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stupid LUBE question

Make sure the entire case length has lube. the lower half of the case is the largest and has the most surface area to adhere to the walls of the die. The case is slightly tapered so if the base area is lubed well it should come out. You can always stop the stroke during sizing if you feel a slight drag to avoid the case sticking. Just lower the ram and put a little more lube on it and continue on.
 
Hillbilly,
I am a imperial supporter I’ve used it for years and even get it on shoulders and necks sometimes and have never had a issue but it takes very little lube. One shot on the other hand they want you to spray it into the necks and you need to let it sit a while after spraying before sizing. Maybe you have a excess buildup of lube in your die?.. I’m like jepp2 I haven’t dented a case in years!...knock on wood!....
Wayne
;)I use imperial also and after 100 reloads I clean the inside of my reloading die with brake fluid and a cotton bore brush .:rolleyes: Just saying
 
I've used every lube know and I have never stuck a case that was lubed. I have stuck cases that were not lubed. If all the other cases in this batch sized ok I wouldn't be overly concerned about the lube. It's a possibility that the stuck cased was missed in the lubing process.
 
I just had the second stuck case of my short reloading career, can I use too much Imperial lube? I used to use Hornady one shot, but I kept getting dents in cases from it building up in my dies.

thanks

What brand and type resizing die are you using?

You stated you kept getting dents in your cases when using Hornady One Shot. Hornady One Shot is a dry film lube, and once it is dry it does not flow, move or build up. The most forgotten step when using One Shot is the cleaning and removing any other type lube and then spraying One Shot into the sizing die. Meaning if you mix lubes you will have hard sizing and stuck cases.

Any case lube if too much is applied will flow upward and cause dented shoulders. And all my reloading manuals tell you to wipe the neck and shoulder off before sizing.

When using Imperial case lube I touch one finger into the lube and apply a very thin film to the case.

My WAG is your die might be rough and improperly polished or your cases are dirty or improperly cleaned and increasing the drag.

Any solvent can be used to clean a die, spray break cleaner, carb cleaner, paint thinner, etc. and most die manufactures tell you to clean new dies with Hoppes bore cleaner.
 
Last edited:
What brand and type resizing die are you using?

You stated you kept getting dents in your cases when using Hornady One Shot. Hornady One Shot is a dry film lube, and once it is dry it does not flow, move or build up. The most forgotten step when using One Shot is the cleaning and removing any other type lube and then spraying One Shot into the sizing die. Meaning if you mix lubes you will have hard sizing and stuck cases.

Any case lube if too much is applied will flow upward and cause dented shoulders. And all my reloading manuals tell you to wipe the neck and shoulder off before sizing.

When using Imperial case lube I touch one finger into the lube and apply a very thin film to the case.

My WAG is your die might be rough and improperly polished or your cases are dirty or improperly cleaned and increasing the drag.

Any solvent can be used to clean a die, spray break cleaner, carb cleaner, paint thinner, etc. and most die manufactures tell you to clean new dies with Hoppes bore cleaner.
LEE full length
 
"I've had good results with Royal lube. Never a stuck case and smooth sizing. It's somewhat thinner and wipes off easily."

Have been using the Royal lube for about 7 years. A little goes a looong way. I spray a couple quick shots into a 1/2 gallon zip lock, put in 30 or so .222-.223 size cases or 20-25 .308-30-06 cases, zip it shut and knead the cases around for 30-45 seconds. They size smoothly and have not had a case stick.

The .308, '06 and .223 cases I am resizing have been shot in semi-auto service rifles.
 
I started using it today. Best case lube ive used in 48 yrs. Wipes off easily and completely. Super slick and prevents rust. I put 30 cases in a bowl, 1 pump and shake and size. Gonna use it inside the necks also. A little goes a long way.
 
It might happen tomorrow but I have never stuck 1 case, I have sure thought I was going to though. I use an rcbs lube pad and rcbs case lube. Knock on wood it’s never let me down.
 
Imperial for about the last 5 years. I have used the Lee, Hornady One-Shot (had my one and only stuck case with it), and Dillon spray lube. Imperial has worked best for me with the Dillon in second place.
 
Not all dies are created equal. Some dies have a slightly rougher finish on the inside. A slightly rougher finish will require more force to size a case and will make the die much more susceptible to sticking cases. I normally polish the inside of all my sizing dies to a mirror finish with a good metal polish such as Flitz. It's pretty easy to do and can be done by hand.
After a good polishing of the die interior, cases require much less lube (no matter what lube you are using) and the sizing process generally requires a lot less force. The chances of sticking a case are greatly reduced.
 
Not all dies are created equal. Some dies have a slightly rougher finish on the inside. A slightly rougher finish will require more force to size a case and will make the die much more susceptible to sticking cases. I normally polish the inside of all my sizing dies to a mirror finish with a good metal polish such as Flitz. It's pretty easy to do and can be done by hand.
After a good polishing of the die interior, cases require much less lube (no matter what lube you are using) and the sizing process generally requires a lot less force. The chances of sticking a case are greatly reduced.
A “rougher” finish creates space for lube to reside in the non-contacting areas. There’s a balance to be had between “rough” and perfectly contacting surfaces as the latter are prone to becoming taper locked.
 
Sometimes it has nothing to do with the lube. If your shell holder has a poor fit, you’ll pull the rim off with very little effort.

My Lee shell holder in .223 was giving me stuck cases. Redding fit much tighter and I’ve not had one stick since.

I’m a fan of the Hornady wax. Sort of like Imperial wax souped up.
 

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