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So spray case lube won't contaminate.

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gwpercle View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gwpercle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 06 2014 at 6:41am
Get away from aerosol spray lubes.   I have been using Lee sizing lube for years and it doesn't contaminate.   Apply with a pad, finger tips or dissolve in rubbing alcohol, if you must spray, and put it in a small spray bottle .   Spray the cases lying down , on a towel and roll them around and let dry.  
The Lee lube is a wax that dries, then use it...no liquid to pool and contaminate powder.
Gary
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2014 at 7:17am
Update:
It may not be the lube after all.Thumbs Up
I've used quite a few spray lubes with no issues till this lot.

Then I discovered something interesting, several other people (some who use spray lube but most dont) had the exact same phenomenon! H335 in .303 British with 150 Gr bullets. The powder lit then extinguished!
It seems limited to cases with lower pressures & bigger volumes, but there are several separate well-documented cases.

I did a test. 20 cases, 10 lubed (intentionally getting lube in both the primer pocket & the case mouth) & 10 neck-sized un-lubed. The mis-fires were evenly distributed across the 2 groups!

I also ran a similar test with 20 rounds using IMR 3031. There were no misfires/hang-fires, not one! Groups with both my NO4 Mk2 with a 'scope & my NO5 with irons shrunk drastically as well. The scoped No4 went back to it's usual 3"@ 200yds & the new (to me) No5 went from a pattern several inches high to a 4" group a hair low.
Based on that I'd seriously suggest avoiding H335 in the .303 case with150 gr bullets.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Long branch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2014 at 8:31am
I've never seen load data for. 303 and H335. 3031 is the old 303 powder used in the ammo that the US loaded under British contract. I've had excellent results with reloader 15.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2014 at 8:43pm
I bought it back when powder of any kind was impossible to find. Interestingly the only reference to using it in .303 Brit is from (surprise) Hodgden's manuals where they recommend it!
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Long branch Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 12 2014 at 2:59am
H335 is a good 223 powder.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rico567 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 26 2014 at 8:58pm
I use Midway spray lube, which is lanolin based. Never an issue, with .303 or any other caliber. Since I only neck size, I lay the cases on their sides and just give them an extremely light spritz, getting a touch inside the necks to help the expander ball go through. Works just fine.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote W.R.Buchanan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 19 2014 at 11:15am
Shamu:   It is pretty obvious to me that you are getting some kind of contamination into your cases.  What it is, I don't know.
 I use Dillon Case lube for the majority of my case sizing.  I also have a can of the Hornady stuff if I need to resize just a few cases.  I have never had any negative results of any kind and I've been doing this for 40+ years.
 
BUT,,,,,   I deprime and size my cases and do any case prep they need  BEFORE I tumble them in crushed Walnut She!!s (Petco) with either Dillon Case Polish or Nu Finish Car wax .  I run the cases for around 24 hours in a Thumler Vibro Tumbler and they come out looking new. Obviously there is no contamination present.
 
I do this procedure on all rifle cases I load.  On pistol rounds I just tumble the brass first and run them thru Carbide sizing dies that don't need any Case Lube.
 
I just made 500 rounds of 9x18 Makarov Brass out of 9mm Luger cases by trimming them to the new length.  They all had to be Deprimed first as I used a Lee Case trimming tool and cordless drill to do the work.  After deburring the cases they ran in the tumbler for 24 hours and that tends to smooth out any rough edges on the brass.
 
The whole point here is that in every case, the brass is loaded after I tumble them, so I know there is no contamination present whatsoever. Then I reload those cases by charging, seating a bullet and crimping each case individually.  This insures that I don't make a mistake on any round.  I use a C&H 444 Press or a PW MetalMatic II to do this. Both of these tools allow me to process one cartridge at a time from start to finish.
 
On the C&H Press the left station has a Lee Rifle Charging die in it where the case gets powder. The center station has the bullet seater, and the right station has the crimp die. I can easily load one round per minute.
 
