What's your least favorite reloading step and what have you done to make it easier or faster?

hm1996 said:

Formula for Lanolin and Alcohol Case Lubricant in Reloading​

A common and effective DIY case lube for reloading uses liquid lanolin and 99% isopropyl alcohol. The alcohol helps dissolve and evenly distribute the lanolin, while the lanolin provides a protective film on the case to prevent corrosion and sticking during sizing.

Recommended Ratios​

  • 1:4 to 1:5 ratio (1 part liquid lanolin : 4–5 parts 99% isopropyl alcohol) is widely used and works well Predator Masters+1.
    Example: 4 oz liquid lanolin + 16–20 oz 99% isopropyl alcohol.
  • Some reloaders prefer 12:1 (12 parts alcohol : 1 part lanolin) for a thinner, less gummy feel Ammo Guru+1.
  • Others use 10:1 to 16:1 depending on desired tackiness and ease of cleaning ar15.com.

Preparation Steps​

  1. Gather supplies:
    • Liquid lanolin (pure, no additives)
    • 99% isopropyl alcohol (not 70% rubbing alcohol or 91% with high water content)
    • Spray bottle with measurement markings
    • Small bowl or cup
    • Warm water (for warming ingredients) Ammo Guru+1
  2. Warm the ingredients(optional but helpful):
    • Place the lanolin bottle in warm water (~105–110°F) for several minutes to soften it.
    • Warm the alcohol bottle in the same water bath.
    • Do not heat over an open flame — isopropyl alcohol is highly flammable Predator Masters+1.
  3. Mix:
    • Pour the alcohol into the spray bottle first.
    • Add the measured lanolin (e.g., 1 oz for 12 oz alcohol if using 12:1 ratio).
    • Mix thoroughly. If using a 1:4–1:5 ratio, add more alcohol to reach the target volume.
  4. Cool and store:
    • Let the mixture cool to room temperature, mixing occasionally as it cools.
    • Store in an airtight container to prevent water absorption from the air Predator Masters+1.

Application Tips​

  • Apply a light, even coat to cases before sizing.
  • Let the alcohol evaporate (~5 minutes) before resizing Predator Masters.
  • Properly lubed cases should feel slightly greasy but not slimy.
  • Use sparingly — the lube can stay tacky for a long time Shooters' Forum.
Example DIY batch (12:1 ratio):
  • 12 oz 99% isopropyl alcohol
  • 1 oz liquid lanolin
  • Mix in a spray bottle, let cool, and store.
This method is inexpensive, effective, and avoids the mess of commercial lubes while providing good corrosion protection and smooth sizing Ammo Guru+2.
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THANKS for the recipe... definitely be trying it. :)
 
Nothing about reloading I do like. I'm not a real patient guy but am forced to when reloading.

Handling. 17 cal bullets is a real pain.
 
shoots100 said:
I have two.
Fireforming and Neck sizing.
So I eliminated wildcat cartridges that need fire forming and neck sizing until I got weak and decided to take on a .14 Fireball project that I've had in the works before covid hit that's going to require neck sizing.
Since it's has a little bittie neck I'm willing to look the other way.
SJC
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This sounds interesting
 
Brass prep aka cleaning, trimming, chamfer and deburring, but it has to be done.

I use Lee Collet Dies for every rifle cartridge I load for, and that, of course, eliminates the 'wax on, wax off' procedure.
 
Trimming. Took the handle off of my rcbs trimmer and chucked up a 1/2 DeWalt drill instead. Built a small wood track for the drill to slide back and forth without binding up the trimmer.
Case lube. I use royal case and die lube. Just a small plastic container full of brass and give it a spray and shake it around to coat the brass and it's ready to load.
 
I don't' do any brass prep. Except for the occasional situation where I'm making a wildcat case from another one and some trimming or forming is needed. But almost all the brass for almost all my rifles have never been trimmed. It's not needed. Never been cleaned. Serves no purpose. Never been deburred or chamfered. What is the point?

- DAA
 
DAA said:
I don't' do any brass prep. Except for the occasional situation where I'm making a wildcat case from another one and some trimming or forming is needed. But almost all the brass for almost all my rifles have never been trimmed. It's not needed. Never been cleaned. Serves no purpose. Never been deburred or chamfered. What is the point?

- DAA
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no initial chamfer and debur? I at least do it to virgin brass. my brass prep is done in the beginning, which for some rifles is a neck turn depending on its purpose. I don't worry about the primer pockets or flash holes. just a K&M mandrel expand and a K&M cutting tool that is pre set for that caliber. I just order a new K&M cutting tool and only set them once for each caliber. if I need more 6mm brass. The cutter is already set and cuts the same as whatever the last 6mm I cut regardless of the cartridge. pitch the cutter in the drawer and often times its years before its ever used again. but if I need more cases because of being reckless in the field and throwing them around and case attrition from running too hot of loads or loss after a few years, the cutter is already set to cut another batch exactly the same. The bushings end up being close or the same between calibers, too.

