Is HBN worth it?
- Thread starter marchx
- Start date
I tried it, saw no improvement but still use Molly
After about 10-12 years of experience using HBN both as a bullet coating as and as a final stage in barrel cleaning I can say “Hell yes it’s worth it. I can’t speak to SD, ED, or any other Dee. I can tell you about placement on the target And ease of cleaning.
3.5 to 2.6 meters per second, while not too bad, wouldn't have me doing it any time soon.
The big question on SD, is "over how many shots"?
Over 3 rounds, not too meaningful. Over 10 or 20, more so.
But without it, i've found 6 FPS ES, and 2 FPS SD over 20 rounds after load development without it.
To have your SD higher than my established ES, is nothing to write home about.
Used it back when I started shooting. Coated myself. Was told it was supposed to work like Molly. It increased pressures and actually caused some of the bullets to cold weld onto the case necks. When I pulled the bullets you'd see gauging it was acting as an abrasive not a lubicrant. I saw no accuracy improvements. I will never touch the stuff again.
I've used it 9 years now in my bench rifles. There is no accuracy difference between coated and uncoated. I use a chronograph every time I test loads at my house. I never had to increase the powder charge like some people have said, and I never noticed any SD difference either. The only thing it does IMO is make cleaning my barrels a lot easier. All I do is put 2 wet patches thru and it's done. I have never ever used a nylon or any other kind of brush on any of my barrels and I scope them once in a while and there are no carbon rings either.
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Thanks. Can you elaborate on this? I read that this stuff eliminated cold bore shot effect. Is it true?
Molly applications have changed over the last 10 years or so look up the (wet method) very easy not messy will not rub off
What difference does it make in accuracy department?
Gizmo575
Air Force Vet
I've been using moly for 15+ years and have seen measurable improvements in both SD and accuracy. Tried HBN for about 500 rounds in 6BR and 6mmCM and saw no measurable improvement, and handling the bullets or loaded rounds appears to diminish the coating. (maybe I'm not getting it right to begin with). Now that I'm using a very simple wet-moly process, my6BR SD's stay in the 7-8fps range, and accuracy is consistent at 0.3's.
Basically what is claimed of HBN and Molly is about the same your first shot is relatively closer to your group once fouled, I have experienced much easier cleanings but the one thing I have documented is extending barrel life for sure. in a 65x284 where my first barrel was completely shot out at around 1100 rounds I am currently at 1600+ still going fairly strong
Longtrain
Gold $$ Contributor
Never used HBN, but I used WS2 (Tungsten Disulfide), for a few years. It was a bit of a pain to coat and buff the bullets, they did look good for sure. I was shooting better during that time and shooters seeing my shiney silver bullets thought it was a secret weapon. Did it make my barrel last longer or clean easier, I couldn’t see any difference. I went back to naked bullets.
10XSHOOTER
Gold $$ Contributor
Tried HBN, after 2 part moly process. Did not see any advantage! Am now wet moly. Love it!
Moly is a different species of coating, and does not really compare well with others.
There are pros/cons with moly and personally I would not use it today.
WS2 is like a universal fouling and works fantastic as a dry pre-fouling*.
With this, WS2 can bring a huge improvement to cold clean bore accuracy.
It also reduces copper some, extending cleaning intervals, and then it cleans out like standard carbon*.
WS2 does not affect MV*.
[* unlike moly]
I know nothing of HBN.. Sorry
Been using WS2 for ~30yrs
There are pros/cons with moly and personally I would not use it today.
WS2 is like a universal fouling and works fantastic as a dry pre-fouling*.
With this, WS2 can bring a huge improvement to cold clean bore accuracy.
It also reduces copper some, extending cleaning intervals, and then it cleans out like standard carbon*.
WS2 does not affect MV*.
[* unlike moly]
I know nothing of HBN.. Sorry
Been using WS2 for ~30yrs
I started using the wet method with Molly back when Whidden did my first .243 barrel. Only reason I did was the .243 obviously works very well for him, he said it is a system so I followed everything in his system. Now along with the .243 I was bored so I molly'd every other cartridge I shot (.223, .260, .280, and .308). I still shoot Molly, the water method is easy to do and I do a bunch up at the time. Barrel life is excellent but then I also use cool powders. The only cartrdige I don't molly anymore is the .223 as I wasn't getting the velocity in the palma gun that I wanted and anything above 25gr of Varget/N140 was a PITA to load. Now that I'm shooting N135 I thought about trying it again as there is plenty of case room. Do I really need to molly the others no, they aren't going the 3,300fps the 243 is, but I still do as I don't notice the copper fouling as quickly as I do when naked.
The difference between molly and HBN was when you compare it to a naked bullet the velocity with molly goes down but with HBN it went up. So right there tells me HBN increases pressure or at least it was how I was applying it (NECO method with shot). The other comparison is on .243 barrels. The .243 was originally barreled with a HART barrel (Dad's decision and I inherited the rifle) with 107SMKs HBN coated and IMR4530 by 900+ rounds I couldn't touch the lands anymore. I'm on my 3rd .243 barrel since going to N160 and Molly. Now N160 is WAY cooler but I get around 2,500 rounds per barrel and the second barrel is at 2,624 and last match it shot a 200-12x at 1000 but I pulled it cause I knew it was close. Need to put it back on and see when it goes. Now part of the round difference was n160 as IMR4350 is a freaking blowtorch, but also a lot was the HBN being an abrasive it just ate away at the lead in the chamber.
The difference between molly and HBN was when you compare it to a naked bullet the velocity with molly goes down but with HBN it went up. So right there tells me HBN increases pressure or at least it was how I was applying it (NECO method with shot). The other comparison is on .243 barrels. The .243 was originally barreled with a HART barrel (Dad's decision and I inherited the rifle) with 107SMKs HBN coated and IMR4530 by 900+ rounds I couldn't touch the lands anymore. I'm on my 3rd .243 barrel since going to N160 and Molly. Now N160 is WAY cooler but I get around 2,500 rounds per barrel and the second barrel is at 2,624 and last match it shot a 200-12x at 1000 but I pulled it cause I knew it was close. Need to put it back on and see when it goes. Now part of the round difference was n160 as IMR4350 is a freaking blowtorch, but also a lot was the HBN being an abrasive it just ate away at the lead in the chamber.
Shawn,
I think I found your problem.
I'm reasonably sure that you are supposed to coat the bullets, not yourself!! LOL.
Lloyd
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