Haze in my bore question.

[Bazoo]

I noticed when I shot my winchester 94 30-30 the other day I have a gray haze in the last 3-4 inches of my bore. It's always like that except for an instance I loaded and shot someone else's bullets that was a harder alloy and with I'm guessing black goo for lube (it was soft and black). It doesn't build up and it doesn't get worse or impede the accuracy. I do get a lube star on the muzzle but it's not as pronounced as with the black lubed bullets. It brushes right out so I'm not complaining but wondering what the root of it is.

The load particulars are
31141 cast from wheel weights
Hornady GC, sized .309
Lube BAC
W748 powder 32.5 grains

So, y'all reckon it's my lube or my alloy, or both, that is the deciding factor between those mystery 31141s I loaded and mine?

[sigep1764]

Could it be antimony wash?

[Winger Ed.]

Maybe the lube has all rubbed off that far down, and it's just soot from the burned powder.

[Bazoo]

Hmm hadn't thought of either of those. It hasn't caused me any grief but I've got some other lubes I'm going to try for comparison. Namely NRA 50/50, and 45/45/10. I've never tried 50/50 but I've run LLA in my rifle but can't remember how it did.

[Oily]

Is your accuracy acceptable sized at .309? Maybe your friends boolits were sized at .310 or .311. You are close to max with 748.

[Peregrine]

Black stuff in lube to me sounds like molybdenum disulfide. It's intensely black (irritatingly so as it can be a pain to clean off anything), and a popular enough addition to lube as it's friction reducing properties are unrivaled. Not sure it could be anything else actually.

I know if fouling is already present the molly can deposit there and make thing appear worse, maybe that's what you're seeing? There was already some light leading or other form of fouling there and the molly makes it look more pronounced?

[Bazoo]

Is your accuracy acceptable sized at .309? Maybe your friends boolits were sized at .310 or .311. You are close to max with 748.

I'm getting a little less than 2"s at 70 yards. Factory federal does a little better. I got the best accuracy with 30 grains but at 32.5 my trajectory is where I want it to be. My factory federal is sighted 2" high, the 32.5 is dead on, and the 30 grains was bout 3" low. The Lyman manual says 35 grains compressed is max for the 31141. I worked up to 34 grains, recoil was more than factory, trajectory was the same as the federal factory but groups opened up to like 3-4 inches. I still am piddling with it, but settled on 32.5 because that's what my lee 2.2 dipper throws (it's supposed to throw 33.6) so I can make some all around plinking bullets.

[Bazoo]

Black stuff in lube to me sounds like molybdenum disulfide. It's intensely black (irritatingly so as it can be a pain to clean off anything), and a popular enough addition to lube as it's friction reducing properties are unrivaled. Not sure it could be anything else actually.

I know if fouling is already present the molly can deposit there and make thing appear worse, maybe that's what you're seeing? There was already some light leading or other form of fouling there and the molly makes it look more pronounced?

I didn't think about moly. The bullets were sent to me by a member to try. The lube grooves were not filled completely so I ran them through my lubesizer, sizing them .309 and filling the grooves all the way. I mostly shot them up plinking, I can't remember if I shot any from the bench.

I had just cleaned it before shooting it the other day. I didn't clean it bench rest good but as good as hoppes and a bronze brush will do. My bore has a tendency to rust if I don't keep an eye on it or shoot it often, bobs your uncle I looked and it had a touch of rust so I cleaned it. It was made in 1970 and I really don't know what it's history is but for whatever reason it seems to get some surface rust in the bore if not kept oiled. The other guns around don't and the outside of the gun don't rust. Once clean you can see a few small pits here and there if you look real good. It's been like this for the three years I've owned it.

I don't clean between jacketed and cast normally so it's probable that if it was moly bullets they were not in a clean bore.

It does well for a beat up 94 I got for 300 bucks. It may not be anything to anyone else but it's special to me.

[Winger Ed.]

Namely NRA 50/50, and 45/45/10. I've never tried 50/50 but I've run LLA in my rifle but can't remember how it did.
Everybody laughs at me when I tell them this. In the early days when I first got into casting, and had more time than money:
I rounded up all the kid's broken crayons, melted them, then started adding high temp. disc brake grease,
and a little motor oil to thin it down. I didn't have a mold, so I poured it into the RCBS sizer/luber hot.

It stunk before and after it was fired, but it actually worked pretty well.

[Bazoo]

My initial thought on this is I'm right at the limit of pressure for either my alloy or lube. I'd much rather change lube than alloy, but as I said it's not an issue so I'm not looking to change, just trying to understand it better.

Thanks for everyone's opinions and help.

Bazoo

[Wayne Smith]

If it brushes out easily it is likely an antimony wash, common enough experience. If you are getting a lube star your lube is hanging on the full length of the barrel.

[mdi]

Normally leading/fouling at the muzzle end of the barrel is a sign the lube has "run out". I'd try a different lube, K.I/S.S. before you start changing alloys, powder, etc....

Even though I make much of my lube, I have used White Label Lubes Carnauba Red for some Magnum hand gun and rifle bullets. Not overly expensive, proven product, and excellent people to work with. Might try and see how it works with your alloy, your sized bullets, in your gun...

[waco]

I like to run a thin coat of Ben's Liquid Lube as an overcoat to White Labels 2500+

[Bazoo]

Thanks for the replies, I'm using white label BAC lube. I have some NRA 50/50 I can try to see of that changes things.

[osteodoc08]

Decent accuracy, brushes out easily, lube star still present, no other issues.......hmmmmm, I’d just leave it alone unless it truly bothers you.

Now if it were a PURPLE HAZE id be way more concerned

[Bazoo]

Decent accuracy, brushes out easily, lube star still present, no other issues.......hmmmmm, I’d just leave it alone unless it truly bothers you.

Now if it were a PURPLE HAZE id be way more concerned

I'm happy with it, just curious as to what's going on. I'm thinking of trying the 50/50 lube for other reasons but will take note of it with this. I have some 50/50 already and I'm going to use it in my 44 to see if it helps leading any. It's got dimensional problems, but I'm hoping I get lucky.

What's the purple haze indicate?

[goryshaw]

I'm happy with it, just curious as to what's going on. I'm thinking of trying the 50/50 lube for other reasons but will take note of it with this. I have some 50/50 already and I'm going to use it in my 44 to see if it helps leading any. It's got dimensional problems, but I'm hoping I get lucky.

What's the purple haze indicate?

Jimmy Hendrix

[bedbugbilly]

What does a cleaning patch run up and down that area tell you? Just a thought that it may give you a clue to what it is? I think I wold run a dry patch down that area and then pull it and see what is on the patch, if anything.