Imperial sizing die wax/D.C.L. application questions

[IA_shooter]

In the last 15+ yrs of my reloading experience, all I've ever used is the RCBS lube and pad, and I may continue to do so, but I'm considering trying the Imperial sizing die wax or D.C.L. for the first time and I have a question about application methods for each. I am about to start sizing/depriming about 1500 pcs of 223 brass and I am looking for possibly a better way to lube larger batches of brass vs rolling each one individually on my RCBS pad. Thoughts and opinions encouraged.

Does anyone here use this method for application as seen in this guy's video for the D.C.L.? You can go right to the 2:50 mark in the video to see this guy's application technique. Does it work well this way?

Youtube - imperial sizing die wax

Or as an alternative, I do have a bottle of D.C.L. Dillon Case Lube on hand and this guy demonstrates an application method he says he uses for it as well as Hornady One Shot. He basically puts a bunch of brass in a plastic bag and sprays the cases and then mixes/rolls around the cases in the bag. Anyone using this technique with good results? Go to the 5:30 mark so you don't have to waste time watching the rest.

Youtube- How I use Hornady One Shot

 

[Rick300]

I use the home brew alcohol/lanolin mix in a 1 gallon ziplock bag. 3 or 4 squirts, roll it around, a couple more squirts, roll it around. Take the cases out of the bag and let the alcohol flash off. Works very well for large batches. Imperial for small batches.

 

[rayporter]

trev, good morning, how is Iowa this morning?

our ice is all gone as of this morning.

back in the 80's i used to hang out with some die outfit in ohio and they sold the imperial die wax. it was made in Newark ohio at the time. when loading large batches of ammo he told me he just got a gob on his hands and smeared a handful of brass at a time with a motion of rubbing his palms together. not far off from that video.


i still have an old tin with a Newark address on it.

personally i just do one case at a time.

 

[IA_shooter]

trev, good morning, how is Iowa this morning?

our ice is all gone as of this morning.

back in the 80's i used to hang out with some die outfit in ohio and they sold the imperial die wax. it was made in Newark ohio at the time. when loading large batches of ammo he told me he just got a gob on his hands and smeared a handful of brass at a time with a motion of rubbing his palms together. not far off from that video.


i still have an old tin with a Newark address on it.

personally i just do one case at a time.

It's cold and boring. I'm just ramping up to do all of the the prepping and priming of my 223 cases I have on hand in the next week or so which is close to 2000 cases after I did a better/final count this morning. They're all tumbled clean and annealed, now it's on to the next steps. I'm supposed the get my Giraud Power trimmer in on Monday, so that will help with cutting down the case prep time considerably I hope.

 

[drop_point]

I mostly use One Shot and in a similar way. Let it dry for five to ten minutes. Ensure you start with clean dies. It works great. For small batches, I just use Imperial.

 

[Webster]

In the last 15+ yrs of my reloading experience, all I've ever used is the RCBS lube and pad, and I may continue to do so, but I'm considering trying the Imperial sizing die wax or D.C.L. for the first time and I have a question about application methods for each. I am about to start sizing/depriming about 1500 pcs of 223 brass and I am looking for possibly a better way to lube larger batches of brass vs rolling each one individually on my RCBS pad. Thoughts and opinions encouraged.

Does anyone here use this method for application as seen in this guy's video for the D.C.L.? You can go right to the 2:50 mark in the video to see this guy's application technique. Does it work well this way?

Youtube - imperial sizing die wax

Or as an alternative, I do have a bottle of D.C.L. Dillon Case Lube on hand and this guy demonstrates an application method he says he uses for it as well as Hornady One Shot. He basically puts a bunch of brass in a plastic bag and sprays the cases and then mixes/rolls around the cases in the bag. Anyone using this technique with good results? Go to the 5:30 mark so you don't have to waste time watching the rest.

Youtube- How I use Hornady One Shot

Never did more than 100 cases at a time. I roll about 5 cases at at time on a pad. No reason to do one at a time.

 

[JohnW...ski]

I too mostly use RCBS case lube and a pad, it is really all I need for most of my reloading. The pad method is great for doing a lot of sizing like when I used to shoot high power and would load 5K plus of .223 every year. Imperial die wax has its uses also like when I am making wildcat cases such as necking a .221 fireball to .14 cal.

 

[Straightshooter1]

I don't do large numbers of brass at a time like that, so my process with Imperial Sizing Die Wax would bee too laborious. But if had a need to do a large batch of brass, I might try a technique used by candy makers when they put a coating on jelly beans or M&M's . . . using tumblers. Seems like a tumbling action could apply lube to a large number of cases and even do it uniformly???

