Barrel Slugging Round Balls - Where to buy?

[IraqVet1982]

Based on almost everything I've read on here, slugging a barrel is essential for cast boolits. So before I buy all my sizers for my new RCBS I figured I'd slug my barrels and get what I actually need.

My question is: Where do I buy round balls to slug my barrels?

I'm looking to slug 9mm (3 barrels), 357sig, 40S&W, 45ACP, 45BM, 5.56Nato, 300blk, 308WIN, and 7.62x39.

I read on one post about using Fishing Sinkers (which would be locally available), is this a pretty good source of soft lead?

Thanks in advance!

[ihuntbear]

you don't need to find round balls..just find some lead bullets in your caliber and push them down the barrel and mic them. somebody at a range that shoots lead can help u

[Pb2au]

The egg shaped fishing sinkers work very well. Just head over to your favorite sporting goods store and scoop some up.
Just take your calipers/micrometers with you to figure out which size sinkers to buy. Obviously you need to be a bit oversize your bore. Worse case, you can buy some that are equal to or slightly less than bore size and give the sinker a squeeze to upset it.

[Tatume]

Although many here will tell you that slugging barrels is a necessary prerequisite to cast bullet accuracy, I have never slugged a barrel. Accuracy in my guns is outstanding, and leading is nearly non-existent. In my opinion, it's a waste of time.

That doesn't mean I don't pay attention to bullet diameter, for I do. If my rifles didn't shoot well, I would increase bullet diameter. So far it has never happened. My revolvers are loaded with bullets that will not pass through the throats. Other than that, I really don't care what the diameter is.

I know I'm in the minority here. That's okay too.

Take care, Tom

['74 sharps]

Although many here will tell you that slugging barrels is a necessary prerequisite to cast bullet accuracy, I have never slugged a barrel. Accuracy in my guns is outstanding, and leading is nearly non-existent. In my opinion, it's a waste of time.

That doesn't mean I don't pay attention to bullet diameter, for I do. If my rifles didn't shoot well, I would increase bullet diameter. So far it has never happened. My revolvers are loaded with bullets that will not pass through the throats. Other than that, I really don't care what the diameter is.

I know I'm in the minority here. That's okay too.

Take care, Tom

Same here. Have never slugged a barrel and have fine accuracy with no leading issues.

[Moonie]

If you have a kinetic puller you can fill up the unsized cartridge case with lead and simply remove it with the puller, use that to slug.

[sapper_eng]

I used a 00 buck shot pellet. Worked just fine

[chill45100]

1+ for using 00 buck in a .30 caliber bore. Of course it helps to have some 00 buckshot.

[MrWolf]

Aye same as Moonie. Fill the cartridge with lead then the kinetic. Took me a few times to realize you didn't have to peel the brass off before I thought of the puller - Duh.

[bersa380]

I have also used 00 buck for bore slugging works quite well. I use a punch to get it started then once it is started it pushes through easily.

[.22-10-45]

Speer makes swaged round balls. One thing to keep in mind..sinkers, and other sources of unknown lead might not be dead soft as are the Speer balls..harder lead..even though it may seem soft does have some springback and will give you false readings.

[guncheese]

i use the 45 cal round balls for my c+b revolver
just pound them in there! the excess shears right off
http://k9wkj.net/boolits/barrelslugs.jpg
can even recycle them, just whackem with a hammer to flatten them out a bit

[kryogen]

take a boolit and slam it a few times with a hammer to make it larger than the bore, then oil and slam through the bore with a wood dowel...

[jmort]

Here:

http://www.beartoothbullets.com/bulletselect/index.htm

Look under "Slugging Supplies"

[Down South]

Fishing sinkers will work but I ran across a few hard ones. I guess they make them out of what's available. I have numerous sets of boolit moulds. I just cast the next size boolit up out of pure lead, or say for example, you need to slug your 9 mm. Cast a 9 mm slug out of pure lead. Stick it in a vice and squish it a bit to be over sized then drive it through the barrel.
I've heard of folks drilling holes in a "dry" board just over bore size. The holes need to be through the board so you can drive the slug out once you pore it.
Make sure you use plenty of lube on the slug and the bore is lubed well when you slug your barrels.

