Case Lube

When reloading, the question of do I need to lube cases comes up. This is very quickly followed by, what is the best way to lube.
As with most things in life, need is relative, as is the “best” choice.
If we take a systematic approach to the question, first we have to ask ourselves what the purpose of the lubrication is. The best answer is a combination of several things. The most obvious reason, is it helps to eliminate the dreaded stuck case. Nothing stops the reloading process more thoroughly than a case stuck in the resizing die.
In addition to that clear concern, having less friction on the brass works the brass slightly less and requires less pressure to achieve the end result. This reduces wear on the brass, the die, the press and the reloader.

Some dies and some caliber types need lube more than others. For example, it is a good idea regardless of cartridge type to use lube with all steel sizing dies. It greatly reduces the above mentioned issues, even on straight wall cases. For carbide dies used on straight wall cases, it is recommended NOT to lube the cases. The carbide is slick enough and the lube can actually be a detriment in this application.
This however does not mean carbide dies should not be lubed with bottleneck cartridges. Failing to use lube here will almost certainly result in a stuck case. With bottleneck cases, the issue is with OVER lubing. Too much lube can cause undersizing or thinning (rare) of the neck or cause dings in the shoulder / neck junction. Small dings are mostly cosmetic. Larger ones combined with max or near max pressure loads could cause overpressure issues, especially if using a compressed powder. This is unlikely, but a possibility that is easily avoided by not over lubing.

Types of lube
Dry lube – graphite powder
Spray lube – many varieties but very difficult to meter inside the neck of a bottle neck case
Semi solid wax – Imperial Wax being the most common choice here
Any and all of these choices can and do work well if used appropriately.
Graphite powder is often used with straight wall cases, dip the case in and run through the die. It is also added to a pipe cleaner and used to dust the inside of bottle neck cases. I have no practical experience with this, but many use this manner successfully. Just realize the people dusting the inside of bottleneck cases are using one of the other forms for the outside of the case as well.

Spray lube is simple, fast and not messy. The idea is you put the cases in a reloading tray, hold the spray at a 45 degree angle and spray the cases from all four edges of the tray. In theory, this gets the outside of each case covered quickly and a bit gets on the inside of the neck. This has worked as advertised with straight wall cases. With bottleneck cases, I have NEVER had luck with this in practice. It has always resulted in stuck cases. I fixed this by using the aforementioned technique and while allowing the spray lube to dry, I soak a Q-tip with some spray and swabbed inside each neck with it. This modification reduced my stuck case numbers to zero.

With Imperial Wax (or spray lube) another option is to lube up a pad and roll the cases on the pad. I find this method to be messy and I am always fiddling with getting the proper amount of lube on the case. Others find this method simple and very effective.

The way I was taught to use Imperial Wax, was to get a small dab on my index finger and thumb and run the case between them in two passes. For the first pass around the neck / shoulder area and the second, just below the shoulder down the body of the case. With some practice, it is quite simple to keep the appropriate amount of lube on your finger tips and it happens very quickly. For inside the case necks, I use the Q-tip method with a touch of Imperial wax. This has always worked well for me, but the pipe cleaner and graphite method is just as valid.

There are many other options or combinations of the above. Please research the methods and try a few. Finding your own technique is part of the fun.