I finally shot enough that's it time to reload. Go through my usual procedured-clean the brass-check for splits/etc, lube then resize. Go to resize and the damn thing gets stuck, have to punch out 4. I assume its the die-take apart and clean, lube again to be safe-another stuck case. Tried different lubes-Oneshot-rcbs (what I use on my 50 BMG),Lee.
Nothing works.
I try to resize my new brass- works the same as it always has-perfect. Tried the once fired- another stuck case. I really don't want to buy brass just to fire it once. I'm at my witts end trying to figure this out. Any ideas?

I like the 458, but this gun has been a pain in the ass, from reloading, to making it run smooth.

Which dies are you using?  As to lube, I used a variety of different ones, but finally figured there is only one that works - Imperial.  Started using it and have not gone back.

One thing I found that made a LOT of difference - a little lube on the inside of the case mouth,  Between a schmear of Imperial on the outside and a lick of Imperial inside, haven't stuck one since ....

I have had my fair share of stuck cases with the 458, more so than any other caliber, though it has probably been 10-15 total out of 500 or so.

I have begun to put a little squirt inside the die and on the expander ball.  Seems to work well.

If you decide to get rid of your once fired brass let me know

Chris

Where in the stroke is your brass sticking?  On the down stroke, with the brass fully in the die?  Part way on the upstroke?  You wouldn't happen to have a micrometer (c type) to be able to measure the case web on once fired?  Regardless, it shouldn't be a problem unless you have an oversized chamber (after seeing both Tony and Marty's work, I'd say that's almost impossible) or dies that are out of spec (which might size new, unexpanded brass but not fully expanded fired brass), or something is out with your process (more lube?).

Hmmmm.....I have both a set of "ruined and worthless piece of shit" CH4D dies and a set of Lee dies.  I actually prefer the CH4D dies, which I bought off of GunBroker when the Lee set came out, from a guy that advertised them with the quote above!  They've been 100% for me, both sets, but the CH4D do not scratch my brass and are smoother and seem to size more "appropriately"( just seems like the sized once fired brass fits the chamber better without being overworked).

I use RCBS spray lube or the Frankford Arsenel (MidwayUSA house brand) equavilent.  I'm part way through my second lot of 500 cases, 10 reloads per case.  Maybe I'm strange, but I haven't stuck a case yet.

I do polish my dies before FIRST use with some flitz on a bore mop and a drill, Dissasemble,  clean and polish and clean again, and then season with several squirts of lube.  I also polish the expander to a mirror finish.  Reassemble the dies, lube the cases, and there it goes!

Try the imperial lube.  I've never seen imperial fail to be the slickest thing out there, used almost universally by case formers because it won't stick cases.  If it ain't working for you with once fired brass after that come back here and we'll try to help some more.

Tom  

1.  I have  set of Lee dies.  I stuck on case on my first go around and started lubing the inside and have not had any trouble since.

2.  Running smooth.  No trouble.  At the start it kept jamming and I took it to Marty and it worked fine - as it was the first time fired without the cheap ^%% brass catcher I was using.

Thnaks for the replys.
I'm using the lee dies. As far as the expander ball. mine doesnt have one, unless I'm missing soemthing here. That doenst matter anyway becasue its getting stuck (hard to resize) part way on the up stroke (as its first going into the die about 3/4 way in). You can feel alot of friction-kinda like if you tried to resize a case witout any lube. You can put it in about a thrird, out, 2/3, then ful legnth (sounds fun doesnt it) and it will work, but that will take forever to resize all the brass.  I will try and polish the inside of the die and see what happens.

As far as the brass. i measued a once fired case and its .533 and the new/unfired is .528 at the shoulder. This is best as I could get with my digital caliper. I think it still should resize though.

This may sound like a dumb question but do you give you brass a nice tumble before you reload?  At one time I was a little, shall we say. lazy and did not tumble my brass, just rudenmentary wiped it before sticking it in the dies .... great way to ruin dies BTW.  The fine silica sand dust did a nice job ... now I first do a cleaning pass in the tumbler, then resize. then a long pass in the tumbler before loading.

