Case lube?

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New to reloading and I am interested in hearing some "homemade" lube ideas from the long time loaders wisdom bank... Or just stick to the store bought...

Erich
 
I've used this one since the 1960's. It's from Sierra Bullet's first ballistic tech who reloaded most of their cases used to test their bullets for accuracy:

A mix of 40% Hoppe's No. 9 bore cleaner and 60% STP engine oil treatment.
 
I followed the advice of others and now make my own sizing lube. I bought 16 ounce bottles of 99% isopropyl alcohol and 4 ounce bottles of liquid lanolin. Mix 2 ounces of liquid lanolin in the 16 ounces of 99% alcohol and you've got a lot of lube. At an 8-1 ratio it makes a very good case lube. You need a good spray bottle too. I couldn't find 99% alcohol and had to order it on-line. Ordered the 4 ounce bottles of liquid lanolin too. Any less than 91-99% alcohol doesn't work well as most of the other percentage is water and water doesn't evaporate fast and doesn't mix with lanolin either. Some use the red bottles of Heet gas line additive but I haven't tried that.
http://www.amazon.com/Swan-Isopropyl-Alcohol-99-Pint/dp/B001B5JT8C
http://www.amazon.com/Home-Health-Liquid-Lanolin-Ounce/dp/B0014AWF0S
 
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Sheep oil, or lanolin, is the base for the lubricant Sierra Bullets uses in their bullet jacket forming dies. It's a very good lube.
 
I bought a bottle of Dillon Case Lube to see if it worked as well as

Imperial Sizing Wax. I found that it is a lot easier and less messy to

use than the Imperial. (not that the wax is that bad..)

Then I made my own using a 12-1 ratio with 99% alcohol and lanolin.

The trick is to be sure and let the alcohol evaporate completely before

running it through your resizing die.
 
How much money do you think you are going to save? A can of One Shot runs about $10 to $12, lasts a long time, works great with no mixing or mess. It is basically what rg1 described. Is the hassle really worth it?
 
I agree with Jag2...unless you are a commercial loader processing thousands of cases each day, seems to me to be a waste of time (mixing lubes) and money (Lanolin, stp, etc. cost money too.).
 
Dillon case lube.....comes in an 8 0z spray bottle for $ 9.....

I primarily reload for handguns ( in 6 calibers )...and I shoot and process cases to shoot about 25,000 rds a year....( and I use about half a bottle of case lube a year ) !
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So why fuss with making something that costs about $4 a year.....
 
"The NRA Handloader's Guide" 1969 a compilation of "American Rifleman" articles from 1950 to 1968.

One article in that book is "Pistol Champion Target loads".
All 9 featured champions use "Hensley & Gibbs" bullets, but the lubrication varies:

1) Gertrude E. Backstrom, locomotive side-rod grease

2) F. Bob Chow, perfect lube

3) G. P DeFino, Lyman Ideal

4) William E. Guiette, 7 parts way grease, 1 part Keystone open gear grease

5) Gil Hebard, Ipco Colloidal Graphite

6) John W. Hurst, 2 parts beeswax, 1 part paraffin, 1 part cosmoline

7) Ellas Lea, 3 pounds petroleum jelly, 1 1/2 pounds beeswax, 12 oz paraffin, 6 oz carnuba wax, 4 oz fine graphite

8) Harry Reeves, equal parts beeswax and water pump grease

9) W.T.Toney jr., 2 parts beeswax, 1 part beef tallow, 2 tablespoons powdered graphite to 3 pounds mixture
 
" Homemade lube " is that case sizing lube or homemade cast bullet lube?
You are getting "recipes" for both . Things are going to get confusing quickly if you don't post the type of lube you are referring to.

In reloading , the details matter a lot!
 
I also much prefer the homemade "boot leg case lube" made from alcohol and liquid lanolin. I use ISO Heet for the alcohol (available almost everywhere in the red bottle). It works the BEST of any I have ever used. I don't do it for lower cost, I do it for the absolute best lube. And I have been loading for 50 years and tried most. Imperial is an excellent lube, but way too slow for bulk loading for me.

A very good review of how to make and use can be found here.
 
Lucas Oil White Lithium Grease
Available at Home Depot
$7 for a lifetime supply (10 oz tube).
Apply via a pad or paper towel,
apply very little.
With LC 5.56 I can skip the lube on every second case because the dies retains some.
Works very well on 7.62 fired in machine guns.
I tumble in corn cob to remove it.
 
All depends on what you are sizing. I had to spray a good bit of Dillon to make a 223 slide easy enough. Cheap Lee stuff works, but the smell kills me!
 
Been using the RCBS lube for 30 years. Finally I'm on the second little squeeze bottle. Why brew your own lube, unless you just like to do your own 'cooking'? Don't say that it's to save money, cause I won't believe that.
 
Didn't read all above posts. Just gave them a scan.
I use the 1/12 liquid linolin and the 11/12 of the highest Rubbing alcohol you can find at walmart (or anyplace)
Important thing to note: (and I didn't see anyone else say this) Make sure if you are reloading rifle rounds with a steep neck to have a bunch of Q tips and lube the inside of the neck a little bit. Brass gets stuck on the return stroke if you don't....
 
I have used STP and an ink pad since 1975 and have full length resized cases up to 378 Weatherby without any problem. If I am using Innovative Technologies collet die, I use Imperial Resizing wax.
 
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