"Impact Throat Castings"

[alamogunr]

The thread title comes from the article in The Fouling Shot a few years back. I finally decided to do this to all my rifles. I ordered the correct sizes of drill rod from MSC. Please don't tell me how I could have done it cheaper. I'm satisfied and have other issues to address. I have ample soft lead to make slugs from but am not sure if just any bullet close to bore size is right or do I need to use something else? Also I'm not sure if I understand the best way to start. The article says to fill a fired case with lead and cut it off at the junction of the base and neck. I assume on a bottleneck cartridge that this is above the shoulder. Any other pointers that anyone has would be appreciated. I have about 12-14 rifles that I plan to check, so anything that will help out with either accuracy of measurements or facilitate making the castings will be appreciated.
Thanks,
John

[grouch]

I think they meant the base of the neck. When I did it I just filled the case level full. Just be VERY careful the drill rod doesn't mark the throat in the process!!
Grouch

[45 2.1]

The thread title comes from the article in The Fouling Shot a few years back. I finally decided to do this to all my rifles. I ordered the correct sizes of drill rod from MSC. Please don't tell me how I could have done it cheaper. I'm satisfied and have other issues to address. I have ample soft lead to make slugs from but am not sure if just any bullet close to bore size is right or do I need to use something else? A smooth sided slug will work best, but you can use a cast boolit close to size, but it will show the creases where any grooves in the boolit close up when impacted. Also I'm not sure if I understand the best way to start. The article says to fill a fired case with lead and cut it off at the junction of the base and neck. I assume on a bottleneck cartridge that this is above the shoulder. A solid plug in the case about at the bottom of the case neck or you can fill the case with lead to this point. Any other pointers that anyone has would be appreciated. I have about 12-14 rifles that I plan to check, so anything that will help out with either accuracy of measurements or facilitate making the castings will be appreciated.
Make sure your rods are taped where they meet any part of the barrel, especially the crown. You do not want any damage to the barrel while doing this. A two pound hammer works nicely. You want firm even blows to the rod to upset the slug. When the rod bounces, you should have a good throat slug. Set the rifle butt on a pad on a solid floor when you do this and hold the rod near the crown between you fingers while holding the barrel. To determine how hard to hit the rod, take a lead slug and hit it with the hammer, you will want to see it upset some with each blow. Lube the case and the chamber throat lightly before you start. Put the slug in the case neck and chamber it carefully, then insert the rod down the barrel. You want the slug and case to come out as one piece. After upsetting the slug, open the action and carefully push or tap the unit out. You want a long enough slug to show the throat up about 3/4" into the rifling. Don't drop it afterward or you will need to start over.

[Ricochet]

I haven't done the full deal outlined above, but I've slugged the throats with slugs initially larger than the case neck and simply pushed them in with a rod and mallet from the rear, then back out from the front. Works.

[alamogunr]

A smooth sided slug will work best, but you can use a cast boolit close to size, but it will show the creases where any grooves in the boolit close up when impacted. Also I'm not sure if I understand the best way to start. The article says to fill a fired case with lead and cut it off at the junction of the base and neck. I assume on a bottleneck cartridge that this is above the shoulder. A solid plug in the case about at the bottom of the case neck or you can fill the case with lead to this point.
You want a long enough slug to show the throat up about 3/4" into the rifling. Don't drop it afterward or you will need to start over.[/B]

After several delays related to things unrelated to casting or shooting, I'm ready to continue this project. I thought that one way to get a smooth sided slug would be to drill an approximate size hole in some material that would allow about half a dozen slugs, such as hard wood or I also have some Micarta scraps left from my working years. This is not the kitchen cabinet surface stuff. It is thick and heavy. The lead would scorch it but it should work for a few slugs. I would probably take some experimentation to determine what size holes are needed to get the slugs I want.

Anyone have any comments on this??

[45 2.1]

As long as they are a decent fit in the case neck, you will be ok. Make sure they are long enough to go into the rifling origin when pounded out as you will need to measure that area also. A long for caliber pure lead slug will work also, but will have a line showing where any groove has collapsed.

[357maximum]

After several delays related to things unrelated to casting or shooting, I'm ready to continue this project. I thought that one way to get a smooth sided slug would be to drill an approximate size hole in some material that would allow about half a dozen slugs, such as hard wood or I also have some Micarta scraps left from my working years. This is not the kitchen cabinet surface stuff. It is thick and heavy. The lead would scorch it but it should work for a few slugs. I would probably take some experimentation to determine what size holes are needed to get the slugs I want.

Anyone have any comments on this??


STOP

Before you pour lead into any form of wood, put into your oven for a bit...any moisture in the wood will hurt you badly when you pour the lead in. I have done it, now I do not pour lead into wood, hurts badly...and makes one look like they have herpes real bad.


Personally I tightly wrap aluminum foil around the case/neck and use this to form a full case full of lead with a big ol ugly bullet thing sticking out the end.....file/sand the "BOOLIT" till it chambers then lube it and the proceed with the pounding.

[alamogunr]

Thanks to both of you.

357 Max: If I used wood, it would be some kiln dried maple I have on hand. I really think the Micarta (paper phenolic) that I have would work better since it would resist the heat better. I may try the aluminum foil trick.

45 2.1: The length is one reason I wanted to try to use a limited use mold. I can make a fairly long slug using the materials I have on hand. None of my molds are particularly long and I don't want to have to contend with the remains of the lube grooves.

John
W.TN

[slughammer]

I did a 30-06 just the other day, I actually reused a slug from another rifle. I didn't cut the case, it was filled to 1/2 way up the neck with WW metal. Then a pure lead 180gr boolit was hand seated in the case. My rod is a 1/4" dia drill rod with electric tape wrapped around it at intervals.

To reuse the existing slug I set it on the edge of my bench and tapped around its circumference with a hammer until it was small enough to chamber. Once I upset it again there was a perfect impression of this chamber.

I have found that the pure lead will expand the brass in the case neck to the chamber neck dia. I recommend trimming the empty case to a nominal trim length also, then the lead will fill the area in front of the mouth to show you how much longer your chamer neck is than the nominal length brass.

I do believe that trapping the lead between the bolt and the rod actually makes it larger than the real diameters of chamber neck, throat, and groove. For these diameters I use a swaged 38 slug, lubed and driven into the neck and throat. Typically about .0005 difference in the measurements.