Saturday, October 13, 2007

An experiment with Microlon

Yes, I do go on a bit about this stuff. No, they're not paying me*.

One of the things the stuff is often supposed to result in is a bit higher velocity due to the slicker bore. In the past I didn't have a chronograph to test it with, and since I got one I didn't have anything I hadn't already used it on. However, remember that Sears .22 rifle I wrote about? It hadn't been treated, so I borrowed it to test out.

This thing has basic iron sights only and I didn't have a scope that would fit on it(note to self: 1" rings for grooved receiver, buy). Yeah, would have been better to wait 'till I did, but considering time and other factors I didn't know when I could do this next. So iron sights it was. I picked the Eley Sport .22lr ammo, simply because it shot well out of this rifle before and I had a box handy. Testing was done at 25 yards off a solid rest.

First I fired ten rounds to get a baseline. Velocities were
1161
1139
1106
1113
1103
1102
1127
1103
1114
1122

Average velocity 1119fps, standard deviation works out to 19.1. And here's the target.



















Group is about 1.72".

I had the top of the front bead at the middle of the bull. After this ten, I pulled the bolt and after shaking hell out of the bottle(please note the stylish recycling of small booze container)























I wet one patch and swabbed the bore out thoroughly to clean it, then a couple of dry patches. Then I shook it again and ran a damp patch through the bore, replaced the bolt, loaded and fired(new target), and recorded the velocity. At which point I realized I'd held the bull on top of the bead on this shot. After practicing the use of several words, I decided to keep this sight/target alignment for the treatment target, and for the final ten went back to the 'bead in the middle' aiming point.

After each shot I pulled the bolt, shook the bottle, damped a patch with Gun Juice and pushed it through the bore, replaced the bolt, fired and recorded velocity. Velocities were
1131
1160
1123
1101
1157
1155
1131
1096
1141
1140

Average velocity 1133.5fps, standard deviation is 22.1,and here's the treatment target:













Group .875", discounting the first shot which hit way low.




After checking it, letting the rifle sit with the bolt open to cool a bit, I went to the third target and fired ten rounds. Velocities
1132
1136
1125
1126
1131
1121
1114
1123
1125
1109

Average 1124.2, standard deviation 8.15, and target:








Group about 1.1".










By the time I finished this, after the earlier shooting, I was about done for trying precision so I stopped here. It's interesting that the group was tightest during the treatment, slightly larger after, and both were tighter than from the untreated barrel(I do have to say that some of the growth in the last may be due to me. Next time I'm able to do this test I'll make sure it's on a scoped rifle to remove as much error factor as possible). Velocity was highest during the treatment, post-treatment was higher than the original.
The deviation going up during the treatment isn't surprising really, considering the stuff that'd just been wiped onto the bore before each shot and possible variations caused by that. Deviation on the post treatment group was WAY down from the original.

Now that I think about it, my daughter's .22 rifle hasn't been treated. And it has a scope...



*Attention manufacturers: I am available for briberytesting of firearms and accessories. Somebody take note, please.

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