Thread: Winchester 1892 - can't hit the side of a barn

Shooting jacketed closed-base bullets through a worn barrel?

You maybe want soft lead bullets which obturate better.

Originally Posted by Cordite

You maybe want soft lead bullets which obturate better.

Explain?

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

Explain?

Soft lead bullets can expand into the bore because of the pressure acting behind them.Its also known as "setting up",some early Bullet types had a hollow base to facilitate obturation.However those usually only obturated to the diameter of the cartridge neck and part of the chamber.

A gently pressure curve such as what is developed using Black powder is considered better for "setting up" than a steep pressure curve such as smokeless produces.

I would start by cleaning the bore,then trying some different loads.What looks like a very worn bore in the old guns can shoot surprisingly well with lead bullets.Especially those cast and sized to the correct ,(worn) bore diameter.