No More Slugging Barrels for Me :-)

[RydForLyf]

Just something I came up with today in order to find barrel size since I don't don't have any soft lead slugs to use. For me, this is easier than what I've gone through before to create slugs to use. If you have readily available slugs to use, by all means, use those. Please don't think I'm trying to get you to switch to this method.

This is easier for me, YMMV.

In short, make up a round with the bare minimum charge required for the bullet to clear the barrel when fired. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to clear a squib or two when you go too low. Once you get that "just barely" load, go get a roll of toilet paper and shoot into that. As long as your charge is low enough, the bullet will stop somewhere in the roll. All you have to do is search through the plies until you find your perfectly intact bullet.

Am I missing something that would cause the recovered bullet to not be just as good as a slug done in the usual way?

[wv109323]

Toilet paper is for sh------ and not shooting. I think any soft media would work. Why not sand at that velocity?

[AlHunt]

Well, once you clear the first squib, you have your measurement.

[John Boy]

A pure lead ball driven from the chamber with a hickory rod works good also for a fast bore sizing

[popper]

Kinda works but stuff like roll stamp and front sight notch make barrel NOT the same dia all the way down.

[high standard 40]

Also, in my opinion, any power charge that will reliably cause a bullet to exit the barrel may have enough momentum to slightly bump up the diameter of the bullet when it impacts the paper. Even if it's only a half thousandth, it would be an imperfect result. And I really don't see how this method is any easier than the traditional method.

[hoodat]

No way I'm gonna waste a valuable commodity like TP for that purpose. jd

[ABJ]

Just a guess, but will a squib load fully fill the grooves? I'm thinking not.
An oversize pure lead roundball is my method, it takes less than a min. and I can feel it all the way down, for tight or loose spots, which could be important.
Tony

[oley55]

seems like a lot of putzing around to find that special load that just clears the barrel but doesn't deform the boolit when it stops in whatever media, (and for sure the sand suggested media seems questionable).

I know I putzed around finding my just right slow speed fire-lapping load and then went out on a way colder day only to have every round squibbed until I set the rounds out in the sun to warm up a bit. (who knew 30-40 degrees difference would have so much impact on 357 mag loads with just 0.3 - 0.4 grains of Titegroup?)

[gwpercle]

Well, once you clear the first squib, you have your measurement.

That was my thought ... clear the squib and you have something to measure ...

I still haven't forgotten the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020 ... I'm not wasting one single roll of my stash / hoard ... could have another wave any time ... and inflation keeps driving the price higher and higher .
Mom was fond of saying " Waste not , want not " .
Gary

[DougGuy]

If it's soft enough to slug the bore without springback, it is DEFINITELY soft enough to bump up in whatever "gentle" media you use to catch it.

Can't reinvent the mouse trap on this one, there are numerous credible posts on how to slug a barrel that work much better than the way you are describing.

[Wilderness]

For what it's worth, my .32-20 will put a lead bullet about 1/2" into the rifling with just a primer (probably not good for powder burn in real loads). By contrast, .32-40 and .30-30 stay put in the case - they would need some help to get the bullets into the throat.

[Shanghai Jack]

Also, in my opinion, any power charge that will reliably cause a bullet to exit the barrel may have enough momentum to slightly bump up the diameter of the bullet when it impacts the paper. Even if it's only a half thousandth, it would be an imperfect result. And I really don't see how this method is any easier than the traditional method.

So if we shoot it straight up and catch in on the way down - no deformation. Of course you need a $1 million Doppler Radar to track it on the way down.

[charlie b]

I have found that the dimensions of the throat are far more important than the bore after a trip down the barrel.

[dondiego]

They do it in swimming pools and ballistics labs tanks all of the time.

[porthos]

as Charlie B said there is nothing better than a pound cast of the throat. all slugging the bore tells you is the size of the smallest part of the bore, nothing else.

[DougGuy]

They do it in swimming pools and ballistics labs tanks all of the time.

Yes to capture a bullet to "fingerprint" it's rifling, etc but not dead soft lead which you use to slug a bore with. It is too soft to give an accurate measurement after it is fired into media that will stop it. Just the G forces of deceleration is enough to distort the diameter enough to introduce erroneous readings.

[dondiego]

Yes to capture a bullet to "fingerprint" it's rifling, etc but not dead soft lead which you use to slug a bore with. It is too soft to give an accurate measurement after it is fired into media that will stop it. Just the G forces of deceleration is enough to distort the diameter enough to introduce erroneous readings.

Interesting! I had never considered that.

[dverna]

I doubt I will ever slug another barrel.

But I am curious....if a .308 barrel slugs at .308, do you size to .309, .310, or something else? Why?

Second question, what variation have you guys have you seen in modern .308 barrels?

I think you can see where I am going with this. BTW, used a rifle barrel in the questions above as it matters even less for most pistol loads.

Just wondering if anyone shooting .38/.357 has ever had poor performance with a cast bullet sized .359? Or a 9mm sized .357?

[richhodg66]

Throat dimensions are more important. You get more and better information from a cerrosafe casting than slugging a bore anyway.