boron nitride bullet coating - update

J

jim b.

Guest
A while back, we had a relatively long thread about the use of boron nitride as a bullet coating (similar to the molybdenum disulfide – “moly” – bullet coating). I just wanted to send an update to those of you who might be interested.

Today, I went into the Lowerfriction.com website & ordered some hexagonal boron nitride dry lubricant powder (nano-sized) (MK-hBN-N70). The only shipping option they offered cost an additional $20, which I think is pretty expensive, but I went for it.

By the way, their site has a more detailed portion which is not readily apparent to the reader (me or you). The only way I found out about it was through my phone conversation with the Lowerfriction representative, Ken. This portion of the site explains how to apply the boron nitride powder. The text refers to Tungsten Disulfide (WS2), but Ken said that the process is the same for boron nitride, and that you can apply boron nitride to bullets by tumbling, the same way I applied molybdenum disulfide (“moly”) to my bullets in the past. You find this info. at http://www.lowerfriction.com/howto.php. I hope to receive my powder in a few days, and find out in the near future how well boron nitride powder works in this application. Wish me good luck.

Jim
 
I've been watching the threads on Moly, Tungsten and Boron. I've been using Moly for 20 years and still have quite a bit left, but most likely won't switch until I have too. Very pleased with Moly and my borescope confirms it's good stuff. Keep us informed.
db
 
What size

hbn were you told to use for bullet coating? 70 nm ,0.5 micron ,or 1.5 micron ? I can't get through on the phone. Thanks John


Never mind , I saw it in your post after re-reading it.
 
coating

I bought a moly vibrating application kit from Midway, it uses ceramic media instead of shot, I used the boron instead of the moly and it works great...

One thing for sure, i was having jacket failure on my 8 twist barrel 6xc with 98 grain flat base bullets. on hot loads... (ie they would not make it past 200 yds)...since i've been coating with boron, i've not had one jacket failure even with the hottest loads.

I've been cleaning just like a did with "naked" bullets. , The rifle is shooting great ,,, I guess the stuff works purty good. ? it kept me from having to put a new barrel on that rifle. plus, it don't make your hands look like your working in coal. more like baby powder. (makes great bag powder/lube too)


Kirk
 
Other than being different than moly or tungsten disulfide what is supposed to be "better" about the boron nitride coating?

Thanks
 
Jim b., have you seen any difference in velocity, accuracy, deposits using the boron nitride? What if you could coat your bullets with boron nitride, or moly (pure) in an ionic format? The thickness is 100,000 times thinner than the hair on your head. Seems to me that would be the way to go. But that format has not made it to the market yet!
 
Jim b., have you seen any difference in velocity, accuracy, deposits using the boron nitride? What if you could coat your bullets with boron nitride, or moly (pure) in an ionic format? The thickness is 100,000 times thinner than the hair on your head. Seems to me that would be the way to go. But that format has not made it to the market yet!
 
Status Report?

FBecigneul said:
BN is cleaner and possibly easier with which to work.
Someone posterd earlier about the WS2 having a better coefficient of friction but I haven't seen that in the chronograph. We've had similar speeds with similar loads with the two different coatings on bullets. You might have an advantage in group shooting with the lack of black on the hole but then the lack of the black edge on the hole may work against you in score. That remains to be seen. The best advice would be to wipe out the dot and put them in the same hole, depending on your game.
Click to expand...

Hi again,

I wanted to ask for an update on your BN experience.

Are you applying it yourself? Process similar to Moly?

What has the shooting part of the experience been so far?

Thanks!

Rick
 
#4 Steel Shot?

As in a bag of #4 shot for a shotgun?

Thanks for the update!

Please post anything new that is interesting.

Regards,

Rick
 
Skip Otto was using HBN on his sandbags at Fairchance, just before he passed away. Said It was as good as it gets. Skip was a no B.S. guy
 
FBecigneul said:
Skip was the nicest man in benchrest too. He treated everyone the same. And we loved him for it. He could carry on a conversation with a Hall Of Fame shooter or a new shooter. It made no difference to him..........As long as you had a green gun.

Yes Rick, same as a shotgun but steel shot, not copper. I don't know why not brass or copper, it's just what I was told. And I always do as I'm told.
Click to expand...

"...always do as I'm told." ;-)

Skip...yea, I had some interesting conversations with him. He is missed.
 
Shot

I've been coating bullets for 15yrs or better and now using BN but like everyone started with moly...have always used crossman bb's just clean them in the acetone first, cheap and available.
 
Harold Vaughn on pgs. 231-234 of Rifle Accuracy Facts makes a lot of interesting observations re moly coating. He attributes the lower velocity at a given charge not to lower friction but the energy consumed in the evaporation of the coating. Not having temp. specs of the 3 coatings at hand, the one with the highest temp. resis. might have an advantage re staying on the bullet, remaining an intermediary between projectile and barrel, and bore deposit/protection. If little difference in velocity drop is found, it may be safe to assume that none last long v. 5000+F propellant gases. He found no accuracy advantage, no evidence of BC advantage from reduced jacket land engraving, nothing tangible re higher attainable velocity, or significantly changed pressure curves. He found indication that bore fouling may be decreased, and abstained from opinion of reduced barrel wear/erosion due to insufficient firing.

I’m a moly coater, and what I seek from coating is longer accuracy periods before degradation due to fouling, and longer barrel life. Seems logical that a bullet coated with a suitable lubricant should help reduce jacket transfer to the bore, and coating that can be transferred to the barrel, as evidence by observable accumulation, may help reduce gas erosion. The good news seems even if the coating is vaporized soon after the bullet starts it journey, that the part of the barrel (throat though ~25%) where coating transfer mostly takes place is the portion subjected to highest temperature and as a result stress cracking, and any process, by barrier or subsequent thermal eradication, should help reduces thermal damage.

So bottom line may be which coating shows best reduction in fouling, longest accuracy period between cleanings, and best barrel protection. Retaining POA after cleaning or coming back to it post haste is another desirable. One rifle I have goes wild for about ten shots after a cleaning.
 
One big advantage people seem to have experienced..
"We started using it this fall and what we have noticed is that now that first shot fired out of a clean and pre-lubed barrel can be trusted as the true impact point."--from http://www.bench-talk.com/blogs/sta...agonal-boron-nitride-hbn-use-by-shooters.aspx

I shoot F-Class and most matches I attend limit you to two sighters. I shoot 6.5 x .284 Norma so being able to trust the first shot is HUGE. While 6.5 x .284 is very good at long range the one short coming (outside of short barrel life) is the first shot or two out of a cleaned barrel is always off. Does not matter if the barrel is dry or I have run a patch with penephite on it. What I usually do is after cleaning I will shoot two rounds to foul the barrel before I go to a match.

-Chip-
 
I know. That was what got me investigating. I ended up ordering a three lifetime supply (one pound) from that Canadian company. We shall see.

Chip
 
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