Moly bullets Friend or Foe?

J

JRB

Guest
Just seeing opinions what reasons you would use a moly bullet with a match barrel,
I was told 15 years back by a friend that is was a good idea, has it become a bad habit?
With the improvement in barrel steel and finish, in the last few years is it still your friend?

Jim
 
I didnt know anybody still used moly in comp. I only saw it used in real life for maybe a year with any volume and that was 15yrs ago
 
stool said:
yes but it is a two part process...bullet and bbl.
it also requires a different cleaning process to not wreck the coating on the bbl.

HBN is easier to use and cleaner.....long term benefit is still to be determined...it is also a bbl and bullet process, but with an easy to apply bbl coating.

coated bullets/bbl are best when long strings are shot with no cleaning...so short range br is not the best use.

it works for me in 1000yd as we have no opportunity to clean.

i have very few rifles i shoot naked bullets in....
Click to expand...

I should have been a little clearer, i am not talking about my short range Br rifle,
But my varmint rifles, a 223AI and 6mm Dasher which fire 30 -80 shots between cleaning.

My cleaning technique is two patches with no 9, a bronze brush, loaded with 303 Sweets, 5-6 passes and sit for 5-10 minutes.
Then push out with patch and see if it comes out clean, and repeat with Sweets as required, very rarely is a second run needed.
Jim
 
Jim,
I shoot moly in all of my varmint hunting rifles, 220 Swift, 22PPC, .243AI. Also shoot it out of a Dasher 1000yd rifle and my 6.5X47 Lapua, deer rifle. With the exception of the swift, I have shot 90+ consecutive rounds with out degradation of accuracy in all of the others. I then just give them a light cleaning and away I go again. At the end of the seasons, I give them a more thorough cleaning. I use Danzac and have never seen an increase or decrease for that matter, in accuracy. I can tell you that if I clean to bare metal it takes about 7 to 10 rounds for my barrel to settle back down. So in my opinion, yes, you can shoot alot more rounds between cleanings, without any barrrel damage. Personally, I love the stuff.
 
I say foe........

For the most part there is no accuracy is a wash. I see no increase in barrel life for the most part either. In some cases the way the guy cleans the gun or doesn't etc....moly can damage the barrels as well.

I don't shoot moly and I won't. It's another variable to deal with if you are having problems.

In shooting matches and going prairie dogging etc...I've shot 100-300 rounds with no cleaning and no loss in accuracy. Calibers include .223, .220 Swift, .22-250, .22-250 Imp., 6mm Rem., .260rem., .308win., .300wm etc....

Guys either complain about the stuff or rant and rave about it. I asked one of the bullet makers one time why they are offering moly coated bullets and what if any benefits do they see from it. They said no real benefit/gains etc...so I asked why do you do it then? They said because they can charge another $1.00 per box.

The biggest thing I say is pay attention to your rifle/barrel. It will tell you how and when it needs to be cleaned/taken care of. Learn to do this more than anything else.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels
 
I wrote a bunch on this yesterday...

....But the power died and I crashed for the day.

I want to say I agree with Frank. I'm not a barrel guy but don't know why you would put yourself in the "Moly" position. Yes, I tried it and it looked like it was going to work but became more of a problem than it helped.

Alternatively, Eunice Berger won the Super Shoot shooting Moly bullets. So...I don't actually know as I never won the Super Shoot.

I made several thousand Moly bullets but didn't know you could charge more!!!
 
I cannot recall when the Moly fad began . . .

but, since then (20 +years??), I have shot about 99.9% Moly-coated bullets: I guess it could be argued - as I've stated before - that Moly has caused me to loose and to win! :eek::eek: I have yet to see Moly damage barrel performance (precision/life/etc.), and see almost no, "down-side" to it's use: it may rub off onto my fingers while handling the coated bullets.

Last summer, I used Moly-coated ("That'll never work") 25 Cal. BT bullets and a 1:9" twist ("That'll never work") Bartlein barrel - one of the THE BEST barrels I've owned - to win the 200Yd. and Grand Aggs. at the NBRSA Hunter Nationals - does overcoming the "double whammy" make me a GOD? :eek: I don't think so . . . . but, it CAN be said that it didn't impair the rig's performance. :(:p

Testing Moly vs. bare bullets via a couple of, "bullet wrecker" (1:8") 6mm barrels GREATLY reduced, bullet failures: from 85-90% failure rate, to 10% failure failure rate: strong empirical evidence of reduced friction.:D Since that experience, if only for the "cheap insurance", even via a bullet friendly barrel, I will not shoot a long/heavy (high BC) bare bullet through the "faster" twisted barrels. But, this is not an issue for the bullets/twist combinations used for, "point-blank" BR.

The argument appears to boil-down to individual empirical experiences . . . to paraphrase Frank, "ya either love, or, hate the stuff." :eek: RG

P.S. I do not & will not coat bullets for others.
 
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Tried moly in some of my "fast" rifles (.240 Incinerator, .224 Clark, etc) and couldn't tell a difference. And by difference I mean fouling and accuracy. I'm not saying there isn't any benefit, just none obvious enough to me to keep coating.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
 
I started using moly bullets around 1996 I think. I shot some barrels with and some without, and to be honest could not tell the difference as far as accuracy was concerned. What it did do though was allow me to run a whole aggregate without cleaning with no loss of performance. I had two Australian made Maddco barrels - one was shot with moly the other without. After 1000 rounds through each, the one that had moly bullets definitely looked less worn - same loads used, same bullets. A Hawkeye was used to determine this.

