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  #1  
Old 11-26-2011, 07:57 AM
alphabrace alphabrace is offline
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Do I need case Lube? Do I need case Lube?  
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Default Do I need case Lube?

Hello,
I have a set of Lee dies for my 223 and need to know if I need to lube the cases before resizing. I do a lot of pistol calibers with out lube but none of them are "necked". I am hoping I don't however that is why I am posting the question. Thanks,
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  #2  
Old 11-26-2011, 08:10 AM
gmiller0737 gmiller0737 is offline
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Your Pistol dies are likely "Carbide" that does not require lube,But for a Bottle Necked Rifle Cartridge you will need Case Lube.
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Old 11-26-2011, 08:17 AM
ronnie gore ronnie gore is offline
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Default lube

if you don't lube the case they will stick in the die and be a mess to remove, what i do is lightly lube the cases with spray lube and then size them and them tumble the cases to remove the lube, quicker than wiping each case down.
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Old 11-26-2011, 09:05 AM
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OMG yes...

If you go to Dillon's site they sell carbide .223 dies and they still tell you to use case lube. For the time being, their is just no skipping out on case lube.

However, I think it was SmithCrazy who shared this trick... Mix a ten to one ratio of isopropyl alcohol to a water based case lube. Use a small spray bottle (I found a cheap one at the Dollar Tree) and give the cases a few quick sprays. Don't over do it though. The alcohol will dry leaving a nice coat of lube.
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Old 11-26-2011, 10:11 AM
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Lubing is the down side of reloading rifle cases. Don't forget to clean and lube the inside of the case neck also. That expander ball can make a horrid screech if you don't.
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Old 11-26-2011, 10:25 AM
alphabrace alphabrace is offline
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Default lube inside the cartridge?

If you use the bag method for applying the lube, how does it get down inside?
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  #7  
Old 11-26-2011, 10:25 AM
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Yes, lube you must.

I use RCBS case lube and pad.
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Old 11-26-2011, 10:46 AM
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Dillon offers a spray on lube that works great....I think it has alcohol in it to carry the lube. I put a bunch of .223 cases in a carboard box give them a couple of squirts and roll the back and forth to spread the lube...after about 15 minutes the alcohol has evaporated. Take a Q-tip with some lube and do inside the case neck and you're ready to size.
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Old 11-26-2011, 11:27 AM
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Are you loading for a semi auto or a bolt action?

If for a bolt action and use in the same rifle, you can neck size only and no lube is needed.

I use the Lee lube diluted with rubbing alcohol and put in a little spritz bottle, at least 10:1 (perhaps more lube) and shake well

For inside the neck use a q- tip or they sell a little neck lube brush.

But YES you need to lube if full sizing. if not you will get a stuck case and have a bad day.

Something like this, but it's a pain to do every case IMHO, there are other brands and a hand held brush.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/197...c=S016ID301357
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Last edited by Rule3; 11-26-2011 at 11:31 AM.
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  #10  
Old 11-27-2011, 04:06 PM
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Not only do you have to lube the cases, but they must be trimmed and deburred. Loading rifle requires the case prep. that pistol doesn't.
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Old 11-27-2011, 05:37 PM
Skip Sackett Skip Sackett is offline
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Thank you Bob but that wasn't me. It will work, and is a great idea, but not mine.

For the 223, which will try your patience, you must lube.

I use an RCBS pad with RCBS II lube. I also use Imperial Sizing Wax. Yes, both together. I use the pad for the outside of the case and the Imperial for the inside of the neck. Since it is like shoe polish I simply open the can, put the neck into the wax and extract. By doing this, my cases grow less when being resized. That means that I don't have to trim near so often, maybe after every third loading.

This brings up another issue with 223 brass, the primer pocket. If they are from military cases, the primer pocket will need attention. Now, if you have a Dillon 1050 press, no problem, but for the rest of us mere mortals, that will require an extra tool. I use the Dillon and it works great but is kind of salty @ $90.

What platform are you going to shoot them out of? If you are using an AR then full length resizing is the only way to go. As Rule 3 has said, if a bolt action, your greatest group reducer is to use them with only neck sizing.

Can I make a suggestion if you are just neck sizing though? In a bolt action or single shot? Mark the cases or pick a mark that is already on them, say, caliber or a dash mark or something, and always orientate that the same way as you put them in the firearm. I usually use the numbers of the caliber and when inserted in the chamber, I make sure they are always pointed up. When I load them, I make sure that mark is always out. Kind of silly maybe BUT, that way they are produced the exact same way, every time and shot in the firearm the same way, every time.

If the chamber is not completely centered, this will gain you an advantage in accuracy for your rifle.

