Multiple Bullets Stuck in Barrel (factory loads even!)

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Gun smith says he poked the end of the bullet and left a dent so he's 100% sure it's lead bullets and not FMJ.
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It is pretty common for the base of FMJ bullets to be open--that is it is common for the lead to be exposed at the base of an FMJ bullet. Your gunsmith should know that.
 
If he wants to use hydraulic shock as the mechanism to get them out he should be able to use an appropriately sized lead ball pressed in after the barrel is filled with water to move the stuck bullets out. It should swage itself to the the rifling tight enough to do the job, but I think you might look for a new gunsmith......
 
Before spending more money you might want to mic the barrel's OD, looking for distortion rings. Could well be a throwaway.
 
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Before you do anything that rifle needs to come apart. Carefully inspect the locking lugs on the bolt and the frame. That gun apparently held what would normally blow a barrel apart and/or send the bolt backwards through the shooters neck/shoulder. If it were me I would send it back to savage and let them deal with it. It likely needs a new barrel, bolt, frame...you have a trigger and a stock that I would trust.
 
A savage.

I'd have a $100 factory take off barrel on it in 15 minutes and would already be sectioning the plugged barrel as a "look at this" item
 
I would weld me up a long drill bit and use a brass tube to protect the barrel and drill out the bullets...then with the centers out a proper size brass rod should do the rest.
 
Before you do anything that rifle needs to come apart. Carefully inspect the locking lugs on the bolt and the frame. That gun apparently held what would normally blow a barrel apart and/or send the bolt backwards through the shooters neck/shoulder. If it were me I would send it back to savage and let them deal with it. It likely needs a new barrel, bolt, frame...you have a trigger and a stock that I would trust.
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This is not a bad idea.
 
wacki said:
I'm buying these 25" long drill bits from harbor freight:

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-long-wood-bit-set-18-316-14-3-piece-68822.html

Will add brass bushings around them to guide them. Washers welded to the drill bit will keep the bushings in place.

I also bought this el cheapo borescope which should fit in a 308. Largest diameter is .29″. May require some sanding.

http://bpcr1885.net/34-borescope/

I think I'll be good from here on out. :)
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Do NOT do any welding on the drill bits. all you'll end up doing is destroying the bits outright or weakening them to the point that they'll bend/twist/break under use.

Get a brass tube/sleeve to slide over the drill bit that will fit the bore. This will protect it from contact with the bit. Preferably one that just fits the bore and is just big enough for the drill bit to fit through.

Before you start, get a brass rod the same diameter as the bore and grind one end to a point, with the point centered. Use this as a center punch to dimple the bullet in the barrel to provide a starting point for your drill bit.

Then drill a little bit, stop, pull everything out, and flush the particulate out of the barrel. Clean the bit point and drill a little bit more. Repeat frequently until you've drilled through the obstructions.

Then use a brass rod the same diameter as the bore to slide down the bore and tap out the rest of the slugs.

This will get the bullets out...but you will still need to clean the bejeebers out of the barrel to remove all traces of lead/copper. Then get it inspected.

If I were you, however, I would simply consider retiring this barrel. Life is full of wonders and we have short enough lives to experience these wonders as it is. It's not worth it to even consider using a suspect barrel.
 
I just don't think that I would ever be comfortable putting my face behind the bolt of that gun and pulling the trigger.:what:

It would take all of the fun out of shooting that gun.

I'd ditch that barrel ( great wall hanger !) and have the receiver very, very closely examined before ever shooting it again.

Then again, I'm a coward and you may just be braver than I am !

Be safe, mike
 
I can't find an exact size brass rod. Closest I can find is 0.28125"
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I'm STILL voting in favor of a STEEL rod.

If you must use a rod of less than the exact diameter, you can consider increasing the diameter of a smaller rod by covering it with shrink-wrap tubing such as may be used for covering soldered joints in electrical wiring applications.

9/32" diameter rod at: LINK

I think .281 caliber is close enough to .308 caliber that additional bushings or coverings and such are not needed.
 
Very interesting thread but I find it hard to believe you can fire 3 or 4 rounds of factory .308 ammo in a bolt action all getting stuck in a row without blowing or bursting something. 50-60K or pressure has to go somewhere. Were the cases split or the primer blown out? Something doesn't add up IMHO. That barrel has to be damaged. I have .22 rimfires with bulges from firing another round with a stuck bullet. I wouldn't feel comfortable reusing the action either. You may have lug setback or cracks in the lugs themselves. When you shot them did they sound normal? What about recoil? Seems after the 2nd, 3rd, 4th shot there would be something out of the ordinary besides no holes in the target. Or as another noted maybe a miracle.
 
BOY sound like there was not enough powder or bad powder! If the powder was good it should had done BIG damage to his gun. Squib load?
 
Squib load...x3? Possible but doubtful. I would open up one of the remaining rounds from the box your stuck ammo came out of. Take pictures and describe smells etc. weigh the powder charge and we can help (maybe) tell if it's too light of a charge. Which will help us figure out what to do with the gun, and potentially ammo. Not only would I not trust the gun, but I wouldn't trust the ammo either. You don't want to put on a new barrel and have the same problem on day 1.
 
Personally, I think we need to quit over-engineering this.

As I said in my previous comment, I wouldn't re-use this barrel anyway. Life's too short for this.

A brass rod doesn't HAVE to exactly match the bore size. Get the largest that will fit and tap away with a leather hammer, plastic hammer, or what not.

Or drill it out in a fashion similar to what I mentioned in my previous comment.

This isn't rocket science. It doesn't require any really specialized equipment or exotic set-ups.
 
You should be able to just shoot the bullets out using a case with about a 1/4 charge of something like 4895 (no bullet of course). The barrel will not burst, but it has been toast since the second bullet hit the first. (Tie down the rifle and use a string to pull the trigger if it makes you feel better.)

Jim
 
Where can one find load data for "a quarter charge of 4895" and for the sake of this discussion let's say the projectile was 180 gr. "3 or maybe 4" 180X3= 540gr bullet.
Or 180X4= 720 gr. bullet?

I wouldn't trust it even when you get the bullets out. Sending to Savage would be the best scenario I can think of.... With the miracle you describe, I'm certain they would be glad to give you a new rifle, so that they could section the barrel as an advertising tool.

"With our rifles you can put 3 full house loads into a barrel obstruction, and not kill yourself!" SAVAGE... Will take a savage beating, and your safety assured! Our rifles are dummy proof! LMAO!
STW
 
I think the first thing I'd do is stick a rod in there and take some measurements, in case it actually is only one bullet that can easily be tapped out.
 
If they are non jacketed, why not heat up the barrel? It doesn't take alot of heat to get them soft, then push them out.
 
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