Pitted bore and cast bullet's

[Don Fischer]

I have a very old 30-06 that was fired with corosive primer's and had a bad bore. Looking to make a cast bullet rifle out of it. Will the pit's create a sererie leading problem? Also, Mikey suggested perhaps fire lapping. Don't know what it is. Not intrested in changing the barrel as outwardly you can't tell anything is wrong and it's a custom rifle that was given to me by a very close friend when he died.

[Veral]

I agree.  Your rifle is sacred.  Don't mess with the exterior, but do make it shoot so you can remember your friend better.

If the bore shows rifling quite well for the full length, it can be made to shoot cast very well, but if extremely rough, perhaps only at low velocities.  At worst 1400 fps, which is a very usable speed, if mandatory, given your needs.  I once cleaned up a real rusty 30-06 bore that I believe I scrubbed two tablespoons full of rust out of before I could lap it.  After lapping I chould hold 1 1/2 inch at 100 yards with 2400 fps cast bullet loads.  It had gaps in the rifling.

Get my lap kit.  It has full instructions for fixing your gun.  I believe you'll be supprised at how well it shoots after working it over. Also, if it handles cast at all, it will shoot factory or handloaded jacketed bullets, probably almost as well as a new barrel.  An important point in making rough bores of guns with very long worn throats shoot well with jacketed is to use the heaviest bullets suited to the gun.  The length minimizes tipping, so the exit with better balance

[Don Fischer]

Thanks Veral, I feel better about this now. The rifling is not to bad, it's just the pit's. Gonna try it out.

[jerkface11]

If that doesn't make it shootalbe there are places that will bore the barrel out to the next diameter and re-rifle it. You'd just have an 8mm06 after that.

[Don Fischer]

I had considered that, to a 338-06. But beside the sentimental value, there a bit of monetary value also. The rifle was made by Paul Jaeger himself in 1945. Had it appraised and it would scare you. Then fitting a new barrel would be a chore with the fitting's in the stock. There are photo's of it in the "custom gun" section under "1903 Springfield".

[Veral]

You've said it good enough, but I MUST add a line.

Reboring to a new caliber and getting all the new brass and necessary hardware to load it, plus experimentation of making the 'new gun' work will cost more than a new gun and for sure a good used replacement.

I've worked with some horriblly pitted bores, using the LBT lap kit, and have yet so see one that would not give excellent hunting accuracy without fouling, at near max loads for 06, and full power plus some for the lower pressure chamberings.  The worst one I fixed was a Springfield which was so rusted that no rifling was visable even after cleaning with a brush and solvent.  But it was there and visable after lapping and cleanup per the instructions.  It shot better than I could see with the iron sights, using cast at about 200 fps below max velocity from a good barrel.