Hope this helps.
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  #12  
Old 11-27-2011, 07:07 PM
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Yes. Definitely need to lube. For 223 and 308, I use RCBS pad lube and fine powdered mica for the inside of cases. If I neck size only, the mica suffice. After one stuck case, you'll understand how important lube is for bottleneck case. Good luck in your project.
Regards,
Guy-
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Old 11-29-2011, 10:19 PM
alphabrace alphabrace is offline
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Default One shot

Thanks for all the inputs so far. I ordered Hornaday one shot case lube and will give that a try. I plan on putting the brass in a plastic bag, spray, and work around. For the inside I am going to use a small round brush, give it a quick spray, and run it once inside the cartridge. Can't wait to get started. I also am getting a Lee zip trim setup. I have a RRA AR15 and am reloading to save money. I have had good success with other Lee products for my pistol reloading. Any other comments welcome!
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  #14  
Old 11-29-2011, 11:29 PM
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I use Hornaday one shot case lube for about all my pistol (I do use carbide dies) and all my rifle reloading. I stand my cases upright on end very close together but try not to let touch on flat plastic trays. I shake can well spray a very small amount into sizing die before installing in press. I spray the cases at a 45' angle from above -a light coat from the 4 different sides -let them set for at least 5 minutes or till completely dry. What I do is a bit wasteful but makes sizing a lot smoother and easier . I'm not as tired and progressive press measures the powder much more precise. If the lube is not compelety dry it will not work and the shot in the die should not be over looked.This adds a very minium amount of overall cost but has made reloading much easier for me.After loading rounds I wipe off lube with a soft cotton rag and inspect rounds.
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Old 11-30-2011, 12:50 AM
TheTinMan TheTinMan is online now
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Redding Imperial Sizing Wax on your fingers for every second or third case works for .308 & .270. Over-lubricating the case can result in weird crinkles on the shoulder. I just lay all my cases lengthwise in a long pillowcase or towel and roll off the lube, but my production numbers are low for rifle cartridges.

IMHO a brush with powdered graphite is the way to go for lubricating inside the neck. The stand someone linked to earlier looks neat.

IRRC Redding (and maybe RCBS) offers carbide sizer buttons to eliminate the need to lube the inside of the case neck, but Redding's are expensive and only fit their dies.
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Old 11-30-2011, 01:12 AM
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I, too, like the Imperial Die Wax. I only lube about every 3rd or 4th case with .223s. You get a feel for when you need to lube another one, the resistance will tell you (don't get too stingy, stuck cases are no fun). The dry lube or graphite for inside case necks is a good way to go or just the amount of the die wax that's on your fingertip applied to the mouth of the case will work too. It's important to lube case necks to keep from stretching them as you drag the expander ball back through the case neck.

I processed about 200 .223s last night using this method. Works for me.

P.S. If I'm going to clean .223 cases in my Lyman vibrator I do it before decapping. Otherwise the grains of media are bad to get stuck in primer flash holes and have to be pushed out with a paper clip or something. I've not found the vibrator to be very effective at cleaning primer pockets anyway, so I just do that with a hand tool if needed and count on the vibrator to just clean and polish the outside of the case.
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Old 11-30-2011, 07:15 AM
alphabrace alphabrace is offline
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Default Powder for 223?

Wow, sure is a lot of methods for case prep! The imperial sizing wax is certainly popular also. I will too have to come up with what works for me. I was not aware of the case stretching from the inside ball. Makes sense. I'll start with the one shot and see how it goes. So what would be a good powder to start out with? I use W231 in all my pistol stuff. Don't know about 223 though. I am shooting a 55 grain bullet out of my AR15. Thanks!
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Old 11-30-2011, 07:19 AM
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I think I short changed Rule3 on the diluted case lube in alcohol in a spray bottle trick. I most humbly apologize for not giving proper homage the rightful provider of knowledge!!!

I use either Win 738 or Varget for my .223 with 55gr bullets. I also started with a Hodgdon powder but forget what number it was. H322? H355? I forget. Oh, and I also used some left over hand me down BL-(C)2, or however they write that on the bottle. I’m also forgetting that I used some IMR 3031. I didn’t care for that one but it worked well. Extruded or stick powders like the Varget and IMR powders won’t be the best flowing in powder measures but work very well in the electric measures like RCBS, Hornady, Pact, and Smartreloader make. Ball powder is what I stick with in all other powder measures. I listened to a lot of crimp or no crimp talk and settled for my own use on a light crimp that I can just barely see. I use the Lee Rifle Factory Crimp Die for that. I load for an AR though so I prefer to have some kind of crimp. The one very nice thing about reloading rifle is that it is usually near impossible to load a double charge of powder. At least that aspect is nice despite the extra effort.

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Old 11-30-2011, 09:52 AM
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There are many powders that will work well in the .223. Like the previous poster, I stick with ball powders because they meter/flow best and because that's what the cartridge was developed with. A couple of my most-often used powders are H-335 and AA2230. 27 grains of H-335 with 55 grain bullets has worked well for me in several ARs and bolt guns.
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Old 11-30-2011, 10:37 AM
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"Do I need Lube" ? If you don't you'll be sorry..

For bottle neck stuff, I clean, then stand them up on a cookie sheet and lube with Dillon spray lube, ( make sure you get lube inside the neck ) deprime and size, then trim and de-bur, then cleaned & pick the walnut shells out of the prime pockets. Then reload.

Pistol stuff gets cleaned, laid flat on a cookie sheet , a very light
shot of Hornady One Shot, then reloaded.

Rifle stuff, painfully Slow compared to pistol.
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