How big to go?

[Tn Jim]

Ok guys, here's my dilemma. I have a Ruger SBH with a 4 5/8" barrel. The bore slugs at .4295. I measured as carefully as I am able and found all six chambers measure .4315. The only load I have tried that doesn't lead like crazy is a Lee 240 swc/gc over a heavy load of 2400 sized to .431. I bought a Lyman #429421 to make a mid-range load. I had surgery on my right hand last year and the hot loads are now reserved for my Henry 44 rifle. Of course, the Lyman drops at .430 and leads. Go figure.:(

So, I am now going to send the mould to Erik at Hollowpointmoulds and have the driving bands/bases enlarged. The question is how much? I'm thinking .432, but having never done this I don't know for sure. Any experience in this area?

Also, I need to open up a RCBS Lubrisizer die to the same size to size/lube the new boolits. I have a .430 die that is currently unemployed, so it just got drafted. How difficult will it be to go from .430 to .432 or maybe even bigger? What is the best way to open the sizer die?

Thanks and I appreciate the help. Jim

[Airman Basic]

Also, I need to open up a RCBS Lubrisizer die to the same size to size/lube the new boolits. I have a .430 die that is currently unemployed, so it just got drafted. How difficult will it be to go from .430 to .432 or maybe even bigger? What is the best way to open the sizer die?

Thanks and I appreciate the help. Jim
I'd recommend contacting Buckshot
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?67-Buckshot
about a 432 sizer. Good stuff. Good price.

[Larry Gibson]

I've shot thousands of 429421 and 44-250-KTs sized .429 and .430 through numerous Rugers and my Hawes with throats of .431 to .434. I've shot low end target loads, mid range loads and full bore magnum loads. I just arbitrarily size .44 cast to .430 these days except for the 429640HP in the Anaconda which needs them at .429 to chamber. My Ruger and Hawes get .430 bullets and I get no leading.......never had any leading. Before sending the mould off and spending $s that may not solve the problem let's identify the real problem 1st.

What alloy?

What lube?

What mid range load?

Larry Gibson

[kweidner]

What Larry said! After that, if you have to open sizer it's super simple. Split dowel and 4 and 600 grit paper. Go slow and check often. could beagle mold to see if it helps and then send it off. I opened mine myself with lapping compound and some boolits cast from it. Cast em hard. Drill small pilot hole, insert sheetrock screw. Lapping compound and electric drill. Not a problem.

Real question is where is it leading, what kind of load, what kind of lube and alloy? My guess is the throats and bbl sound deminsionally correct and If not alloy or lube it could be restricted.

Was there any barrel restiction? Rugers are know for this!

[Tn Jim]

The alloy is COWW with ballpark of 2% tin solder added. Lube was 50/50 Alox and bees wax. Then tried Lyman Supermoly with no change. Personally don't recommend that stuff, too messy. Now using LBT blue soft, no change. Leading is in the first 1" to 1.5" of the barrel then fades away. Loads with this set up so far have been 8.5 to 10.5 grains of Unique. Out of the 4 5/8" barrel, that should be in the 925 to 1050 fps range. As for the barrel restriction, I thought it may be possible it felt slightly tighter where the barrel screws into the frame, but I wasn't certain.

[kweidner]

Slug it 2 times. Once all the way. Next one only about 2 inches in. Cut some 2" dowel and push second one back out crown and then compare. I bet there is a restriction. Simple test and works well. Once slug is all the way in it's easy to get moving opposite direction with just finger pressure so no worries getting it stuck. Post results. My curiosity is up. Mine had one and until I fire lapped it, it leaded every time no matter what I tried. Fire lappng made it one heck of a shooter!

[Larry Gibson]

Leading is in the first 1" to 1.5" of the barrel then fades away.

The loads used of Unique are fine as are a couple of the lubes so I question that batch of alloy. Suggest you try another batch of good COWWs and use enough solder so there is 2% tin added. Then add 30 - 40% lead. A good 50/50 alox and beeswax should not have leaded like that. Don't know which you used? However you might try Lar's BAC or 50/50 lube, both work very well for me.

