some questions

[hillbilly571]

Good mornin folks, I've got a few questions for some that have more experince than I do. I've done some casting and am getting some good looking boollits, then did a lil reading on barrel slugging. (yes i now know that should have been my first read) When slugging the barrel I'm planning on using egg sinkers and tapping them chamber to muzzle, the problem is in finding an egg sinker the "right" size. I'm doing a 9mm and I've found one that almost falls through and i'm thinking it might not be quite big enough. The other one I'm doing is a .40. next size up from the one that almost falls through the 9mm is WAY to large in my opinion (is that possible??) I know the egg sinkers are soft but my thinking is that if the outer diameter of the sinker is bigger than the outer diameter of the barrel itself, it might be too large. Is there a good way to enlarge the smaller sinkers or decrease the size of the larger sinkers and still end up with something that will yeald a good slug with well defined impressions??

Any advice here??

Thanks
Joe

[Wolfer]

The above method works very well. However when I didn't want to go to town to get a suitable sinker I make my own.

I cast a boolit of pure lead. I cut it off a little longer than caliber. I bump it up slightly in a vise and drill a small hole down the center. The hole gives it some relief and makes it a lot easier to get thru a barrel.

I once tried driving a 311041 thru a 30-30 barrel with a wooden dowel. Made it about 8" before getting stuck. I had to heat the barrel where the boolit was to get it out.

[wv109323]

Take a fired case and drill the primer hole out a little larger. Melt the lead sinkers in a spoon with a propane torch. Pour the molten lead in the case and let harden. Turn the case over and drive the slug out of the brass. The slug should be slightly larger than bore on the end.
Lube the barrel and slug and pass it through the bore.
This should work for 9MM ands .40.

[tazman]

Take a fired case and drill the primer hole out a little larger. Melt the lead sinkers in a spoon with a propane torch. Pour the molten lead in the case and let harden. Turn the case over and drive the slug out of the brass. The slug should be slightly larger than bore on the end.
Lube the barrel and slug and pass it through the bore.
This should work for 9MM ands .40.

What wv109323 described will work for any straight walled case. You don't need to drill out the primer hole if you have an inertial bullet puller.
I have used that method to make my slugs for measuring the barrel for all my pistol cartridges. Works very well.

[JSnover]

Good mornin folks, I've got a few questions for some that have more experince than I do. I've done some casting and am getting some good looking boollits, ...Is there a good way to enlarge the smaller sinkers or decrease the size of the larger sinkers and still end up with something that will yeald a good slug with well defined impressions??

Any advice here??

Thanks
Joe
Take some of those good looking boolits, stand one on its base on a hard surface and smack it on the nose with a hammer. It will swell a bit, just enough to give you what you need.

[Wayne Smith]

Use the big sinkers. I do. The soft lead simply leaves a ring and the slug drives through. You can have a block inside if you don't think the lead will fill the grooves, to compress the slug. I've done it both ways and saw no difference. Same idea as loading a C&B revolver.

[MrWolf]

What wv109323 described will work for any straight walled case. You don't need to drill out the primer hole if you have an inertial bullet puller.
I have used that method to make my slugs for measuring the barrel for all my pistol cartridges. Works very well.

That is how I do it also.

[hillbilly571]

Thanks y'all. Haven't made it quite that far yet this weekend but will tackle that project tonight. Thanks again for all the advice. I'm thinking that some of his choke tube grease will do the slug/barrel lube job just fine with a few drops of 3in1 oil added in

Thanks again and again for this awesome site to read and ask questions.
Joe

[bhn22]

Or buy a box of pure lead muzzleloader balls. Use only a light oil in your totally clean bore, and a drop or two spread over the surfaces of whichever slug you choose. Grease could give you a false reading.