Muzzle loader barrel slugging?

[Nikkisdad]

What is the best method to slug a muzzle loader barrel (not inline)?

[725]

That's a good one. Somebody will pipe in, I'm sure, with a better answer, but I'd use a dial caliper.

[montana_charlie]

What is the best method to slug a muzzle loader barrel (not inline)?

It shouldn't be necessary.
You slug a barrel so that you can use a bullet that fits tight enough to seal the bore.

Muzzleloader bullets are patched to seal tightly, or they have skirts that flare out to make the seal.

If you want to use a modern bullet (that doesn't act to seal the bore) it should be in a sabot (which does).

CM

[twotoescharlie]

I drop a length of brass rod down the barrel, oil the bore and drive a lead ball part way down, and use the brass rod to knock it back out, been doing this for close to 60 years, works for me.

TTC

[snapshot]

If your breech plug isn't removeable; you can use an oversized ball down the bbl. and then pull er out with a bullet puller but get ready for a tug of war, you can also pour a little moulten lead down the bbl. and do the same thing get you a good range rod or modern cleaning rod that fits that bullet puller well and use one with a long screw shaft. Good luck to ya.
And what Montana Charlie said.

[fouronesix]

You slug a ML bore for the same reasons you slug any bore. All the above mentioned methods work.

[KCSO]

If you want to see if your patching or ball is tight enough in a M/L you can take an oversized samlple of the patch and the ball. Start them in the muzzle and push them down just below the muzzle and then use the protruding patch to pull the whole workes back out the bore. Then you can hole the ball under a good light and read the imprint of the patch on the ball. Lighter in the groves and hevier in the lands or maybe even no groove imprint depending on your preference. If you want to check the bore dimensions tap an oversized ball into the muzzle well greased and then pull it with a ball puller orpuff it out with an air fitting into a bucket of water.

[Nikkisdad]

I should have mentioned that the barrel is a musket barrel. I don't have the gun yet (had to return brand new with gouge on stock and chip around lock). Anyway it is supposed to be .577 and all advisers have said + or - one or two thousands for best accuracy. My mold is dropping an average size of .578 and a .576 sizing die should do it, but need to know exactly before spending anymore money on a size die that I don't need.

[Mustangpalmer1911]

Never slugged any of my muzzys. Never really figured a good enough reason to. Might try it now some ideas just becasue.

What type of ball you plan on shooting minie, maxxi, round ball?

A minie ball for a 577 sould drop about 575. You want to almost free fall down the barrel. The weight of the rod alone should push it down. When fired the skirt opens and engages with the rifling.

.577 round ball you probly looking for anything from .562ish-.572 is and a .15-.05 patch.

.577 is a 58 caliber. I have several and shoot a minie sized to .575 out of all of them. In my 1853 Enfield it is a tack driver with that ball at 100 yards. It mics right at .577. All of them are within a fist a 100 yards with that. They all mic at .576-578.

[44man]

Never needed to slug a ML, used a ball gauge to measure bore only, not grooves.
Best fit for a ball is to get .002" to .005" patch engraving from grooves.
Musket will shoot best if Minie' is fit to bore. It will expand to fit grooves.
I lapped many molds for friends, most could not hit paper at 50 yards. After fitting the Minie', they could ring a 200 meter gong. Amazing how long it takes to reach 200! I shot at the gong once, turned to walk away and heard it hit. Much fun!

[Nikkisdad]

I just purchased the Lyman minie dropping an average size of .578 (hot lead) and average weight of 556 grains. The musket (advertised bore diameter) is .577 Pedersoli 1858 Enfield 2 band. Should be getting the replacement next week.

[44man]

I just purchased the Lyman minie dropping an average size of .578 (hot lead) and average weight of 556 grains. The musket (advertised bore diameter) is .577 Pedersoli 1858 Enfield 2 band. Should be getting the replacement next week.

That will work great, let us know. Watch the skirt thickness for loads. About 50 gr of powder is normal, if you want more, the skirt should be thick or it will turn into a badminton birdie at muzzle release. Pedersoli makes great barrels, you should have a good time.

[jonk]

Don't bother to slug it. Buy, borrow, or rent a series of plug gauges around your known diameter. When you get one that just slides in, size bullets to 1/1000 under that (minies) or if you go with round balls, you can fudge it a bit with patch thickness- but suppose you had a .575 diameter. I'd look at a .570 round ball and a 10/1000 patch for instance.

If you don't have that, you can get an oversized minie, and lightly tap it into the muzzle to swage the base, then pull it out by the nose and measure the base with calipers as normal.

[stubert]

If you pour molten lead in your barrel, and it gets into the flash hole or patent breech, you will NEVER get it out. What are you trying to find out?

[stubert]

You don't size muzzle loader bullets.

[Goatwhiskers]

I have used compressed air thru the flash hole, had to have a blowpipe with a rubber tip. I have also removed loads left in the gun for a year or more with water. Make a plug that matches nipple threads. Remove nipple, put in all the water you can with a syringe, install plug. Warm the chamber area with a torch applied gently, when the H2O reaches 212, it flashes to steam and the ball or bullet comes out. Just FYI, it comes out rather violently, keep muzzle pointed in a safe direction. GW

[JeffG]

Like KCSO said, look at the patch. If shooting round ball, the patch will tell you all you need to know, particularly after shooting. If you are blowing out the patch, the ball ie either not big enough, out of round or the patch material is too thin or not strong enough. With a green pintail barrel in 50 cal I use a .500 RB patched with .020 ticking. Yeah, it is tight getting in the muzzle but shoots really good and the patches look good after firing.

[44man]

I would fit a Minie' for a good hard thumb push to start. Riding the lands is the best way.
I agree a patched RB should be tight, I use home made starters with big balls and brass rods with ends to fit the balls, even sprue clearance, Each starter long rod has a bore protector. It takes a heck of a smack to start.