Hexagonal Boron Nitride

[Pdvdh]

Here's my thoughts. With lightweight bullets, like my 60gr .223 bullets, I would add enough bullets to build up some mass in the tumbler to help ensure there's sufficient weight to increase the impacting force the bullets impose against one another. With the 300 grainers, that bullet weight itself will likely generate enough impact force to impact plate the HBN on the bullet surface without having to add a column/head of bullet mass.

I've never used a rotating drum tumbler Jeff - just to be clear on that. I've read they will do the job also, but I have only used a vibratory tumbler, following Mr. Tubbs' lead. I vibratory tumble my bullets for about 50 minutes. David Tubbs says 30 minutes in his video, with an indication that a heavier payload of bullets would require additional time. He stated he's learned that overloading a vibratory tumbler increased the tumbling time required to HBN coat the bullets. So he doesn't overload his vibratory tumbler, and then he states 30 minutes tumbling time is sufficient to coat the bullets.

That being said, there does have to be a minimum number of bullets placed in the tumbler when doing away with the stainless media. Because the bullets themselves must impact one another in order to plate themselves with the HBN. Taken to the extreme example - solely for purposes of illustrating my point - a single bullet could never be successfully coated in either a vibratory tumbler or rotary tumbler, in my opinion. There have to be multiple bullets, because the bullet on bullet impacts are what produces the impact plating force. I think 100 300gr bullets is sufficient. With the 60gr bullets, 250-300 bullets seemed about right.

 

[bigngreen]

I think everyone will find what works, each of us is using a different tumbler or vibratory polisher and we're seeing differences in coating quality and tips so a little experimentation will be needed. Our smaller batches of smaller bullets come out awesome with the media and I would see no reason to change, a small batch of 300 gr OTMs were a little beat up but the coating was very even. I think the next batch of larger bullets I'll try pulling the media though since I can fill it properly with bullets, maybe the key is what ever bullet or media you get the bottle 2/3 rds full so the bullets roll instead of drop end to end like I think were seeing in a rotary.

 

[Pdvdh]

10-4. As I stated, I'm using a vibratory tumbler, so my experiences and comments are solely based on that method of HBN impact coating of bullets.

I just watched the Tubbs video again. He states fill his provided plastic container 2/3 full of bullets. No stainless media mentioned. So he ensures enough bullets for impact coating without stainless media by filling his plastic container 2/3 full of bullets. Just bullets and HBN powder. His plastic container looks a bit smaller than mine, so I don't fill mine more than 1/2 full. He states a minimum of 30 minutes in the vibratory style tumbler. Recommends 30-60 minutes. He only recommends one plastic container at a time because too much mass can dampen the vibratory action/force of a vibratory tumbler, reducing the impact force of bullet upon bullet impacts.

And he's very big on his $proprietary$ blend of HBN powder.

 

[Broz]

Did not work!! Took the media away , tumbled for 3 hours and they look terrible. They are the same color as when they went in, the HBN is still floating around in the bottle in clean powder form with some of it stuck to the bullets in a cake fashion. So with a rotating tumbler you need the media. Can't say about a vibratory tumbler. I am going to add the stainless media back in and tumble another 3 hrs in hopes to save these 120 bullets.

More tomorrow night.

Jeff

 

[Pdvdh]

Bummer. Maybe that's where tumbling pellets/media came into use - with rotary drum tumblers. And then the vibratory tumbler guys thought they needed it also.

Tumbling media/pellets are not necessary in a vibratory tumbler, unless David Tubbs is keeping that infomation top secret. I loaded some of my .223 HBN coated bullets tonight. They appear well coated - slick as can be. Seated smooth as silk in the case necks.

Three hours is longer than I recall while researching this topic, but maybe that's necessary with the rotating drum tumblers. Sounds like bigngreen is using a rotating tumber too, so I'd check with him.

 

[SHRTSHTR]

Bummer. Maybe that's where tumbling pellets/media came into use - with rotary drum tumblers. And then the vibratory tumbler guys thought they needed it also.

Tumbling media/pellets are not necessary in a vibratory tumbler, unless David Tubbs is keeping that infomation top secret. I loaded some of my .223 HBN coated bullets tonight. They appear well coated - slick as can be. Seated smooth as silk in the case necks.

Three hours is longer than I recall while researching this topic, but maybe that's necessary with the rotating drum tumblers. Sounds like bigngreen is using a rotating tumber too, so I'd check with him.

I ran another batch this evening. This time I put 125 - 300g Bergers in the pill bottle. They came out perfect in my opinion.

Let me back up a little. I first cleaned in Acetone. I buy my bullets in the 250 count when I can. I just used a glass beaker about a 1/3 full. I switched about 30 bullets at a time and placed them on a towel. I continued this process until all 125 bullets were cleaned. Very quick process and I was also able to pour Acetone back into my gallon jug.

