I would like to hear from folks about there views and the pro's and cons about a practice I use when I seat bullets. I do use the graphite case neck lube when neck sizing bottle neck cartridges, but I also swirl the bullet base around in the powdered lube just prior to placing and seating each bullet, then of course give each completed cartridge a good wipe down. Any drawbacks to this?

Without crimping, the bullet is held in the case neck by friction. Lubing the bullet prior to seating would reduce the friction that holds the bullets in the cases that are in the magazine, so these bullets may start to pull out when the bullet in the chamber is fired.

I think the goal is consistent bullet/neck grip and seating depth and with "lubed" bullets you'll have neither especially if the bullet pushes back into the case under recoil in the magazine box.

You'd also have to be way more careful in the field with your ammo in the pouch etc.

With a single-feed target rifle there wouldn't be an issue but I still wouldn't do it for a single shot hunting rifle where the ammo might see a little rugged use in the field.

Just my 2 cents,
Zeke

Primer and bullet glue is one thing. Where did you ever get this idea, Wes? Moly the bullets instead?

Don't do it with jacketed bullets; they do not need lube of any kind. Cast lead bullets? They already have lube on them, sometimes graphite too, so I suppose in that case you aren't doing any harm there.

objective is consistent neck tension, a good thing, then the first issue would be consistent inside neck diameter. I would next address the surface of the brass. Running a brass bristle brush in and out of the neck will help assure consistency.

Ok thanks guy's, there all good enough reasons for me to discontinue the practice. I started the practice because I thought it would reduce spot friction on the case grip and allow a more uniform release of the bullet, my bad. But just as a note, you couldn't pull or move the bullet at all by hand, and when when pulling bullets with the inertia hammer it takes the same amount of whacks to spit the bullet from the case.

I clean my cases by wet tumbling before sizing and apply graphite inside the case necks before sizing. Many competitive shooters do not like wet tumbling because the the bullets will "cold weld" to the inside of the case neck. Meaning they leave the built up carbon in the case necks to get more uniform bullet release.

If you do not lube the inside of the case necks they can become distorted and increase neck runout.

Below is a closeup photo of the expander from a "NEW" RCBS full length die. And if you do not lube the inside of the case neck this expander will grip the case neck like a Tiger Paw snow tire.



Bottom line I lube the inside of the case neck when sizing. And reapply graphite with a Q-tip just before bullet seating. But again I wet tumble and want a film of something between the bullet and case.

I also wet tumble all my brass, I just really like the way it cleans.

quote:

Originally posted by Wes62:
I also wet tumble all my brass, I just really like the way it cleans.

Graphite is a crystalline form of carbon, and I read about applying it inside the case necks at accurateshooter.com reloading forum. It puts a film boundary layer between the bullet and case neck for wet tumbled brass.

The subject came about because the bullet will actually bond to the case neck of wet tumbled brass. And some of the competitive shooters do not wet tumble or sonic clean their cases and keep the carbon buildup in their necks.

I'm doing basically what you are doing when resizing using graphite dipping the neck in graphite. The expander then smears the graphite/carbon inside the case neck. And then just before seating the bullet the inside of the neck gets a quick twist with a Q-tip dipped in graphite.

I guess this makes me a double dipper.

I don't use it.

After I started using Lee collet neck sizing dies, runout was greatly reduced, and no lube of any kind was necessary. If I were using FL sizing dies, I would lube the case, obviously, just for the FL sizing operation. I would never use lube to seat bullets.

For my .348 Win I bought a neck expander die from RCBS that opens the neck for cast bullets. It expands the neck on the up stroke which is a lot easier than pulling it over the expander plug in the sizing die. I removed the plug from the sizer, and no longer need to lube inside the neck. It works with jacketed bullets, too.

I don't lube bullets, in fact I in many cases will turn 1 to as many as 3 thousands off of the expander ball to get a tighter fitting bullet, especially on big bore rifles..But I am a hunter first and foremost, and reliability and functions rates over all else.

I've read alot about "cold welding". Never seen it. All of my rifle brass is ultra sonic cleaned. Won't say it doesn't exist but factory ammo isn't lubed.

That RCBS expander looks rough.