I tumble my brass sometimes, its depending on my mood and what rifle its for. Sometimes I just want some pimp daddy lookin cases, so I will throw them in the cob media and let it rip for a day or so. doesn't matter for shooting them, filthy gross or shinin like a diamond.
 
has anyone ever actually put their eye out because the brass was too long? I have never heard of it actually happening. seems like if it was going to be a problem the brass wouldn't even chamber.
 
shoots100 said:
Clean brass helps in better, more reliable and easier extraction.
Live it, Love it, Learn it.
SJC
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Huh... How does brass get dirty enough for any of that to even come into play? It hasn't, for me. Did buy a tumbler, after 25 years of reloading without one. That was about 25 years ago. Used it twice I think. Seemed like a total PITA for no benefit. Maybe if I get another 20 years in without using one I'll figure out what I'm doing wrong?

- DAA
 
I just tumble because my pea brain likes shiny objects. 😀

20240706_192719.jpg
 
steve garrett said:
has anyone ever actually put their eye out because the brass was too long? I have never heard of it actually happening. seems like if it was going to be a problem the brass wouldn't even chamber.
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If brass gets long enough to enter the freebore area of the chamber, it will not be allowed to expand sufficiently to completely free the bullet, thereby causing a spike in chamber pressure. File:ChamberIllustrationUpdate.png - Wikipedia
I have seen one incident where an M1 garand was blowing primers with a proven load in that rifle. I checked the OAL case length and found it to be (about) .015 or .020" over spec.
No one lost an eye, but a good reason to keep watch on the OAL of your brass.
 
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DAA said:
Huh... How does brass get dirty enough for any of that to even come into play? It hasn't, for me. Did buy a tumbler, after 25 years of reloading without one. That was about 25 years ago. Used it twice I think. Seemed like a total PITA for no benefit. Maybe if I get another 20 years in without using one I'll figure out what I'm doing wrong?

- DAA
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I'm in the same boat. If it doesn't need it what's the point. That being said at the range or while hunting I have been in a hurry and not caught my brass resulting in muddy or sandy cases.
As much as cleaning cases sucks crunchy dies suck even more 🤣
 
DAA said:
Huh... How does brass get dirty enough for any of that to even come into play? It hasn't, for me. Did buy a tumbler, after 25 years of reloading without one. That was about 25 years ago. Used it twice I think. Seemed like a total PITA for no benefit. Maybe if I get another 20 years in without using one I'll figure out what I'm doing wrong?

- DAA
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I said clean, not polish.
Remember, Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
SJC
 
hm1996 said:
If brass gets long enough to enter the freebore area of the chamber, it will not be allowed to expand sufficiently to completely free the bullet, thereby causing a spike in chamber pressure. File:ChamberIllustrationUpdate.png - Wikipedia
I have seen one incident where an M1 garand was blowing primers with a proven load in that rifle. I checked the OAL case length and found it to be (about) .015 or .020" over spec.
No one lost an eye, but a good reason to keep watch on the OAL of your brass.
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yeah i know thats what they say will happen. I am sure I have caused a spike in chamber pressures a time or 2 during the course of my normal loading ;) a M1 garand is slamming the brass violently into the chamber. one aught to feel the long brass when they are closing the bolt on a bolt gun. my auto loaders that see any volume shooting normally get new brass before I fire the brass 3 or 4 times. if for some crazy reason I try to get more firings on the brass than that with my ar 15's I probably should check it. those are sloppy chambers too, so its probably causing the brass to work as well.

for people worried about this and aren't as cowboy as I am with reloading. Sinclair sells inserts that allow you to measure actual neck length or in this case the real max trim length, you can then note this and only trim whats needed.
 
I do measure all of my chambers. It's why I quit trimming cases decades ago. Once I realized that:

- For how I load, none of my cases are ever going to outgrow the chambers. And the cases grow pretty consistently, they don't end up varying by more than a few thousandths over time.

And...

- I can't shoot the difference between all trimmed the same and varying by up to .005 or so. Not off a bench, averaging five shot groups well under .5MOA. Can't tell the difference in group size...

Factory chambers I have measured average .025 longer than book max. That's about .035 over book "trim to". I am sure it is possible, if you really want to try and eff something up, that you could get cases to grow that much before suffering head separations, but I think you would have to work at it and still need some luck to see it happen. For how I load, there's no way it's ever happening.

Everything I shoot now a days except my AR are wildcats with no SAAMI spec to go by and no factory ammo or factory made brass. I haven't messed with a factory chambering for decades, really. With the exception of making shorter cases from longer ones, none of them has ever needed to be trimmed or even came close to needing it.

Chamber%20Length%20Gage.gif.jpg


- DAA
 
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