 

[Shooter13]

Competition brass gets one at a time, .223 or .308 or (Heaven forbid!) 6.5 Creedmoor I'll use a spray like Dillon, lanolin & alcohol or one shot (I've never used), I have a large baking pan that I'll do half the width and several rows spray rotate to the other end of pan and spray again, never had a stuck case doing that. or I use a plastic bag, insert the brass spray and shake.

 

[Walt Krafft]

I have a plastic bread pan. I put 3-500 cases in it. Squirt several times with Dillons lube. Shake it around. Squirt again and shake. After the first shake a bunch of cases are standing with mouths up. The second squirt gets some lube in the necks. Size and then tumble in fine corn cob to clean the lube off.

 

[Bill K]

Imperial, with just a dap on your fingers and lightly rub some on the upper body of the case, one a time is my procedure. works just fine.

 

[Heavy Metal 1]

I do basically a blend of the two videos' techniques. I take an amount of Imperial or now since I am out of Imperial, I have been useing Hornady Unique and smear it on both insides of a gallon plastic bag, add maybe 100 or so 30-06 brass, (or however many other different calibers) and just rub the bag between my hands for a very short period of time, dump them out and they are ready to be sized and the bag is ready for more brass and it probably doesn't need additional lube.

 

[Mark W]

I use Imperial wax and apply it to one case at a time with my fingertips. I think it’s actually the thumb of my left hand that I rub across the surface of the wax. After doing several, I only have to touch the wax about every third case or so.

@rayporter i had no idea that Imperial used to be made in Newark. I think I bought my first tin in 2016 and I’ve barely put a dent in it.

 

[J.d. Popkes]

D.C.L. is excellent. But I think it is messy. Collects everything it comes in contact with. When I tumble it off it makes crud in the case rim/groove. Gets embedded into the head stamp so pretty soon the head stamp has black letters and numbers. She’ll holders are gummy.

Im making another run at one shot in a ziplock, so far so good.

 

[DLT]

I have also been a die hard rcbs lube pad. For small cartridges such as 223 I will roll 6-7 at a time on it. Does just fine

 

[Richard Jones]

Dillon spray lube in a ziplock bag for bulk 223 ammo, loaded on a 550B. Working fine for a number of years. Spray the bag as much as possible vs. the brass. Less inside neck contamination and the lube seems to transfer well from bag to brass. You need less than you think you do.....

Imperial for single stage stuff.

 

[big5ifty]

Dillon case lube is the liquid form of imperial die wax.

Both are made from lanolin, one is mixed with isopropanol.

Both are excellent.

For larger rifle case sizing, you will find that applying Imperial Die Wax by hand gives better results / less problems.

 

[D Coots]

Camp gas and a towel to clean off imperial works good.

 

[RustyInBend]

In the last 15+ yrs of my reloading experience, all I've ever used is the RCBS lube and pad, and I may continue to do so, but I'm considering trying the Imperial sizing die wax or D.C.L. for the first time and I have a question about application methods for each. I am about to start sizing/depriming about 1500 pcs of 223 brass and I am looking for possibly a better way to lube larger batches of brass vs rolling each one individually on my RCBS pad. Thoughts and opinions encouraged.

Does anyone here use this method for application as seen in this guy's video for the D.C.L.? You can go right to the 2:50 mark in the video to see this guy's application technique. Does it work well this way?

Youtube - imperial sizing die wax

Or as an alternative, I do have a bottle of D.C.L. Dillon Case Lube on hand and this guy demonstrates an application method he says he uses for it as well as Hornady One Shot. He basically puts a bunch of brass in a plastic bag and sprays the cases and then mixes/rolls around the cases in the bag. Anyone using this technique with good results? Go to the 5:30 mark so you don't have to waste time watching the rest.

Youtube- How I use Hornady One Shot

If I'm doing a small run of 20 or fewer loads, I use the Imperial sizing wax rubbed between fingers. If I'm doing a larger build, I'll throw the brass in a ziplock bag and shoot the bag with Hornady One Shot. Both give me excellent results. The reason I adjust is that with the Imperial sizing wax, I hand-clean each case after sizing. With larger loads, I do a second wet-tumble to clean off the lube.

 

[IA_shooter]

Thanks for all of the replies guys!

I plan on trying the DCL sprayed in a bag method for the first time today. I did all 800+ pcs of my LC 20 Practical brass and 400 pcs of LC 223 brass via the old method in the last week. I have 5 bags of 200 rounds per bag of LC 223's to do still so I'll try 200 at a time and see how it goes. This old dog is trying to learn new tricks at least.