Slugging a bore

[horseman]

I've read many, many, posts from folks that have/are/want to slug the bores of their different guns and seem to have difficulty doing so. Most seem to try to use the bullets they cast from WW or a derivitive of, or a store bought bullet. I even read where a few have tried to use jacketed. These are all to hard.

If you want to slug your rifle or handgun bore, do yourself a favor and go to your local sporting good store and pickup some of those hollow, oval fishing weights in a size that is just a bit big for the bore. I use to have a chart that corresponded the weight numbers to caliber, lost it somewhere. IIRC the no. 8's would work with 358 cal, no. 6 for 45 cal but that's about all I remember. These are made from pure soft lead and with a CLEAN bore and lightly oiled (the bore) they work very well. Start them into the bore with a sharp rap with a mallet (you should get a small "ring" of lead at the beginning, then just drive it down the bore. A few "firm" strikes are better than a bunch of light "taps" of the mallet. If you feel "tight spots" as you go, mark them on the barrel with chalk (or similar) these will usually be under dove tails or where the barrels are "stamped". Ruger is famous for thead choke at the barrel/frame junction.....give it a try, and good luck. It's actually pretty easy.

[62chevy]

Added tip make sure the fishing weights you buy are pure lead as the ones I bought was harder than my wheel weight bullets. Had some pipe lead that is 98+% lead and cast that then used a hammer to make it fatter.

[Ranch Dog]

Odd groove bullets... need some shim stock to measure them.



I have some brass stock of varying values, this what they used to use to adjust/offset small angle corrections to a scope in the rings. Anyway, I use a small strip of .001" stock (verified) wrapped around the bullet. When you close the micrometer around the bullet, lightly compress the tool. You do not want to compress the stock into the lands cut in the slug. I then take .002" (double the thickness) away from the measurement.

In the picture you can see that I use forceps to lock and hold the band tight around the slug.

[daboone]

RD that's very clever. How do you keep the shim wrapped tight to the bullet?

[Ranch Dog]

RD that's very clever. How do you keep the shim wrapped tight to the bullet?

I pinch it down with forceps.

[Dan 444]

RD,

That is a great idea! Thanks!

Dan