Using non-carbide dies in 550B. Lube a problem?

[Montana77]

I'm fairly experienced at reloading w/ RCBS rockchucker...and have used my 'stuck brass' remover tool a few times when I didn't get proper lube on bottleneck brass, so I know that drill.

I load 22-250, 7mm-08, 270, 30-30, 30-06, 300 Win mag, & 338 Win mag. (That's what happens when you have 4 boys who hunt too).

Just got a used Dillon 550B & would like to reload rifle cartridges. Most of my rifle dies are NOT carbide. Most are RCBS or Redding. Lube-ing the brass, as usual rolling brass on pad, or even spraying with Dillon spray lube first will (I assume) keep brass from getting stuck in 1st stage of the 550B. Question: Will this lube eventually affect a clean primer seating?

I believe using the new Dillon dies will make it easier to clean the inside of dies. But my question is really about the primer pockets getting compromised before the primer is seated.

One way to avoid this potential problem is to prime the brass BEFORE lubing, and not use the prime function of the 550B when resizing. I have no problem with that, as I use the RCBS bench primer & it works great!

Maybe I need to just go for broke and buy a bunch of Dillon dies?

Comments greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Adam B]

I load all of my rifle rounds on a 550 and I have never used carbide dies, I just lube the cases and go. I have have sized and primed all of my cases before hand, it made it a bit easier, either way you dont need the carbide dies

[Steve RA]

Easiest way to lube cases is to spray lube of your choice on a small towel - not out of your wife's favorite set - and just shake the cases back and forth for a few moments. Don't overdo the spraying and if you'll keep the towel in a sealable plastic bag you can use it for awhile before more spraying. According to a friend I showed the trick to, it's about 11,000 times easier and faster than using a pad.

[Dan Sierpina]

I use the Dillon spray lube. Put a bunch in a gallon Zip Lock, give it a couple pumps of lube, toss it around, 2 more pumps and it's good to go in a couple minutes.

Do not be of the impression that carbide rifle dies do not need lube! The carbide dies are made for longevity.

[lee blackman]

I was basically just going to say the same thing Dan Sierpina said. The ziplock bag and dillon spray lube. And any bottleneck design case is going to require lube, no matter if the dies are carbide or not.

I don't understand what you mean by the primer pockets getting compromised?

You should prep your brass before you load it. I single stage full size, trim, uniform primer pocket, and ultrasonic clean off all the lube before I run it thru my 550. My first stage die is a Lee Collet Neck Size die which requires no lube, just uniforms the case neck around a mandrel which really does improve accuracy and eliminates the requirement for a crimp even in a semi-auto.

[David.Hylton]

I resize my brass on a single stage press then clean it. Resizing on a single stage helps me detect crimped primers, etc. My first station on the 550 is a universal decapping die to make sure the flash hole is clear. I prime on the 550 and run the rest of the stations as normal.

For lube I lay my brass out on a cookie sheet, spray it and roll it around for a while. I then let it dry a little before use.

HTH,

Dave

[Montana77]

Great comments. Thanks to all. Especially Dave's. Never thought of doing 'decapping' only in 1st stage. That does two things with one down pull on lever, 1) removes old primer, 2) cleans flash hole, both WITHOUT working the brass again.

Seems some of you do the resizing BEFORE using the 550. That enables chance to check for need of trimming & primer pocket reaming etc. Does increase the time to reload, but there is nothing wrong with that for me.

My original question was meant to see if lubing (spray or pad) was going to allow lube gathering in the primer pocket, then when priming in stage 1, sealing that 'lube' in under the primer...and effecting the flash. Maybe much to-do about nothing.

This is a good Forum, thanks again.

Jerry

[Montana77]

Just reread my last post. There would be no primer to remove in stage 1 if one resizes w/the decapper in a prior operation. Still, the use of the 'universal decapper' die is stage 1 is a good move.

[KentG]

What about using the case feeder? Yes or no?

[Montana77]

Not sure what you mean about using case feeder. I don't really know how a case feeder works, or if the brass is prepared (resized-decapped, trimmed, etc) before loading into the case feeder.

