Stuck bullet removal

[pbslinger]

Don't have one, merely curious. How far from the chamber does a primer send the bullet down the barrel if you forget the powder? Explain common procedures for removing stuck bullets. I've heard of grease gun method. If you knock out with a rod, what diameter and material for the rod? What lube for bore? I've heard you begin with a heavy hammer. Do you ever drill out bullet in place and pull with a slide hammer? Can you melt lead out without overheating barrel?

 

[Riesel]

Not very far. You can easily knock it back out with a wooden dowel.

 

[hogpatrol]

Depends on the weight of the bullet and length of the case. I've seen heavy bullets in long magnum cases with magnum primers that didn't budge out of the case.

 

[Albany Mountain]

I remember having a loaded stuck case in a 308. After knocking the bullet back into the case with a steel rod and soaking in oil for a week, I read about hydraulic pressure procedure. didn't have the tools to make a proper piston to apply at the muzzle end of the barrel filled with oil. But a 5/16 wooden dowel fit snug enough. After a couple solid wacks with a 5 lb hammer, I had a broken dowel in the muzzle, a barrel filled with oil, and the same case with the bullet pushed in it, all stuck in the barrel.

Beware and use caution with the wooden dowels!!!

 

[Riesel]

I remember having a loaded stuck case in a 308. After knocking the bullet back into the case with a steel rod and soaking in oil for a week, I read about hydraulic pressure procedure. didn't have the tools to make a proper piston to apply at the muzzle end of the barrel filled with oil. But a 5/16 wooden dowel fit snug enough. After a couple solid wacks with a 5 lb hammer, I had a broken dowel in the muzzle, a barrel filled with oil, and the same case with the bullet pushed in it, all stuck in the barrel.

Beware and use caution with the wooden dowels!!!

Dang all the bad luck! !

 

[eric32]

When I first start reloading I shot a match and my very first sighter didn't have powder in it. The bullet was still in the case and no issues. CCI 200 primer and Winchester brass and I believe at the time was a 178bthp from Hornady.

 

[joshb]

Good neck tension!

 

[swglenn]

Remove the barrel, make a long drill bit, center the barrel into your lathe, drill a hole in the center of the bullet, use the slide hammer to remove the bullet. If you don't have a slide hammer you may be able to chuck up a 4" wood screw and extract it that way.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

I've had to remove a few. I just chuck the barrel into the lathe, take a good fitting brass rod that is only about an inch longer than the barrel..if that much..and push the bullet out with the tail stock. I've used the same method to remove stuck live rounds from barrels. A little more pucker factor when it's a live round, but never had a problem and is the safest means I know of...no beating on anything from any direction and is only a short, slow stroke to get things cleared without damaging anything.
The real secret is to not allow it to happen, in the first place.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Correct neck tension and it wont come out of the case

 

[Riesel]

Hmmm, I have been at BR matches were the barrel lands seat the bullet. You can actually put the bullet in the case with your fingers.

 

[JBO]

I remember having a loaded stuck case in a 308. After knocking the bullet back into the case with a steel rod and soaking in oil for a week, I read about hydraulic pressure procedure. didn't have the tools to make a proper piston to apply at the muzzle end of the barrel filled with oil. But a 5/16 wooden dowel fit snug enough. After a couple solid wacks with a 5 lb hammer, I had a broken dowel in the muzzle, a barrel filled with oil, and the same case with the bullet pushed in it, all stuck in the barrel.

Beware and use caution with the wooden dowels!!!

I know it wasn't funny at the time but you had me rolling

 

[Jose_Luis_G]

I had once to do it.
I let the bullet soak overnight with Ballistol Kleber on the vertical bore, same end it came from.
In the morning, I dropped a few times a brass rod from the muzzle.
The third hit pulled the bullet out.
I mean that there is no need to use a hammer or else to launch the rod from far.
Just the way you do to compact the black poder and the bullet when loading muzzleloaders.

 

[Albany Mountain]

I know it wasn't funny at the time but you had me rolling

Yeah I laugh at it now. I finally glued a small drill bit in a chevy pushrod in the oil hole, came in from the rear of the action, and was able to drill out a half moon around the primer, dug it out with a dental pick, then went in with a 7/32, then 1/4-20 tap. Then pulled it out like a stuck case remover after putting a 7/16 1/4 drive socket over the head of the case.
Pulled the case with stuck bullet within it, oil drained out, then light taps with steel 1/4 rod to get the dowel out of the muzzle.

 

[eric n]

I got a stuck bullet out after a multiday soak with kg 12.
1st and biggest mistake was a wooden dowel. When it got stuck and broke at the muzzle I tried to keep going with a brass rod. Succeeded in making it more stuck.
Read about hydraulic method so made a hose with a zirc at the end and triple clamped it with nutted clamps and pumped away with a grease gun, sure thought it was going to work as it started to get really hard to pump. Nope, it started slipping and I ended up with grease on my hands, face, shirt,work table, and floor.
Banged away with a brass rod again as I'm slipping across my garage floor and finally gave up. Dumped some kg12 in the breach and walked away in defeat, resigning myself to the embarrassing call to the smith ( I haven't even shot it yet). Picked it up a few days later and the stupid bullet fell out!
I will never put a dowel in my barrel again.lol
Just going to call a smith next time!!!