[joesig]

Sorry, had I known you needed some I would have sent some with the manual.

I bet if you have some soft stick on wheelweights, you can tap them pretty round. They are plenty soft!

For the rifles (though it may work for auto pistols too) I use a similar method to the below. It nets you a 3D impression of your throat and I find that very helpful with over all length.

Take a fired case and size but do not deprime. Fill case to a little below bottom of neck with lead (clip on wheel weight is what I use) from pot and let cool. Chamber this case and drop a soft lead wire down barrel. In 30 cal I use about an inch and a half of 1/4" lead wire but anything that is close to bore, and enough volume to fill the neck and throat will do.

Follow the soft lead with a fairly close fitting steel rod, taped at the tip and intervals to keep it off of the rifling, and tap on rod until the sound changes from a thud to a sharper sound. You will feel the whole assembly vibrate differently and you will know you are done. Extract shell and you will see an image of your throat, the taper, etc. Measure as desired.

[Bullwolf]

take a boolit and slam it a few times with a hammer to make it larger than the bore, then oil and slam through the bore with a wood dowel...

Sorry Kryogen, I don't mean to specifically single you out about this, but I want to warn others about the dangers of using a wooden dowel to slug a barrel with.

I would strongly suggest that first timers slugging their bores not use a wooden dowel, even a hardwood one. It's a real bummer to try to remove a splintered stuck broken wooden dowel along with a stuck slug from a barrel. The wood can splinter and get driven under a boolit, and get REALLY wedged in there.

We even have a forum sticky post regarding this very topic.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?102629-Removing-Stuck-Wooden-Dowel-and-Soft-Lead-Sinker-from-a-barrel

I recommend using a brass rod to slug a barrel with, or to remove a squib from a barrel - rather than using a wooden dowel.

I like to use a brass dowel, and I wrap it with electrical tape O-ring style to protect the barrel, and don't let it ride on the the muzzle crown.

You can get away with using wood dowel quite often, I've seen many do it, and have it work out fine for them. I have also seen it go horribly wrong and then "oops the wood dowel broke, and now I can't get the thing out" mess projects show up at the gunsmith counter.



- Bullwolf

[AlaskanGuy]

I dont mean to offend those that do not slug first, but I couldn't disagree more with some of the comments about slugging being a waste of time. but I always slug... It is like a crud shoot if you dont.... I do NOT like cleaning lead out of a barrel, and it takes all of about 3 min to slug a barrel.. So if 3 min is a waste of time, think about how much time you will waste if you get a bunch of leading... Reloading is a science, and the more variables you know and can control, the better things work and a better reloader you will be, not to mention a better boolit caster... Why buy a bunch of sizers that you dont need.... Slug your barrel.... I cant stress this enough... It is important...

You can go to the sporting goods store, and get a egg sinker assortment pack hat will handle the slugging needs of almost all your guns..... Take a look at this link..... It's all you need for slugging, besides a good rod to ram it through....

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Egg-Sinker-pc-Assortment/743968.uts?productVariantId=1598385&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=33-311145916-2&WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=30033046&rid=40

AG

[Tatume]

Hi AG,

When I get a new gun I shoot it. If it shoots accurately without leading, I shoot it some more. Why should I slug anything?

Take care, Tom

[AlaskanGuy]

Hi there Tatume :)


Its kind of like this..... You can approach reloading in a re-active way, or a pro-active way.... I think it is always best to plan to reload the best you can... One of the ways to plan is to have all your facts in place before you start... One of the facts with cast boolits is sizing and fit. If you start with proper fit, instead of guesswork, your cast boolits will have a better chance of loading the way you want, and shooting the way you want... I try to approach all things this way... Living remote teaches you to plan well... It's like building a shed without measuring and then hoping for square corners.... Measure twice, cut once.... I dont want to find out the hard way that my boolits are too small and spend a bunch of time trying to scrub lead out of my barrel.... I want to spend the few min it takes to check fit... If you dont plan ahead for fit, you are planning to fail.. :) no offense meant to anybody, it is just my way of doing things.....

