Lizzard Litter

[dagger dog]

Haven't loaded any small rifle cases lately, I have 223 and 22 Hornet, and was rummaging through the brass stash and found a couple hundred 223 Rem that needed processing.

Got ready to throw them into the tumbler with some lizard litter corn cob that was in a sealed bag from the pet store.

Man what a mistake, to me longer to pick that stuff out of the cases with a paperclip than it did all the other processing.

Lesson learned, 30 caliber or larger when using lizard littler !

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Was it corn or walnut? I think mine is walnut and I haven't had that issue (yet).

 

[RainDodger]

Your litter must be different than mine. Mine is walnut and it's very finely ground. I have not had a single problem with it in any sized case. I love the stuff. Works great.

 

[CZ9shooter]

My lizard bedding is trouble free as well. The walnut pieces are far too small to get stuck in any case. It pours right out of 223 brass. I could see it getting stuck in a flash hole maybe, but I tumble before depriming.

 

[hdwhit]

dagger dog wrote:
...some lizard litter corn cob...

Was the reptile bedding composed entirely of ground corn cob or ground walnut shell?

Or was it "corn cob based" or "walnut-based"?

Was it a "clumping" type of litter?

Walnut or Corn based clumping litters have other ingredients that cause the litter to clump. This can cause it to clump within your cases as well. In fact, if it was one of Blue Buffalo's walnut-based clumping litters, then it is specifically formulated to form harder clumps than other clay, pine or corn based litters.

 

[JeffG]

Petco

 

[hdwhit]

JeffG posted

Yes, this is 100% ground walnut shell, but it isn't necessarily what dagger dog was using.

Further, at $17 for 10 quarts, you are probably paying more than just getting untreated walnut media already ground to the proper size for tumbling cases from supplier such as:
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item/000385020381/untreated-walnut-media-15-lbs

 

[fotheringill]

I have had the flash hole issue with the less finely ground lizard litter. It is an extra step, but just use the smallest Allen wrench you can find (I would bet everyone here has the "small" kit and push it through the flash hole.

 

[Speedo66]

Petco has Zilla Desert Blend 100% ground walnut lizard litter, $10 for 5 quarts. I tumbled some for the first time recently and it worked fine. I did loaded .357 ammo so no proof about clogging cases, but the stuff is so fine I can't see that being an issue.

 

[mdi]

Find some corn cob blast media, 14-20. Real blast media is more consistent in size and hardness and the 14-20 size grit doesn't get stuck in flash holes. The only pet store litter I've found to work well is PetSmart's dark crushed walnut (not desert blend or blond)...

 

[Blue68f100]

20/40 is the finer media.....

 

[jmorris]

I too tried the ground walnut lizard litter from petco. After that mistake I dumped it in the cracks in my yard.

That said I have tried all sorts of methods, some were OK, some were a complete disaster.

I haven't tried any new ones lately though. Not that I won't in the future just in terms of cost per round, tumbling media is insignificant.

Let's say I could only tumble 20,000 cases before an 11lb bag of corncob media needed to be changed. $11/20,000=$.00055 per round.

I can absorb the five and a half cents per 100 rounds, even if my media didn't last far longer than that.

 

[mdi]

FWIW 11+ years ago bought a 40 lb bag of cob blast media for under $40.00 shipped. I am an average reloader and I don't tumble as much as some but I still have mebbe 15 lbs. left. Too much math gives me a tummy ache...

 

[armarsh]

I have had great success with the walnut lizard litter, iron oxide, and Nufinish. My only complaint is that it is a little dusty until I run a couple batches with dryer sheets to pick up the dust.

 

[dagger dog]

The stuff I got was corncob, it's to large to plug a primer pocket, but just the right size to pack a neck of a 22 caliber case.
Think I will go back to walnut, then all I need to worry about is picking out a clogged primer pocket.

 

[RainDodger]

That Zilla "Desert Blend" ground walnut shell stuff is the way to go. I've found the walnut to work better and work longer than the softer corncob stuff.

Here's a link to the stuff I use. I get mine at a local pet store, but here's what it looks like on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...lla+Ground+English+Walnut+Shells+Desert+Blend

 

[LiveLife]

+1 on fine ground walnut as it is so hard that edges don't really "wear out" rather just gets dirty.

Early in my reloading years, I washed dirty walnut media with dish soap and dried it in the driveway. After drying, it worked like new media.

 

[nettlle]

Lizard Litter lasts a very long time. About a year for me tumbling 10k 45acp a year. Lizard Litter cost verses life is so little I don't even consider the cost.