Media and 223

[Prof Young]

Loaders:
So I made the mistake of tumbling my 223 for a long time with corn cob media and then spent a good hour digging the media out of the cleaned brass. What media will do the job and not stay clogged up in the brass?
Live well and be safe.
Prof Young

[rocky.223]

I have only been reloading for about a year now and use cabelas corn cob media. I tumble for about an hour, run them through the sizer-decapper, then tumble for a few more hours. I have not had any issues other than a few bits clogging the flash hole. Those get cleared when I brush out the primer pocket. hasn't been time consuming at all. Just my two cents, hope it helps.

p.s. I definitely don't use any polishers or other compounds because it did get a little sticky and clogged up a bit more.

[ScottRiqui]

Are you just talking about stray grains sticking in the flash hole, or are the cases getting packed with media? I get grains stuck in the flash hole with corncob media, but not with ground walnut shell media.

[medalguy]

No idea why you're getting media stuck in the brass. What kind of media are you using, and what's the grade? Are you using amy polishing compound, and if so are you running the media and polish a few minutes to mix the polish with the media before adding the brass? And is the media sticking inside the case or just in the flash hole? That's pretty common.

I polish .223 all the time and I've never had media stick INSIDE the brass, ever. Something ain't right. More details?

[Prof Young]

Loaders:
I'm using cob media I bought at Wal-Mart pet dept., and there is some polish compound mixed in.

The cases are getting packed full of the media and I have to "dig" then out.

Live well, be safe.
Prof Young

[ScottRiqui]

Well, the media may be the wrong grade (too fine or too coarse), or you've used way too much polishing compound. Or possibly you're having severe humidity/moisture issues.

If you have any fresh media left, I'd run a batch with no polishing compound and see if you still have problems. For corncob media, I use the relatively-cheap Frankford Arsenal stuff. If the pet store is your only option, Zilla sells ground English walnut shell media for use as reptile bedding, and it makes a dandy polishing media. You can look it up online under the name "lizard litter".

[jcwit]

The media you're using is waaaaaaaaaaaay to big, and it was made for bedding not for tumbling.

Here's what to use

http://www.drillspot.com/products/52...bs_blast_media

Costs $32.90 for a 40 lb bag, shipped right to your door, its fine enought to not clog the cases, primer pockets or even the flash holes. Works like a charm, add a capful of liquid auto polish to the first tumbler full, wait a short for the polish to dry, run tumbler 10/15 minutes to distribute the polish and add the cases. Lots of folks like to use Nu-Finish polish but just about any liquid polish will work just fine. Mothers, MaGuires, any of them.

BTW, don't add polish every time, when it seems to be taking to long add another capful. This is a case where less is more.

[DeadCenter]

I've been using walnut shell lizzard bedding from Petco and Nu-Finsh. It works great, doesn't clog the flash hole and is cheap.

[dacaur]

yea, I tried the stuff from walmart too, it worked fine for 9mm, 45acp, 40S&W, .308, .30-06, .300 savage. and 30-30. Then the first time I did .223, I spent half an hour digging media out of the cases... its just too big for .223, but works ok for everything else.... Me though, Im done with it, I will just break down and buy some made for reloading....

If you do a LOT of tumbling, and dont do any .22 cal, its probably worthwhile, otherwise, stay away.....

I use the walnut from petco too, the only downside to that is the dust....

[jepp2]

I have tried many different types/sizes of media. General rule is that the finer the media is, the quieter it is in your tumbler and the easier it will empty from the case. I use the 20/40 sieve size. It will rarely get hung up in the flash hole and cleans just as well as any other size.

I find the walnut hull media (I get mine from Harbor Freight - the fine walnut blast media) tends to clean better, and my corn cob from the DrillSpot link already provided tends to polish better. I also use additives to improve the cleaning and polishing.

Most of what I tumble is 223 brass.

[Edward429451]

Yea, what you are using is too coarse. Walnut shell media is better for dry tumbling, but it will get a piece in the flashhole in 223 sometimes. I use my Lee Zip Trim to poke out the flashholes as I inspect the brass.

[beex215]

i too had to dig out the corn from the 223 for a good 2-3 hours. it was only 250 cases too. works fine for 30cal on up

[CrustyFN]

Walnut and corn cob both work good. You bought the wrong corn cob. The corn from the pet store is too large grain. You need to buy blasting cob like a 14/20 or 20/40. Walnut from the pet store will work fine.

[Wyoredman]

Try holding the brass upside down against the all-thread center post of your vibratory tumbler while it is running. The vibations from the tumbler will loosen the media and it will fall out of the cases! It is still a pain, but is much faster and you don't have to "dig" the stuff out of each one!

[mohr308]

Im with rocky, I use the Cabelas corn cob (green) and I use the same process he does also.

[Prof Young]

Loaders:

Thanks so much. Clearly the size of the media I'm using it too big for 223. Will investigate all your suggestions and gets something smaller.

Live well, be safe.
Prof Young

[603Country]

I use the Harbor Freight walnut shell media. Some will get stuck in the flash hole from time to time and if I'm reloading pistol I use my workshop air compressor to blow the hole clear. It's really fast doing it that way. Wear safety glasses. If I'm doing just 30 or 50 rifle cases, I just push out the flashhole jam with a small piece of wire.

[chris in va]

Ditto, harbor freight walnut media.

[dacaur]

I tried tumbling after decapping and didnt see a difference in primer pocket cleanliness so I dont bother... If I did want to tumble without primers though, I would just get a universal decapping die, decap, tumble, then size afterward, and the depriming pin would push any media out of the hole...

I tumble first with walnut, then with corncob for shine and to remove the walnut dust....

[Wyoredman]

Also, you might considder tumbling again after sizing to remove case lube.

[jcwit]

I rinse my cases in gas to remove the case lube. I know, it gas, be careful, it can cause a fire, but note also, I fill my lawnmower with gas and have spilled it doing that also. Who has not overfilled a Coleman lantern or stove using the little aluminum funnel.

[CrustyFN]

I tumble the rounds after they are loaded to remove the lube.

[dacaur]

I rinse my cases in gas to remove the case lube. I know, it gas, be careful, it can cause a fire, but note also, I fill my lawnmower with gas and have spilled it doing that also. Who has not overfilled a Coleman lantern or stove using the little aluminum funnel.

Sure, but you fill you lawnmower and lantern outdoors where the fumes dissipate quickly... where do you do your reloading?

[eldorendo]

Pet store corn cob is way too coarse for brass cleaning. I get 1420 corn cob from places like Harbor Freight, that sell sandblasting media. I mix the corn cob 50/50 with pet store walnut and add a couple of caps of Nufinish. Works great for me.

[dgood71]

+1 to the Drillspot 20/40 grit corncob media. I had exactly the same problem with green Lyman cob media getting stuck in my flash holes. I had used a bent paperclip to poke it out and it took forever. After searching for a solution I found out about the 20/40 grit media and bought a bag -- 40 LBS shipped to my door was about $27. (one heck of a lot cheaper than the Lyman stuff at the gun shop) I spent another $8 on a bottle of Dillon rapid polish and I've had beautiful brass and no clogged flash holes since. Best $35 I ever spent -- and I'll probably never have to buy polishing media again, as a 40 lb bag will last me a long, long, long time.

Here's a link to the media I bought. It looks like the price went up a few bucks since I bought mine, it's now $33.

http://www.drillspot.com/products/52...bs_blast_media