LT-32 how clean burning vs. H-322?

[PRR1957]

I’ve acquired 2 lbs of Accurate LT-32 I plan on using in a 6mmPPC USA, and curious as to how clean that gunpowder burns in comparison to H-322 ?

 

[WyleWD]

I've used both over the last 10 years or so and not seen a glaring difference as soon as you get the load for your rifle where it likes it. YMMV.WD

 

[Shooter13]

In reality your barrel is only going to last so long, 2500-3000 rounds or maybe a little more or less depending on how hot the load is. I haven't noticed any difference and am seriously thinking of not using a brush anymore as the most damage done to a barrel is when you are pulling that brush back through the "crowned" end. My point is just run a couple more patches through there and you're done! Good luck!

 

[JEFFPPC]

In reality your barrel is only going to last so long, 2500-3000 rounds or maybe a little more or less depending on how hot the load is. I haven't noticed any difference and am seriously thinking of not using a brush anymore as the most damage done to a barrel is when you are pulling that brush back through the "crowned" end. My point is just run a couple more patches through there and you're done! Good luck!

Run the brush only one way. Running patches is less effective than soaking in my experience. Lots of pics you see on here of early fire cracking is actually carbon from less than adequate cleaning. If you spend 15 min at the end of a match and think it's clean, your only kidding yourself. Now, does it need to be squeaky clean. Maybe not, but for the price of a barrel plus chambering I believe a clean barrel will have a longer competitive life and is worth the effort.Speaking of running patches to get that first easy heavy layer of carbon out, you can use 25.00 a bottle solvent, or water with a bit of Dawn for the first 5 or 6 patches than switch to solvent.I figure minimum of 3 or 4 days to clean the barrel properly.This for carbon, copper is a whole nother story.

 

[Ccrider]

I have not seen any significant difference. I think most br 6ppc shooters clean frequently enough such that how clean powder is burning never becomes an issue. In a varmint gun, I can see how it might be an issue.

 

[Shooter13]

Run the brush only one way

Exactly right problem is how many guys are going to walk around a 16' bench to unscrew it each time. In short range a lot of guys clean after each match (4 matches for each relay).

 

[JEFFPPC]

I love all the guys who take the easy way.Actually I agree that THEY are doing it correctly.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Great powder. Very clean. Use it in my 223a on pdogs and almost never clean.

 

[JimPag]

I’ve acquired 2 lbs of Accurare LT-32 I plan on using in 6mmPPC USA, and am curious as to clean it burns as compared to H-322 ?

I have found both LT30 & LT32 to be a dirty powder compared to H4198 vs LT30 in a 30BR and N133 burns way cleaner than LT32 in a 6PPC but the groupers clean way more than us score shooters.

 

[urbanrifleman]

The only time I ever damaged the end of the barrel was using Boretech brushes that have an aluminum body. The pro shot bronze body brushes cannot scratch steel at all as far as I can tell.

 

[JEFFPPC]

The only time I ever damaged the end of the barrel was using Boretech brushes that have an aluminum body. The pro shot bronze body brushes cannot scratch steel at all as far as I can tell.

How did it damage the bore. Are you saying aluminum scratched steel?

 

[urbanrifleman]

How did it damage the bore. Are you saying aluminum scratched steel?

Yes

 

[john pruitt]

Yes

There is no way in heck bore tech brush can scratch steel. Get real.

 

[JEFFPPC]

What do you really think Mr pruitt.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Urbanrifleman, you do know brass is harder than aluminum , right?

 

[urbanrifleman]

Urbanrifleman, you do know brass is harder than aluminum , right?

I am just telling you what I saw. I never had a pro Shot brush brass/bronze scratch anything. The Bore Tech nylon aluminum based brush created a ring inside the bore about 3/16 back from the crown when the brush was retracted.

So, I just stick to bronze brushes.

I will not debate hardness values of cheap brush materials with anyone. It is just silly.

Like anything on the web, YMMV.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Could it have been a ring/ stain caused by dragging a dirty brush back through? I have always heard that dragging a brush backwards across the crown is a negative. I have never seen any visual proof. But, it costs nothing to unscrew it, so why not. I was looking from some proof one way or another.

 

[Ccrider]

Tough question- whether to pull out or not!

Opinions are all over the place. I do and have seen no ill effects. I thought I remembered reading in Tony Boyer’s book that he did also. I will go back and check.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Could it have been a ring/ stain caused by dragging a dirty brush back through? I have always heard that dragging a brush backwards across the crown is a negative. I have never seen any visual proof. But, it costs nothing to unscrew it, so why not. I was looking from some proof one way or another.

Like I said, no visible effects or scratches in the bore as seen with the borescope, and certainly not on the target, as long as I stick to Proshot brushes.

It has something to do with the shape of the base of the brush, I think. Not it simple being aluminum. Might be the sharper edges of the wrench flats. Who knows? I did see it. So, I switched back to Pro Shot. Shoot they are cheaper anyway!!!

 

[BoydAllen]

Run the brush only one way. Running patches is less effective than soaking in my experience. Lots of pics you see on here of early fire cracking is actually carbon from less than adequate cleaning. If you spend 15 min at the end of a match and think it's clean, your only kidding yourself. Now, does it need to be squeaky clean. Maybe not, but for the price of a barrel plus chambering I believe a clean barrel will have a longer competitive life and is worth the effort.Speaking of running patches to get that first easy heavy layer of carbon out, you can use 25.00 a bottle solvent, or water with a bit of Dawn for the first 5 or 6 patches than switch to solvent.I figure minimum of 3 or 4 days to clean the barrel properly.This for carbon, copper is a whole nother story

I know a fellow who is an experienced short range group competitor, who gets around two to three times the competitive barrel life of anyone I have ever heard of. He cleans after every match, with solvent, patches and bronze brushes run both ways. On the other hand, I know of a fellow who discovered that his top grade bench .22RF had suffered minor damage on the corner of a land from pulling a brush back into the barrel. He told m that he has never had any problem from doing that for Jacketed CF (he also shoots short range group quite well) but that in his opinion the soft lead bullets of RF are easier to damage.

There used to be a fellow who made hard plastic jags and brush adapters that kept the rod off of the crown but I have not seen anything from him in a while. Luckily I have some of both. Currently I am thinking about simple ways to do the same thing, but truthfully, I have not had any issues when cleaning CF. I only run the jag or brush out the absolute minimum required, and pull them back very carefully, until they are in the bore. A lot of my patching is short stroking, which results in fewer jag exits at the muzzle.

In case anyone is wondering, the fellow who gets such long life from his PPC barrels uses the original Merrill Martin method for applying moly and carnuba wax to his bullets. I have a bore scope, and if it took me several days to clean one of my barrels, I would replace it.