Next, I wore latex gloves to put bullets into plactic bottle. I placed bottle full of bullets into preheated oven without lid for exactly 30 minutes.

When I removed bottle from oven, I immediately put in a spoon and a half of HBN. This was large spoon that came with "bullet coating kit". I did level off top of spoon. I did not have HBN heaping.
I vibratory tumbled for 45 minutes exactly. When I dumped bullets into strainer, I noticed very little Hbn dust falling though strainer. I placed the bullets on white towel and cleaned excess Hbn off of them. I was very pleased with this process. The bullets were evenly coated and to my surprise.... Even the base of bullets were coated as well.

Once again, no media was used in this process only the bullets themselves impacting each other and distributing Hbn.

This is the process I have settled on and would like to Thank everyone here that has contributed to my Hbn coated bullets.

Thanks Paul for your help! Now I just need to shoot some and get results.

Ray

 

[Broz]

Ok , its 2:15 am and I am back. I re-tumbled the bullets that didn't coat for another 3 hours. Only change was to add the same mixed bunch of stainless media back in that I was using before, The bullets cleaned up and coated well now. They are slick, smooth and tips look great too. All I will do from here is to hand polish / wipe them down and re-drill the hollow points with my .027" wire drill in .300" deep. Happy now!!

This must have to do with tumbler vs virbrate.

I got the 3 hrs Paul from the instructions that came with the Bullet Coatings kit. It states "2 hrs / 100 bullets "Vibrate / Tumble" and inspect". "If not to your satisfaction go an additional 1/2 hr at a time till you like what you see" I thought 3 hrs was a good number for the amount of bullets and their size and weight.

I Just put in another 120 with the media and same amount of HBN from the same lot of bullets to see how they look in 3 more hours.

One big observation I can offer is I am using a little over 3 times as much HBN now as the "Bullet Coatings" instructions state to use per 100. This took some testing since they make no adjustments for bullet weights. I feel they should do a better job with their instructions, or at least return the phone messages I left them. Obviously it takes more HBN to coat 100 Berger 300 gr bullets than 100 Berger 55 gr bullets. What I saw was, by using less HBN in the bottle of 100, was the bullets took on a darker bronze look. The less HBN used the darker they came out. I increased the amount of HBN each time and now I am getting only a slight discoloration of the bullets. Just a little bit of a milky color to them now. But coverage is good, very even and they are slick and smooth. I should also add that even on the darker bullets with less HBN used the coverage was good too. Just way darker in color.

Thanks for the help guys. I didn't mean to take over your thread. I appreciate your help and will let you know hoe this next batch of 120 come out in the morning.

Jeff

 

[cowboy]

First of all I have no experience with coating bullets with any type of media but have been following all the hBN threads on a number of forums and have decided that it is time for me to give this a go. If this stuff will lower or maintain ES and SD for extended periods of time it will be well worth it.

For all you guys out there that have been hunting with these coated bullets - any comments as far as how durable this coatings is. Let's say I put 2 loaded rounds in my pants pocket at the beginning of hunting season and after 25 days of horseback and hiking it is time to slip one into the pipe. Do you think most of the coating will have worn off? Bottom line is how careful do you guys handle your loaded ammo - keep in mind I am not a bench rest shooter that picks one loaded round out of a box at a time.

 

[idaho elk hunter]

I will rub off in pockets and is not durable under any condition. It need to be protected from the outside elements. Once that is said it is the most durable coating that I have found, especially compared to moly.

 

[Broz]

From the latest lot of 240 I did with SS media in a rotary tumbler for 3 hrs.

300 Berger OTM's HBN coated left and new naked on the right.

Jeff

 

[Pdvdh]

Nice. Do the tips get dinged up at all in the rotary tumbler? Or do they look the same as the factory bullets?

 

[Broz]

Nice. Do the tips get dinged up at all in the rotary tumbler? Or do they look the same as the factory bullets?

Paul, the tips in my pic are what I see after tumbling. Those 3 have been drilled with a .027" wire drill in .300" to insure they are still open or clear and blockage. But that is how they come out.

Here is a pic of the 240 I did the last few days before the tips were drilled. These are just after tumbling.

 

[JJMoody]

Ok,keeping this one going, has any data been collected as to whether or not the flight charctristics/ actual BC have been changed due to lowered friction while traveling through the air, or am I just "over-cooking the popcorn" with that idea? It seems to me that with a lowered coefficient of friction while moving through the barrel, improved dynamics would follow thereafter... Again, could have burnt the popcorn here...?

 

[Pdvdh]

Burnt popcorn. Not reading of noticably improved BC with HBN coated bullets, nor do I expect it.

A little higher muzzle velocity, lower ES, much less bore fouling, and better cold bore shot consistency with following shots are the primary benefits. I think barrel life could also be prolonged somewhat.