Barrel Slugging Question

[Robert lehman]

I bought a Mauser 98 that's chambered in 30-06. I filled a case full of lead chambered it drove a slug from the muzzle to the chamber and drove it against the case. I ejected the case with the slug attached to it and measured it came out to .310 with faint rifling. I then drove a slug from the chamber to the muzzle put a 1" rod at the muzzle tapped the slug against that to make sure it was swelled out all the way and then tapped it the rest of the way out it measured .310 and the rifling measured .297. Does this seem right shouldn't the throat be larger?

[stimpylu32]

I bought a Mauser 98 that's chambered in 30-06. I filled a case full of lead chambered it drove a slug from the muzzle to the chamber and drove it against the case. I ejected the case with the slug attached to it and measured it came out to .310 with faint rifling. I then drove a slug from the chamber to the muzzle put a 1" rod at the muzzle tapped the slug against that to make sure it was swelled out all the way and then tapped it the rest of the way out it measured .310 and the rifling measured .297. Does this seem right shouldn't the throat be larger?

Your throat will only be slightly larger , so the fact that you saw only " faint rifling " tells me that your throat is fine , as the bullet did " swell " to fill the extra void , if you understand what I'm saying .

stimpy

[Robert lehman]

Thanks for the reply Stimpylu. Is it possible that when the chamber was cut the part that cuts the throat could have been .309 and that's why there isn't much rifling there but still leaves the throat at .310? And if so do i need to have the throat cut to .3115 so i can shoot a .311 size bullet?

[WayneS]

Before you go cutting on the throat, why not  cast up some bullets that drop at .3105-.311, size some .310, some .309, and .311 or shoot "as cast" , that will give you an idea of what size works best at the pressures you want to load & shoot at.

[Robert lehman]

Thanks Wayne i will give that a try. Other than group size and barrel leading is there anything i should be looking for?

[Robert lehman]

Bought a Lee C309-170-F mold it dropped bullets at .310 with wheel weights. I pushed one into a fired case just past the gas check and chambered it nothing happened didn't even push it deeper into the case. So i lapped it out to drop .314 bullets stuck one in a fired case same way. Bolt closed with resistance and when i ejected the case the bands on the bullet were shiny. So i measured them and they were .311 think i will buy a .311 push threw die and start from there. Will the alox lube work in the 30-06 or should i consider pan lubing? Bullet speed approximately 2000 +/- 200 fps.

[Richard P]

What alloy will you use ?  Your mv should be around 1500 to 1600 until you have some success. 

[Robert lehman]

Richard i will be using air cooled wheel weights. Thanks for the heads up i will start slow and work up.