Slugging a bore
Posted: 08 Apr 2016 08:24
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.
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.