Anyone using HBN with a straight 284?

[Keith Glasscock]

I'm looking for info. I'm preparing to run in a new barrel and I'm going to give HBN a try.

Here is the setup:

Straight 284
180 hybrids
H4831SC

What I need:
Any direct experience with these or similar components. I will be putting charges into test tubes (loading at the range), and I want to make sure I get the right general range of charges. I only have 100 tubes and want to have the charge window close to what will end up being the node.

If you shot naked bullets through the barrel before switching to HBN (or WS2), how much did your charge change in order to match previous velocities?

Thanks,
Keith

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

IME, you won't see anything significant, in terms of velocity or load changes with bullet coatings. The biggest benefit is less fouling and easier/less cleaning. To me, that's plenty of reason to coat my bullets.

 

[normmatzen]

I have been shooting with hBN for some time. First with a 243 WIN long range BR that I switched from MOLY and never looked back. Then a 6BRX again long range BR and my new barrel, still shoot the 6BRX, is a straight 284 WIN which because I bought a monster tube, is my new Heavy gun! I have 65 shots down the tube. hBN slurry and treated bullets from the get go with no intentional "break in." The first 3 shots were on target at 300 yd from bore sighting. The first three shots were a bit splayed as well as MV increasing with each shot. Then, for the next 30 shots, I was able to gauge the different loads I had. I took the data from those first 35 rounds and cranked up QuickLoad and settled on 55.0 gr H4831sc with 175 gr SMK in 6.5-284 Lapua cases stretched to 7mm. (can't find enough 180 Hybrids to go to the nationals with!)

The next 30 rounds were at 600 yd and were for tuning my tuner. The MV is a bit low, I wanted 2830 fps and got 2806 fps avg with slightly large SD than I would expect. But then, I haven't got my match worthy sizing dies or in-line seating die so for now I have to deal with an old used 284 WIN die set. I still ended up with a couple 2 " 3 shot groups tho. And, the Es and SD is dropping as I go and the MV is creeping up. By the way, my barrel is a 30" Bartlein 5R.
My hBN process is very common. I cleaned the new barrel from the gunsmith for chambering with a brass brush a few strokes in the throat area followed by a good washing with alcohol in patches. After drying, I coated the barrel with hBN alcohol slurry. My bullets are coated in a vibrator for 3 hours in plastic bottles with BB's and I put 33 bullets in each cup (3) along with about 30 gr of hBN or enough to fill 1/3 of the tip of a medium flat bladed screwdriver in each cup, put the coated bullets in an old hiking sock and slosh back and forth a bit and put them in hBN marked boxes. Oh! Yes! I clean the bullets in acetone before coating and I handle the bullets for coating and loading with surgical gloves.

 

[wboggs]

I tried it in 6XC. Had to increase powder H4350 about 1/2 gr. to reach same velocity.

 

[Scott Harris]

I use HbN with everything we shoot: 223REM, 6BRx, 284Shehane, 308WIN. My general experience is you can get about 50fps more and need at least 1 grain more powder in the 284 case. You experience may differ from mine.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

To me, 20-30 fps is insignificant. If people are seeing upwards of 50fps simply by coating bullets, I'd say it's definitely worthwhile for long range, even at the cost of adding powder to get it, if you can do so. I simply have never seen that much difference in either direction and have been coating my bullets for about 6-7 years now..mostly with tungsten disulfide. Every report I have gotten from reliable, firsthand sources confirmed what I have seen, until now.


I'll keep coating my bullets because I'm solidly convinced that it reduces fouling, but some of the claims here represent enough difference to significantly effect tune. If that's the case, I may re-visit my testing in my own guns to see if I am in fact getting similar results. Using tuners, small changes in tune do get lost in the noise, as regaining proper tune is as simple as a nudge of the tuner and can be needed for other factors that affect tune, as well.