Since I got my tumbler last xmas I've only reloaded straight walled pistol cases. I've been using ground corn cobs from wal-mart's pet section for media. Everything has gone well. Yesterday I tumbled some 223 cases. Went to check them and they are jammed full of corn cobs. Digging with a dental pick won't get it out. Looks like I'll have to use a drill bit or else just trash the cases.
So what now? Do I have to buy some high priced ground walnut hulls from Midway? Any other ideas?

I've never tried the corn cob media, but I can tell you the walnut media lasts for YEARS of use - at least at the rate I reload. I couldn't even tell you how many years I've been using the walnut media in my vibrating tumbler... FWIW the cost is still very minimal considering how long it lasts.

I use the corn cob from Mid Way and haven`t had any trouble with it, except it tends to jam in the flash holes. If you tumble then size, the deprimeing pin cleans them right up. I think the Mid Way stuff is smaller then the pet store stuff and this might have some effect on the sticking. I`ve also noticed if I add too much polish to the tumbler media it causes it to clump and gather in the cases. This might be a part of your problem if you use a additive.

I use the corn cob stuff. Yes it fills the cases but I never have any trouble just dumping it out with maybe a couple of light taps. I have done 223's and 22-250. Maybe that stuff is a little too coarse. I do check each flash hole and have a pointed tool to clear if needed. I will buy walnut shells for my next refill.

Max, there are two different sizes of the corn cob media and the walnut hulls for that matter. The larger size gives me fits with the .223 case but the smaller doesnt.

On an almost related note, I decided one time it would be nice if you could use sawdust as a tumbling medium. It's free, it's plentiful, and it lets you save corncobs for other things.

Don't do it. I tried it on a batch of 30-06 cases. Sawdust comes in all different sizes. Some pieces are a good tight fit in the primer pockets. Other long curly pieces fit nicely in the necks of the cases, keeping the sawdust from being shake-out-able. I ended up having to empty some cases with tweezers.

Did the cases come clean? I don't recall. I only remember not to ever use sawdust again.

H. C.

I suspect that corncobs are very slow burning and would not give satisfactory velocity in the .223.

Use compressed air. Get an air nozzle with the rubber tip and shove it into the primer pocket and give it a quick shot. Don't look into the case while doing this.

That stuff from Walmart/Petsmart,etc works great for straight walled cases but is too big for bottlenecked. Try a feed store if you'r in a rural area and tell them you want 1/8th grind corn cob bedding material. Around here its about $15 for 40+ lbs. The Walmart stuff is 1/4 grind.

If there's a decent sized pet supply store in your area, ask for ground walnut shells. they should have them. Pound for pound, you might pay a bit more than you would for the type you buy from shooting supply houses, but it's the same thing.
Corn cob media works, as many will testify, but I've found that walnut media works better and lasts for a much longer time. And walnut media will NOT jam in small caliber bottleneck cases. I've used it in calibers from .223 up to .45-70 and have never had a problem.
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

I have the same problem, here's my solution:
(do this over a bowl in front of the television because it's boring).

Straighten out a heavy paperclip. Poke the wire into the flash hole of the primer pocket from the rear of the case.

The jammed together corncob will spill into the bowl.
Repeat.

Garrett

I have used corn cob for a long time on everthing from .223 to 30/06 and never had any packing problems. But make sure to get the finest you can get for the bottle cases. Walnut hulls are even better.

As Puncher said the pet store ground walnut shells are affordable and work well. From this forum in the past I also learned to add ever so often as needed about a heeping tablespoon of Bon Ami and a few squirts of orange 409. roger

Max503,
This happens to my 223 brass also. It is especially a problem with the 22 caliber cartridges. As someone mentioned, media too damp will cause this. I have had dry media do it also. I dump the vibrated cases into a strainer to get the bulk of the media away. I then put the cases back into the vibrator, with no media, and let them RATTLE for a couple of minutes. It is very noisy!!! Sometimes this will knock most of the media from the inside of the cases--sometimes not. Small-necked cases are a problem for sure. Good-luck...BCB

Bartsche,

Is that BonAmi and 409 a combo for case polishing in walnutshell media? Elaborate please? How much is used? I'd like to try it!

When are you guys gonna learn that a cartridge case is not a cat, or a gerbil, or anything with legs?

With pretreated media (both corncorb and walnut) costing only around $1 per pound, and 2 pounds will last several thousand cases, why not wuit fooling around to save 3-cents?

Even though Steve already beat me to it: Reloading supplies are not sold at the pet store.

A little warning on corncob, though: It does not always push easily through the flash-hole. I've had some harder pieces break de-capping pins, not once, but twice. In one instance the entire shaft was bent.

I still use the corncob, but I religiously utilize a de-capping die, now, prior to tumbling. A toothpick, or similar, is often still necessary to clear the flash-hole, afterward.

RSY

quote:

Originally posted by Max503:
Since I got my tumbler last xmas I've only reloaded straight walled pistol cases. I've been using ground corn cobs from wal-mart's pet section for media. Everything has gone well. Yesterday I tumbled some 223 cases. Went to check them and they are jammed full of corn cobs. Digging with a dental pick won't get it out. Looks like I'll have to use a drill bit or else just trash the cases.
So what now? Do I have to buy some high priced ground walnut hulls from Midway? Any other ideas?

The coarse grind corn cob from Walmart is too coarse for brass tumbling, which is why your .223's are packed full and won't empty just by turning them upside down. I've used the Walmart stuff, but first run it through a sieve so that I just get the little pieces. That works okay, but it also reduces your volume to about 1/6th of what you begin with and is very inefficient. (Use the rest of the WalCobbs in Crown Royal sacks for an excellent and lightweight benchrest bag -- much superior for field use to sandbags.)

Though it is not as aggressive a cleaner as walnut shell, I like corncob better because it doesn't leave the heavy brown residue that walnut shell does.

You may also try to buy your media from a company that provides a sand blasting or polishing service. I have purchased some walnut media from one such company, $35.00 for 50lb's. It works great.

I bought 15# of corn cob on sale from Midway 2 years ago and it's still going strong. I also use a Lyman product called "Tufnut" which is Walnut hulls treated with Jeweler's Rouge. I tried the pet store stuff and threw it away after the first use.

Rick

Here's one noone has touched on yet, do you put your polish in at the same time you start up the tumbler? I had a similar problem then figured out to pretreat the media before the brass is thrown in to prevent clumping.

The reason I'm looking for an easily available and inexpensive media is that I mostly shoot cast bullets, the lube residue is dirty, and it quickly saturates the media. Looks like I'll have to buy some walnut hulls to use only on rifle cartridges shot with jacketed bullets. Like I said, the wal-mart corn cobs work great for sooty 44 cases.
Thanks for all the replys. Think I'll try some of that finely ground cob bedding from the feedstore.

If your media gets filthy, tear some strips from a paper towel about an inch wide and toss tehm in there too. The strips will get filthy and leave the media clean.