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What are the pros and cons of using Molly coated bullets against Non Molly coated bullets? 

Is there any issues of cleaning a rifle barrel when you use Molly coated bullets against Non Molly coated bullets.

Nick

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Great article - all you need to know explained here:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2018/11/the-moly-saga-why-moly-coating-has-fallen-from-favor/

I actually decided to use HbN for my bullets, theory being its stable at very high temperatures, creates a thin ceramic coating inside the bore (most importantly atbthe throat) which protects the steel a bit from the hot flame. It also helps to lower pressures (pressure being something that's also bad for barrel steel) and it isn't hydroscopic (unlike Moly) so doesn't attract and convert mosture from burnt propellant & general air in the environment, into water that becomes trapped between the coating and the barrel - turning into rust!

Whether HbN is all that or a load of old cobblers has yet to be determined. A lot of people who use it, swear by it. I've not used it long enough to know. Theory behind it sounds right, and it does make the bullets slippery as hell.

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2 minutes ago, No i deer said:

HBN is fairy dust 😁.

I've not heard anybody mention this stuff for years.

You would think if it was that good everybody would be using it....!

I know, I know. You're probably right but as it doesn't have any of the downsides that Moly does, I thought it was worth a shot (pun intended).

😬

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Well a fair few top shooters in the States use it, including David Tubb.

Again, might all just be pixy dust but having read about it extensively, i figured there's nothing to loose and everything to gain - especially if it's some extra barrel life.

We shall see.

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12 minutes ago, No i deer said:

Have you done a comparison with and without HBN on the bullets your using..?

Do you use it on all your calibres...?

Yes I use it on all calibres.

I've not done a comparison between naked and coated bullets but I know what sort of ball park non coating should get me, so intrigued to see where the coated fits me in.

i do have extra spare barrel blanks for each calibre and had thought about conducting a more scientific  comparison once I shelve the current barrels.  I may do so, but if by coating my barrels are giving me good numbers, I may just continue coating for the next barrels. Dunno?!?

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17 minutes ago, No i deer said:

Your definately one of the best users on here that you can trust that your information as reliable 👍

Ha - tell that to my wife 🙄😂

If HbN does pleasantly surprise me, I'll definitely share my results & thoughts on using it.

Unfortunately the sport we all love is just so sodding expensive, especially when compared to our cousins across the pond, so anything to prolong barrel life is a boon.

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I am using it in 260 rem and 6mm SLR in hopes of prolonging barrel life.

With new barrels costing up to a grand fitted  that makes huge sense to me!

How to measure extra barrel life is the hard part.

One thing it does FOR SURE is to radically reduce fouling.

Its very easy to apply ... I will continue with it.

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Does the HBN not foul up the bore itself in its own way.i know only a little about HBN but most shooters on here may not have even heard of it.maybe Catch or you Dave could give a expert explanation on the benefits from using it for the UKV audience 👍

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The HBN does leave a microscopic coating ...thats the point of it.

It helps prevent the coarser fouling from carbon and copper doing its negative 'thing' as a result.

There are extensive reviews on the web.

Bottom line is ...it does no known harm, it DOES reduce fouling, it MAY produce a significant reduction in barrel wear particularly in the throat where the flame-erosion effect is most pronounced... especially in overbore cartridges like 6mm variants.

Its not cheap to buy so a group order is best as you use minute quantities to coat bullets.

You should not mix coated and non-coated bullets as you will get varying pressures..... do it or don't.

 

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 I've been using hbn for over 3 years now after using moly for years beforehand and I'd never go back to moly.

I started my .204 off from day one on hbn,and every time I get in from foxing whether 1 shot or a dozen, i just push about 6 dry patches down barrel to clean out fouling, piece of #iss especially if it's 4am😶. I shot my rifle for over 400 rounds before I gave it a proper clean with wipeout/patchout and there was not a hint of copper or carbon in there☺. I'm munching my way through the next 400 with the same procedure,it still shoots great.

What I have noticed though,is if you start using it after your barrel has seen some action, and probably got some firecracking in it you'll still see copper fouling, my 17 rem is about done and blue patches just keep coming out, 22-250 shows copper also, both with hbn even after only a few shots..so best to start off from day one.