How much leading are you getting? After how many rounds? Does it clean out normally or do you have to ChoreBoy or use a Lewis Lead Remover?

Larry Gibson

[kweidner]

Larry has forgot more about casting than I know. If he says alloy try it! Could be antimony? I use felix lube if I'm not shaking and baking. Once a gun is dimensionally correct, if you use a good lube and alloy it WILL not lead. Larry hepled me get that SBH going years ago. Mine had a slight restriction and the forcing cone was a bit rough. Once I straightened my dimensions out all was well. It really liked the stouter loads of 2400 but would lead a mine until I fixed my dimensions. It has since been traded to a model 357 in 41 mag. New owner loves it and I the .41.

[Tn Jim]

Sorry it has taken me so long to answer. I had to stop by Wally World after church, didn't have any more sinkers. Just did the double slug test. I really took my time and made sure the sinker had a hole thru the center. This made it much easier. I could feel a constriction in the last 1/2" or so of barrel. The slug driven all the way thru measured .4285, while the partial drive thru showed .4295. Very possible the sinker I used before had some spring to it due to the lack of a center hole, but I'm not sure. Also possible it was not pure lead, as I know these I just bought are. To answer the other questions:

1. The leading is easily visible after 6 rounds fired.

2. Chore Boy is the only way to get the lead that is on the edge of the rifling. The lead in the grooves will come out with some determined scrubbing. A cylinder of the swc/gc boolits over 20 grains of 2400 removes it a lot faster and easier.

3. The same ww alloy was used to make the swc/gc boolits that I fired in my Henry Big Boy 44 and my Springfield 1911 45 acp and I have zero leading in both them, so I wouldn't think the alloy is that far off.

4. The 50/50 lube I was using ( and just used in the 1911) was Lyman Alox and bees wax I got locally. It works great in the 1911, but I think Alox stinks and is a little too smoky personally.

So it sounds like I have a forcing cone constriction then. What's the next step?

[Tn Jim]

Also should mention this gun is not a new purchase. It bought it off the original owner in 1997. He fired one box of factory ammo and decided it had more recoil than he wanted to deal with. This gun has always leaded with plain bases boolits over the years through several batches of alloy. Which is why I started using the gc boolits a long time ago. I should also mention the gun is accurate with the gc boolits, but accuracy goes out the window with plain base. Six rounds off hand at 20 yards with the gc's is baseball size, plain base is a little over double that.

Again I want to thank everyone that has taken the time to help me figure this gun out.

[Tn Jim]

I'm afraid it all may be a mute point now. Without going into a lot of detail on my stupidity, I made a serious error in judgment. I didn't have the wooden dowel I needed to drive the partial slug back out the front of the barrel. I used the wrong thing and made a fairly serious ding in the bore. It's on a land, so I MAY be able to fire lap it out. If not, it's new barrel time. I'm just going to back away from this for a while before I make things worse.

[MtGun44]

Shoot some jbullet thru it to smooth up the problem a bit. Unlikely a scratch will wipe out the barrel.

Wood dowel is bad for slugging. I use a steel rod with a .25 ACP jammed on the leading end, then
a couple of rings of electrical tape. Never scratched a bore.

Bill

[jrayborn]

Tn Jim, don't feel too bad just yet about any ding you may have accidentally put in your barrel. Unless it's a giant unsafe gouge, follow MtGun44's advice. I have seen horrid barrels shoot more accurately than I have the ability to shoot ( I am such a rank amature...). Try shooting a bit and if all is well, as I suspect it will be, try to forget about it. Life is way to short to stress out about something that may not even make a difference. And if things don't work out just right the guys on this forum are here to help you out. Good luck!

[44man]

I would fire lap it and forget a little scratch. Ruger barrels are tough and might take a lot of fire lapping. Even though you only need to remove a small amount, fire lapping does not cut real fast.
Might start with 12 shots, clean and measure but I bet 20 shots might be needed.
Follow directions to the letter with the kit.

[Tn Jim]

Thanks for the words of encouragement guys. I am the worlds worst to start getting excited and a little impatient and end up making something worse than it needs to be or already is. I should be able to make this work after all.