Bores

[DPRinks]

I really like my handi's, but I do wish the factory was more consistant on bore and groove sizes.
I have a .45-70 groove size, .456+ , a .35 Whelen, .3565, but the .44mag. barrel just in is .431 and the .308 must have come off the 7.62x39 line, because it is .310.
I shoot cast bullets so I can make bullets that are a good working size, but the people who are restricted to factory jacketed bullets may have poor results due to oversize barrels.
Recently, a person was having very poor results with a .44mag. with 200gr factory bullets, the REMWIN .426 stuff, when he sluged the barrel , it was .432, so the .426 bullets were more or less just rattling down the barrel like a rock down a downspout.
This can have people getting discouraged and moving on, not what we really want.
Don :eek:

[Norseman112]

I agree 100%


Norse

[threepdr]

I slugged my .308 out to about 2 inches in front of the chamber throat.  I was supprize it came out to .307 or less.  I should work well with my .309 cast bullets.

[Fred M]

threepdr.
307 is ok, but slugging a bore can produce an undersized slug for two reasons. One is using alloyed lead like wheel weights. Only pure lead should be used for slugging.

The other reason is that a lead slug should be upset with two hardwood dowls so the slug is compressed against the bore. this will give the excact bore dimension.

To get a real good picture of your bore slugging should be done on both ends to find out if the bore is uniform from end to end. A bore that is bigger at the muzzle than at the breech will never give good accuracy.
If it is the other way around a slight choke of a 1/2 10 one thou is very desireable.

H&R barrels are supplied un-stress-relieved by Green Moutain Barrels.
Any mashining after will release some stress. Since tapered barrels are thinner at the muzzle, the bore will get bigger there.

Most stainlesss barrels are made from 416 steel are considerd stress free which should keep the bores uniform even after machining the taper or what have you. So a SS barrel is better in that regard. I feel the extra few bucks are well spend on a SS barrel.

[Deadeye47]

Great to see ya back Fred!!! We've missed ya!!

[handirifle]

Well look what the cat dragged in!  Welcome back Fred.

Since tapered barrels are thinner at the muzzle, the bore will get bigger there.

That explains why my first BC barrel was screwed up.  num 2 was very nice.

[threepdr]

Fred,

I slugged with a soft lead conical bullet for a .31 caliber cap n ball revolver.  I tapped it in with 1/4 inch dowel and tapped it back out from the other side.  It did not compress completely, but did produce a engraved flat about 3/8 inch long.

I did not do the muzzel, but I assume I need to size for the throat not the buisness end.  If it shoots, it shoots.  If it don't, it don't  and I'll have to stick to jacketed bullets.

[Woodbutcher]

Good old Fred, there when he's needed, with the right answer, as usual.
                                                            Woodbutcher

[Fred M]

threepdr.
Yes I know what you did, but that is not upsetting the slug. Perhaps I have to explaine. You do every thing up to the point of tapping the slug out.

Upsetting is done with two dowels or two brass rods. The long dowel is placed into the barrel until it touches the slug. The dowel is then placed against a solid wall or vise. The other dowel or brass rod is put against the slug from the opposite side. So now you have the slug between the two rods. Then you hammer the short rod against the long rod trying to flatten the slug, a few good blows will upset the slug.

Now you can tap out the slug which will have the proper diameter of the bore. Driving the slug in without upsetting works quite well too, but it is not 100% accurate.