M.L. McPherson
have used bullets that have been properly plated with molybdenum disulfi de (MoS2
Synopsis: Many varmint hunters who –
moly) are sold on the advantages that result from the associated fouling reduction. These folks have properly cared for the gun before and after using those bullets, have made any necessary load modifi cations, and have used properly plated bullets. Conversely, I believe that most of those who are dead set against moly, as “… not worth the effort,” or, “… worse than useless,” can blame one or more of the following factors for their disenchantment: Their failure to properly plate
bullets; Their failure to make necessary
load adjustments; Their failure to properly clean
the bore before using moly-plated bul- lets; and, Their failure to properly clean
and protect a moly contaminated bore before long-term gun storage. Each of these issues matters. As a
result of not attending to each of these, some shooters have been rewarded with terrible accuracy, serious bore fouling, or bore damage. BACKGROUND
Based upon my long familiarity
with molybdenum disulfi de-plated bul- lets, I believe that the correct use of mo- lybdenum disulfi de (MoS2
– moly) can
monumentally improve the varminting experience. Consider my experiences with properly moly-plated bullets used in properly prepared loads and fi red in guns that have been properly prepared for use with moly. I routinely fi re hundreds of rounds
from 5/35 SMc-chambered guns with- out thinking about cleaning and without seeing any evidence that I need to stop to clean the bore. One day, in a hot town, I fi red more than 500 rounds. As nearly as I could tell, the last shot that day was just as accurate as the fi rst. That load launches the 32-grain Nosler BT at 4,650 fps. In the 22-250, I use moly-plated Nosler 40-grain BTs in a factory Savage. My load launches the 40-grain BT at about 4,350 fps. Just as with the 5/35, I
Norma 6.5mm 130-grain Diamond Line Match bullet. Appearance after a deliberate attempt to abrade away wax and moly plating in one area — along centerline of bullet in this view. With this picture reproduced in color, gilding metal is obviously visible; with this picture reproduced in black and white, this zone shows as a lighter area. How long it takes to wipe the moly plating thin enough to allow gilding metal to show through seems a reasonable proxy for quality of plating and, probably, for how effi cacious the plating will be.
often fi re hundreds of shots without any evidence that barrel cleaning is needed. With that in mind, please consider
how I feel while listening to some fel- low varmint hunter, who has already told me – with assuredness in his voice – that he does not believe in moly (usu- ally in far stronger words than that), as he explains how, after fi ring only a few dozen shots in a hot town, he had to stop shooting to clean the barrel. Precision Shooting (PS) magazine
recently published an article of mine where I described a wet method of moly-plating bullets. Although I suspect that my perception exaggerates reality, it seems that I have gotten more reader response from that article than from any other article I have ever had published. I have gotten six e-mails, fi ve letters, and more than 30 telephone calls! Evidently, that discussion struck a major chord. I assume that many readers here,
who already use moly, will fi nd this new plating method useful. I pray that this discussion might encourage others to try moly. I have a fantasy that it might also encourage some who are disen- chanted with moly to give it another (fair) chance. In this article, I am expanding the
discussion to include the moly-plating process (the aqueous method), proper care of a gun when using moly-plated bullets, and necessary load modifi ca- tions when using moly-plated bullets. With regard to my new plating process, I have been able to include signifi cant
clarifi cations suggested by comments from PS readers. PROBLEMS RESULTING FROM NOT CLEANING THE BORE As an early advocate of moly,
through most of 20 years I have talked to many nay- sayers. Most of those, who have had bad experiences using bullets that are properly plated with MoS2
and
who will discuss the matter frankly, will acknowledge that their grief might have stemmed from their failure to make the necessary load adjustments or to prop- erly clean the bore before using moly- plated bullets or before placing a gun in which they had been using moly-plated bullets into long-term storage. Failure to properly clean all foul-
ing from the bore before using moly is most apt to result in an increased fouling rate. Assuming the bore was properly cleaned before using moly-plated bul- lets, these usually do allow a shooter to fi re many more shots before bore fouling begins to degrade accuracy enough to matter when varmint hunting. I rou- tinely fi re two hundred to three hundred shots from my 5/35 SMc without any problems. Nevertheless, bore fouling still occurs. Just as when shooting naked bul-
lets, moly fouling should be removed from the bore and the bore should be oiled before storing the gun. I prefer to use a moly-saturated synthetic lubricant for this purpose, as this pre-charges the bore with moly and might reduce the number of shots needed to settle the
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