Bore slugging
Not difficult provided you have the right basic tools.
Go to Can Tire and look where they have a selection of various metal rods. Find a brass rod that is slightly smaller than your bore size. They are usually in 3 foot lengths. When you get it home cut a short length ( 4-6")off. This will be your starter tool. File the ends of the two rods square with a slight chamfer around the perimeters. I like to build the long rod up with masking tape at about 6" intervals along its length to just under bore diameter to prevent deflection of the rod against the lands.
Get some pure lead (if it's soft enough to mark easily with your fingernail it will be fine) egg sinkers that are a bit larger than groove diameter. Buckshot of various sizes may also be used for some calibers.Cut the wire loop out of the sinkers.
Clean your bore thoroughly , you don't want to be pushing any dust or grit down the bore.
Give the bore a good coat of lubricant. I use RCBS case sizing lube for this job but any good oil will work.
Using the short piece of rod and a mallet get the sinker started down the bore. Lead will be shaved off the slug as it is sized by the barrel. Remove the short rod and continue with the long rod until the lead drops out the chamber. Protect the lead slug from damage when it falls clear as it will distort or flatten if it hits something hard.
If a bore is slick you can usually push the long rod slowly through by hand which is desirable as you can then feel for tight or loose points in the bore. These latter are not uncommon to find particularly in lever guns which have varying numbers of dovetails cut into the barrel to receive sights, magazine tube retainers etc. Any time you think you hit a spot with varying tightness mark the rod with a felt pen at the muzzle so you can relate it accurately to points along the barrel.
Measure the slug with a micrometer being careful not to apply too much anvil pressure to the slug. If you have a barrel with a 3 or 5 land bore take the slug to a machine shop for measurement as you can't measure it directly with a micrometer.
I have also used hardwood dowels but after having a too close diameter dowel swell from the oil in the bore to a jam fit - couldn't believe wood could respond to absorption and swelling that quickly- . Net result was having to dissemble the lever action and drive the dowel and slug out with a brass rod and don't think I wasn't sweating that one. The dowel had very shallow land marks on it for 12" of its length but it was enough to stop it cold.
