To moly or not to moly?

Kenthetoolman

I have a new Rem 700 sps varmint in 308 with a 22 inch barrel and a 1 in 12 twist. I am planning on shooting factory match 168gr loads for now until I get started reloading but I am trying to decide on if I want to use moly coated bullets or not. I have heard that they extend barrel life and make cleaning easy. How does the moly effect velocity and accuracy if any?

JustC

I used to see a lot more moly at the matches than I do now. IMHO, it is a waste of money. Barrels are cleaned after every relay at a match, so no moly builds up anyway. It does extend time between cleanings, but that is all I can see as a benefit. It also requires a higher powder charge to reach the same MV as a naked bullet. That in my mind negates the barrel life extension claimed,.. due to moly being a lubricant. If you increase powder charge, you increase plasma, which is what erodes the throat.

260

JUSTC got it right. a waste of time. to get where you were as far a mv you must increase powder charge which = more throat erosion.

He Dog

That fad is so over. Moly slows bullets, a strange action for a supposed lubricant. Don't waste your time and energy.

Jim Rau

quote:Originally posted by He Dog
That fad is so over. Moly slows bullets, a strange action for a supposed lubricant. Don't waste your time and energy.

Moly does not 'slow' bullets!!
If you use a charge for a non moly bullet it will have a lower MV because it will require less pressure to push it down the barrel. But if you work up a load for the moly bullet it will be a minimum of 5% faster than you could load a non moly bullet. The increased lubicity allows the same maximum pressure to accelerate the bullet to a higher velocity. Most of the time you will need to go to the next faster burning powder to achieve this velocity. You can not rely on the data published in the most commonly used manuals with moly bullets. I have been molying my own for about 20 years now and have learned a Lot about them.[;)]

He Dog

Jim your experience far outstrips mine. A good freind tried moly bullets over the same loads he was using with non-moly bullets of the same weight and shape. The result was decreased muzzle velocity. You have explained why.

nononsense

Kenthetoolman,

You do not need moly coated bullets to get this rifle to shoot accurately or preserve the bore. Don't shoot it hot and learn how to clean it properly. The reward will be a long life and plenty of enjoyment.

The newest fad in friction reducing coatings is Boron Nitride:

http://davidtubb.com/tcom_images/dtac/dtac_bn_coating.html

It's cleaner to handle and use but significantly more expensive than Moly.

Best.

Jim Rau

quote:Originally posted by nononsense
Kenthetoolman,

You do not need moly coated bullets to get this rifle to shoot accurately or preserve the bore. Don't shoot it hot and learn how to clean it properly. The reward will be a long life and plenty of enjoyment.

The newest fad in friction reducing coatings is Boron Nitride:

http://davidtubb.com/tcom_images/dtac/dtac_bn_coating.html

It's cleaner to handle and use but significantly more expensive than Moly.

Best.



Very interesting! Thanks for the info and link.[:)]