Moly Barrel Conditioning

[Grump]

How long/how many shots/what cleaning/should I even bother?

After testing some moly bullets, I'm now ready to work up a new load with bare bullets. How should I clean it for the transition? How many shots before it settles into using the non-coated bullets with decent accuracy (1.5 MOA or better with match bullets)?

Did I just buy myself a lifetime of shooting moly out of that barrel?

 

[Steve Smith]

I understand that you can flip-flop, but it takes a good cleaning and perhaps 10 rounds or so to do the switch in either direction.

I'll be using moly in a new barrel soon (no choice on this one, using a particular bullet) and that was something I was wondering and asked some fellow competitors about.

 

[lycanthrope]

Run some wet patches of FP-10 through the barrel, dry it out and then go shooting.

I've switched back and forth several times. Moly doesn't seem to stick in my barrel anything like lead or copper fouling.

 

[Grump]

So, does the zero wander more than .5 MOA during the 10-round or so transition? Any recognizable patterns?

 

[lycanthrope]

Grump,

I can't say I've noticed any patterns since when I change from moly to copper bullets I'm always changing bullet weight and design. I shoot moly coated Ballistic Tips and then switch to Partitions. My moly bullets group better.

 

[Steve Smith]

I bet there is an impact shift, if only because the bulet's speed is different.

 

[Grump]

Well, I'm thinking about zero "A" with moly load "1", and zero point "B" with non-moly load "2". Being an old smallbore shooter, I'm used to having to shift up 1.75 and right .5, for example, when switching ammos.

What worries me is whether/how much the POI will drift, and for how long it will wander.

 

[Steve Smith]

Seems like it should settle down after 10 shots or so.