To Lube or Not to Lube ...

MJL

MJL

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I have been reloading straight cased auto-pistol cartridges for some years and am about to get into reloading my .308. As I do my homework I see a few die companies who claim that with the carbide inserts, you dont need to lube the cases, and yet I see others that claim that even WITH carbide, you need to lube the cases.

I am interested in comments from you lot that have MUCH more experience than I on this one.

Sooo.... Question: With Carbide dies, Lube or not?

Thanks !

MJL
 
With rifle cases, you still need to lube.

I used a set of Dillon Carbide dies in .223 Rem. When using there pump spray lube, I could get away with using a few small amount.
 
As stated above, bottle-necked cases must always be lubed.

Further, I have never seen, nor heard of, a carbide die for a bottle-necked case. I don't see how they would do any good anyway. (If I'm wrong I what one!;) ) The closest you can get is a bushing die, and you still need to use lube with those.

Is lubing cases such a pain-in-the-backside? People are always trying to skip using lube or looking for a shortcut. Maybe I'm strange but I don't see the big deal. And it certainly isn't expensive when you consider how many thousands of rounds even a small bottle of lube will cover.

Anyway, load it and shoot it! What could be more fun?
 
John Y Cannuck said:
If you try to size a 308 without lube, you WILL get a stuck case you have my personal guarantee.
Even the tiny bottle neck on the 44-40 requires lube.
Click to expand...

I never lube 44/40 and have never stuck one of their cases. I know that they are bottle-necks and my dies are just plain RCBS steel but it works for me.

RSRA,
I don't lube cases with my Redding bushing dies or any neck dies. If if I want to lube cases, I'll full length size them. It's not the lubing that's the pain in the butt for me, it's the removing the lube and cases discoloring quickly that I don't like. When I full length size cases they go back in the vibrator so I don't have to clean the loaded ammo then either.
 
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John Y Cannuck said:
I did a hundred 44-40 this morning. Put a dab of lee lube in a margarine tub, and shook 'em around in it. Worked beautifully, and no more messy fingers.

Your press must have more leverage than my old Lyman Spar T
Click to expand...

Maybe, I havn't used a Lyman. I had an old RCBC 4X4 progressive set up for 44/40 when I was shooting it more. It took a bit of head-scratching but the Magnum rifle shell plate (IIRC) the RCBC standard 44/40 die, Lee powder through expanding die for a .44 Mag with Autodisc powder measure then the RCBS seating die worked. It would practically rain .44 WCFs when I cranked that cross-breed combo up. It would have taken longer to wipe the cartridges off then to load them. Didn't take long to empty them either, in a little Cheyene comemorative M94. I never seem to have time for playing like that anymore though.
Dogleg
 
I usually just spray a couple shots of spray lube into an ice cream pail full of pistol brass and massage it in, even with carbide dies. Just makes it a little easier.

Bottleneck cases, I use RCBS goop on every one.
 
I'm still reading old brochures and such, Lee in particualr, that state right in there that no lube is required, but they might be talking about the neck sizing die. Iwould seem to me that the full length die is the one that will require more effort and thus would need to be lubed.

Also interesting that both Lee, and RCBS have dedicated stuck case removing tools, as if they "expect" that it is going to happen one day :eek:

MJL
 
Lee says no lube is needed with carbide dies but they only make pistol carbide dies and .30 M1 carbine carbide dies and it is built much like a pistol cartridge. Dillon makes carbide dies for bottle neck rifle and says lub is needed , the carbide in the dies just makes them last longer for high volume production. I don't know of any other companies making carbide rifle dies.
 
For the price, I would reccomend that anyone reloading bottleneck rifle cases have a stuck case removal gismo on hand. They only get stuck at 10p.m. after you have loaded 3 rounds for an early range trip the next morning.

The first time you screw up and need to use it will be a new definition of fun, fun, fun. After getting the case out, hang the removal stuff in line of sight to your press. That way, you are much less likely to neglect lube in the future!

Yes, I confess, I too have redefined "rimless" in many calibres!
 
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