Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Sizing lube?

The sticky stuff on the roll on pad was a PITA, and I was very happy to dixcover Hornady one shot. But it's about 8 bucks a can, or thereabouts.

I have a friend who says he uses Tri-Flow at a buck and change per can.

Anyone else got a cheap lube that works?

HM

Tri Flow? And he doesn't kill his primers? Does he tumble after sizing or what?
Never mind that TriFlow is pretty slidy stuff, I'd not want that in my chamber at all, no sirreeeee.

Imperial Die Wax.

One Shot is easy, but if there is a cheaper alternative I like that too.

2K PD shells uses up 15 bucks worth. I'm not crying, just exploring.

I don't see how any would get into your primers if you use a loading block and spray the outside of the brass. I prime AFTER resizing.

HM

I still prefer the RCBS water soluble lube and the PITA pad. Last bottle cost $3.95 and that was several thousand cases ago. There's still several thousand left.

IMHO, its major advantage is that you simply rinse it off after sizing and let the cases dry in the sun or in an oven set at 175 degrees. No worries at all about residual lube increasing bolt thrust.

After trying every product made that can be used for sizing cases since I started reloading in 1948, I've settled on Imperial Sizing Die wax for case bodies, and powdered graphite for necks.
That combo works best for me.

I guess I am a luddite. I use the stamp pad and regular old RCBS lube and then clean the cases in a vibrator. I bought two of the little bottles when I was starting out and I will probably have some left to heir to my son when I die.

I use One shot a lot but the imperial wax/powdered graphite definately is slicker and a combo I use often for tougher sizing duties and where I feel the ease will aid to less run out. FWIW.

I use the water soluble RCBS lube too. A cotton swab wet with the lube goes inside the necks, and a little on my fingertips gets wiped on the outside.

A soapy bath, a hot water rinse, a shot of compressed air and a low temp oven ride and they're ready to go. I don't like the idea of any amount of any kind of case lube remaining in or on the brass for my loaded rounds.

I tried One Shot but takes to long to dry and unless completely dry cases will stick in the sizer. The pump spray from Midway "Frankfort Arsenal" works great, I wipe with a paper towel as they come out of the sizer. Imperial wax for serious case forming and Lee collet dies when ever I can.

erich

Another vote for Imperial Sizing Wax...a little goes a long way.

Nothing else compares.

When I had a 22 BR, and needed to form cases from 6 BR brass, I used the old RCBS lube and crumpled about half a dozen cases before giving up. Went over to Imperial Sizing Wax, and never lost another case.

That has not been my experience at all and I have gone through many cans.

+1 If I'm loading high volume stuff like .22-250 using One Shot I don't even bother wiping the cases until after I've loaded all the rounds. NEVER had any issues.

I have used mink oil for years just rub a little on a lube pad and for the necks the same thing on a q-tip never had a problem and a little will go a long way and with all the extra you can water proof your hunting boots

Imperial wax is my choice. Once when money was really tight I bought some STP at the dollar store, it worked fine, I still have some of it in an old squeeze bottle.

I have no problems with one shot. Just looking to see if anyone used other less expensive spray lubes.

One shot is fine, never had a problem.

HM

Ditto and ditto. You've both posted exactly what I would say here. On my second bottle of RCBS CLII - the first bought around 1995 and finally running out last year.

Overspray, waste and drying time make three strikes in my opinion.

With Imperial, you lightly swipe your fingertips across the tin and then simply handle the cases as normal with no other effort. If mine is typical, the cost is something like twelve cents a year - that one tin is barely dished out and it's been on my bench for YEARS.

Hornady Unique is an almost-as-good alternative - and it's exactly the same stuff as Mink Oil. Use the same method: lightly swipe fingertips and handle cases.

How do you get the lube off of the cases? I've used three or four kinds over the years - the old RCBS greasy stuff, Hornady One Shot, Midway spray lube and maybe one other. Just had this aversion to leaving any lube on the cases at all. Used to roll the sized cases between paper towels wet with lighter fluid to get the stuff off, then had to go into the necks with a cleaning patch wet with lighter fluid as well.

Case Lube II is not the slickest stuff around, you have to make sure to get enough on the case or you can feel the extra resistance when sizing. But the complete and easy removal - all cases get washed at once, presto-cleano - is what sold me on it.