I am pretty new to reloading and i have a question. first off my setup: lee 4 hole turret press with the safety prime and auto disk, lee rifle and pistol dies.

now the question, when i reload for .40SW i dont use the case lube (as the dies are carbide and say they dont need it) and everything works great. However when i reload rifle (.223 and .22-250 ) calibers it doesnt go as smoothly. I use hornady's one shot spray case lube, i have tried spraying a ton on spraying a little on etc, but when i resize them the whole shell doesnt go into the resizing die (withou considerable force applied) the shells always seem to stop about a 1/4" from the end of the die where as with the pistol it goes all the way with little to no pressure.

So do i need to change something that i am doing or do i just not need to resize the whole case. (ITS a full length sizing die)

THANKS Adam

Adam,
When using One Shot spray lube, you need to hold the can above the cases and angle it at about 45 degrees so you get some spray on the inside of the necks, as well as the outside of the cases. I then turn the loading block (holding the cases) a third of a turn and repeat the process untill I get all sides of the cases, inside the neck and the outside the case.

As far as the proper depth of the full length resizing die, it is best to follow the directions which come with the die set. Lee dies work very well, but you must read the instructions to get them to work properly.

I would also suggest reading the reloading manuals on the subject of seating die use. If you are using the ammo in only one rifle, it is possible to set up the die so that it just touches the shoulder and creates the best fit in a gun's chamber.

But untill you get acustomed to using the sizing die, I would suggest following the instructions.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Mike

Some force is required to size rifle cases in relation to sizeing handgun. The reason the force is felt in the last 1/4" of ram movement is because this is the point of accual sizeing. The die normally contacts the case body fully only in the last little bit of movement with tapered bottle neck cases.
I have not used any of the "spray" lubes. I lived on RCBS lube & pad for years and since have went to Imperial wax. I can say Imperial sizeing wax is about the slickest stuff out there. I recommend it fully.

What you need to change is that Hornady One Shot. It's marginal as lube. Under optimal conditions, it works, but any of a half dozen factors can cause stuck cases.

I'm going to get half a dozen guys singing the praises of One Shot, because they've never had a problem. That only means that they have not had a problem yet. If their dies are slightly rough, their cases a bit oversized, the rims a bit weak, they are going to have a problem.

I just saw the comment about Imperial. It's good stuff, works fine, but is a little pricy and slow to apply. You'd be better off buying a pound of anhydrous lanolin off the net. That's roughly a lifetime supply and should be under $15. The Lee case lube has always worked well for me, and it's available everywhere.

When I am sizing a lot of rifle brass (like 223 or 308) I use WD-40 as the sizing lube.
Spray it on liberally..get some inside the necks.

When you're done, toss the cases in a pail with hot soapy water (dishwashing detergent is great), soak, rinse and you're done.

It's great when you're doing 100 or more cases.

Garrett

quote:

Originally posted by Ol` Joe:
Some force is required to size rifle cases in relation to sizeing handgun. The reason the force is felt in the last 1/4" of ram movement is because this is the point of accual sizeing. The die normally contacts the case body fully only in the last little bit of movement with tapered bottle neck cases.
I have not used any of the "spray" lubes. I lived on RCBS lube & pad for years and since have went to Imperial wax. I can say Imperial sizeing wax is about the slickest stuff out there. I recommend it fully.

how much force though, i am having do push extremely hard, my bench is just a basic 2x4's and 1/2" plywood and i swear its gonna break the bench going in and coming out????? as for getting lube inside the neck i have sprayed a q-tip with the one shot snd swabbed the neck still its just as hard. I have read the directions on the dies many times, i even took the die apart and cleaned it? as for using Wd-40 as case lube isnt that supposed to be hard on the primers?

Try cleaning the inside of your dies with some gun solvent. You might have to much lube and other dirt built up inside. I use Hornady dies (havent had the best luck with them either) and this seems to help with them.

You don't need to resize the whole case IF THE SIZED CASES go back into your chamber easily with the die set the way it is now.

I suspect your problem is due to inadequate lubrication, but your rifle may have a little extra headspace, which would cause the shoulder to be blown forward somewhat on firing, which would make shoving the case all the way into the die difficult. (However, this condition is not likely!!)

Try this: Lube a case for sizing, then "smoke" the neck/shoulder area with a match. Now size it with the die set the way you have it now. Then inspect the case. How far up the neck did the die reach? If it did not touch the shoulder, then the current setup is OK, provided the cases re-enter your chamber without excessive force being required. If the cases won't rechamber easily, you will have t set the die down into the press more to size the case a little more, and you will most likely have to use a lube that will make this easier to do. I use RCBS case lube, which is a thick oil that is applied via a stamp pad saturated with it.

Actually, as long as the neck is sized enough to firmly grip the new bullet, that's enough! The less brass is worked, the longer it will last.....

I don't beileve your problem is due to Lee dies. The ones I have work satisfactorily.

alright problem soved and damnit do i feel stupid. I was setting the cases down on my rcbs lube pad liberally spraying them and then gave em a roll, now i stood them up and sprayed them made a world of difference went from using all my strength to hardly any at all thanks guys

You need make sure you get enough lube on those cases or you will pull one of those wimpy .223 rims off trying to pull the case out of the die.