WC872 and Bore/Brass Cleaning

[Craig Dodd]

I have a question on cleaning after using WC872. I have a 38 pound LR rifle in 6.5 Baer (very close to a 6.5 STW) and have been burning Retumbo in it. Being as the Retumbo canister was getting close to empty I broke open an 8# jug of WC872, which looked OK and smelled OK. Long story short, I started low and worked up all was OK with H-870 data other than when a round is fired the resulting smoke has sort of an odd odor.

I normally wipe the necks on fired brass with a rag and Shooters Choice to take off the black gunk before resizing the brass. I wiped the necks on the WC872 cases and the black gunk stayed right there, tried several times and its still there. I tried wiping the necks with Slip 2000 Carbon Cutter and most of the black gunk remained. I looked at the bore with my Hawkeye and didn't see any black deposits remaining after cleaning with Carbon Cutter followed by Bore Tech Eliminator. Has anyone experienced any problems with cleaning following use of WC872?

Craig in SE Idaho

[Ridge Runner]

were your velocities about right? I've read that ball powder is dirty till your pressures get up where they should be. I never noticed anything cleaning mine but I'm new at ball powders
JS

[Fiftydriver]

I have tested it in some really large capacity, small bore rounds with case capacities up to 110 gr and while WC872 does produce a bit more carbon fouling then say Retumbo, it has never proven harder to clean out of a bore.

One thing to keep in mind is that this powder, just like old 870 will produce extreme powder fouling at lower end pressures. The higher the chamber pressure used with this powder, the cleaner it will burn.

If your running lower pressures, you will be better off with the stick powders.

The different smell is probably just a single based powder compared to a double based powder.

Even at top end loads though, you will see a bit more powder fouling with WC872, just as you will with H-870 and I suspect the new US869 as well. Just seems to be a characteristic of ultra slow burning ball powders.

Keep the pressures near top end and she will burn as clean as possible.

Kirby Allen(50)

[Craig Dodd]

Thanks, for the replies. Regarding velocities/pressure, I am driving a 142 Sierra Match King at 3285 fps out of a 32 inch Krieger barrel. I am still in the process of tipping the powder can as the Retumbo loads were developing right at 3350 fps.

I expect that Kirbey is right regarding the slight increased fouling with ball powders, I just didn't want something that would be super difficult to clean up after. I will continue to experiment with the 872 and may as well try it in my 30-378 as well.

Thanks, Craig in SE Idaho