Slugging Barrels

[John Boy]

.To measure lands in the barrel - set of certified plug gages. To measure the grooves - a lubed pure lead round ball pushed by a piece of hickory rod in front of a cleaning rod

[BrentD]

.To measure lands in the barrel - set of certified plug gages. To measure the grooves - a lubed pure lead round ball pushed by a piece of hickory rod in front of a cleaning rod

There is an interesting story of a well known shooter ruining a friend's rifle with a set of plug gauges. Know what you are doing with them. Or be smart and use a lead slug for land diameter too.

[John Boy]

There is an interesting story of a well known shooter ruining a friend's rifle with a set of plug gauges. Know what you are doing with them.

Brent, how so ruin a rifle? They either slid in and fit or they don't fit. Of course, if the bore is tapered ... a whole different story

[BrentD]

I wasn't there, but the story is that these things can and will get stuck in a bore sooner or later, even if prelubed. Getting them out may prove ugly.

Why use them when a lead slug works just as well, costs less, is analog rather than digital, and you probably don't even need to go to the store or order on line to get one?

[Chill Wills]

There is an interesting story of a well known shooter ruining a friend's rifle with a set of plug gauges. Know what you are doing with them. Or be smart and use a lead slug for land diameter too.

YEP! He did.

Be careful with those pin gauges. I use them. Never, never try to run them through the barrel end to end. Good barrels are often choked. If you have a set of pin gauges and feel you need to know the minor diameter (bore) of the barrel, check the muzzle and chamber by only inserting the gauge a small amount CAREFULLY.
If a tight lead slug is run all the way through from chamber to muzzle, tight spots and rough spots can be felt. Some of this can even be felt with a very tight oiled cleaning patch.

[Don McDowell]

Getting ready to order a 45-70 sharps. Looking forward to casting rounds for this beast. Just wondering, do you guys slug your bore once you receive a new rifle prior to ordering custom moulds? If so, what do you find works best for a 45-70 bore?

A chamber cast with cerrosafe that takes in about the first inch of the rifling past the throat will tell you all you need to know, if you need to know.

[Conditor22]

I cast pure lead boolits from the largest mold I have in each caliber and use them for slugging/poundcasting

[ragnar]

I cast pure lead boolits from the largest mold I have in each caliber and use them for slugging/poundcasting

Do choked bores really improve accuracy?

[bigted]

I agree with Don. Basic chamber/throat measurements will usually tell the tale of what is needed for beginning the trail down the rabbit hole. OR ... measure your first three fired cases to find the largest and probably best boolit diameter of fairly soft lead/tin mix. Rarely will your chamber/throat needs wonder far from an accuracy need in the diameter of the lead projectile.

Rest is testing testing testing! Shooting shooting shooting!

The paper patched boolit now may be a very different story. May need more bore/groove diameters to be able to make em work well. Then your chamber needs to meet your bore needs closer for good repeatable accuracy. A paper patch chamber is not going to be the best for greasers and vice-e-versy!