I creamed my 20 ga bore with lead.

[fastdadio]

I need your opinions. I recently bought a new Weatherby PA-459 in 20 ga. Fired 50 rounds of 2 3/4" bird shot with out issue, and I have to say, I love this gun. I then put 20 rounds of Win/Olin, 2 3/4", 7/8 oz, foster type slugs through it sighting in the irons. Starting out with a mirror clean bore. Those 20 rounds completely leaded the bore from the chamber to more than 2/3 to the muzzle. I mean completely coated the bore with lead. It was so bad the lead was coming out in chunks, and it took me three days of soaking and scrubbing to get it out. I've never seen any thing like it. I'm of the opinion that it can only have been caused by one of two things. Faulty/poor quality slugs, or an over sized bore. Myself and many people I know have been shooting Winchester foster type slugs since the dawn of time with never an issue. I also realize that some streaking or minor leading with slugs is to be expected. But not like this. Any ideas? I will be calling Weatherby customer service and see what they have to say also. Thanks in advance for any replies, ideas, opinions, advice, or just plain general banter.
Dave.

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Hello Dave, I would use boiling hot water and plenty of it and the scrub it with a brass brush back and forth. I thought the Weatherby barrels were chrome plated inside and should not have leaded badly ! !
Once clean, thank God by looking up and don't ever commit that sin of firing a slug that is not wrapped around by a wad petals ( Lyman 525 slug in wad or Lee Drive Key slug in wad ) No wonder I'm not a fan of full bore naked slug being fired in the gun.

My statement will make some of my friends very upset as they love to shoot fullbore slugs, I personally don't but you at least will understand why ! !

I'm not looking to upset my friends for they did support me all along and I'm Grateful to them ! !

Best regards,
Ajay Madan
Super Blazing Sabots

[Hogtamer]

Now you have a tighter choke! Sorry, that's my version of a joke.....
Seriously I would think the slugs were a bit oversize or perhaps you are shooting them from a choked gun? Usually these slugs are undersize in case somebody shoots them from a full choke and they are designed to obturate to fill the bore. Sorry about the scrubbing, know that's a pain.

[faustus]

My 870 smoothbore barrels did lead like crazy when I got them new .... it is much better now.

The reason was that those barrels were not polished at the factory. I would stick my pinky into the muzzle and I could feel the tool marks ... that is how bad it was. However, when I looked down the barrel I could not see those imperfections ...

And the lead (from slugs) would accumulate and stick to those unpolished surfaces.

What I did, I polished the barrels myself ... with a drill ... cleaning rod ... and steel wool.



And now my leading nightmare seems to be gone ....

In short, an unpolished or badly polished barrel will cause excessive leading.

[Tom W.]

I'm 65 and never have fired a slug from a shotgun. I've purchased a few 5 packs, and probably still have them... Just shot buckshot. I know buckshot is not permitted in some states.....

[tomme boy]

Win slugs are larger in diameter than most other manufacturers and the European gun manufacturers gun barrels usually run a couple thousands smaller in diameter.

[gpidaho]

fastdadio: I made the mistake of firing factory foster slugs through my new 20ga. rifled barrel, I know what you mean about chunks of lead coming out of a badly leaded bore. I won't be doing that again. Gp

[fastdadio]

Thanks for the replies folks. Let's clear up a few points. The barrel is completely clean like new now. 3 days of soaking and scrubbing with Aero Kroil and #9, and it was shiney clean when I took it out to the range. It is chrome lined with out a single blemish, in fact, it's beautiful in there. It has a threaded choke, and came with a cylinder bore choke installed and that is what I was shooting. I guess it's just one of those big mysteries. I like the idea of the round ball loads. I'll be looking into the economics of loading my own. Any body here try a rifled choke?

[SuperBlazingSabots]

I would recommend putting on a rifled choke tube Carlson's Rifled Choke Tubes, 12 and 20 Gauge are manufactured from 304 high stress stainless steel. Each of these Choke Tubes made by Carlson's Choke. $37.50
https://www.opticsplanet.com/carlson...-20-gauge.html

Ajay Madan
Super Blazing Sabots

[gpidaho]

fastdadio: I have the Carlson's choke that Ajay recommends. Hard to say how much it helps in my case as it's being used on a break barrel Stevens 12ga with just the standard bead front sight. The slugs I've fired through it printed nice clean holes in the target so they were stable in flight. Gp

[fastdadio]

I would recommend putting on a rifled choke tube Carlson's Rifled Choke Tubes, 12 and 20 Gauge are manufactured from 304 high stress stainless steel. Each of these Choke Tubes made by Carlson's Choke. $37.50
https://www.opticsplanet.com/carlson...-20-gauge.html

Ajay Madan
Super Blazing Sabots

Thanks for the link Ajay. This is a better price than I found on an earlier search. This Weatherby takes the Beretta/Benelli pattern chokes so they run about $43.00. Better than the $60.00 range I seen earlier.

[SuperBlazingSabots]

Fastdadio, good now use the saved money to buy Lee 7/8 Oz drive Key slug in wad from MidSouth sports for $23.15:
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c...12-gauge-78-oz

Sorry I made the wrong choice the above is for 12 gauge.

You will need Lee .575 Double cavity mold for $18.94:
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c...ound-ball-mold
We will get you going, let the fun begin.

Best regards,
Ajay Madan
Super Blazing Sabots

[GoodOlBoy]

I've shot slugs through my old H&R Pardner with a fixed modified choke and never had a bit of leading. BUT this is the same gun that shoots "modern" plastic wad #6s ok, for the most part, yet loves old fiber wad #6 rounds. I'll have been packing this old single shot 20 gauge for 38 years come Dec. It was bought as my 6th birthday present at an old store in Houston by my grandfather and grandmother. I believe it was a Gemco (sp?) store.

If I ever get the money together I am gonna buy me a case of #6 paper hull fiber wad 20 gauge shells from rst shotshells. That will be one heck of a squirrel season!

God Bless, and One Love.

GoodOlBoy