Best Media ?

I'm just getting into reloading and will mostly be doing 9MM and occasionally 38. What do you reccomend as far as media, the corn cob or walnut and should I get the fine or medium ? Thanks in advance.

Dave

Walnut for cleaning; corn cob for polishing.

Don

The wanlut gets most of the crap off the brass and makes it look nice. The corncob polishes it after for that sparkly shine. I use ground walnut from the pet store and Nu-Finish car polish from wally-mart. My brass looks like it just came out of the box new. I haven't had the need for the corncob yet personally, I think I might get blinded shooting on a sunny day if I did. :cool:

If you go with corn cob (which I do) you can get that stuff for about $25 for 40 pounds. Don't go buying it from Cabela's or Gander Mountain. Save your money for powder and primers.

I don't know if Graingers sells the walnut stuff, but I know somebody has to sell it in quantity for waaaaay cheaper than the big sporting goods stores.

Okay, that's a little off topic, but I thought I might save you some bucks.;)

I get Kaytee brand walnut bird litter from PetSmart in a 25 pound bag for around $20. It cleans cases quite well, I use it dry with no additives.

After all the cases are cleaned (sometimes I have several thousand to do), then I'll run 'em again in corncob with Nufinish car polish mixed in. You'll want to put about a capful of the polish in the cob, and run the tumbler for 15-20 minutes with just the cob and polish, no brass, so the polish can get mixed into the cob real well. Otherwise you can get clumps.

I don't know what "size" the corncob is that I use, I get it from a local reloading shop. But I've bought some from WalMart that was way too big, it was larger than Grape Nuts ceral, and it didn't work worth a damn.

Grainger

14/20 grit Corncob (http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2MVR4)

20/40 grit Corncob (http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2MVR5)

They will order it if is it not in stock, and if you pick it up at the store, they will not charge shipping.

I get Kaytee brand walnut bird litter from PetSmart in a 25 pound bag for around $20. It cleans cases quite well, I use it dry with no additives.

After all the cases are cleaned (sometimes I have several thousand to do), then I'll run 'em again in corncob with Nufinish car polish mixed in. You'll want to put about a capful of the polish in the cob, and run the tumbler for 15-20 minutes with just the cob and polish, no brass, so the polish can get mixed into the cob real well. Otherwise you can get clumps.

This is exactly what I do. I also get the corncob from Petsmart. I doubt the corncob/NuFinish step is really necessary, but it sure gets 'em shiny. One tip for the corncob especially (although I do it with the walnut as well) is to add a paper towel, cut into 2"x2" squares. I was skeptical, but it really decreases the dust output.

+1 with Walkalong.

The stuff Grainger sells - both of the grades - are measured by 'seive' size, but the short answer is that both sizes are pretty small, and they're pretty close to what you'd buy from distributors of tumbling media. It's not the "chunky" stuff that clogs equipment - it's fine enough to pass through a primer's flash hole.

I'm going to check PetSamrt - for the walnut - but +1 on the nu-finish stuff.
You can spend a small fortune on media and cleaning agents, but most of it is generic materials (like corncobs) that are very cheap if you know where to buy them. Use the money saved on more ammo components...:evil:

Try Rice

Petsmart Lizard Litter (walnut) mixed with a couple handfuls of corncob and a tbl of liquid car polish.

I also add two USED dryer sheets cut in quarters.

Cleans fine, doesn't cost much. I suspect that my small supply of media should last me for years.

I use strait corn cob, it works well.

I tried the corn cob from the pet stores and it's too large. It gets stuck inside 223 cases, and inside all small primer pockets. It did great on 45ACP... which I load once or twice a year.

Just my luck.

I tried the corn cob from the pet stores and it's too large. It gets stuck inside 223 cases, and inside all small primer pockets. It did great on 45ACP... which I load once or twice a year.

Thats all I load for. :)

Thanks everyone for all the help,I think I'm going to Grainger's next week. 25 lbs. should last me a while :) It'll give me more money for shooting....

Call ahead so if they don't have it in stock they can get it in and have it ready for you.

I called Grainger's today, and they said it was a discontinued item, ain't got it no mo. Guy said the supplier dropped it.

50 % Grainger's Corn Cob and 50 % Pet store Crushed Walnut. Every time I put a batch of brass in the tumbler, I add a used dryer sheet (poked over the middle bolt) and a capful of mineral spirits.
I add Nu Finish every 5 batches or so. I usually pitch the media after about 15 - 20 batches, sometimes more.

I usually run the brass for about 2-3 hours and this is enough for the entire lot to look incredibly shiney.

LGB

I called Grainger's today, and they said it was a discontinued item, ain't got it no mo. Guy said the supplier dropped it.He's mistaken.

They dropped the 50 Lb bags and replaced them with 40 Lb bags. Give him the Grainger # of the corncob I linked to.

14/20 - Grainger Item # 2MVR4 (http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2MVR4)

20/40 - Grainger Item # 2MVR5 (http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/items/2MVR5)

Usually ships - Today ;)

Walnut for cleaning; corn cob for polishing.


yep, what he said! add polishing compund to both, alsong with the nu-finish car wax to both, your cases will shine like gold chrome.

I'm with Bullseye on the petstore walnut and polish. I've been using Dillon polish but just bought a bottle of Nufinish. The petstore corncob does seem too course. My brass comes out so shiny that I probably won't try a finer corncob.