dry pellet lube

[jkingrph]

I was planning on trying today, but changed blades on my big ztr mower to mulching blades and mowed leaves. This afternoon started burning some brush and old boxes, that had accumulated in my shed. Just sat down here a few minutes ago, my polo shirt is soaked with sweat, Heat and humidity is awful for December.

The project I was planning on was dry lubing some pellets with some HBN, hexagonal boron nitride powder. I ruled out both tungsten and molybdem disulfides because they are simply messy and messier. HBN is a white fluffy powder, with excellent high pressure lubricating properties and to the fingers feels very slick. It has many uses, in paints, dental cements, added to ceramics for strength and in many cosmetic products, such a lotions, lipstick ect, to impart a feeling of slickness. I have in the past tumbled jacketed bullets for reloading, really could not tell much difference as I did not shoot that many, they were just harder to pick up with bare fingers as the were so slick. I have read that because of the slickness, they move through a barrel so much easier, that pressures and velocity is less with the same powder load as compared to an un treated bullet.

Weather permitting I am going to tumble a few in a tin, and leave some of the same style and lot untreated, then check velocity of untreated and then treated and see if any difference. When I was reloading for my centerfire rifles I did not have a chrony so could not do this. It may be an interesting experiment or a waste of time, but something to do.

 

[jkingrph]

I did a little experimenting this morning since it is bright enough although overcast, for my chrony to work I used my old FWB 124 which was rebuilt last year, and not shot much. Cleaned the barrel then fired a couple of fouling shots then chronographed ten shots. all using H&N Heavy match pellet.

Unlubed max was 861 slow 844 and average of 851fps. 17fps deviation high to low.

Lubed High was 855, low 846 Average was the same at 851, but deviation of 9fps per shot over the string,

I did notice the lubed pellets seemed to chamber easier.

 

[Geezerhood]

I have used Moly, Tungsten and HBN over the years on PB guns. HBN is what I am using now but only on PB guns. I would never use Moly again as I experienced etching of metal surfaces. No etching with TDS, but I don't like the gray rubbing off on stuff and didn't want to bother with waxing. The HBN is almost invisible.

How did you coat the pellets? I used a vibratory tumbler to get a good coating on copper jacketed bullets, but based on tumbling pellets for a very short time, I saw quite a bit of denting and deformation of the pellets as they bump into each other. My vibrating tumbler might be too powerful, but it isn't adjustable.

The only reason I used any coatings was to increase the number of shots needed between cleaning. I never saw in increase of accuracy with the coatings vs naked, other than being able to shoot more than 5 times the number of shots with some guns before the accuracy fall off started happening. If your goal is the same, maybe try some shot strings that are at and beyond where a particular gun starts to see the accuracy fall off, to see if the HBN extends the number of shots significantly vs naked projectiles. If it doesn't and there is no accuracy improvement - not much use in spending time coating the ammo.

With PB guns, the coated bullets were almost always lower velocity using the same charge. Not sure how the reduced friction might account for lower velocity on a springer but perhaps more so on a PCP gun that dumps more air with pellets that are more resistant to acceleration.

 

[jkingrph]

I have only coated about half a tin of pellets. I just put a small amount of HBN powder in the tin with the pellets and roatated and lightly shook it for a minute or so. Seems to have gotten an even coating on the pellets.

Like I said I started with a clean barrel, fired a short string of ten shots, after a few fouling shots, probably not enough for a statistically significant example, but just for fun. Then cleaned and ran a few fouling shots of lubed pellets then the ten for record. The only things I noticed different, velocities were consistantly, less deviation and less max to minunum, sound of the shot cycle seemed softer with the lubed pellets, and as I said earlier the lubed pellets seemed to slip into the chamber easier. I had also tried them in an AB 46m single stroke pneumatic target pistol and noticed the same thing.

I never had a chrony to check velocities on my PB rifles, just relied on good reloading manuals and worked loads up for max accuracy. I did try the Molybdem and Tungsten disulfides, and was concerned about the possible etching, as they are somewhat hydroscopic, HBN seems almost perfect in being clean, non hydroscopic, and relatively easy to appy.

I did take my AA TX200 out and tried with the lubed pellets, and I see, for at least me a definite advantage. The pellets slip into the chamber more easliy, less fumbling with my somewhat arthritic fingers. I was wondering about that earlier when shooting the break barrel and noticed the difference. I think I will keep lubing just for this advantage.

 

[Geezerhood]

Thanks for the additional information. Based on your post I thought I might try some lube on my 30 Cal NOEs in my Gauntlet 30. Simply because it was sitting there on my shooting bench I tried some silicone oil, rolled on using a paper towel that had a light saturation of oil on it. They were significantly easier to chamber and the accuracy was unchanged. I am going to try lubing more slugs with some HBN as soon as I can find where I stashed it!

 

[Hw9720]

Pledge furniture polish is what a few old timer spring guys use to use..

tim

 

[drpietrzak]

I use Beeswax furniture polish in my TX200 MKIII. I do not know if it is psychological or not but it seems to reduce variation and it tightens things up from about 15 yards out. At 10 meters I don't see a difference.