Too much lube?

[GAR700]

I have recently started reloading and have run into a slight problem. While sizing brass for my 30-06 I ran into some rounds that are harder to cycle through the press than others. When I apply enough pressure to run them through they often come out with a dent on the shoulder of the case. Is this a problem of too much lube?

Rock Chucker press
RCBS case lube and pad
RCBS Dies

What do I do with the cases with a dented shoulder? Can I load them anyway? Will I notice any negative affects from loading them?

Any input is very appreciated,

GAR

[VaFisher]

Sounds like the sizing die is set a little to deep and you are putting excessive preasure on the shoulder, just back off a little until this problem goes away.

[wncchester]

" When I apply enough pressure to run them through they often come out with a dent on the shoulder of the case. Is this a problem of too much lube?"

Yep.

Be sure to lube the lower part of each case will or you will have a stuck case in a minute! But the upper portion, especially the shoulder and neck, need very little lube. Any excess lube trapped up there WILL form hydraulic dents in your case's shoulders.

I prefer Imperial Die Wax lube to all others. It's clean, easy to apply with just finger tips, lubes well and does not cause lube dents, and it's really easy to wipe off after you finish loading.

If you don't have any Imperial, or if it will be hard to get, just go to Walmart's shoe department and get an inexpensive tin of Kiwi "Mink Oil" boot treatment. It's really a soft wax just like Imperial and does just as good a job with cases.

[tom234]

The condition you report also appears to me due to too much case lube. I've had dented shoulders in the past when being overzealous using the RCBS lube pad as well. Since I shifted to Dillon spray lube shoulder dents abated.
When cases seem harder to size I applied a scant amount of lube to the inside of the case neck [every 5-10 cases] to lubricating the sizing ball. I also found that when I started using spray lube enough lube found it's way into the case necks that I didn't have to worry about the sizing ball.
Small shoulder dents are not a problem. Just continue loading; they will be blown out during the next firing.

[GAR700]

Thanks for the information. I think I will work on alternatives to using the RCBS lube pad. Is spray lube best or should I find something that is manually applied? Of course I would like the easiest way but ... just because it is easy doesn't make it right. So let me know if the easy way and the right way are two different methods for case lubing.

[Smokey Joe]

Gar 700--Easiest lubing is done when you neck-size-only the brass, or use a carbide sizing die on straight-wall cases. In these instances, no lube is used--zero, zip, nada. So no lube cleanup.

For this reason, I have come to be very fond of neck-sizing my bottleneck cases with a Lee Collet Neck-sizing Die--Does a great job, and of course no lube to mess with.

If lube is needed, as in FL sizing bottle-neck cases, the easiest for me is the Imperial Sizing Die Wax route. Smear A LITTLE on, with thumb and forefinger, size the case and you're done.

Have also used RCBS lube pad and lube, and it really isn't much bother. But too much lube on the shoulder of the case will cause dents, as you discovered, which will fire-form out, no problem, as Tom 234 said.

The easiest way to clean cases of either kind of lube is to re-tumble the cases after sizing. Then you have to check the flash holes for clogging with tumbling medium. But much less hassle, IMHO, than washing or wiping each case by hand, unless you are reloading a very small run.

Your Rockchucker press is the Gold Standard of single-stage presses, and RCBS dies are also just fine for the FL sizing.

[dodgestdshift]

Don't worry about it. I would rather have small dents than a stuck case. My few dents have never given me a problem.