Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles IMR 4451?

As I posted in the H-4350 thread, I recently tried 4451 in a couple of rifles. Accuracy was outstanding.
My question arose when cleaning the rifles. In both cases, there was a lot of black fowling on solvent soaked patches after passing through the barrel. I'm talking multiple patches coming out black. Each rifle was only fired about 10 rounds.

Is this normal for this powder? Does it create any problems?

That's not unusual with powders including a decoppering agent, which these days is usually tin oxide. This sometimes leaves a blackish residue, but normally doesn't affect accuracy nearly as much a coper fouling.

Fwiw....I'm learning ALOT about rifle cleaning since I picked up a Lyman borecam on eBay for about $190. I pretty quickly found out that I was over cleaning a lot of rifles...and surprisingly..... copper fouling doesn't always collect on some of the rougher spots in your barrel. I can't say it's a must have tool but if you've got lots of rifles and you've got $190 you can spend fairly easily go for it!

So what if any are the implications with barrels treated with Dyna Bore Coat? I have to make a decision soon about switching to IMR4451 or keep searching.

Borecam sounds pretty cool.

tag

I tried some 4451 in my .260 and it did very well. I settled on Re17 as my go-to powder.

I like the new powders, though. I have used lots of CFE223 in my .308s and there is very little copper fouling.

Tag to see where this goes.

bigwhoop,

The decoppering agent in 4451 would be pretty much irrelevant in a DBC'd bore, but I'm guessing (that's all) it's residue wouldn't build up any more, because not much builds up on DBC. And if it did, the residue would sure be easy to wipe away.

Interesting. I figured the 'heavy black soot' was bismuth, as Winchester powders have had tin in them for decades. OTOH, for my first decade or two of handloading I used very little but Winchester rifle powders, so I probably just didn't know any better!