slugging a rifle barrel

I managed to do this with a 45 acp, so I thought a rifle wouldn't be much different. I have some range lead about BHN 9-10 as per the pencil test. I cast some Lee C309-200-R bullets. I lubed one of them with gun oil. I used a 1/4" brass rod and tried to get the bullet through my barrel. I thought it would get easier if I could get the barrel fully into the rifling. I am not sure that I made it past the lands. I tried holding the rod with my hand and tapping it. I also tried hitting it with a hammer. I was pretty persistent trying to drive the bullet through without making much progress. Now I have decided to give up, and drive the bullet back out the lands. I don't feel like I am getting anywhere. Is there anything I can do to make this easier on myself? Will introducing some oil into the barrel help? Any other ideas?

I shouldn't have done this before hunting but it was an itch I felt I had to scratch.

Yes, lubing the bore makes life much easier. Pushing oiled boolit through throat probably wipes all the lubrication off exterior, pure lead will also make your life easier. Another thing I have done is use a gas check, solder it with cup over rod end centered. Also after soldering with propane it has annealed cup for easier push and the smaller diameter rod will not try to expand tail increasing friction. You can also take an old case and push primer and drill 1/4" hole, five cent bore guide.

Any idea how I can get the bullet out of my bore? It is stuck.

Most likely what has happened at this point is the bullet has obturated due to your 1/4" rod penetrating the base of the bullet. It's going to be stuck in there pretty well most likely. Your best bet is to use a gas check as mentioned above and you'd be much better off with a rod closer to .300" in diameter. Get the check firmly seated against the bullet nose from the muzzle end and a sharp blow from a large hammer should dislodge it. *** Do NOT beat on it repeatedly ***. If it does not dislodge with one or two sharp blows, stop and get some gunsmith help.

* Be careful that you don't damage your bore at the muzzle or at the point where the bullet nose is. *

You may have to resort to drill rod with wraps of masking tape every 1" or so along the length as brass rod may deflect too much when you strike it with a hammer. Again, pay careful attention so that you don't damage your bore/ crown. Make sure tape is protecting the bore at the muzzle in particular.

Good luck, be careful.

ETA - in the future I'd use dead soft lead and a gas check from the git-go. 9-10 BHN is too difficult to get a well formed slug and much easier to get stuck in the bore, based upon personal experience.

So I should put the gas check down the front of the barrel, onto the nose of the bullet?

What kind of rifle? Gtek's advice is spot on. A close fitting solid rod and a hammer should do it.

should i solder the gas check to the rod? or fill the gas check with solder?

Rifle is a Ruger American 30-06.

I am not sure how much closer I can get to 308 besides 1/4".

Correct. Carefully start it down the bore from the muzzle end. Use a short drift punch or piece of metal rod close to bore size, but NOT over bore size or you'll make a mess of your bore. The check needs to go in perpendicular to the bore and square or instead of helping, it will cause more trouble by getting your rod off center and up tight against your bore. That will easily result in damage. The idea is to use the gas check to act like a 'cup' and keep your rod centered in the bore and more evenly distribute the striking force.

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Originally Posted by weeple2000

I am not sure how much closer I can get to 308 besides 1/4".

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Yeah, you'd probably have to order drill rod. Might be better off involving a 'smith if it gets to that point unless you feel obligated to see this completely through yourself for whatever personal reasons.

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Originally Posted by weeple2000

should i solder the gas check to the rod? or fill the gas check with solder?

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I never do. If you get it started square, the sides of the check will naturally act like a 'cup' to keep your rod centered.

Am I going to be able to either find a rod with a closer diameter locally or a short drift punch set? I am looking at menards, home depot, and harbor freight and coming up short.

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Originally Posted by weeple2000

Am I going to be able to either find a rod with a closer diameter locally or a short drift punch set? I am looking at menards, home depot, and harbor freight and coming up short.

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If your decent with hand tools and your brass rod is long enough, you can cut 3" or so of it off and try to use that to get the check started. Just keep in mind keeping it parallel and square to the bore is important.

ETA - unless there is a really 'olde-skool' hardware store nearby, you'd probably have to order from someone like McMaster-Carr.

9/32 would be closer to .308 than 1/4" but that is a very unusual size. Otherwise it would have to be 19/64.

I am wondering if I would be better off taking it to a smith. I would like to get this figured out myself but I don't want to make things worse.

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Originally Posted by weeple2000

I am wondering if I would be better off taking it to a smith. I would like to get this figured out myself but I don't want to make things worse.

