I have 6.5 prc with 60 shots down the tube. Gonna play around with the 124 HH. My question is how important is it to start with a clean barrel? Does this mean down to bare metal or what degree of cleaning needs to be done prior? Or would I be fine to just do load development as is?
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Hammer question
- Thread starter MT257
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I always clean to bare metal when switching bullet manufacturers. Just be sure to foul your barrel before starting your load work and you'll be good to go.
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
According to Steve, they haven't seen a need to strip a bore clean when changing over to a Hammer bullet. I may test 10-15 different loads on a single outing and do not clean between bullet types. I shoot the 124 Hammer in a PRC myself but I will shoot groups with them right after a dozen or more Berger 156EOL bullets and still get great groups at the 400yds line where I normally test loads.
"I think" that idea is a holdover from the Barnes bullet company who did recommend only shooting their X bullets in a squeaky-clean barrel.
"I think" that idea is a holdover from the Barnes bullet company who did recommend only shooting their X bullets in a squeaky-clean barrel.
Thanks. I've only shot accubonds outta the gun. I've had other rifle load work up work just like you described but wasn't sure if it was a necessity to build a hammer load.
Fiftydriver
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Its a very smart idea to completely clean your bore anytime you switch to any different bullet but especially a copper solid. The Hammer bullets do not seem to be as bad as barnes or other pure copper bullets in this area but its just good rifle maintenance practices. Different metals skidded over each other at high pressure and speed tend to fall in love and stick to each other to some degree. Always best practice to clean bore completely. Also do not forget after cleaning bore completely to run a couple oil soaked patches down the bore followed by a semi-tight dry patch to push out excess oil yet leaving a small film of oil on the bore surface for that first shot. A dry bore, even perfectly clean will copper foul on that first shot. Always shoot first shots on an oiled bore. Just the rifle builder in me talking out loud!!
I always clean to bare bore when changing bullet metallurgy. Especially on a new barrel.
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Fiftydriver
Official LRH Sponsor
Absolutely. I use my sulfer/moly based cutting oil, works great also!
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Whether a bullet is monolithic or jacketed, the part that contacts the barrel is likely 90-95 percent copper and 5-10 percent zinc. Changing cleaning schedule when switching bullet types probably has more to do with shape, configuration, and coatings than metallurgy, in my opinion.
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Not true. You shoot a Barnes after a load of BT's and you'll get nothing like your original groups with the Barnes. Whatever is in the barrel, the 2nd bullet will wear on it differently and pick up or grab the different particles. And Monos and jacketed are nowhere the same, metallurgically speaking.
Zen Archery
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Necessary no. Good idea for a baseline start yes.
I cleaned my barrel before switching to Hammer bullets, but didn't strip to bare metal. Everything worked great.
Scrub til no blue comes out on patches. Remove as much prior fouling/jacket residue as possible before starting Hammers. You won't regret it. Once you start shooting Hammers, you will see little or no copper fouling going forward.
The only real difference is zinc content.