Your description sounds a lot like when I was using the other lube and when it is cold here.  I just realized you are in AK and I guess unlike here, it was not 75 degrees and sunny today where you are (yup, we grilled with the family running around in shorts, this weather is weird ...)

Anyway, I would really recommend trying the Imperial sizing wax as I found that in cold weather it seems to be the one that still works.  Considering I have used it to form 577 T Rex to 510 Phalanx and .500 Jeffery to .338 Rhino ....

I'll give the wax a try. I reload in a heated room in my house.-so cold is no problem. I tumble until its clean, usually overnight, wash the residue then resize.

Do lee dies not come with a neck expanding ball? I cant believe mine didnt have one.

Quoted: ... Do lee dies not come with a neck expanding ball? I cant believe mine didnt have one.

The Deluxe kit or the neck sizer die will, but full length die does not.  That has a pin that resizes the neck and pops out the primer.  If you unscrew the die you can take a look at it.  I would reccomend doing that and trying to find if there's foreign material stuck in there or old lube built up.  MJD

Thanks. I got a good look at it everytime I had a case stuck. No expander as mentioned.

Last week I got some 300 Win Mag cases stuck in my Redding die, and I wasn't using an expander ball.  I was using a gun oil for lube, and degreasing with hot water when I was done.  I ended up ruining the die and had to order a replacement.  I also ordered some Redding brand case lube and none of them got stuck again, but the funny thing is that even after running through the FL die, and trimming them to proper length, they will not chamber in my gun.  (They were originally shot in a friend's Encore)  

Here another thing you could try:  Send you dies to CH4D and have them Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated.  I sent a set of 357 SIG dies off they work like a charm. Costs about $40.
www.ch4d.com/catalog/services/tit_nit_coating.htm

I also ordered some Redding brand case lube and none of them got stuck again, but the funny thing is that even after running through the FL die, and trimming them to proper length, they will not chamber in my gun. (They were originally shot in a friend's Encore)

If the Encore had a very loose chamber, then you will probably have to roll size the brass to get it to work.  I have his porblem with brass shot in my glocks not wanting to fit into tight chambers even after FL resizing

I always tumble clean first(ground walnut hulls), Lube(Imperial sizing wax)put some on a soft cotton bore brush & lube inside case neck & Size. Tumble again to remove lube. NEVER had a case get stuck. Ron

Quoted: ....you will probably have to roll size the brass to get it to work.

How do you do that?
Do you mean the Belted Magnum Collet Resizing Die sold by www.larrywillis.com/?????

No its an expensive machine that does it

There are services that do it out there such as this one www.competitionbrass.com/index.html

Quoted: Last week I got some 300 Win Mag cases stuck in my Redding die, and I wasn't using an expander ball.  I was using a gun oil for lube, and degreasing with hot water when I was done.  I ended up ruining the die and had to order a replacement.  I also ordered some Redding brand case lube and none of them got stuck again, but the funny thing is that even after running through the FL die, and trimming them to proper length, they will not chamber in my gun.  (They were originally shot in a friend's Encore)   Here another thing you could try:  Send you dies to CH4D and have them Titanium Nitride (TiN) Coated.  I sent a set of 357 SIG dies off they work like a charm. Costs about $40. www.ch4d.com/catalog/services/tit_nit_coating.htm home.triad.rr.com/txgp17/images/DSCN0360.JPG

Oil is not case lube and will not work in sizing cases.  Imperial is the best case lube on the market, period.

Did you measure your headspace and bump the shoulder back a few .001s? Possibly the chamber in the Encore was on the large size of spec, and you need to bump the shoulder a bit more than normal. Do you have any factory new brass, if so, measure the length to the datum line, then measure the length of your sized cases. You normally need to bump the shoulder only a couple of .001s, but in this case, maybe a few more is required. All you probably need to do is screw the die down just a little bit further in the press...