AG

[IraqVet1982]

Thanks gents. I appreciate all the advice.

[azrednek]

Fishing sinkers will work but I ran across a few hard ones.

Friend called me about a year or so ago. He was having zero luck hammering through some newly purchased sinkers. My best guess the sinkers were either zinc or contained a high amount of zinc. My factory 50 cal muzzle loader balls went through his Ruger 45 cylinder with no where near the difficulty he was having with the sinkers.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I have relied upon the muzzleloader suppliers to find the right round ball for barrel slugging. For most common calibers (.30,.35) in relatively recently made rifles and handguns slugging may not be necessary. Most .30s shoot well with .310, maybe .311. Slugging is useful after normal sizes do not work. Along with bullet diameter, carefully slugging a barrel or revolver cylinder can provide much information as to why 'stuff' is not working. Loose and tight spots in a barrel, particlarly a slug that is loose at the muzzle can provide useful information as to further processes. Revolver cylinder throat dimensions compared to barrel dimensions and tight spots (in the threaded portion at the frame) also provide a guide to actions needed to increase accuracy. Slugging may or may not be necessary, but it can be useful and interesting.

[azrednek]

Revolver cylinder throat dimensions compared to barrel dimensions and tight spots (in the threaded portion at the frame) also provide a guide to actions needed to increase accuracy. Slugging may or may not be necessary, but it can be useful and interesting.

After slugging the cylinder and having the cylinder mouths reamed to a consistent size made a night vs day improvement in my shot to shot accuracy with my Ruger 45 Convertible. I wasn't convinced before then that slugging was necessary. Being totally disappointed with the out of box accuracy of my new revolver. After following this board and seeing the improvement with my own eyes made a total believer out of me.

I was really surprised and very disappointed as well after slugging my Ruger 45. The cylinder mouths were all very inconsistent and all undersized. My older 3-screw 357/9MM Ruger is nearly perfect.

[Down South]

I slug everything. It gives me the information that I need to start out on boolit diameter. I keep a bag full of different size pure lead slugs for different calibers. It only takes a few minutes to do and provides me with a wealth of information.

[Geezer in NH]

Cerrosafe

[bruce381]

If you have a kinetic puller you can fill up the unsized cartridge case with lead and simply remove it with the puller, use that to slug.

+1 Thios works good cause the BASE will be rounded and starts in barrel easly

[ironhead7544]

Lead Bullet Technologies sell the slugs I use. I never liked hammering something down the barrel. With the LBT slugs a cleaning rod is used. Very easy and you can feel any restrictions as the slug moves. No more hammering for me.

For a revolver, you can measure the bore at the muzzle, then run the slug down the bore to see if there is any restriction at the frame thread.

[dakotashooter2]

My revolvers are loaded with bullets that will not pass through the throats. Other than that, I really don't care what the diameter is.

That's fine as long as the throats are the same size or a bit larger than the bore. That's not always the case.

[sthwestvictoria]

I cast a bullet, using a mold for that calibre with pure lead. Then put it in the vice (nose against one side of vice, base other side) and squeeze the bullet slightly to bump it up. Then grease well and use a steel cleaning rod with wraps of tape around it at intervals to centre the rod in the bore.

[Bill*B]

If you are checking the diameter of revolver throats, a lazy man's alternative to slugging is to use pin gauges - you don't need a full set, get individual ones for a few bucks apiece at McMaster Carr.

[Down South]

Pin Gauges are "Nice". I bought a full set some years back. I wouldn't spend the money now but I bought a set of minus .251" - .500".
I was tuning several of my revolvers back then. They are handy to find constrictions in revolver barrels too. I remember checking my GP-100. I would have sworn that it did not have a constriction but it did.