I have a Ruger Redhawk with throats that I measured with plug gauges to be .432+ (will take a .432 gauge, but not a .433).
My question is, what sort of accuracy can I expect shooting .429 jacketed bullets through these loose throats? I know that Elmer Keith and others have stated that bullet fit in the throats is vital to sixgun accuracy.
Thanks,
-John
As mentioned (in passing) at by funklord12, it is the barrel to bullet fit that is critical.
When talking about lead bullets (which will be illuminating for jacketed bullets when you think about the lead ones), consider these thinkgs. If the throat swages your bullet down to less than barrel diameter, the bullet-to-bore seal will not be complete and you will get hot gasses going past the sides of the bullet and melting lead off of it (and then leading the inside of your barrel). So, if your throats are .433 and your (lead) bullets are .429 and your bore is .429, no problem. If your (lead) bullets are .429 to .433, no problem (and your bullets do not experience any swaging at the throat, but do in the forcing cone). If your bullets are .434, the will swage to .433 at the throat and then to .429 in the forcing cone. No problem.
Think of the transformations (particularly the diameter) the bullet goes through as it transits from case mouth to muzzle: 1) The bullet as manufactured; 2) The bullet as it exits the throat; 3) whether the bullet "upsets" as it is fired; 4) the bullet as it enters the forcing cone (and rifling), 5) the bullet-to-bore fit as it travels down the barrel.
If you bore is larger than the bullet as it exits the throat (whether it was swaged by the throat or at the time the bullet was manufactured, and did not "upset" upon firing) then you will probably have a problem.
Now about your jacketed bullets. They will exit your .433" throats with the same diameter they were when you pressed them into the brass. If they are the same size as your bore (groove diameter), or a little larger, you will get a good seal and the rifling will engage and spin the bullet properly. If the bullet is smaller than your bore, you could experience some barrel erosion, velocity and accuracy loss. If a LOT larger than your bore, you could experience higher-than-normal pressure.
Answer to find out? Slug your bore. (Push a soft lead slug down your bore, then measure the diameter of the slug. It will reveal the smallest diameter in your bore. If you find some spots where the slug is easier to push through than other spots, you have an uneven diameter barrel, which is a whole other set of questions.)
Thanks for asking our advice.
Lost Sheep