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Yeah, obviously I don't know you or what kind of skills/background you have. I'd say that's a call only you can make.

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Originally Posted by Hannibal

Yeah, obviously I don't know you or what kind of skills/background you have. I'd say that's a call only you can make.

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Driving objects down a barrel with a rod and hammer still makes me nervous, and I've done it quite a bit. Unexpected problems can and do crop up occasionally.

I have an angle grinder and a hack saw, I think I can use that to get my brass rod cut and pretty square.

When you get your rod assembled and ready to go you can invert a can of air like you use to blow dust off you computer and stick the nozzle into your chamber and freeze the boolit and then it will usually drive out easily. You must make sure you oil the receiver and chamber after using canned air as it can cause rust.

It shouldn't be that hard to knock a cast bullet out of the barrel. Put a flat tip .30 cal cleaning jag on an aluminum cleaning rod. Use electric tape to keep it centered, if it's long enough to remove the handle, do that and pop it out with a non marring hammer. You may bend that aluminum rod or break it but they are cheap. Good luck.

Wrap your 1/4" rod every 3-5" with tape when required diameter is found. Wrap until just slip fit in bore, measure and duplicate down length. Good sized hammer, somewhere between tack and sledge medium blow with follow through and it should pop out.

Oil the bore in *front* of the slug, the direction it's moving, so that if you move it a little bit it will be lubed and easier to push.
I use a steel rod covered with vinyl or electrical tape. Not going to hurt the bore. Lead sinkers just over bore diameter work good...oil them and the bore.
Personally, I'd put a bit of Kroil or transmission fluid in front of the slug and let it sit overnight, then attack it.

A 1/4" brass rod will be OK. Did you start from the chamber end or muzzle end? If I had a bullet "stuck" I'd squirt a bit of light oil in the end where I started. If you want to continue the slugging or just remove the bullet, then use your rod to push the bullet out and use a heavy hammer. A dead blow hammer (3 lb) works quite well because the heavy hammer has more of a "push" vs the "tap, tap, tap" of a light hammer. Not an expert here but I've slugged every center fire gun I own and most of my rods are 1/4". My rifles are held in a padded vise, with the action resting on a pad on the floor...

I am getting a gas check from a friend locally tonight so I won't have to wait for it to be shipped. I am not going to try to drive this bullet through my bore any more. I started at the lands, I am going to go back out the lands. I am going to lube my bore from both ends. As for the gas check, am I correct to assume that I should put the bottom of the cup end in first? The check will be going down onto the nose of the bullet. I thought if I put the top end of the cup in first, the open end, it would be harder to get into the barrel. I will pick up a 3 lb dead blow hammer. I will also tape my rod as suggested.

I believe this bullet was BHN 10. I didn't not powder coat or lube the bullet with bullet lube. I put gun oil on it when I started, thinking that would be enough.

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Originally Posted by weeple2000

I am getting a gas check from a friend locally tonight so I won't have to wait for it to be shipped. I am not going to try to drive this bullet through my bore any more. I started at the lands, I am going to go back out the lands. I am going to lube my bore from both ends. As for the gas check, am I correct to assume that I should put the bottom of the cup end in first? The check will be going down onto the nose of the bullet. I thought if I put the top end of the cup in first, the open end, it would be harder to get into the barrel. I will pick up a 3 lb dead blow hammer. I will also tape my rod as suggested.

I believe this bullet was BHN 10. I didn't not powder coat or lube the bullet with bullet lube. I put gun oil on it when I started, thinking that would be enough.

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Yes, insert the gas check into the bore base first, not open end first. A firm strike against your rod should remove the slug. If after a couple of firm, sharp strikes it doesn't come out, I'd get a 'smith involved. Again, don't beat the snot out of it. As stated above, it shouldn't be a big deal as long as it's done correctly.

Correct tool for the job is a Brownell's Squibb Rod and Kroil.

084-175-032WB
$29.99
Caliber: 30 Caliber (.308), 32 Caliber (.312-.313)

You can’t go wrong taking it to a gunsmith now. It will be the beginning of building up a relationship with him, so you will have a place to go for questions. When he extracts it you may learn something.

We can always find stuff cheaper on the internet, but stop by the gunsmith from time to time to say high and pickup a few things from him. Never know when you might need help again.

Well after sorting this out online I wound up calling a smith. I had called this guy before and I know a couple people that used him. He told me that if I brought my gun in tonight, he should have it in time for hunting this weekend. I mentioned the gas check idea, and he told me not to do that. He told me he didn't want to have to get both a gas check and a lead bullet out of it. I was pretty persistent trying to move the lead bullet both into and out of the barrel. Because of that fact, and his response, I took his advice.

