Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Case Lube

I don't find lube pads to save any time, and when I apply using my fingers, it's quick and I know by feel exactly how much lube I am applying to each case. I don't think it's a question of lube but more how it is applied that matters more.

RCBS case slick. Couple of sprays with 10 or so cases in a plastic tub, shake around and go.

I use a Blue Tin Camp Frying Pan....bought for about $6... new 20 years ago or more...

hang it off the reload bench....

Spray Amzoil Synthetic spray lube on it...

let it hang, the excess runs off..

when I need to size brass... put about 10 pieces in the pan at a time..
and shake them around like Jiffy Pop....

When I run cases thru the die... use one lubed one... which leaves enough lube in the die
to run the next one unlubed thru it...so no dents on the cases...

cheap and simpler than plastic bags etc...

doesn't wear out camp frying pan either...

I've had more stuck cases using Hornady OneShot so now only use Imperial Sizing Wax. It takes a little more time but the results are worth it.

Imperial for the outside and a nylon bore brush with a small case soldered to it for a handle for applying moly in the necks, stops the stretching and lopsided necks on large cases...and I have about a kilo of moly to use up.

After brushing the inside of the necks I place the brush end in to a larger case so that I don't get black everywhere.

Lube pads quickly attain a nice veneer of powder residue.

Hornady One Shot is junk, the RCBS roller pad is right there with it. 90% of my sizing is Imperial Sizing Wax.
The only time I don't use Imperial is if I'm doing large ammounts of 223 for my AR's then I use a product called Brass Guys Brass Butter

Tzone: THROW that rcbs lube pad and all accessories related to it AWAY (if you haven't already!)!
Get some Imperial and don't look back.
Have had extensive experience with the rcbs junk starting several decades ago and wish I hadn't.
Since switching to Imperial (quite some time ago) ALL lube related "problems" have "evaporated"!
I mean this sincerely, THROW that rcbs crap away so no one else will be troubled with it.
Best of luck to you.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I think they all probably work pretty well as long as you read and follow the directions. I had some trouble with brass sticking using Quick Slick until I went back and reread the bottle. Evidently, you need degrease your dies before applying it. I had been just wiping the old lube off after use. A little brake cleaner(it was on the bench already) and everything worked great the next time I used it.

I think a lot of products get a bad reputation from people not following the directions.

I use Imperial size die wax. I just use my fingers or a clean rag to apply a min amount to the lower. 1/2 - 2/3 of the case. Less is more. If you use to much pressure on the reloading press handle in the resizing stage, slither a bit more Imperial size wax on the case. The amount of lube depends on the case’s history ( or lack there of). When I full length resize recently purchased “1x fired brass”, then I use a little more lube, as I will fully resize those cases “ 100% full-length”. ( max resizing) to uniform them. I don’t have any semi-auto centerfires anymore. When I did, I would slither a bit more Imperial size die wax on the lower 1/4 of the case when I used a small base resizing die.

For cases I have loaded, and will reload, I use full-length resizing dies, but do not set the resizing dies to full length resize. I set the resize die to “ just chamber”, them I turn the die in another 1/2 turn, then lock it with ring/ set/set screw.
( “ partial full length resizing”?). I don’t apply sizing lube on the shoulders or neck- just to avoid dents in the case shoulders.

I also use a #2 pencil and run the tip of the lead 2-3 times around the inside of the case neck.
It reduces expanding ball drag on bottle neck cases.

I am not a volume reloader.

I got stuck cases with the Hornady One Shot and threw it in the trash. Now I use Imperial Sizing Wax on the exterior and RCBS lube on a Q-tip to lube the inside of the neck. No stuck cases and they just glide in and out of the sizing die, a little acetone wipe removes the lube and I'm good to go.

^This^. Before I got the Imperial,I used Vaseline.