AEA/JTS Pellets and Fouling

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DrPutz

Member
Mar 18, 2017
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Ohio, United States
First, let me say that I love the quality and uniformity of the AEA/JTS pellets - they beat the pants off JSB/FX/AA comparable pellets. I think that the AEA/JTS are awesome for .22 and larger for benchrest (other than the nipple on the front). But, I have been struggling lately with barrel fouling/leading with using the AEA/JTS pellets. I have tried cleaning the barrel more frequently, as well as using Slick 50 lube on them. Some barrels can go 75 to 100 rounds, but others may only go 20 to 30 rounds before visible inaccuracies show up. That is, I can get 1-hole groups for 20-30/75-100 rounds, then flyers show up. This appears to be a repeatable pattern. I am attributing the flyers to fouling, as I could see lead buildup on the front of a pellet when I pushed it through the barrel after a shooing session.

Based on their hardness and anecdotal accounts, the AEA/JTS pellets are reported to have higher tin content in them. So, I am wondering if the tin, being a lower melting point, increases the fouling issue. That is, since tin melts lower, you get bullet dust/swarf building up, then sticking and melting together into the problematic areas. I recall one shooter at the PAC pulling a ribbon of fouling out after shooting JTS pellets for a long period without cleaning. Is it possible that colder outside temperatures where I shoot, are exacerbating the issue?

Is there any way to combat this issue? I have tried HBN, but not much success. I tried sizing the 21 gr .22, which extended the cleaning period, but didn't eliminate it. I am currently using Slick 50, which seems to help, but fouling still a problem that would be an issue during a longer benchrest match. I have polished and waxed the bore with multiple chemicals, with limited to no success.

Any suggestions before I give up on this brand?
 
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DrPutz said:
First, let me say that I love the quality and uniformity of the AEA/JTS pellets - they beat the pants off JSB/FX/AA comparable pellets. I think that the AEA/JTS are awesome for .22 and larger for benchrest (other than the nipple on the front). But, I have been struggling lately with barrel fouling/leading with using the AEA/JTS pellets. I have tried cleaning the barrel more frequently, as well as using Slick 50 lube on them. Some barrels can go 75 to 100 rounds, but others may only go 20 to 30 rounds before visible inaccuracies show up. That is, I can get 1-hole groups for 20-30/75-100 rounds, then flyers show up. This appears to be a repeatable pattern. I am attributing the flyers to fouling, as I could see lead buildup on the front of a pellet when I pushed it through the barrel after a shooing session.

Based on their hardness and anecdotal accounts, the AEA/JTS pellets are reported to have higher tin content in them. So, I am wondering if the tin, being a lower melting point, increases the fouling issue. That is, since tin melts lower, you get bullet dust/swarf building up, then sticking and melting together into the problematic areas. I recall one shooter at the PAC pulling a ribbon of fouling out after shooting JTS pellets for a long period without cleaning. Is it possible that colder outside temperatures where I shoot, are exacerbating the issue?

Is there any way to combat this issue? I have tried HBN, but not much success. I tried sizing the 21 gr .22, which extended the cleaning period, but didn't eliminate it. I am currently using Slick 50, which seems to help, but fouling still a problem that would be an issue during a longer benchrest match. I have polished and waxed the bore with multiple chemicals, with limited to no success.

Any suggestions before I give up on this brand?
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Just curious what guns/barrels you using I have seen this brought up in other posts but no more info than my barrel is fouling faster.

I have 2 .177 czub barrels that have always liked to be kept clean regardless of what they are eating Pre and post AEA/JTS also pre and post barrel polishing by kept clean I am saying some ballistol and a few patches every 2 to 3 tins.

I also have a czub .22 that I'm guesstimating at 25+ tins since it's last cleaning and that's all JTS. I have been using mostly JTS and some AEA nothing else since thay came out and have seen no difference as far a fouling goes .

I am not poo pooing anything barrels guns pellets I'm just curious it is what it is I just want to know what it is .
 
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The Tin reference was read on these forums, so not sure the original source. The Tin content was reported to be from JTS. There is another forum where one person was going to test the content, but I have not seen any follow-up post yet.

I am using mostly choked Lothar Walther polygonal barrels at the moment (mostly in my Ghost in 22/25/30). However, I also have fouling with my FX smooth twist barrels as well - I just have not shot them recently to test the effects. I have seen fouling on the SubMOA, but that is another beast with it's own issues.
 
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DrPutz said:
The Tin reference was read on these forums, so not sure the original source. The Tin content was reported to be from JTS. There is another forum where one person was going to test the content, but I have not seen any follow-up post yet.

