Need help/advice - .308 win cases sticking when depriming/sizing

[Harley1953]

I have been reloading for a couple of years but only straight walled pistol cases. I decided finally to start loading some .308 win rifle cases.

My problem is this. When sizing/ depriming cases I can only do two or three pieces of brass before my RCBS rock chucker using older Lyman dies tries to stick the case to the point that my wife and I both have to really get on the actuator arm of the press to get it back out.

I have tumble cleaned the cases and then used Hornady spray lube on the cases standing them upright in the loading block. I make one pass at about 45 degree angle about 6" from cases and turn the block 180 degrees and spray again to make sure I get lube on each side of the case.

I have disassembled the lyman decapping die and spray the hornady lube on the die components as this is an old die set that was given to me.

I let all these dry a few minutes and start sizing/depriming....

As mentioned I can get two or three cases done and then can do no more before they want to stick in the die.

I can take the die apart again and clean/lube it with the Hornady spray lube and then get a few more before they stick again.

Since this is my first attempt at rifle cases, I am sure I am probably doing something incorrectly..

 

[Huckelberry75]

You are doing most if it correctly, but you do not need to lube the die, that is a waste of time. Just make sure the die is nice and clean, one time and that should do it for the die part of it. Be sure that you get a better layer of lube on your cases in the block and you shouldn't have any issues. Don't "gunk" it on, but you need an even coat all the way around.

 

[1911user]

I was 90% sure you were using hornady spray lube just from the thread title. I would switch to a different case lube and save the trouble that many have had over the years.
I use the dillon spray lube and it works fine. There are other good choices as well.

If you stay with the hornady for rifle cases, one tip I remember is to wait a few minutes for the lube to dry before sizing the case.

 

[mr ed]

can you tell what is sticking? if the case is all the way in and sticks. disassemble the die, put some steel wool on a wood dowel or a cleaning brush. chuck it in a drill and clean the rust out of the inside of the die. it may not appear to be rusty but it probably is enough to stick it.
if it seems really hard coming after its about halfway out, its hanging on the neck sizing ball and you will need to lube the inside of the necks with something like graphite. they make a kit for that.
did you trim the cases or try to measure the neck length ?
what kind of gun were the cases shot in ?

 

[vdub]

I was 90% sure you were using hornady spray lube just from the thread title. I would switch to a different case lube and save the trouble that many have had over the years.
I use the dillon spray lube and it works fine. There are other good choices as well.

If you stay with the hornady for rifle cases, one tip I remember is to wait a few minutes for the lube to dry before sizing the case.

This!!! I started with Hornady Spray Lube when I first started reloading. While it worked fine for 223 for the most part, I ran into the same issue with 308. I then switched to Imperial Sizing Wax which works very well but you have to apply it by hand. I then bought some Dillon Spray Lube on the advice of a friend and have not looked back.

The Dillon spray is awesome. I put the brass in a big plastic bin, spray the lube over the brass, mix the brass up, and spray it again. I am then ready to start resizing and have never had a stuck case.

Save yourself the headache and stress on your equipment, buy the Dillon Spray Lube.

 

[kd5rjz]

I've had good luck with the cheap Lee case lube mixed down with water.

 

[Harley1953]

can you tell what is sticking? if the case is all the way in and sticks. disassemble the die, put some steel wool on a wood dowel or a cleaning brush. chuck it in a drill and clean the rust out of the inside of the die. it may not appear to be rusty but it probably is enough to stick it.
if it seems really hard coming after its about halfway out, its hanging on the neck sizing ball and you will need to lube the inside of the necks with something like graphite. they make a kit for that.
did you trim the cases or try to measure the neck length ?
what kind of gun were the cases shot in ?

The first time it stuck it was all the way in and took HUGE amounts of leverage of the press arm to get it back out.........

Second time it did it, I had done two cases and it started to stick about 1/2 way up....

To add to original post info.....

These are remington cases I got from another OSA member( so I am not sure what type of firearm they were fired)that I trimmed to just over minimum overall length per Hornady manual.... I then took the deburr tool and gave it five or six turns inside and out on the case mouth to rmove the brass burrs.

Second time it stuck, after I took the die apart again to lube it, I took a cue tip and sprayed the Hornady lube on it. I then took the cue tip and swabbed the inside of the neck on the cases thinking the problem was as you mentioned hanging up on the neck sizing ball.....

Still got two or three cases and then could not get the next case to go all the way up....

Might be a good idea to do the steel wool thing as these are pretty old lyman dies my friend gave me..... I think he said that he had had them for about 25 years but had not used them in about 10......

Thanks to all for the responses....

 

[grwd]

+1 one the dillon lube. The spray lube is your problem.

 

[technetium-99m]

Don't steel wool anything. Hornady one shot flat stinks for bottleneck rifle cases. Use Dillon spray lube or the home made knockoff or imperial sizing wax.

 

[Mechanicalmehem]

Homemade stuff how to make it.
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1358569
sorry can't hyperlink on my phone, I had the same problems untill I changed lubes.
--Mech