Hate cleaning carbon off your brass necks?

[Lefty Trigger]

It is a fun caliber. I am using 123gr SST and H4895 at 2,500 fps. My tests using CFE 223 worked well for additional 100fps. Currently, working up 90gr TNT with 8208 XBR.

Those TNT's zing with H4198 behind them. 8208 never really worked well in my Grendel, not sure why?

ALL my loads given are bolt rifle only!

 

[dogdude]

Bring a pad of 0000 steel wool to the bench, couple of twist carbon Gone, lasts forever.

 

[Geronimo Jim]

Wipe after shooting with crazy cloth. Perfect and easy.

 

[JayHHI6818]

I used Ballistol and then bought one of these from the classifieds. Works great

Ballistol: World’s Most Versatile Multi-Purpose Oil and Gun CLP

Ballistol is the fountain of youth for your guns, wood, metal, plastic and smooth leather. Nothing cleans, lubricates, protects and preserves like Ballistol. Skin-safe and environmentally friendly. Shop now.

ballistol.com

 

[Ccrider]

I used Ballistol and then bought one of these from the classifieds. Works great

Ballistol: World’s Most Versatile Multi-Purpose Oil and Gun CLP

Ballistol is the fountain of youth for your guns, wood, metal, plastic and smooth leather. Nothing cleans, lubricates, protects and preserves like Ballistol. Skin-safe and environmentally friendly. Shop now.

ballistol.com

Link?

 

[Ccrider]

Picked up this little nifty tool in the Buy/Sell forum, works really well


View attachment 1283088View attachment 1283089

Link?

 

[AckleymanII]

Tub of Towels, unbelievable....you have to see for yourself!

 

[JayHHI6818]

Look at my post #7

SOLD - Brass neck & shoulder cleaner

I have some more of these that I just finished if you’re interested in them they will fit a 3/8 drill to clean the neck and shoulder of your brass. These are designed to work with the 6 mm cases anything above the inserts can be stretched out anything smaller doesn’t work very well for the necks...

forum.accurateshooter.com

 

[AckleymanII]

Tub of towels trumps Shooters choice on a cloth, hands down! Also, you are not exposed to toxic chemicals in tub of towels.

 

[Metal God]

Not using CFE223, using Alliant Power pro Varmint and or TAC. Varmint is awesome powder in the Grendel. Can get great accuracy at lower speeds 2400-2500 and can drive 123gr bullets to 2700 if need be and run 107gr bullets to 2900 plus. Accuracy sweet spot is 2450 for 123's and 2720 for 107's.

IMHO this is your problem with soot on your necks . You are trying to do to many things with the same powder . Those are all slow powders which generally will cause some soot . Reducing loads or simply using light loads with slow powders makes it worse . My guess is your hotter loads produce much less soot then the light loads ???

I also have this same issue loading hand gun cartridges . Slow powder , light bullet , low velocity = sooty cases and dirty guns .

 

[Oso]

IMHO this is your problem with soot on your necks . You are trying to do to many things with the same powder . Those are all slow powders which generally will cause some soot . Reducing loads or simply using light loads with slow powders makes it worse . My guess is your hotter loads produce much less soot then the light loads ???

I also have this same issue loading hand gun cartridges . Slow powder , light bullet , low velocity = sooty cases and dirty guns .

Yes, greater case fill typically results in more efficient powder burn and also faster chamber seal at neck (less soot).

CFE223, LeverEvolution, Power Pro Varmint are amongst the fastest powders that are used for heavier projectiles (+115gr) in the 6.5 Grendel. The Grendel has a 52K psi limitation in the AR15 to ensure safety and prevent breaking bolt heads. For lighter projectiles (85gr-115gr), Grendel is able to use faster powders, such as Benchmark and H335, without running afoul of the pressure restriction.

You should try Bullseye or Titegroup for reduced loads. Both burn extremely clean even with marginal case fill (20%). My favorite is actually TrailBoss for powder puff loads (38Spl) that burn clean and great recoil impulse. Depending upon which pistol cartridge, any of these 3 powders might not be appropriate for your use. But if they are then give them a try in your reduced loads. Just be aware of the minimal case fill ... so risk of double charge.

