casing lube

[Steve]

When I earned to load ammunition, for rife you always cleaned off any case lube when done. Started with a Lee Loader for 30:06 in the mid 70s, then used a turret press followed by a progressive in maybe 2009. I load both pistol and rifle.

I hand-load the hunting rounds and max loads for my 45 colt. The target loads I shoot are all loaded for me by a close friend. They are a 250 gr cast bullet chrographing at 1,020 fps. He enjoys loading as much as I do, and all he is charging me is for components so I just buy them from him.

On to the lube, Jim lubes all his casings before loading with Hornady one shoot case lube , but he never cleans it off. This gets my hands sticky and dirty, which get my rifle sticky and dirty.

I don't want a grungy rifle. I started soaking the cartridges in soapy water for 30 minutes. Rince them with hot water and dry them on a towel. Doesn't hurt them a bit.

[clovishound]

Personally, I would just wipe them off with a dry cloth. They are unlikely to have water enter the case, but why take a chance?

I use water soluble case lube, and after it dries, there is no need to clean them.

[ditto1958]

I use the Lee stuff. Lots less messy than Hornady, and it's water soluble. It probably wouldn't hurt anything to not clean it off.

[isldtime]

The best thing to do is use a carbide sizing die or lube and size before putting them in the tumbler for cleaning but, remember to clean out the primer hole before priming.
BTW, I have hand loaded 300gr. Sierra soft points on top of 20.3gr. of W-296 That should be good for 1250 fps in a long barrel but have only used them in my Ruger Blackhawk and lived to tell about it!!

[Steve]

Thanks for the advice fellows but this is so easy a method of cleaning them I will continue. I have washed 1,000 plus finished cartridges and have not had a single failure to fire.

I think it was an Old Lyman manual that taught me that lube left on the case would increase pressure against the bolt locking lugs at the moment of ignition. Make sense to me, I'll keep the lube cleaned off.

[Rugerfanboy]

When I earned to load ammunition, for rife you always cleaned off any case lube when done. Started with a Lee Loader for 30:06 in the mid 70s, then used a turret press followed by a progressive in maybe 2009. I load both pistol and rifle.

I hand-load the hunting rounds and max loads for my 45 colt. The target loads I shoot are all loaded for me by a close friend. They are a 250 gr cast bullet chronographing at 1,020 fps. He enjoys loading as much as I do, and all he is charging me is for components so I just buy them from him.

On to the lube, Jim lubes all his casings before loading with Hornady one shoot case lube , but he never cleans it off. This gets my hands sticky and dirty, which get my rifle sticky and dirty.

I don't want a grungy rifle. I started soaking the cartridges in soapy water for 30 minutes. Rinse them with hot water and dry them on a towel. Doesn't hurt them a bit.

I don't understand the point your trying to make in your post. Why don't you reload all of your own ammo...??? It seems you have all the equipment needed for reloading.

Since you don't like him not cleaning off the case lube, tell him about it.

[tx gunrunner]

I've used this for 30 yrs and you never need to clean it off because once it dry it is dry and not sticky . It help to keep brass clean .... Read the reviews

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/75849 ... ub#details

[Steve]

I hand-load the hunting rounds and max loads for my 45 colt. The target loads I shoot are all loaded for me by a close friend. They are a 250 gr cast bullet chronographing at 1,020 fps. He enjoys loading as much as I do, and all he is charging me is for components so I just buy them from him.

I'm sorry I didn't get back sooner on this Rugerfanboy. The reason I don't load my practice rounds for the 45 colt is because Jim is a very good friend and likes to reload as much as I do he only charges for components, he has reloaded 45colt for a few decades. He wants to load them and I'm not going to tell him no.