I tried posting this earlier, but can't seem to find it. I'm a 'newbie' here and want to use cast bullets in my30-40 Krag. I've read about slugging the throat for determining correct bullet size. All I've read say to use a soft lead bullet from the breech end.
My problem is that I do not have any and don't know anyone who does. Can anyone help me out here with three four? Barrel slugs at the bore at 308. Need to figure our the throat!
PM me if you can help.
Best Reagards,
Thomassen
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Easiest way is probably to take your calipers and go to some place that sells fishing sinkers. look for the “egg” sinkers and get a few that “mike” .315 +. IF you don't have a 1/4” brass rod, I'd also get a 1/4” wooden dowl
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Range scrap from 22RF or scrap reclaimed from jacket ammo is 2% antimonial lead and soft enough for slugging.
In a pinch you can make a one time mold by drilling a piece of hardwood the next size bigger than your expected throat diameter and pouring the melted lead into your home made slug mold.
Gary
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I melted some lead egg sinkers and poured them into a drilled piece of wood and then turned the slug to a slip fit in the barrel.
I did Verals Smith's pound on it with a rod to form it into the rifling and sent it to Veral. He said that the slug was very hard.
So maybe not all egg lead sinkers have the same soft lead composition.
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Lead sinkers are not all soft lead! When you buy them, you don't know what you are getting and they could be very hard, not suitable for slugging the throat.
Do not, I repeat, Do not, use any kind of a wooden dowel to expand the throat slug! It can easily fracture and wedge in the bore. Then you have a “real” problem.
The best way to slug a throat is to order one of LBT Technology's throat slug kits for the appropriate cal. They are soft lead. And then get a 1/4” steel rod long enough to reach down to the throat. I like to wrap the rod with some plastic electrical tape, just to be sure that I don't damage the bore.
RD
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i usually use the ” tips ” ( g ) ...bullets ... from 22 rimfire cartridges ...they deform about right .. however, they need to have the little lube grooves either ironed out or remelted out because those little features tend to show up even after upsetting in your gun's throat.
i melt the bullets in a big spoon and pour the melt into some kind of mold that will make a casting that will just slide into the throat ...this can be a simple groove in a block of wood. ...be sure to keep your chamber slugs ..i use organizer trays ..labeled. i slug with the lead in a case, helps determine seating depth parameters.
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Beartooth has 'em here:
there is a and good resource here:
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50/50 Bar solder from the big box hardware stores plumbing dept. Half tin, & half lead. Then you can use the rest for alloy enrichment. I did a throat slug of my 1911 barrel, and it turned out nicely with egg sinkers. I suppose you could open a package at the store and check to see if you can mark it with a fingernail. If you can, that should be soft enough.
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I checked out a couple of places for egg sinkers. Stores here are cutting back on fishing supplies as fishing is not as popular as it once was. So, no go.
Plan to order from Bear Tooth. Thanks for the tip.
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Am planning on making some cast slugs today for slugging the throat. What dimensions?
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What dimensions?: .010” larger, at least, than the largest expected throat diameter.
example: I use a 50 cal slug for throat slugging a 45 caliber rifle, and that is a lot more than .010” bigger. Softest, pure lead is imperative and lots of grease. Yes---grease, on the slug and in the chamber.
Gary
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I was in walmart late this past summer, and was surprised to find that the egg sinkers displayed were NOT LEAD. The ones I had purchased on a prior visit were Ringer
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i have some 45 cal round ball that i'll melt and make my own slugs with
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Thomassen:
I don't know what tools you have but I have used commercial round balls for slugging throats. They are soft lead and work fine. After melting and pouring into a makeshiflt mould, for a .30 cal, I'll turn them to .299” or .300". They only have to expand a few thousands in the throat and really don't need to be any larger than that because the soft lead will expand at the throat after using a steel rod down the bore. And they are much easier to start at the muzzle with a plastic or soft hammer.
There is no need to coat anything with grease. Just a light coat of oil in the bore and chamber will work fine. When the steel rod starts to bounce after tapping with a hammer, the slug is formed in the throat.
RD
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Thanks for all the help. I slugged the throat and here is what I have: .314 at the throat/freebore, .309 where the rifling begins which quickly mics at .308. Recommended bullet size?
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Bullet diameter .3135” would be my first try by your measurement, with bullets seated to engage rifling .010".
If I could get .010” engagement and reasonable LOA with .314” bullets, I'd try them too, they would likely shoot better if they will chamber OK.
Gary
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More questions. As the barrel throat tapers I assume that the place to measure the throat is right after the case mouth.
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Having an accurate throat/leade slug or casting gives you the opportunity to compare, side by side, a bullet seated in a case to the taper of your slug for fit of your bullet in your throat and leade. So you will have to answer your own question by making your comparison.
Depending on the taper, you may have to use a smaller diameter bullet than I previously recommended. I had assumed a straight and not a tapered throat.
Also, don't confuse throat with leade. The throat is smooth, when the rifling begins and tapers to full depth rifling, that tapering portion is the leade or ball seat.
Gary
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My unmodified Lee molds for 7.62X39 and .303 Brit cast in #2 all cast .314"+ for me. The Aluminum checks for .303 Brit from SagesOutdoors will also be great at that size. Regular 30 cal. gas checks will be undersize O.D. at .314"
Gary
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BRatigan
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