[KentG]

Sorry, it was an add on to your topic. I'm talking about the Dillon case feeder.

[perrysho]

I talked to one of the service people at RCBS Monday.

His opinion, use a lil lube along with Carbide Dies or spend time digging out stuck cases.

File or Flush!

Perry

Note: We were discussing .223 Rem only. Do your own research, what works for you.

Edited March 23, 2013 by perrysho

[dauntedfuture]

I have loaded too many rounds to count on my 550 running lubed cases all the way through and then tumbeling after loading. Never had an issue if i did not need to trim cases.

[JACKIE40X40]

Hi,if you are using bolt action rifles, and you can keep the brass seperated for each caliper,try the redding nitride bushing neck dies. No lube needed. It will speed your reload. I have loaded many thousands of rounds that way from 6mm BR too 308. And I only resize about half the of the neck. Old Indian trick. Just a suggestion

[Bob DuBois]

Just loaded 223 on my 550. Alway lube brass even when using carbide pistol dies makes the whole operation easier on the brass, dies, the reloading machine and the operator.

223, I'll size deprime then trim then swage primer pockets. Relube then load using Lee non carbide dies and a Dillon crimp die. If your loading thousands of rounds a year I'd look at a carbide die set. I'll trim using a Lyman trimmer in a drill press, set the lock on the drill press and the process goes pretty quick. There are faster means but I shoot less than a thousand rounds of 223 a year and for me it quick enough.

The dies you already have will work fine in your 550. If your pleased with the ammo your dies produce you'll be pleased with ammo you'll load on a 550 in a third of the time. You might look at some Dillon one inch nuts makes adjusting your dies easier.

[Montana77]

To Jackie 40X40: Tnx for 'ole Indian trick'. I'm not familiar with a bushing type sizing die. Will look into it. I've heard it doesn't wear the brass out so quickly for repeated reloads. Is the bushing method similar to "neck sizing"? I don't have any neck sizing dies, but have considered getting some for the calibers I use the most. (270, 30-06).

[Montana77]

To: Bob D.......tnx for advice to get some 1" nuts for the dies. I did, got 9 of them along with a couple more powder dies. I've only loaded about 100 ea of 44 mag and 44 spcl so far. I'm just learning the 550. Today I switched from small powder bar to large powder bar, and fiddled around getting it to work. (The key for me was to adjust the little blue plastic nut at bottom of safe return link, so the powder bar would travel FULLY from left to right (shut to open). After some trial, did get the adjustment of the end bolt to drop 34 gr of Win748 with consistency for six or seven drops. Haven't actually dropped the powder into the brass yet, as I'm waiting for the Lee Factory crimp die to arrive for the 30-30 setup. Will check the drops every 8 or 10 times, but am looking forward to loading about 300 cartridges next week. Using 150 gr Speer RN w/ large rifle MAGNUM primers. (Speer #11 book sez CCI 250's for Win 748. Thanks again for info in your post.

[CocoBolo]

If your loading for a Wilde chamber AR just do a few dummy loads first then cycle them thru the gun. I had to take my sizing die and cut about .005 off the bottom to get them to extract from the rifle. The drop check was worthless for that problem as the ones that would not eject fell in and out of the drop check perfect.

I deprime in my progressive, swedge the primer pockets, lube them up for a sizing trip thru the single stage press, trimming under the drill press, then they go back into the progresive for primer powder and bullets, seating and crimping. Almost forgot I deburr / radius inside and outside of neck after trimming, else it shaves the jackets..

I tried sizIng in the progressive just didn't get the results I was looking for.

Edited March 31, 2013 by CocoBolo

[JACKIE40X40]

That`s true, on the brass wearing, but i have worn out 1 bushing after many thousand of reloads they are fairly cheap,and the old indian trick won`t work for auto loaders, just bolt action, or falling block.

[goat68]

I tumble the brass to get the gunk off then lube it before doing the resizing, decapping, and trimming on a 650. I then swage the primer pockets and load it. The finished rounds get tumbled again toge the lube off. No worries on the pimer pocket as the primer is still in when I lube.