223 reloading frustration

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I reload a lot of 223 /5.56 with my LEE Classic Turret. I use the LEE resizing lube and just apply it with my fingers . I never lube inside the case mouth . In thousands of rounds I have never had a stuck case yet.......yet .
 
Knock wood, but I have not had the problems other report when loading .223.

The only thing I had an issue with was getting Varget to not bridge over in the neck and making a mess all over my Dillon 650, but with a few tweaks and slowing my process I don't have that problem now
 
HankC said:
Here is an unhappy user of Imperial Case Lube and what RCBS said
https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=293530

Interesting. So does that prove 1000's of reloaders are wrong, or that there's always someone who can make anything fail? ;)

I can see where using too much would cause that build-up, and maybe even cause a vacuum/glue effect. I'm having trouble figuring out how that would have a stronger holding effect than static friction between the brass and the die, but I won't claim any sort of expertise with tribology.
 
As with most fails in reloading, this is likely a failure on the part of the user to properly use the item which can be attributed to a failure to want to take the time to learn how to use it.
A general reflection on our society of hurry, hurry, hurry. Unfortunately this doesn't play well in the area of reloading.
 
I got into reloading for rifle, 223, last fall and love it, but I also enjoy reloading in general. I wish I could shoot more so I could reload more. I have now resized well over 1,000 223 cases and haven't stuck one yet. A long time reloader of rifle recommended Ballistol for case lube and that is all I've used. I simply put a tablespoon in a container beside my press, dip my pointer finger in it about ever 4-5 cases and give each case a gentle rub as I pick it up and put it in the press. So far, I've only used a few tablespoons of lube, so I am thinking this 16 oz can may last me a few years. As a bonus, once finished resizing, I put the die away without cleaning and the Ballistol keeps it from rusting. I give it a spray with gun cleaner prior to using again, and it has stayed looking brand new.
 
I have had success reloading with every caliber I shoot - except .223. I got really bad stuck cases at first, then bit the bullet and bought Dillon .223 dies. Never have had a stuck case since, but I also cannot make rounds that will cycle my Colt 6921 reliably. I have taken factory rounds (which do work in the Colt) and matched every measurement on them for my reloads, and they still don't work. Very frustrating. I gave some reloads to my SIL to shoot in his Colt HBAR and he gave them back, saying they wouldn't work.

Now we're moving and on a local forum I'm giving away all my .223 brass, and will probably sell (locally) my 550B that is set up for small primers along with the toolhead set-up for .223. All I loaded on it was .454 Casull and .223 and I sold the .454 and am not going to load .223 anymore.

So OP, you're not the only one. :)
 
The folks here could talk you through making .223 reloads that will cycle your Colt, I'll bet money on it. :)
 
You're probably right about that, but I need to get rid of a lot of stuff and I rarely shoot the Colt anymore. I've pretty much become handgun-only.
 
A lot of good comments here already, and I'll chip in with a new one to the mix: It was suggested to me by an experienced re-loader that when starting a "new caliber" always load some batches with a single stage before moving on to a progressive or turret. You can learn any oddities and work out the bugs much easier. Actually, I now load all bottleneck cases on the single - and I quite enjoy it.
 
I've been reloading 223, 308, 22-250, and 243 for quite some time now. Nothing different to me about any of them as far as procedures.

I use Hornady one shot with a pad. Roll each case on the pad and then immediately to the press.

I've had one stuck case (223) early on when I forgot to lube the first case in a batch.
 
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