Whether it'll make the barrel and throat last any longer, who knows!!! I'd need to be shooting another same rifle alongside,with the same naked bullets,same speeds etc,to find out but that won't happen, so just hope it helps.   it will be interesting to see what the round count gets too, before accuracy goes and hopefully find out how many rounds .204 non hbn user's are getting from there barrel's (24" howa stainless). Anyone ??

Every new barrel I get now will always get the same cleaning/hbn treatment from day one.

I bought a bag of hbn powder and an aerosol can of hbn spray from precision ceramics in Birmingham, will last many many years😃.good people to deal with 👍

 

 .

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Cheers for the link...........I've been beating my brains out trying to find somewhere that sells it.

I have a tumbler ready and waiting.................and a new 6x47 barrel on my RPA at proof.

Re-Pete

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 just found the invoice..which I think is 300 micron, but might be worth calling them and ask their advice on micron for bullet coating.

PCIDL300BN POWDER

BN AEROSOL SPRAY CAN 

£90 total in 2015

 

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These are two of the main HbN sources I've studied for the application process.

http://benchrest.com/showthread.php?66216-Barrel-PreTreat-For-HBN

https://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?213557-As-promised-hBN-or-Hexagonal-Boron-Nitride-impact-coating#/topics/213557

It seems that it's key to coat BOTH bullets AND the barrel and that two grades of HbN is therefore best.

Coating the barrel is important because as a bullet goes down it, it sort of burnishes the inside with s good layer. To do so, you use a grade containing slightly larger particle sizes and mix it with 90%+ pure alcohol (I made up a suspension of HbN and 99% isopropyl alcohol). You simply run a patch or two of the down the bore 30mins before shooting. The alcohol evoporates but leaves the HbN in the bore, ready to be burninshed by the 1st bullet. This created a fine ceramic coat/film along the bore and is what reduces the friction and SHOULD protect the throat/bore a bit again the hot temperatures as HbN is able to withstand temperatures of around 1000 degrees (I believe). So it's a bit like a thin flame/heat retardant coating between the actual flame and the barrel steel. You only need do this now and then, really after a thorough barrel clean where you remove everything from the bore, including HbN.

Coating bullets requires a finer, crystalline grade of HbN, and is impact plated onto bullets. The process is almost identical to coating with Moly (clean & heat bullets, tumble with BBs coated in HbN for a few hours, then lightly polish bullets to remove excess). Then load and shoot them.

The two grades being AC6111 for Barrels (I think it's 0.1 microns in size) and HCPL for bullets (their finer crystalline stuff, about 10 microns).

I bought my HbN from TAI Lubricants in the States as that's where a number of the benchrest shooters got theirs. Not cheap but if it **could** prolonge a bit of barrel life, then actually totally worth it.

 

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Might be a good idea to avoid inhalation when using hex BN powder, despite it's alleged use in cosmetics...............

https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/Boron Nitride_faa-final.pdf

Pete

 

 

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Just spoke to Precision Ceramics.......very helpful guy.......said 5 - 6 micron suitable for barrel and bullets.

In stock at £35/100gms, which is cheaper than I'd imagined, but the downside is £25 postage, however much you order..

Re-Pete

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It doesn't say amount of powder on invoice but I remember being told it was the minimum amount they sell so prob 100grms??

Funny how things change, my invoice....

Hbn powder £45

BN Aerosol spray can. £25

Postage £5 

  £75 + vat.   £90 total

 

 

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35 minutes ago, Re-Pete said:

Just spoke to Precision Ceramics.......very helpful guy.......said 5 - 6 micron suitable for barrel and bullets.

In stock at £35/100gms, which is cheaper than I'd imagined, but the downside is £25 postage, however much you order..

Re-Pete

I think the chaps in the States advocated a larger grade HbN (larger platelets - 0.5micron size) because it's easier to swab the bore with it - essentially you get a better coating. The finer 5-6 micron being fine enough to embed itself into the pores of the copper jacket.

But if they've the one grade, worth a shot...see how it goes.

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