Paper patch lyman foster up to full bore?

[Goose18557]

So....the lyman foster in 20ga fits "snug" in my rifled ithaca deerslayer but i can push through the barrell pretty easily with a wooden dowel. I'm getting 8" groups at 50 yards any only minimal engraving showing up on thr recovered slugs. Thinking about paper patching to make it fit tighter. Thoughts?

[uncle dino]

Goose, what does slug measure? Probably have to bring it up to .615 to 620..d

[Goose18557]

No experience here woth the 12ga. I can only imagine that the 20ga cast much closer to bore diameter than the 12ga given your comment and other threads I've seen. Using regular printer paper single layer and lubed withwith alox i can still force the slug down the bore by hand but it takes alot more effort. A double wrap makes me slightly nervous but I can still fit in the bore by hand, which for comparison, is somethong i cannot do with factory sabots.

[uncle dino]

If you can push it into the bore by hand in a rifled barrel. Probably too loose.. Shoot one wrap and see how accuracy is..I'm thinking you'll need 2 wraps. If the paper survives. D

[Goose18557]

As cast is .608 in diameter. A double wrap gets me up to .6205. Hoping to get out to the range this weekend.

[uncle dino]

That is the same diameter as my jacketed slugs.. So I don't think you have to worry about them being too large with two wraps.

[longbow]

If the slug is soft lead and will fit the hull and chamber then I would patch to at least groove diameter and likely larger... as long as it will chamber.

I have not patched 20 ga. or for rifled barrel but I did patch up 12 ga. Lyman Foster slugs for my smoothbore. They cast at 0.705" so very much undersize. I used heavy brown shopping bag paper (most won't remember those) to patch up to a little over bore diameter on pure lead slugs.

Accuracy with as cast was 8" to 12" on a good day at 50 yards. Patching reduced group size to something like 6" at 50 yards and more consistent. Naked slugs shot poorly and there were still frequent fliers from those large groups. This was using exact load data and components from the Lyman Shotshell Reloading manual in my browning BPS with slug & buck barrel with I/C choke.

Also to note, even though the slugs were well undersize, slugs recovered from soft snow had obturated to fill the bore but every slug showed the nose tilted differently and uneven skirt length so my take is that they cocked while going through the forcing cone and obturated to fill the bore at whatever angle they entered the bore. Paper patching appeared to center the slug better and eliminate the obturation since they were already bore size but accuracy did not improve dramatically.

In general groups tightened and there were less fliers but still fliers. I think the paper suffers opening the crimp.

It is certainly worth a try though and in rifled gun may correct the undersize fit and make a significant improvement in your accuracy. Those big slugs are pretty easy to paper patch so not a lot of work.

Longbow

[SierraHunter]

I used to patch the Lee slugs out of a rifled 12 gauge with pretty good results by cross patching the slugs into the hull. I used up to three strips of paper depending on the gun. I have also had pretty good luck cross patching round balls into hulls out of a smooth bore.

I should note that when I was doing this, I was cutting the hull off right below the crimp and just using the tension of the slug in the hull to hold it in. I made them fit tight enough that I could carry them around in my pocket without them falling out of the hull.

[Cap'n Morgan]

A simple swaging die, a punch and a hammer, and you can resize your slugs to the exact diameter you want - And at the same time make them perfectly round & cylindrical.

[longbow]

If your slug is soft lead Cap'n Morgan has a good idea if you have the means of making a simple sizing die (I would go with a hammer sizer). However, the Lyman Foster slug is so thin in the skirt and nose i would not trust if for hunting if that is your intent. I have not used mine for hunting but I have been told by several people that the soft thin slugs flatten out easily and do not penetrate well.

Not an issue if you are shooting paper or gongs of course.

If the slugs are cast from wheelweights or mixed range scrap and are fairly hard then they are likely to crack if you try to swage the skirts out by 0.024" (which is what mine would take to get to bore diameter).

I have to think that soft lead would be more patch friendly as well.

Longbow

[Goose18557]

Cap- haven't looked much into swaging. Is there a simple way to make a swaging die or is that something you have to shell out some cash for?

[Cap'n Morgan]

Cap- haven't looked much into swaging. Is there a simple way to make a swaging die or is that something you have to shell out some cash for?

Basically it's just a small length of round stock with a through hole the diameter of the size slug you want. A cylindrical plug with the inverse shape of the slug nose is inserted into the die followed by the slug and both parts are placed on a hard, plane surface. A cylindrical rod with the inverse profile of the slug base cavity is inserted into the die and given a good wack with a 2 lb. mallet. The slug will expand and take the exact form of the cavity formed by the die and the top & bottom insert. The base punch can now be pushed through the die, and the slug twisted off. All surfaces of dies and punches should be fairly well polished and a whiff of lube or oil will keep the slug from sticking to the mold as well as improve the flow of the lead.

[longbow]

I've used a piece of cut off shotgun barrel as a die then made a punch as Cap'n Morgan says. Works just fine and gives you an exact bore diameter slug. However:

- you need a piece of same gauge shotgun barrel as you are shooting from
- you need a lathe to make the punch or have to pay someone to make one for you
- you have to use quite soft lead for the slugs