Rifle case lubes

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chief99

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Slowly getting in to rifle loading , .223 & 30.06 . My question is , what is your favorite case lube ? I have One Shot on hand . If you use one shot , what is the process ? Have not decided on a press yet . Use the Lee classic four hole turret for pistol and love it . Was in a new Cabelas in Garner N.C. a couple weeks ago and was really impressed with the Hornady single stage . What do you think ?
 
I use either RCBS Case Lube II an a application pad or Imperial Case Sizing Wax with rifle cases, large and small.

I would not use Hornady One Shot even if my life depended on it.

I have dabbled a little using lanolin/isopropyl mix on small rifle cases like 223 Remington, 221 Remington, 300 BLK and 204 Ruger with good success. I generously applied the lubricant.

Make sure the alcohol has flashed off otherwise the case will stick in the die. I would not recommend this for someone just starting out with resizing rifle cases.
 
The turret press is perfect for both of the rifle calibers you intend to load for. Just grab a few more turrets and set up your dies. I personally like wax based case lube, you just wipe your finger across it and roll the case in your fingers as you put it in the shell holder. I've never tried one shot, and the horror stories give me pause... a lot of people love it though, so maybe its just personal preference...

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Lee works for me.

That's all I use. Handgun or rifle.
Sure, you can spend more but why?

Keep one cloth clean and put a dab or two every
few sessions. When not in use, put cloth in a zip-bag.
It will last a long time between cloth changes.

BTW.. There IS such thing as "to much lube" for sure.
 
I don't mind the One Shot for handgun brass (I fill a zip baggie about 1/3 of the way with brass, give it a spray and shake em up).

For bottlenecked stuff I like Imperial wax. It is amazing.
 
Do yourself a favor and get the little tin of imperial case lube. I am on my original tin and have not made much a dent of it in I would guess ober 5000 cases sized.

I use turret and a lee aingle stage. If you like the hornady it will serve you well.
 
I quit using oneshot almost as fast as I started using it, first time I used it on a rifle case one stuck.

I use Dillon or a homemade lube of alcohol and lanolin that gives identical results.
 
I too like Lee lube, but I have used pure carnauba car wax, wheel bearing grease, STP, all worked. The difference is when you try to get the lube off the cartridges.
 
For sure, Imperial sizing wax is the way to go on the big stuff.

But for 223 I just use One Shot. I have never had a stuck case.
I came close a few times until I figured out how to use it. You
have to get the cases covered completely. Stand up your cases
in a loading block and hose um down, inside and out. Then
size them before they dry.
 
i use one shot with no problems. I don't want to wash my brass twice and I like to run 223 progressive just like pistol. I put 3 or 4 big handfuls in a ziploc bag and spray them, shake them, spray them once more them dump them in the case feeder to dry for a few minutes. Never had a stuck case and don't have to remove the lube

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I have used:
- RCBS silicone lube (with pad);
- Lee sizing lube (tube form); and
- Imperial sizing wax

The RCBS is messy to use with the lube pad, and I find the pad dries out quite quickly so you have to keep replenishing it. However, cases sized effortlessly and I never got a stuck case.

The Lee lube was the worst. I applied it to the case by hand and continually got stuck in the full length dies. Thinning it (per instructions) made no difference either.

Imperial sizing wax is the best hands down. Only need to apply a small amount using your fingers and it seems to last a very long time. Never had a stuck case, you don't need to use a messy lube pad and you only need a very small amount per case.
 
I use such a small amount of Lee lube on handgun cases that I never have worried about removing it. I only lube every third or fourth case and use a lube pad.
Imperial is a lot more difficult to remove but it works so well that I overlook that. I wipe each case after sizing and then tumble them for about 30 minutes which works well.
One Shot can be effective but only if it's used correctly which the people who have never had a stuck case with it obviously know how to do.
 
RCBS case lube 1, and more recently RCBS case lube 2. I only mention 1 because i bought 2 bottles of it 10 years ago and I'm still using it today. I got some II and don't find it as viscous as 1 but still better than most all others I've tried.

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I like the Dillon case lube. I have used it on five different rifle calibers with zero issues. No mess no fuss, easy to use and one bottle will do thousands of rounds.
 
Do NOT use One Stuck on bottleneck rifle cases. If you don't believe me, Google "Hornady One Shot stuck case". Guys will tell you that it's just because some don't know how to use it, but surely not THAT many guys in America are illiterate. Is it convenient? Yes. Is it a good lube? No. For small quantities of brass use Imperial Sizing Die lube as previously mentioned. For processing large amounts of brass, make your own spray-on lube using a 1:12 mix of liquid lanolin and HEET. It is the best lube I have used in 35+ years of reloading.

Don
 
I have heard enough horror stories regarding One Shot to stay away from it. I am still using the tube of Lee that came with my press, and have no reason to get anything else. If it matters, I use it on .30-06 and .270WSM.
 
IMO there is nothing better than Imperial Sizing Wax. A 2oz tin will last you a very long time and for under $10.

As for One Shot, if you do use it 've sure to allow it to dry completely before you try to size a case. I only use it for handgun cases like the 9mm and .45 Auto.

You can load rifle cases on your Classic Turret Press, I do it. Remove the auto-index rod and treat it as a single stage press. The linkage is more than strong enough to size the cases. I also use a single stage press but sometimes I just use the turret. (RCBS Rockchucker)
 
I am (seemingly) one of the few who has had good luck with OneShot. I use it on my 223 and 308s.
I stand up 20 or 30 cases on a paper towel and spray the cases liberally from 3 directions. This ensures they are covered all around and gets some in the mouths.
Let them dry - a few minutes.

After several thousand and not one stuck case - works for me. I have tried imperial sizing wax - it works like a charm. I find it a bit slower going though.
 
I use the Dillon lube. It's perfect because Dillon makes it from the rendered fat of unicorns.

Happy Friday :)
 
Just about everything noted here will work fine, as long as it's used properly.

The downside of many lubes applied by lube pads is that if you apply too much you'll end up with oil dents in the case shoulders. Unless those dents are terribly deep, they can just be shot out. Also, those lubes need to be removed after the reloading process is complete.

The downside of OneShot is that if it's not allowed to dry completely before sizing, you can stick cases with some bottleneck rounds. FWIW, Hornady markets two kinds of One-Shot; a spray liquid and an aerosol can version. Seem like most problems come from the use of their spray liquid.

Me, I use One-Shot just because I use it for all my pistol cases and it works well for my 30-06 as well. Just let it dry well. The upside is that it is inert to primer and powder and doesn't need to be wiped off after reloading, so that saves me a step.

And by the way, your Lee Classic Cast Press will handle 30-06 cases without any hiccups. It's linkage is more than powerful enough to handle resizing, etc.
 
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