rifle cartridge reloading questions

[mnhntr]

I have been reloading for a few years now for all of my handguns. Now I have started to get the equipment for my rifles. I am going to load .223/5.56, 257 roberts, and 35 remington, for now. I am going to start with my AR 15 and the questions I have are these.

1) I know I have to lube the cases prior to sizing as the dies are not carbide like my pistol dies. What is everyones favorite method? Spray? Pad?

2) I ordered Lee pacesetter dies for my .223/5.56, being a semi auto I like the factory crimp die. I have RCBS for the other two rounds. What is a collet die and do I need one?

3) Do you trim your cases to the hundreth or thousanth?

4) Do to the shorter leade of the .223 is it better to stick with my 5.56 lake city brass and get rid of my .223 brass?

Thanks in advance for the answers and yes I ordered a few new books on rifle rounds. I have a good system for my pistol reloading just trying to clear up some differences between rifle and pistol. I should mention my equipment, I am using an RCBS rockchucker press, RCBS uniflow powder measurer, RCBS 505 scale, and the dies I mentioned.
Any pet loads for 5.56 in an AR is appreciated. The powders I am trying to work up a load with are Varget, and Benchmark. I am going to test a few bullets but want to try and come up with a great 40gr Vmax load. I have Federal 205 SR primers.

 

[Hondo 60]

I reload .223 for my AR.

1. spray - I put 'em in a loading block & spray with Hornady One Shot.
(I recently got a bottle of pump spray from a fellow member. Put the cases in a gallon bag, 5 squirts & mix 'em up)

2. ? don't have an answer - I don't have one.

3. thousandth 1.750

4. I reload both with no problems.

I really like RL-15 & Varget

Varget - 26.5 gr with 55 gr FMJ bullets (the cheap ones).
RL-15 24.5 gr (same bullet)

 

[ranger335v]

"What is everyones favorite method? Spray? Pad?"

I only know what I use. I've tried everything on the market, sprays and pads are messy. I've settled on Hornady's Unique and Redding's Imperial for rifle cases, both are soft waxes. Applied with finger tips as I pick each case up for sizing, it's quick, works great, very clean and easy to wipe off cases and fingers afterwards with paper towels.

Lee's Factory Crimp Die is a collet type that is the best crimper for factory rifles IF you want to crimp at all. But, it has one moving part that seems to confuse some people so if you have trouble with mechanical things it might be better to forget it.

Normal case length max and trim-to numbers are 10 thou apart, not from any preset rule other than it's rational.

Adjust your seating/OAL to match whatever your rig needs for the bullets you use and/or what your magazine allows. We don't know what length that is and neither does any book.

Your finished ammo matters to your rifle. It couldn't care less what press, powder measure, scale, etc, you use.

 

[cfullgraf]

I use a case lube pad. With sprays, I find they feel like they are on the verge of getting stuck. Maybe i don't spay enough lube.

I find the case pad is pretty economical.A bottle of lube lasts me years while I go through a can of spray lube pretty quick.

With the lube pad, I only lube the body as too much lube in the shoulder area will dent the shoulder. It usually does not trash the brass, just looks bad. It usually will blow out on the next firing.

Yes, lube pads can get a bit messy. If the case pad has just been lubed, I will resize a lubed case then a dry case. There is enough lube left in the die for the dry case. As the lube gets used on the pad, there is less lube for the dry case.

I use Imperial Die Wax inside the case mouth. Haven't tried it on the outside.

I do not crimp my 223 ammo, so Lee FCD die would be unused in my reloading room.

I use Varget in my 69 grain 223 Remington match loads and Accurate 2230 in my 55 FMJ loads.

I trim with a Lee trimmer. Cases are usually plus/minus .001". I measure cases at each resizing and trim only the ones that are over the max length, actually a couple thousandths short of max. The Lee trimmer does not trim to minimum so my cases are within a .005" range.

223 Remington and 5.56x 45 cases are the same. It is the chambers that are different.

Hope this helps.

 

[rg1]

I've settled on Dillions case lube sprayed on a lube pad. Wait until most of the alcohol has evaporated and roll the cases on the pad. I can control how much lube gets on the neck with finger pressure. To lube inside the necks I use a RCBS nylon Neck Brush. One squirt on the nylon brush lubes several necks. Haven't tried any other method as I'm pleased with the lube pad and Dillions Case Lube. After sizing the cases get lightly rubbed with a rag to remove most of the lube then back in the vibratory tumbler for final polishing and to remove all lube.
Your LC brass is probably near the same internal dimensions or volume as your other .223 brass. Weigh them and you'll find that LC is even lighter than some commercial brass. Use them all. You may get a little better accuracy by keeping them separated by brand?

 

[JimKirk]

I don't crimp my AR ammo either ...never had a problem.

I like Imperial Wax for sizing .... spray is OK for pistol/revolver brass... I'll stick with the I wax for rifles.

I would not get rid of any .223 brass ... I would just keep them separate ... I do brands any way so 5.56/.223 would be no different for me.