I am using mostly choked Lothar Walther polygonal barrels at the moment (mostly in my Ghost in 22/25/30). However, I also have fouling with my FX smooth twist barrels as well - I just have not shot them recently to test the effects. I have seen fouling on the SubMOA, but that is another beast with it's own issues.
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I'm curious, you mentioned Walther polygonal.. are they different than the lothar Walther barrel like airforce Condor uses?
myself I normally clean the barrel with another shot 😂🤣 unless it is causing cycle issues in one of my semi auto guns..then since I have the stuff out, I run each barrel..
Mark
 
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I am still using HBN for the JTS/AEA and have switched to a non petroleum cleaning solution ..helps a little more
I found that Ballistol was a bit poor in removing the lead from these pellets and switched to Bore Tech Eliminator...does a fantastic job
I do not have any o-rings inside the barrel, so i use a boresnake with the brush in it ..also does a fantastic job.
I have used bronze brushes and nylon brushes
most of the nylon brushes were not stiff..i recommend the Iosso brushes paired with a little Eliminator solution if you do not want to use brass/bronze brushes
There is definitely more cleaning involved when using these pellets for competition
i do a thorough cleaning after each session
The cleaning process is much more than what i did with JSB's, but i am not spending as much time sorting..so it evens out
Mike
 
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It’s very interesting that this pops up. For the last couple days I’ve been shooting JTS pellets out of a gun trying to find a setting for my notes. The gun is usually a .30 but I wanted settings for when I have it as a .22 for some more friendly shooting. I’ve experienced POI shifts in the middle of some tests. And this is happening with a setup that should not experience POI shifts. I quit last night and planned to clean the barrel. I found a great setting and pellet weight, but after the last shift in groups I stopped. This may be the issue.
 
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Vetmx said:
It’s very interesting that this pops up. For the last couple days I’ve been shooting JTS pellets out of a gun trying to find a setting for my notes. The gun is usually a .30 but I wanted settings for when I have it as a .22 for some more friendly shooting. I’ve experienced POI shifts in the middle of some tests. And this is happening with a setup that should not experience POI shifts. I quit last night and planned to clean the barrel. I found a great setting and pellet weight, but after the last shift in groups I stopped. This may be the issue.
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you are probably shooting the .30 cals much slower than the .22 ...it's gonna lead up faster
 
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manabeknives said:
you are probably shooting the .30 cals much slower than the .22 ...it's gonna lead up faster
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I was shooting the .22 up to 950 while testing. Settled on 910 for an 18.1gr. But by then there was probably 300+ shots through the barrel. I’m normally a slug guy but when I’ve shot pellets in the past, I’ve never been forced to be on a cleaning regimen. But I also shot JSB in my volume shooting pellet guns. With this gun I just figured I would burn up all the JTS I have sitting around.
 
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Vetmx said:
I was shooting the .22 up to 950 while testing. Settled on 910 for an 18.1gr. But by then there was probably 300+ shots through the barrel. I’m normally a slug guy but when I’ve shot pellets in the past, I’ve never been forced to be on a cleaning regimen. But I also shot JSB in my volume shooting pellet guns. With this gun I just figured I would burn up all the JTS I have sitting around.
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I haven't shot the 18.1g pellets
had the best results with the 22.07 ..unfortunately ..sold out until April in most stores
 
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manabeknives said:
I haven't shot the 18.1g pellets
had the best results with the 22.07 ..unfortunately ..sold out until April in most stores
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Wasn’t impressed with the 22.07’s. That’s when I moved to the 18.1’s. Thought I found a setting with the 22’s but if fouling is indeed an issue, I may revisit that setting. But with pellets and recreational shooting, I don’t want a pellet gun I have to clean like a slug gun. So for now I’ll stay focused on slower pellet speeds and possibly a brand switch.
 
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Just cleaned barrel. WOW! Had to take a brush to it. This explains something that happened last summer when my dad and niece were shooting the 30 yard challenge. The gun that was shooting a JTS and started wonderfully when I sighted it in, went off its nut at some point while they were shooting. Not horribly, but enough that they both just started using my other gun shooting JSB’s. I remember my dad chasing pellets around with the scope. Never diagnosed it because I sold the gun for other reasons.

Glad I opened this topic while sitting at the car dealership. When I was pulling patches, I could feel that my patch was not smoothly moving through the bore. The bore scope then came out to verify what was going on in there. Never experienced that in all my pellet years. Took @Motorhead advice and did a little pimping on the bore to help just in case I can’t get a JSB to shoot as well as the JTS.
 
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If you check out the other post (see link below), it appears that the JTS/AEA pellets just have a small bit of antimony (AEA more than JTS, but less than H&N), no Tin. It is wild how little antimony affects the hardness so much! There goes my pet theory of tin. Maybe the harder pellets don't flow as easily through the constriction spots like the choke, so tend to deposit more in the barrel. I don't know how to explain the ribbons that I saw pulled from a FX barrel.

So, I have re-scrubbed the barrel with 400-grit lapping compound, JB Blue, then cleaned it, and finally coated it with a wax. We'll see how it performs.

Maybe I will have to see if there are head size or weight differences causing the problems. Unfortunately, I don't have a sizer that goes to 30 cal.

Pellet Metallurgy
 
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