Slugging my .338 barrel. from chamber side first - Findings

Kelly Timoffee

Kelly Timoffee

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Finally recieved my brass rod so was able to slug my .338 barrel (yes the one that won't shoot). :rolleyes:

I did it twice tonight with the slugs donated by a very generous CGN'er who has watched my trials of this barrel.Thank you so much for the help.

What I found tonight:

Had to use hard faced hammer to start slug, soft faced wouldn't do , was tight for about 1/3 the way as it loosened I was able to push by hand another third, then it snugged up again which required the hammer once again, similar to my findings when I did it from the muzzle end.

This is just an FYI for those who were following my ladder tests and stress levels.







Felt so wrong to cut those new shiny rods!!!
 
To what I read and heard, fire lapping only work the throat
Other than a bad bore, there are 2 ways that I know to get a thight spot ahead of chamber.
1- successive overheathing ( especialy on ss)
2- over torque chuck on the lathe
Slugging if properly done,just like air gage will tell you were thigh spots are and if it worth or not step back the barrel
 
Fire lapping will remove tight spots anywhere in the barrel and leave a very smooth finish. The lapping will be more aggressive at the throat and less so at the muzzle. The end result is a tapered bore with the tightest spot being at the muzzle, just where it needs to be.
I often shoot a few bullets with various grades of thru new clean factory barrels that show rough or tight spots to smooth things at the start and have turned sh!tty Ruger/Wilson barrels into good useable barrels, and some good barrels into great barrels in the past 30 years. Not something I heard or read about. LOL.
 
I am not going to use the barrel as it was not a shooter.This is just education and experience to see what is happening.

Fire lapping would make a football shaped bore into a funnel shaped bore is what is being said?
 
Kelly Timoffee said:
I am not going to use the barrel as it was not a shooter.This is just education and experience to see what is happening.

Fire lapping would make a football shaped bore into a funnel shaped bore is what is being said?
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That's how fire lapping works. Many fine custom barrels are hand or machine lapped not only for a smooth finish but to create taper from the shank to the muzzle.
 
Easy now, we are almost reaching what I make at my job. ;)

Yes, I agree , I was a stubborn Uke on this one but dammit I tried.

A McGowen is en-route.

Dogleg said:
If you paid yourself a two-bits an hour for the time you spent on that barrel, then added in the wasted components you'd have a custom barrel paid for by now.:p
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Well, I'm glad you persevered long enough to find out. I must admit, I was under the impression you had already slugged the bore.

It seems that one of the best lessons is one we pay for either in time/effort/money. I have been there and done that on more than a couple of occasions.

I like what you did investigating it as far as you did. At the very least it was a learning experience. Many decades ago I used to do similar things and just refuse to give up on rifles as well as other things living when I should have just bit the bullet and cut loose of the irritant. As I age, if a rifle that is new to me will not shoot well with a half dozen good loads put together with a powder/bullet/primer combination I will either flog it with full disclosure about accuracy or if it is a worthwhile piece and I am interested, I will slug the bore and do a chamber cast. More often than not, it is a chamber that has been poorly cut and is either oversize or not cut true to the axis of the bore.

Your barrel is quite unique in my limited experience. I have only had two barrels that I can recall that had bores that differed in size internally but didn't show any signs of bulging on the exterior in any visible or even measurable manner. I do recall, one was a Savage appx 25 years ago and the other was a Winchester. Both were bolt action rifles.

From what you wrote previously, there was no outside/visible indication of an erratic bore diameter. I would be willing to bet fire lapping or even hand lapping wouldn't fix what is wrong with this barrel. Good decision to rebarrel and go onto bigger and better things.
 
As this will only be my second time getting a rifle re barreled I figured learn as much as I can short of taking machining classes!

Play, test ,learn, read, create threads and gain knowledge.

Dogleg - , 4 -6 months for the barrel I was told , so no hurry now but I think you are right, there will be immediate positive results pending the powder getting burnt.Got a good deal on some SMK's as well so guess those will be first to test.
 
I would be shocked if Gary at Bighorn didn't have a barrel in stock that meets your needs if a new barrel is the route your taking.

A McGowan barrel isn't really much of step up from a savage barrel. The cost of installing a new pipe is the same for all barrels why not start with one of the best.
 
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I am not trying to build the best.

If you saw what results I have had with the Savage, well, a chunk of ABS would have better consistency. ;)

And no, the cost will be much less as I am going with a pre-fit.

JJ-65 said:
I would be shocked if Gary at Bighorn didn't have a barrel in stock that meets your needs if a new barrel is the route your taking.

A McGowan barrel isn't really much of step up from a savage barrel. The cost of installing a new pipe is the same for all barrels why not start with one of the best.
Click to expand...
 
JJ-65 said:
I would be shocked if Gary at Bighorn didn't have a barrel in stock that meets your needs if a new barrel is the route your taking.

A McGowan barrel isn't really much of step up from a savage barrel. The cost of installing a new pipe is the same for all barrels why not start with one of the best.
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I don't disagree that McGowan barrels are much of a step up but IMHO, the later made Savage barrels don't have to make any apologies for the most part. KT had some grief but his circumstance is few and far between. I have seen McGowan barrels on match rifles that were their standard grade that were the equal of Hart, Shilen and the Canadian makers as well. Just because you pay big bucks for a barrel is no guarantee that it will shoot. Some of the high end makers won't even admit to making a bad barrel. McGowan has an excellent return policy.

If you want to pick up a relatively cheap barrel that to my limited experiences shoot very well, try the Green Mountain offerings. Under $200 for the barrel then add shipping. Less than $250 all in delivered to your doorstep. I have used a lot of their barrels and every one of them has shot as well as their counterparts that claim to be special.
 
I have read through the couple threads you have made about this barrel, you are definitely not the only one to have some issues with a savage barrel. I have a LRPV 22-250 with the 9 twist barrel. Total scatter gun. The best groups it ever shot were with 75gr vld's and loads that were very hot. Like stiff bolt / blown primers hot. I fired 5 into just over 1/2" and lost one primer... At any safe pressure I never ot a group under 1". I tried about 10 different bullets, and I can't remember how many different loads. I moved on with a couple new rifles, but one day I plan to rebarrel, maybe then I will get the "savage accuracy" that everyone else seems to get. Right now its a bull barreled pig that couldn't hit a gopher at 50 yards.

Not much doubt you will improve your accuracy immediately with the McGowen barrel!
 
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