I like Reloder 10X and Reloder 15.

 

[NCsmitty]

Do to the shorter leade of the .223 is it better to stick with my 5.56 lake city brass and get rid of my .223 brass?

The leade has nothing to do with it, but case capacities usually do differ between commercial brass and LC milsurp. Most often the LC brass is heavier which translates into higher pressures with the same load, compared to commercial brass.
It's a good reason to keep the brass separate, and maybe use different bullet weights for that separation. And there is no reason to crimp bullets.



NCsmitty

 

[cfullgraf]

The leade has nothing to do with it, but case capacities usually do differ between commercial brass and LC milsurp. Most often the LC brass is heavier which translates into higher pressures with the same load, compared to commercial brass.
It's a good reason to keep the brass separate, and maybe use different bullet weights for that separation. And there is no reason to crimp bullets.



NCsmitty

Military surplus 5.56 brass being heavier than commercial 223 Remington is a myth. A couple years ago I weighhed 500-600 each LC headstamp 5.56 and Winchester headstamp 223 Remington commercial brass. The Winchester was, on average, about 8% heavier.

Separating 223/5.56 brass by headstamp is a good idea, but don't assume which is heavier than the other.

 

[steve4102]

Military surplus 5.56 brass being heavier than commercial 223 Remington is a myth. A couple years ago I weighhed 500-600 each LC headstamp 5.56 and Winchester headstamp 223 Remington commercial brass. The Winchester was, on average, about 8% heavier.

Separating 223/5.56 brass by headstamp is a good idea, but don't assume which is heavier than the other.
__________________
Chuck

Correct, in most instances LC and other 5.56 brass has MORE case capacity that commercial 223 brass.

 

[Walkalong]

I use RCBS case Lube II or Imperial, both of which I apply by hand as I pick up each piece of brass to put in the press. Thumb, pointer, and bird finger.

Brass is brass. After you size it it won't care if it was first sold as .223 or 5.56. Some commercial .223 is heavier than some GI and vice versa. I weigh different head stamps and record it.

When working up a plinker load in .223 I stop at a charge that is safe in the heaviest brass I'll use. The occasional extra heavy case will show up when loading. The powder will come up much further in the neck than the other cases. I just pull them out and scrap them. It won't be many.

If you want to get serious about accuracy, sort cases by weight and work up a load for that weight range. (And use good bullets)

 

[Smokey Joe]

Lube for FL sizing...

Mnhntr--I've used RCBS case lube and a pad. It works fine. More recently switched to Imperial Sizing Die Wax, and it works (Tony the Tiger voice) GRRRREATT!!! (/Tony the Tiger voice)

As has been pointed out, the ISDW is easy on, easy off. The case lube pad requires more putzing, both in applying the lube to the pad, and in use.

Inside the neck, you use Imperial Dry Neck Lube, which is apparently plain old powdered graphite. Easy on and leave it alone; no cleaning it off. Works fine. I used to use what Col. Townsend Whelen called "just a suspicion" of case lube on the inside of the neck; that worked fine too.

A Lee Collet Die is for neck sizing only, on bottleneck rifle cases. It requires no lube (yay!) and produces a very nice accurate case to reload. Neck-sizing-only is only for single-shot and/or bolt-action rifles as you probably know, and only for cases previously fired in the rifle for which they are being loaded. I have the LCD in several cartridges and have had excellent results with its use.

 

[cheygriz]

I have used about every lube known, including some "home made" concoctions. Imperial is excellent, and wouls be my first choice if I used hand lubing. But the others are pretty darn good also.

But hand lubing is a real P.I.T.A. and ungodly slow!
:banghead::banghead:

I now use Dillon spray lube exclusively. If applied properly, it works as well as, or better, than anything else, it's very fast to use and cleans off easily in the tumbler with warm water and Tide, or with corncobs or walnut hull.

BTW some folks will tell you that Hornady "one shot" doesn't need to be cleaned off.

My personal experience with "One Shot" says otherwise!

ALL, and I repeat ALL lube should be removed from reloaded ammo before firing. Lube left on cases can cause excessive back thrust on the bolt face, and gun up the chamber.

 

[mnhntr]

Thanks for all the input, I will be ordering some Imperial products for lube. I plan to sort the cases by headstamp and test loads with each type of case I have.

 

[Walkalong]

But hand lubing is a real P.I.T.A. and ungodly slow!

I'm sure glad I'm not in a hurry.

 

[cheygriz]

When you normally load in batches of 2000, sometimes you tend to get into a hurry!

Test loads, for rifles, especially belted magnums, I lube just like you do. Imperial applied with the fingers. But OTOH, test batches by now are few and far between, and are seldom over 50-100 rounds at a time.

 

[Walkalong]

The most I load at a time with rifle is a batch of 500, and that is usually with breaks.

2000? Yea, I'd most likely be looking for a faster way.

 

[mnhntr]

started loading some .223 and WOW, that Imperial sizing wax and Neck lube is the ticket. This stuff is easy to use and easy to clean off. I would highly recommend if you have not used it you try it.