When I was fortunate enough to win the WBC 2 Gun in 2001 in New Zealand, some of the International shooters who looked over my gear were surprised that I was using "black bullets". When I checked it seems that many of the 2 gun winners of the WBC were also using them.
I now shoot mainly Bartlien and Krieger barrels and have used some with and some without.
At the last WBC in 2013, I had a look around the reloading room and not many moly bullets were to be seen.

Passing fad? Maybe - but just like Chryo for barrels and anointing them with Teflon, graphite and God knows what else it all adds to the mystery of the game. What happened to the 50/50 mix of GM Top Engine Cleaner and Kroil? Is that still around?


Brendan Atkinson
 
B J Atkinson said:
I started using moly bullets around 1996 I think. I shot some barrels with and some without, and to be honest could not tell the difference as far as accuracy was concerned. What it did do though was allow me to run a whole aggregate without cleaning with no loss of performance. I had two Australian made Maddco barrels - one was shot with moly the other without. After 1000 rounds through each, the one that had moly bullets definitely looked less worn - same loads used, same bullets. A Hawkeye was used to determine this.

When I was fortunate enough to win the WBC 2 Gun in 2001 in New Zealand, some of the International shooters who looked over my gear were surprised that I was using "black bullets". When I checked it seems that many of the 2 gun winners of the WBC were also using them.
I now shoot mainly Bartlien and Krieger barrels and have used some with and some without.
At the last WBC in 2013, I had a look around the reloading room and not many moly bullets were to be seen.

Passing fad? Maybe - but just like Chryo for barrels and anointing them with Teflon, graphite and God knows what else it all adds to the mystery of the game. What happened to the 50/50 mix of GM Top Engine Cleaner and Kroil? Is that still around?


Brendan Atkinson
Click to expand...
BA, Thanks for your comments.
Do you have a different cleaning method for moly barrels?
I think i will continue to use it, as i mostly shoot many shots without being able to clean.
When i use sweets and a bronze brush to scrub out the fouling, am i removing the moly, or is that not a concern?
Jim
 
JRB said:
BA, Thanks for your comments.
Do you have a different cleaning method for moly barrels?
I think i will continue to use it, as i mostly shoot many shots without being able to clean.
When i use sweets and a bronze brush to scrub out the fouling, am i removing the moly, or is that not a concern?
Jim
Click to expand...

Generally I will run a yardage (5 targets) without cleaning - unless it is humid; if so, I will run patches of Butch's or Pro Shot thru the bore after three targets.
At the change of yardage I just run patches through until they come out clean, then leave the bore wet until ready to shoot again.
I have run a whole ten target match without cleaning, and accuracy did not alter. Old habits die hard though!
At the end of the day I do a normal clean with patches and bronze brush.
I check the bore regularly with the Hawkeye to see what is going on. Even after a bronze brushing some of the moly coating remains - not a problem.
If you want to get it all out you need Iosso.
 
B J Atkinson said:
Generally I will run a yardage (5 targets) without cleaning - unless it is humid; if so, I will run patches of Butch's or Pro Shot thru the bore after three targets.
At the change of yardage I just run patches through until they come out clean, then leave the bore wet until ready to shoot again.
I have run a whole ten target match without cleaning, and accuracy did not alter. Old habits die hard though!
At the end of the day I do a normal clean with patches and bronze brush.
I check the bore regularly with the Hawkeye to see what is going on. Even after a bronze brushing some of the moly coating remains - not a problem.
If you want to get it all out you need Iosso.
Click to expand...

BA
PM sent
 
I have been using the Danzac coating on some of my bullets, and I even have a little on going test. I chambered two brand new barrels for myself, and at the same time a few weeks back for a little experiment.
I am shooting the same bullet and powder through both barrels. Only difference, one barrel I am using Danzac coated bullets, and the other plain bullets. I have around 400 rounds on each barrel now give or take a few. I have been keeping a close eye on each barrel with my bore scope, and what I am seeing, is that the barrel with the Danzac bullets still looks like new. As far as wear is concerned. The other barrel is starting to show some fire cracking in the throat, and a touch farther forward, just past the lead.
Is the difference the Danzac? I cant be sure, but I think it might be? The two barrels are from the same maker and made from the same batch of steel, as the serial numbers are one number different. Meaning they were made one right before the other.

I pre treat my barrel with a mixture of Danzac and alcohol on a patch after each cleaning. This way I don't have to shoot a bunch of bullets down the tube just to season the darn thing. The alcohol evaporates pretty quick thus leaving a nice thin film of Danzac. This method has worked well for me so far.

I have also noticed that the Danzac will work itself down into the pours of a barrel, and after some time, pre treating may not even be necessary. I still do pre treat, but I don't think at this point it is really needed. One other thing I have noticed with the Danzac, is the lack of carbon build up in the free bore. Seems like the Danzac helps keep the carbon from sticking? Now that may not be fact, but I have a feeling from what I am seeing that the Danzac does help a bit.

I usually don't shoot any more than 30 to 40 shots without cleaning, and I do use a bronze brush every time. I clean very carefully, and fairly often. I don't use the Danzac, just to get away from having to clean.
Im not sure I will start shooting the Danzac on every bullet I shoot, but I will continue to play with it some.
The Danzac sure doesn't seem to hurt anything, at least anything I have seen thus far. I have also been told that Danzac wont build up in a barrel like moly will. I don't know, as I haven't ever used moly. Lee
 
Lee,
Thanks for your reply,
how many shots is it taking for the barrel to settle after cleaning.
How many passes are you making with the bronze brush?
Jim
 
If I run a wet patch of the Danzac through my barrel, I will shoot one shot to foul the barrel, otherwise the first shot should go where it is suppose to. I would say as a rule, its best to shoot one, maybe two before the serious work begins.
As far how many strokes I make with a bronze brush, I would say 10 or 12 I guess. I scrub it pretty good. Lee
 
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