moly and/or boron bullets hunting ?

[drpbroun5]

I have read some regarding bullets coated in moly and also in boron. Is there any reason to or not to use them for hunting? I have read that these coatings increase velocity and reduce pressure. They also reporteedly reduce fouling. With this in mind, why not coat all bullets with this stuff? Can bullets be coated by an individual or do they need to be done commercially? Thanks for you input!
Paul

 

[steve smith]

No reason not to use them for hunting, but you will probably find a lot of people that will tell you not to use them at all.
I asked Dan Lilja via e-mail what he recomended as far as his barrels were concerned. He told me that any increase in velocity or reduction in pressure would be insignificant, that coupled with the potential moly fouling problems, it's not worth it. Although he did recomend using it in 50 cal barrels, and that there were significant advantages, as far as copper fouling goes.
I chose not to use moly because of this and the fact that it is so easy to get the copper out using farely strong copper solvents.

 

[drpbroun5]

Thanks, Steve. Will either substance affect the meat if used on game?

 

[dbhostler]

Personally wouldn't be concerned about the tiny amount of moly on the bullet, but rather injesting a small amount of the lead core. As most on this site, I have eaten wild game killed with lead shot and soft lead bullets for 50 years with no ill effect.....I think. What were we talking about? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
db
db

 

[J E Custom]

I dont have the article handy but the NORMA loading
test ran on moly coatings was very interesting.

log on to the NORMA site and it may answer all your
questions.

J E CUSTOM

 

[sambo3006]

This topic has popped up before. Someone--I think it might have been Bart B posted a link to the MSDS sheet for molybdenum disulfide (moly) and it is inert if I recall correctly. Please don't take this as the final word, though. I have consumed lots of venison killed by moly coated bullets to no apparent ill effect. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Moly is also supposed to not adhere to itself so theoretically there should be no fouling problem. I believe moly was first used as an industrial high temp lubricant.

Moly coating is easily applied with a tumbler. I got my kit from Midway about 6 years ago and still have lots of moly left. You just wash the bullets with a degreasing soap such as dish soap and then dry the bullets. Use gloves so you don't get oil from your skin on the bullets. Then just put them in a dedicated moly tumbler bowl with some moly and presto! In about an hour you have your own moly coated bullets.

You lose some of the moly coating on the bullet ogive when you seat it in the case, so I don't really know how much benefit you get. I have just been coating all my bullets for several years and see no reason to scrub the moly out of my barrels.

I don't shoot a huge volume of rounds in my rifles, but all I do after shooting is run a dry patch through the barrel and if it won't be shot again soon I run an oily patch through the barrel. I then run a dry patch through the next time before I shoot. I haven't noticed any significant copper fouling in my barrels and no loss of accuracy or pitting over several years time.

Having said that, I am planning on putting together a premium barreled 300RUM and I do not plan to moly coat the bullets. I will follow the proper break in procedure for the barrel and that should eliminate copper fouling problems. Just my 2 cents.