Newbie questions

I picked up some used rcbs dies. Nice shape but should be cleaned. What is the best way to clean dies. Just soap and water?
 
If they are really dirty I suggest disassembling them and using a solvent. Most solvents will work fine, from bore cleaners to mineral spirits, or even rubbing alcohol. Perhaps best to use a solvent that doesn't leave much residue. I find that much of the residue that accumulates inside is easily removed with just a piece of paper towel.
 
Case lube , tried Redding imperial sizing wax , went back to RCBS Case lube . I just run a line on the table an apply the lube with my fingers, thumb & trigger finger. If the case I'm sizing feels to have more resistance I lower the ram an add a little more lube , sizes much easier. You will get a feeling on how much lube to use once you do it a few times.
 
RE:case lubes there was a thread in the recent past on this and as a result I ended up making one with pure Lanolin and denatured alcohol. A 10% mixture works great. 4-oz = 120ml, so you need 12Gm in 108ml of denatured alcohol. You must shake it before each use as the Lanolin isn't completely soluble in alcohol. It is insoluble in water, but completely soluble in chloroform and ether (neither should be used to make the case lube).

I got a 4-oz spray bottle at a craft store and I use the Lanolin mixture with a RCBS case pad.

I believe you can buy liquid Lanolin but I couldn't find it anywhere, nor do I know how they make it, given the insolubilities mentioned above. Of interest, in the thread mentioned someone remarked that Dillon's product is lanolin and alcohol.
 
Like the .460, the increase in pressure/velocity means one needs to use the appropriate bullet when used at legitimate .454 loadings. This is not only to ensure good terminal performance when hunting, but to avoid excessive forcing cone erosion due to light jackets on bullets intended for .45 Colt. I lube my .460 cases lightly so I do not have to stand on the press handle to resize them. I tumble them with corncob for a few minutes after they are loaded to remove case lube. You will not find more accurate hunting bullets with good terminal performance for your .454 than Hornady's XTP-MAGS, both the 240s and the 300s. Standard 250 and 300s can be used but should only be used for reduce loads. Speer's 300 gr Deep Curls for .454 are also very good. I suggest either H110/W295 or IMR4227 for legitimate hunting loads, magnum primers and a heavy crimp.
 
I have loaded many thousands of handgun rounds and never used lube. I tried it once and it makes the amount of pressure needed to be much less but the amount of muscle it takes without lube is tiny. I'm surprised this thread having so many people using lube on straight wall cases. The major advantage of using carbide dies which cost more is that you don't need lube.
 
warnerwh
I agree . Your brass should be clean to make sizing trouble free an also keeping dies in good shape . You can use a light coating of lube but it will add a step in cleaning to clean the lube off . Try it both ways an see what works best for you .
 
RE: .454 Casull bullets, one should avoid light jacketed bullets which may explain the need for those like Hornady XTP-MAG, which I suspect is a heavier jacketed bullet. I say this because I once used any kind of .44 Mag bullet with H110 and the high pressure/velocity sheered the jacket off, obstructing the barrel with a ring of copper that caused the barrel of my Super Blackhawk to split like a piece of bamboo with a subsequent shot. That was the explanation I got from Ruger.
 
The history of cases has little bearing on whether they need to be trimmed. The overall length after sizing determines whether a case needs to be trimmed. If the overall length of a case exceeds the maximum permissible case length it needs to be trimmed.
 
On a 243 cal. Very accurate round , trim length 2.035 to 2.045 I would trim every time every case to mid range 2.040 making every case exact . For accurate everything should be as close to exact as possible . Sizing your brass to no more then .002 case headspace , then trimming all cases to 2.040 then seating all the same length to ogive. First thing is knowing the length of your chamber. If your chamber is wide then your fired cases can measure smaller do to the case expanding . When sizing the case the case will lengthen from the squeeze. I used the Go Gauge on a 308 the gauge size is 1.630 , using a piece of .002 feeler gage I found my chamber is 1.632 , I size my cases to no longer then 1..631 or shorter then 1.630 max .002 headspace.
 
It is not required to lubricate cases when using a carbide sizer die.

But, it doesn't hurt, either. I use Hornady Unique and lightly lubricate every fourth or fifth case. The carbide sizer has some porosity so the lubricant will still be effective for subsequent cases. There's no recipe; I go on "feel". If things are going smoothly every fourth case, I will go to every fifth. If they start to drag after the third, then it's every fourth.

I don't load for the 454 Casull, but since it is a pistol cartridge that crosses the line into using small rifle powders, not pistol powders, in that arena, I have always had my best luck with 2400, H-110 and to a lesser extent IMR-4227.
 
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