 

[Metal God]

You should try Bullseye or Titegroup for reduced loads

I use a lot of Titegroup and W-213 for my faster powders and CFE pistol and HS-6 are my most sooty depending on the cartridge used . Tried some reduced 44mag loads using CFE pistol last week . What a disaster . Unburned powder , smoke and the blackest SS cylinder I've ever seen .

 

[JohnKielly]

I used to carry a scrap of that yellow deleading cloth in my equipment pack so I could clean the necks of my brass while I was otherwise unoccupied. These days, I just use a patch dampened with a couple of drops of carbon cleaner. It's a damn sight easier cleaning when fresh than later.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

IMHO this is your problem with soot on your necks . You are trying to do to many things with the same powder . Those are all slow powders which generally will cause some soot . Reducing loads or simply using light loads with slow powders makes it worse . My guess is your hotter loads produce much less soot then the light loads ???

I also have this same issue loading hand gun cartridges . Slow powder , light bullet , low velocity = sooty cases and dirty guns .

Varmint and TAC are right in line with H4895 and 8208XBR speed wise, not really slow powders. Both are really full case loads in my Grendel. Not sure about TAC but PPVarmint has a copper fouling additive in it that leaves behind a lot of black soot.

 

[michaeljp65]

Picked up this little nifty tool in the Buy/Sell forum, works really well


View attachment 1283088View attachment 1283089

oh man, they'd sell like hot cakes if advertised for sale somewhere

 

[Reloder28]

d-Limonene , citrus. https://www.tubotowels.com/pages/safety-data-sheets


Fine steel wool works for me. When i get home.

0000 Steel Wool from the hardware store has been doing the job for 50 years for me.

 

[Metal God]

Varmint and TAC are right in line with H4895 and 8208XBR speed wise, not really slow powders. Both are really full case loads in my Grendel. Not sure about TAC but PPVarmint has a copper fouling additive in it that leaves behind a lot of black soot.

Ok thank’s didn’t mean to speak out of turn . Not knowing much about the grendel thought maybe what one cartridge would consider faster another might think its slow like H-4895 in 308 and 30-06 , in 308 it’s pretty good but 30-06 it’s a bit fast .

EDIT

Just went and looked up the Grendel , Some of those powders you're using are far less then optimal ( slow ) for that cartridge at any bullet weight .

I'll add I have a couple factory rifles with quite generous chamber necks and although the shoulder and body seal up nicely under pressure . Those chambers always leave a sooty neck because the necks just don't expand enough to seal up and prevent gas/carbon from back filling that area . .

 

[Oso]

The challenge with 6.5 Grendel is the wider case head as compared to 223 based cases. In an AR15 this means removing metal on bolt face perimeter, and too hot of a load (psi exceeding 52,000) may snap off part of the bolt/lugs. With a bolt gun, you can load hotter (chamber can handle the pressure) and you can load to chamber length, not just Pmag length.

I understand that on a burn rate chart the order of powders may be a bit different. However, how they interact with a specific cartridge design (case capacity and caliber/bore) may mean that they may not be best for specific purpose. Some of the faster powders build too much pressure when pushing the heavier projectiles (+115gr). Yes, you can use them, but not loaded to max volume. At which point a different powder such as CFE223 or LeverEvolution might actually generate greater velocities for 123gr bullet.

 

[Metal God]

Oso , agreed but there’s trade offs . Not sure about leverlution but CFE 223 does not like lower pressures . Maybe not all but it does seem slower for cartridge powders like it better when pushed hard rather then low to mid charges .

FWIW I’m not saying these slower powders won’t work . Just pointing out the issue the OP is having may be a result of using slower for cartilage powders . I use slower powders all the time for SD and hunting ammo. Not saying they are bad or you shouldn’t use them , just that there are trade offs sometimes to get what you want .

 

[Oso]

Agree - CFE prefers a +95% case fill to burn most efficiently. Most shooters that reload for Grendel are using the upper end of published load weights to optimize performance. There is no risk/concern about barrel life, only about peak pressure in AR15.

Many of the powders used for Grendel are also used by 308 for shooting light/varmint bullets. Its interesting that the 300HAMR has approx. same case capacity shooting similar weight bullets at approx. same velocities as 6.5 Grendel, but it prefers CFE Black. The difference being case design of a straight-walled case versus a bottle-neck case.