Finally don't be afraid of running your brass for 24 hours. I have been doing this with the same machine (which I bought used 25 years ago) for 25 years now and it doesn't hurt the machine in any way.  In fact most machines like being ran for long periods.  It stabilizes the temps in the machine and they just run better when not being heat cycled like happens when you turn them on and off. The Power Inverter that runs my Milling Machine has ran nonstop for the last 9 years!
 
here's a pic of my C&H Press set up for .308's The current .303 setup is exactly he same with the exception of the seater and crimp dies.
 
Randy
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 25-5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 19 2014 at 1:48pm
I've been using Hornady One Shot for a couple years now.  Neck size requires a spritz and full size extra spritz.  You get the hang of it real quick.  For instance .308 full size requires less than .30-06 full size.  I have loaded a lot and never an issue.
For the pikes must be together at the rising of the moon.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DairyFarmer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 19 2014 at 9:40pm
I've had success with Lyman Dry Lube (mica powder) for inside the neck when full length sizing and Lee Lube on the outside (shoulder down only!) applied with a lube pad. I the wipe any lube that has found its way onto the outside of the neck. I also use Lyman dry lube when neck turning (inside neck only). Makes operation much smoother.
I have ordered some Redding dry lube and going to give it a try.
 
My cases are always cleaned after I have done all the case prep and inspections.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2016 at 12:10pm
Resurrecting this old thread with new info.
UPDATED.
It ain't the lube, folks its the powder / case combination.
I have to say don't use H335 for .303 British, at least with 150 Gr bullets.

I completely cleaned a set of cases that I'd never reloaded, & so hadn't lubed with anything. Then I loaded the H335 behind the Hornady 150 Gr spire points. The cases were only neck sized & no lube of any kind was used anywhere in any part of the process.
Charge weight was 38.3 Gr for an estimated velocity of 2550 FPS @ 10'.
I even went with a different brand of primer (Tula) in case there was something in there that was causing the issues.

Velocities were variable & there were several click. . . .BANGs in the loads.
Group sizes were terrible too 8" @ 200 yds with noticeable vertical stringing as the loads warmed up in the (now warm) chamber before firing. It happened 3 times with 3 strings, when I let the action cool completely the velocity & POI dropped back by the same 8".

It wasn't the rifle either, because another set of my handloads using IMR 3031 had none of these problems & circular 3 1/2" groups from the exact same bench/rifle/bullet/velocity/place , time & temperature combination.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote White Rhino Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2016 at 1:04pm
Im wondering, Sgt Deshotel is loading some 45/70 pills with a powder that will not light off when loaded for the lead projectiles, and the load he uses for the copper jacketed rounds which is more grains than the lead load , it lights off ... I would have to ask him again what powder that was ..... he was telling me this on New years week end ..... He said he never had a powder do that before ...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 25-5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2016 at 1:46pm
I have been using one shot for a couple of years.  Since it was a spray, and now it's aerosol.  It is a big time saver.  I have never had a problem.  Lots & lots of .303, .30-06, .243, and .308.  Stand them up on a cardboard about an inch and a half apart.  Spray down at about 60 degree angle.  Rotate 180 and spritz again.
I dry tumble then size and deprime and wipe the cases on the outside. After completing the rest of the brass tasks there is a big time lapse since I prepare a few hundred, maybe even the next day before loading.
The .303's don't get as heavy a dose since I neck size, but ammo for the M1A and Garand is a different story.
After seeing what you found I will certainly keep a close watch on what I am doing.
I use Varget and H4895 powders and CCI primers.
 
For the pikes must be together at the rising of the moon.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote W.R.Buchanan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2016 at 3:22pm
Shamu:  H335 is for top end loads as it needs pressure to burn correctly. Kind of like H110 doesn't work well in down loaded .357's or .44's.
 It is the goto powder for loading top end .45-70 ammo with Jacketed or Solid Brass Bullets.  Also rounds like .308,.30-06 .223 all of which would normally produce more pressure than a .303 and especially a down loaded .303.
 
I think low pressure is likely the problem here as it appears you have eliminated case contamination.
 
Randy
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 11 2016 at 4:42pm
That was my thinking also. If you look at the images way back at the beginning of P1 you can see the primer has lit the powder, but it hasn't completely combusted.
I've used this exact same lot of powder for 7.62 loads, which run higher pressures & its fin in them just to support the idea.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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