To lube or not to lube....when seating bullets

[918v]

I use a heaping tablespoon (the kind you eat with not the measuring scoop) of Palmolive Original to .7cc of Lemishine (Lee .7cc dipper) to 1gal of water in a Thumler Model B.

 

[Nimothy]

I use a heaping tablespoon (the kind you eat with not the measuring scoop) of Palmolive Original to .7cc of Lemishine (Lee .7cc dipper) to 1gal of water in a Thumler Model B.

Just regular tap water? Do you have good tap water where you live, or a softener?

 

[918v]

Tap water. I don’t have a water softener because unless you install one when the house is new, it will cause leaks.

 

[BCMulx]

Also I never store any ammo in the garage or in non climate controlled places for very long.

I don't think this is what causes cold welding - think it's galvanic corrosion between the brass and copper

Also - for anyone using Lemishine, pretty sure it's just Straight Citric Acid Powder, which is probably cheaper, I know I've gotten it off Amazon. Sometimes used by backcountry hunters to spray on meat they've just de-boned to lower the PH, help get a crust, prevent bacteria growth, etc.

 

[Spitzer Haus]

I’ve been processing my brass this way for a while and have been super happy:

1. Deprime
2. Wet tumble w/ SS pins and BoreTech case cleaner
3. Pour ALL the brass in a towel, grab the ends (hammock style) and roll the brass to remove the majority of the water
4. Vibratory tumble with white rice (30 min) to completely dry
5. Anneal
Once I’ve completed all of my sizing, trimming, turning processes…

6. Sonic cleaner w/ BoreTech case cleaner to remove ALL case lube
7. Repeat step #3
8. Repeat step #4
9. Prime
10. Neolube 2 necks and aloe to completely dry
11. Charge
12. Seat

It really didn’t seem obsessive until I wrote it all down…

 

[straightshooter1]

I’ve been processing my brass this way for a while and have been super happy:

1. Deprime
2. Wet tumble w/ SS pins and BoreTech case cleaner
3. Pour ALL the brass in a towel, grab the ends (hammock style) and roll the brass to remove the majority of the water
4. Vibratory tumble with white rice (30 min) to completely dry
5. Anneal
Once I’ve completed all of my sizing, trimming, turning processes…

6. Sonic cleaner w/ BoreTech case cleaner to remove ALL case lube
7. Repeat step #3
8. Repeat step #4
9. Prime
10. Neolube 2 necks and aloe to completely dry
11. Charge
12. Seat

It really didn’t seem obsessive until I wrote it all down…

Obsessive . . . nahhh, none of us are obsessive.

I do feel you should do your annealing before your step #2. That way you get that abrasive oxidation layer off so it doesn't have any way to rub on he inside of your sizing dies (an issue, even though you may have plenty of lube in that area).

I rarely wet tumble, but when I do I simply use a heat gun to heat up my brass that's laid out on a towel. The water inside the cases evaporates rather quickly due to the heated cases; takes me about 10 minutes to do that.

I regularly us medium rice in my dry tumbler to remove the lube I use (Imperial Sizing Wax) and as a results, I don't need any lube in the necks for seating.

To me, you simply appear to be putting way more effort than needs be. It took me a little while to refine my process. Maybe you should too???

 

[cruze5]

old thread bump... wow lol
i have never lubed a case neck or bullet in 10 years of reloading
and now i know why some peoples look like factory round out of box! i tumble for sure, but my brass never looks out of box new and i do not care of it doesn't

 

[Old Corps 8541]

Pondering on getting a mandrel set up with 3 different size mandrels for 3 different cases 308, 6 & 6.5 Cm's. Got frustrated with every on line site using some form of AI in their search feature, type in "mandrel die" and you get every "Fn" die they have.
So, where to look for 1 die body and 3 different size mandrels ?

 

[Spitzer Haus]

Obsessive . . . nahhh, none of us are obsessive.

I do feel you should do your annealing before your step #2. That way you get that abrasive oxidation layer off so it doesn't have any way to rub on he inside of your sizing dies (an issue, even though you may have plenty of lube in that area).

I rarely wet tumble, but when I do I simply use a heat gun to heat up my brass that's laid out on a towel. The water inside the cases evaporates rather quickly due to the heated cases; takes me about 10 minutes to do that.

I regularly us medium rice in my dry tumbler to remove the lube I use (Imperial Sizing Wax) and as a results, I don't need any lube in the necks for seating.

To me, you simply appear to be putting way more effort than needs be. It took me a little while to refine my process. Maybe you should too???

Worth considering for sure.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

Pondering on getting a mandrel set up with 3 different size mandrels for 3 different cases 308, 6 & 6.5 Cm's. Got frustrated with every on line site using some form of AI in their search feature, type in "mandrel die" and you get every "Fn" die they have.
So, where to look for 1 die body and 3 different size mandrels ?

KM and mighty armory both have this.

 

[Baron23]

Pondering on getting a mandrel set up with 3 different size mandrels for 3 different cases 308, 6 & 6.5 Cm's. Got frustrated with every on line site using some form of AI in their search feature, type in "mandrel die" and you get every "Fn" die they have.
So, where to look for 1 die body and 3 different size mandrels ?

Try these guys. Die body and either single mandrel or they sell caliber specific kits also. Good product IMO.

Expander Die Body

Expander Die Body Introducing the much anticipated Generation X Expander Die Body with viewing window! Set up of an expander die has not been easier! The viewing window allows the user to set the die to allow for optimal mandrel use without “bottoming out”. Machined out of 7075 Aluminum and...

21stcenturyinnovation.com

 

[Snuby642]

Pondering on getting a mandrel set up with 3 different size mandrels for 3 different cases 308, 6 & 6.5 Cm's. Got frustrated with every on line site using some form of AI in their search feature, type in "mandrel die" and you get every "Fn" die they have.
So, where to look for 1 die body and 3 different size mandrels ?

Sinclair mandrell die and the mandrells you need brownells should have them.

I even run my 223 ar brass through them.

 

[Pav67]

Look into the porter precision products expander.It uses er11 collets and pin gages.It’s a great design that’s well machined ,simple and effective.Collets and pin gages can be purchased thru them or eBay and come in endless sizes and tolerances relatively cheap

 

[Bruce K]

This is one of those things that only matters in your head unless you're shooting one of these:View attachment 7342435

I seriously doubt anyone here could give you data showing increased precision because they lube their necks. There are multiple ways to get consistent neck tension, and seating with some dry lube is one.

I anneal and I seat with dry lube. It's not because I swear by it and can attest that it works, but it's because I read too much shit on the internet and I feel it falls under the category of primum non nocere (first do no harm).

We get most of this shit from the BR community, and new shooters think you need BR levels of precision to become a great marksman. The number of Terminators shooting store bought ammo belies this misunderstanding.

Most working snipers, or seasoned instructors, and most competitors are way past under what fractions of a minute their rifles shoot. It's a MOA rifle or it isn't. 20 or 30 shot groups actually tell the story.

The only person, I know of, who takes the time to actually test and answer questions like this is Bryan Litz, and his results on neck lube were a wash.

There is an in-depth thread on it over on the machinist/non-marksman site.
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/working-with-neck-lube-as-a-means-to-reduce-sd-es.3950036/


It's either shoots under a minute or it don't. If it does it's good to go. If not you can still shoot an ungulate with it.

Bryan Litz brings a level of testing long over due and his books and podcasts are a recommended read for all those interested in ballistics. One of his classic podcasts was with Erik Cortina on tuners.