Need Help: Slugging question

[heavyd]

I began to understand the importance of knowing your throat diameters but have yet to slug them successfully. I am trying to slug my Ruger Blackhawk. The Lyman cast boolit manual says to use a pure lead ball that is several sizes larger than the caliber of the pistol to be slugged and push it through the throats with a wooden dowel rod. I used a .451 lead ball that I shoot out of my Dragoon. The problem was, I and had to beat the thing with a hammer to get it through the throat. After getting it out I miked it and it read .4324. That seems pretty large and I figure I messed up the slugging process with all of the beating with the hammer.

What is the best way to slug the throats? I'm tired of having to beat something through with a hammer and not getting an accurate measurement.

Thanks for your help.

[dubber123]

If you used a pure lead ball, you probably got a very accurate measurement. A harder alloy might spring back, giving a larger measurement. .432" isn't uncommon in .44 BH's. My brothers is nearly .001" larger than that. I'd size my cast to .432" and be happy. Good luck.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

in my B/H i use .432 boolit i just slug the cylinder not the barrel

[Greg B.]

I think they call them pin gages. They are just a small cylinder of metal machined to a known size. For example .429, .430. .431 etc. Just drop them in the front of the cylinded till you get one that fits properly. I believe the diameter is indicated on each one.

Greg B.

[stubshaft]

You did it the right way. I use a rawhide mallet to pound the slug through the chambers or barrel. If you are worried about the accuracy of your slug try to push it through by hand.

[Frank]

heavyd:

What is the best way to slug the throats?

Order LBT push through slugs. They go in easy and several are included in the pack. It allows you to precisely check any restrictions or roughness in the bore along with measurements. You can then check for progress when firelapping such as removing a constriction. You can't do that so easily with a tough slug you have to pound out. These slip on the end of a cleaning rod and push easily. This is the ticket. Get LBT push through slugs.

http://www.lbtmoulds.com

[462]

I have to agree that your method was correct -- hopefully you used something other than a steel hammer -- and the measurement is not out of the ordinary. It would be a good idea to slug all the throats, then size your boolits accordingly to your particular ideal, using the largest slug as the default measurement.

[MtGun44]

Sounds good to me. my SBH has .432 throats, does very well with .433 or .432 diam
boolits.

Watch out using wooden dowel if you do a rifle. At that length they
can break on a long angle and wedge unbelievably tightly in the barrel.

Bill

[mooman76]

Sounds good to me. my SBH has .432 throats, does very well with .433 or .432 diam
boolits.

Watch out using wooden dowel if you do a rifle. At that length they
can break on a long angle and wedge unbelievably tightly in the barrel.

Bill

+ 1 on this one.

[troy_mclure]

Why is slugging to the throat important if the barrel dia is smaller?

[dubber123]

Why is slugging to the throat important if the barrel dia is smaller?

Without slugging you won't know if the barrel is smaller, (it happens). In revolvers you will get your best accuracy with boolits that fit the cylinder throat well, I believe mostly due to it giving the boolit a straight start into the barrel. In a rifle I think it helps to center the round with the bore before firing. I tend to size as large as will chamber freely in rifles.

[44man]

My throats are also .4324" and groove is .430". It works just fine.

[troy_mclure]

Ahhh, thanks. I slugged mine along with my barrel, but it was just useless info to me. Lol

[dubber123]

Ahhh, thanks. I slugged mine along with my barrel, but it was just useless info to me. Lol

You are thinking, and taking the initiative to measure stuff. Not useless information at all. Many casters don't bother, and get discouraged when their initial results aren't positive.

[MtGun44]

The short version is that you want the boolit to leave the case and start smoothly and
STRAIGHT into the taper between the chamber and thoat, and stay straight into the
throat without any chance to tilt. This is controlled by good fit into the throat. Then the
boolit, traveling STRAIGHT through the throat, will be fed STRAIGHT and nicely into the
forcing cone at the back of the barrel, entering the barrel STRAIGHT. A very slight reduction
on size at each step seems to be conducive to smooth, straight launch of the boolit through
all the different diameters and shapes until it is finally moving down the barrel with the
boolit axis aligned with the bore axis.

Any slop in the system along the way will let the boolit tilt and will cause some additional
randomness in the process. This is just about guaranteed to decrease accuracy.

Bill

[jandbn]

heavyd:

Order LBT push through slugs. They go in easy and several are included in the pack. It allows you to precisely check any restrictions or roughness in the bore along with measurements. You can then check for progress when firelapping such as removing a constriction. You can't do that so easily with a tough slug you have to pound out. These slip on the end of a cleaning rod and push easily. This is the ticket. Get LBT push through slugs.

http://www.lbtmoulds.com

+1 on using the LBT push throughs for getting the EASIEST results. However you got the SAME results as using an LBT push through with your lead ball.

I would suggest using something other than a wood dowl in case it splits and causes unwanted grief. No fun! Prior to getting the LBT push through slugs, I used a bolt which I wrapped many layers of electrical tape on it to bring the taped portion up to a "nice slip fit in the thoat" size. Did the same to another bolt with tape in three locations to keep the bolt centered in the barrel and push a boolet out of the bore that stuck while attempting to fire lap at a minimal velociy.

A huge advantage with the LBT push throughs is that because they are so easy to push through the barrel, it is very easy to feel "anomolies" such as choke at the barrel/frame junction. It may be a lot harder to feel the restrictions and rough spots other than pushing a slug through by hand. A hammer just doesn't cut it when attempting to "feel" something out.