Dillon Spray Lube vs. Hornady and Lyman

[BE Mike]

I've been using Hornady One Shot brass lube with good results. I've also used the cans of Lyman and it works equally well. I am considering Dillon Spray Lube. Can anyone give a comparison?

 

[Leo]

Yes, I like the Dillon best of the three. . Not just theirs, but I much prefer any Lanolin / alcohol mixed case lube. Easy to use in a pump sprayer, it is more economical than aerosol products. The stuff from MidwayUSA is a lot cheaper if you buy the Quart sized refill.

The trick is to spray it on and wait about 15 minutes until the alcohol evaporates and then stir the brass around with your hands. If you do not wait, you will likely stick a case, For bottle neck rifle brass I make sure my fingers touch the neck when I put it in the press. I have never stuck a case using the Dillon (or Midway) product.

 

[BE Mike]

Thanks. I think I might switch over to the Dillon Spray Case Lube or make it myself, if I can find 100% liquid lanolin someplace locally.

 

[Leo]

I made an error when I was going to try to make some. I could not find liquid lanolin, but I found a jar of gel. I never could get it to mix. Someone suggested heating, but I really did not want the fire risk, so I just started buying it.

I would commonly load at least 100 rifle rounds at a time and it only takes 4 or 5 squirts. I had a baking pan that I used only for lubing and kept it in a bag. It kept everything clean

 

[Virch]

I've just recently switched to lubing with the alcohol/lanolin mix. Everything I've read recommends 99% Isopropol alcohol and liquid lanolin. I've since lubed up around 3000 cases, a mixture of rifle and pistol, and it's worked incredibly smoothly. In fact, the press operation was even smoother than the imperial case wax I'd previously used. After lubing, I toss the cases in a dry tumbler for half an hour to an hour, then I'm good to go.

 

[tsilveus]

Agree with the lanolin / alcohol DIY. Just started this process this year after I ran out of the Lee case lube squeeze tube. Use 99% alcohol. I got the alcohol and lanolin on amazon and a spray bottle from menards. It was like $20 total and it made 20 ounces (have enough to make another 16 oz.). Awesome in the press - smooth. Sprayed two squirts over about 600 5.56 cases in a 5 gallon bucket, mixed up and then spayed 2 more squirts, mixed again. All were covered well and after 10 minutes were dry and ready to go. Very pleased.

 

[BE Mike]

Agree with the lanolin / alcohol DIY. Just started this process this year after I ran out of the Lee case lube squeeze tube. Use 99% alcohol. I got the alcohol and lanolin on amazon and a spray bottle from menards. It was like $20 total and it made 20 ounces (have enough to make another 16 oz.). Awesome in the press - smooth. Sprayed two squirts over about 600 5.56 cases in a 5 gallon bucket, mixed up and then spayed 2 more squirts, mixed again. All were covered well and after 10 minutes were dry and ready to go. Very pleased.

So are you adding about a teaspoon of liquid lanolin to 16 oz. of isopropyl alcohol?

 

[tsilveus]

I mixed 2 oz of lanolin oil with 18 oz of 99% alcohol.

 

[Leo]

Tsilveus is right, Somewhere around 9 to 1 ratio is what I had heard. The regular price for the Dillon is about $2.00 per oz plus shipping. His quote of $20.00 for 36 ounces is a real bargain (and a 10 year supply).

 

[2in1evtime]

I use dillon, and frankfort arsenal lube mainly, i have also made my own with lanolin too, i use denatured alcohol when i make my own, you can also use lee lube missed with alcohol also found that 1 ounce to 10 ounces of alcohol works great!

 

[Virch]

I used a mixture of 10oz of 99% isopropol alcohol to 1oz liquid lanolin.

 

[schmart]

I've never used either the Dillon or the Hornady spray lubes. I got started before I knew anything about either of them and was using RCBS liquid lube on a pad (which got OLD FAST). I took a chance and mixed up approx. 10% of the RCBS lube and denatured alcohol from the paint aisle in a eye glass cleaner spray bottle (what.. 2 oz at a time?) dump brass in a cookie sheet, mist well, roll or shake around, mist again, and let the alcohol evaporate. Loaded many thousands of .223 as well as larger calibers with no issues. I do run through a 2nd polish after depriming/sizing to get the lube off the cases.

I suspect that either the Dillon or Hornady work well, but in my case this is basically free as otherwise I'd be tossing the RCBS lube. I use the alcohol in my woodworking hobby and buy it by the gallon so I don't even miss 2 oz when I need to refill the bottle.

--Rick