifle brass must always be lubed. i use the rbcs pad and lube because it came with the kit. however any tumbling with liquis lubes would probably work. take a bowl and toss in brass, add a few drops and toss the salad. (no Chris Rock jokes please). lube is not complicated.

Okay I wasn't sure about the carbide dies, thanks for clearing that up. I kinda assumed I wasn't seeing carbide rifle dies because they were more expensive, guess not.

Has anyone used the Lee lube for tumbling? Just mix it with some isopropyl alcohol or...?

 

[mrspeel]

I have used the Ideal Yellow 77 wire pulling lube on a lube pad. It lasts forever

 

[cody182005]

the dillon case lube spray works great if your loading big volumes, small volume i have the hornady unique stuff that works great and would last a long time, just be careful not to put it on to heavy whatever you use or you will end up with dented cases after you size them. I typically size and trim all my brass then they go in the tumbler for a bit to clean the lube off. With my pistol ammo i put the loaded rounds all on a rag 100 at a time and spray down with parts cleaner and roll them around, it evaporates off the case lube.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

i lube for all rifle cases and my 500 mag the only lube i used is lee's resizing lube mixed 25 parts with 99% isopropyl alcohol. I put 50 rounds into a bucket and using a pump spray bottle i put in 5-10 sprays.

 

[Hitzy]

I lay down a little line of the Lee case lube on a piece of paper or shop towel, roll the case gentle on it's side to lube it, qtip for a dab in the neck, micro fiber towel to wipe it down after sizing.

 

[silverfoxdj]

I use a combination of Iso Acohol 98% with Liquid lanolin 12 parts Iso to 1 part lanolin and it is the equivelnt of the Dillon lube and cheaper

 

[Brianma65]

I use a combination of Iso Acohol 98% with Liquid lanolin 12 parts Iso to 1 part lanolin and it is the equivelnt of the Dillon lube and cheaper

I've been using this since early last summer , still have a bit of my first batch. It lasts a lonnnng time and works excellently . ( just make sure to write the mixture amounts down as it lasts so long you'll forget it).

 

[amosfella]

I use spray on lithium grease on one of those blue shop towel paper towels that you buy at wally world or cambodian tire. works very well. As for wiping it off, I haven't been, but I don't leave enough in the first place to leave white marks. Just enough to make the surface feel slick. I've found that my brass hasn't been stretching with leaving it lubed. Most recently, 10x fired 270 win winchester brass that I bought new. I lubed it, sized it, trimmed it and loaded it. I checked the other day. The lee pilot I trimmed the brass with when new only took off 0.001" after 10 firings off of each of the 20 pieces. (I think the lee dead length sizers are the most consistent trimming method available.)

The brass has never been tumbled or cleaned other than wiping on another one of those blue shop towels, and it still looks like new. The brass was full length sized to new dimensions each time and the necks and shoulders were annealed after firing #5. I gave each piece a light wipe down with a towel with the grease on it before I was sizing each time. I'd have used the collet neck sizer a bit more, but I blew the top off the die, making it unavailable to me at the time the experiment was done.

The nice thing about lithium grease is that it doesn't seem to pick up much extra crap, and it doesn't dry out. You may need to wipe out the chamber of the gun once in a while with a mop. I find lithium grease is great on the races and lugs of a bolt action rifle.

I'd get a lee 4 die set with the full length die, the collet neck die, the seater and the crimp die.... Don't buy into the gimmick that you can seat the bullet and crimp from the same die from other manufacturers... That's a recipe for wasting brass while you try to figure out the settings....

 

[fralic76]

I use 99% isopropyl alcohol and Lee Case Lube, mixed 10:1. Put in a spray bottle. Works great and it is easier then wiping on with your finger.

 

[bobbynewmark]

correct me if I am wrong... but should you not remove ALL lube from cases and chamber/bore before firing?? I would think the additional force on the bolt/lugs would be greatly increased with the diminished resistance of the brass grabbing the chamber walls... ?

Personally I clean the cases with brake cleaner on a big beach towel after they are loaded... but I usually don't bother with the chamber as it will be dry after a shot or two anyway...

 

[Gilbear]

I've been using this since early last summer , still have a bit of my first batch. It lasts a lonnnng time and works excellently . ( just make sure to write the mixture amounts down as it lasts so long you'll forget it).

The mink oil is cheap and works fine but I prefer the Lanolin DYI spray since it's less messy , once brass sized I put it back to in the tumbler for 30 min to remove the lube
lots of YouTube videos on the subject

 

[Brianma65]

I do the same, resize , throw them back in the tumbler for 20 mins or so. Nice and clean.