Moly 77

[triggerjerk]

Picked up 436 moly coated 77 smk for less than 50 bucks. Couldn't resist. Guy I got em from said 5 rds going to or from for barrel seasoning and "just add .5gr to your favorite load".

Anybody here have experience/recommends? Fwiw 16in 8 twist mid length.....

[markm]

It's been a while since I got any of those. I remember dry tumbling them to get some of the Moly off of the bullets. Would be interesting to do a chrono comparison against non-coated though.

[triggerjerk]

It'll be warmer before I do load workup as I'd rather have a load a little off in cold weather than to have it break something in hot weather. If I get to shoot with a chrony, doubt I'll have moly/non-moly to compare. I'll crack a buddy to see if he has any direct comparison info. He was bolt gunning with em, and I was hoping to get AR recommends.....

[Molon]

Would be interesting to do a chrono comparison against non-coated though.

In variable controlled testing using statistically significant sample sizes, the moly-coated bullets will have a lower velocity with the same powder charge; which is why it's retarded to use them in a magazine fed AR-15. You have to add more powder to a load that's already a compressed load.

....

[sinister]

I shot moly 77s and 80s (in 5.56) and 175s (in 7.62) for a few seasons and found no advantage. As above, I had to up the charge and saw no real gain.

Why add cost for no benefit?

Sierra doesn't offer factory coated .22 or .30 bullets any longer.

[markm]

Sounds like that fad faded.

[triggerjerk]

Well, darn. I remember when the fad started and wasn't too impressed by what others were going through, but I never tried them myself in the bolt guns. Just watched those guys. Couldn't resist the price. At least I only paid FMJ prices for them. Heavy, possibly more accurate bottle and can ammo?

Markm, what were your results tumblimg? Did you add polish or anything?

[markm]

Markm, what were your results tumblimg? Did you add polish or anything?

Man... I can't remember, it's been so long. I'd just toss them in for an hour and check. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot them as is if they didn't tumble clean. Cheap bullets are cheap bullets. I love them these days.

[sinister]

The old conventional wisdom was you coated the bullets with moly, then coated them in light wax to keep that stuff from rubbing off on everything.

Technically it was to help self-center the bullet when chambering, and the slicker exterior finish reduced exterior ballistic drag fractionally. Because they had less drag they built up less interior pressure for the same charge, so you had to up powder to get the same velocity.

You literally didn't gain anything except maybe increased throat wear due to (infinitesimally) longer heat exposure.

[triggerjerk]

I think I remember something about longer barrel life... in the advertising.... It's only been 20 or 25 years.... I remember some experiencing frustration trying to coat bullets themselves.... I never had asspirations to try em....