Smith will probably pump it full of grease and push the boolit out hydraulicly

Never a bad choice to opt for experienced help. While he's got it, he should be able to inspect it and make sure no damage was done.

That factored into my decision. I am assuming he would tell me if something was wrong with it, but it probably would hurt to specifically ask him, huh?

Perhaps this is one of the simplest home 'smithing jobs there is. Seeing all the answers above makes me wonder how many have actually slugged a barrel. All you are doing is driving a lead slug through a steel tube. The brass rod will not harm the barrel. A lead slug will not "obturate" and stick in a barrel, unless the driving rod has a sharp point on it and I'm not really sure of that. Even a "dark" bore is easily slugged of which I've done 3. You mention "lands"several times which makes me think you started from the chamber end, which may have added to your problems. Try this; secure the rifle, muzzle up, and squirt some Kroil or a penetrating oil down the bore. Don't fill the bore up, just a bit to lube the bullet. Wait a while, mebbe an hour. Use your 1/4 rod and a heavy hammer. Insert the rod against the slug and holding the rod against the slug, hit it with a heavy hammer (I even used a 5 lb. single jack once or twice). Hit the rod hard enough to move the slug, you won't hurt anything as long as the barreled action is secure, not bouncing on a cement floor. K.I.S.S.!

I don't see how using a gas check would help, just adding a copper spacer between the rod and the slug...

If the boolit is stuck towards one end of the barrel drill a small hole through the boolit. It will then come out much easier.

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Originally Posted by weeple2000

That factored into my decision. I am assuming he would tell me if something was wrong with it, but it probably would hurt to specifically ask him, huh?

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Yes, I would make sure it's understood that while the 'smith has it, you want the barrel inspected for any possible problems. Better to make sure both parties understand what is to be done before work begins than during or afterward.

I think at this point taking the gun into a smith is the prudent thing to do.

When I slug a barrel I first cast some pure lead bullets for the caliber then size the lead slugs without any lubricant! I then powder coat the bullets. A properly applied and cured PC will leave the bullets slightly oversized. I load the the bullets with an very, very light powder charge as the primer alone will not get the bullet to clear the barrel and that is all I want is for the bullet to clear the barrel. To trap the slug without damage I have a large garbage can filled with water and a cut to size 1/2" rubber floor mat floating on top of the water to eliminate splash. Then the lid to the can that has a hole cut in the center is set in place. I fire straight down through the hole and the water stops the slug. I usually do three shots just to confirm my measurements.

The smith got my rifle back to me in time for deer hunting. I was surprised at his turnaround time. Unfortunately I didn't see anything. That marks my third year hunting up there. My second year with reloads. I haven't seen a buck yet, it's buck only. Next year I hope to be using cast boolits, so hopefully my first deer up there will be taken with my own cast boolits.

I asked him how he got the boolit out. He said he drilled part of it and pushed it out.

I saw this page here:

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinSlug.htm

I realized I started at the wrong end. I put the boolit into the chamber. The Mosin link has the sinker starting at the muzzle end. Should I be doing this with a sinker as in the link, instead? I did grab one of my brother's sinkers before I returned his tackle box to him a while ago. In the Mosin link they are using a few wooden dowels that are shorter in length. Should I cut my brass rod into a few shorter sections?

I hate cliff hangers as much as the next guy. I didn't want to be that OP that didn't deliver.

I took a fishing sinker, the egg type with the hole in the middle. It mic'd around .305 or so. I smashed it against concrete with a hammer and mic'd it again. It was above .311. My Lee push through sizing die is allegedly .311. I powder coated the slug and baked it. I sent it through my sizing die. I mic'd it to .3105 after sizing.

I didn't cut the end off of my brass rod, I think that would make things easier. I have a 3 Lb. Neon Orange Dead Blow Hammer from Harbor Freight that I used. I thought I read that light taps with a heavy hammer are the way to go for this. I started at the muzzle end of the barrel, as opposed to the chamber end. I started by tapping the slug into the barrel with the hammer. After it got as far as it would go, I made my attempt with the rod. It was pretty awkward. I thought about asking my wife to tap with the hammer but didn't have to. The slug made it all the way through. I mic'd it to .3085 at the widest part, the part where the grooves imprinted was .3055.

So I think I should be good with .3105 sized for a .3085 bore, right?

It feels good to actually have done this.

In the future use a pure lead fishing egg sinker a little bigger than the bore.