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| One of Us |
After 30 years reloading with no issues, I finally managed to load a cartridge with no powder. 375 H&H with 300 Hornady Solid. The bullet is firmly wedged in the barrel, what the easiest way to remove it – when you have finished laughing  | ||
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| Administrator |
We have had a number of these brought in here. The easiest way is to load a few grains of pistol powder in a primed case and fire it. Green Dot Red Dot Unique all work very well. | |||
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| one of us |
Never done this but it is good to know the solution. Could you define "a few grains". Thanks | |||
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| One of Us |
I would be buying a brass rod just under bore size and driving it out from the muzzle. You can give a few squirts of gun oil into the bore and let soak while you source a brass rod. Cheers.  | |||
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Don't feel pregnant! It happens more often than most will admit. I never heard of using pistol powder, always thought that it would "ring" a barrel. Whatever you do, please let us know the outcome! DRSS(We Band of Bubba's Div.) N.R.A (Life) T.S.R.A (Life) D.S.C. | |||
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| One of Us |
I don't like the idea of shooting a stuck bullet out, there's some potential to ring or bulge the barrel. What I have found effective is to hydraulically remove it. If the bore will hold oil ahead of the bullet, pour in a teaspoon or so of penetrating oil. Then, insert a wood dowel into the bore, that is a fairly snug fit. If you have one, a cup shaped faucet washer out of a delta faucet or such inserted under the dowel is even better. Then, rap the end of the dowel with a mallet, and the hydraulic pressure formed in the oil will blow the bullet back out the chamber end. If the bullet won't hold oil, then use a thick grease instead. I'm presuming the bullet is lodged just in front of the chamber. Of course, if the bullet is nearer the muzzle than the breech, work from the breech end and blow it out the muzzle. dave Adding a postscript: Try the easy things first. Compressed air into the muzzle will sometimes blow the bullet out. A note of caution: Don't put your thumb into the chamber to catch the bullet. I don't even want to discuss how I know this one. | |||
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| One of Us |
I've never had a stuck bullet but that's great to know. | |||
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I would not try and shoot it out. Just doesn't sound safe to me. I use a brass rod and have used oil and a tight dowel as well. Don't feel bad. It happens. As usual just my $.02 Paul K | |||
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| One of Us |
Years ago I stuck a bullet in my .270. (I think the powder charge was just a bit too compressed, and it pushed the COL out to a point where it was too long...) When the action was opened I got spilled powder down into the mag box, and no bullet. I re-chambered the case, closed the bolt and fired the round into the ground. No ill effects other than a crumpled shoulder on the brass... Saeed is correct: it works. | |||
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| One of Us |
It is not very spectacular but Wrap a piece of tubing Stainless or copper or even carbon steel with tape or slide soda straws over it or even shrink tubing. Silver braze a long shank onto the appropriate drill. Slide the tubing down against the bullet from the muzzle. Run the drill down the tubing and drill out the bullet. Once the bullet is hollow you can knock it out with a wood dowel or brass rod. If you want to be cute you can run a long rod into the bullet with a nut or brazed on head. Using another nut or slide hammer you can slowly pull the bullet out without any drama. | |||
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| One of Us |
I've used a brass drop rod, just under bore size. It is slow, but seems to work. | |||
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One of Us |
I'm with Saeed on this and have removed numerous stuck items from rifle barrels, including bullets, using small charges of Unique or a fast burning shotgun powder. I measure from the muzzle to the obstruction and mark the start point on a cleaning rod then usually will start with just a primer in a case and see if the obstruction moves. If not, a few grains (start with 2-3 for a bigger case) and see if there is any movement. I will try the same load a couple of times, often on the second attempt the obstruction will be ejected but build up a bit at a time until the obstruction shoots free. This method has never failed me and I have safely removed obstructions the worst case being a stuck bullet sans a piece of wire pummeled in with a length of broken green stick which broke off and stuck down the bore too. I shy away from attempting to pummel away with rods and other methods. If the bullet was just in the leade of the barrel a rod will knock it out easy enough. | |||
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One of Us |
On my last South African hunt I loaded a box of Hornady FMJ bullets for my .300 Weatherby to use for small animals without putting a large hole in their capes. When I shot one of these cartridges at a Caracal, there was just a slight POP when the primer went off. When I ejected the case I found that the bullet was lodged in the barrel, but the powder did not ignite. The case was still full of unburnt powder. The next day I found a stick of welding rod in the outfitters shop. I wrapped the rod with electrical tape to protect the rifling and was able to drop the rod down from the muzzle and knock the stuck bullet out. When I got home I bought an 8" piece of 1/4" diameter solid brass rod that I now keep in my rifle case. I also shot the rest of the bullets in the box that had the misfire, and they all shot perfectly. I have no idea how a primer could push the bullet out and lodge it in the barrel yet not ignite the powder. NRA Endowment Life Member | |||
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| One of Us |
Careful, a stuck wood dowel is as bad as a stuck bullet. Don't ask how I know. | |||
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| One of Us |
I've had it happen and if it's stuck in the mouth I've jarred it out with my cleaning rod / get a brass rod / steel rod covered with tape and just let it fall down the barrel, works most times. FWIW --- John | |||
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Was thinking the same thing! I once damaged an air rifle barrel that way..... still hurts when I think about it. | |||
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Get a piece of fiberglass road from Home Depot or use an old bow blind fiberglass rod (remove the metal ends). "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" -- Ronald Reagan "Ignorance of The People gives strength to totalitarians." Want to make just about anything work better? Keep the government as far away from it as possible, then step back and behold the wonderment and goodness. | |||
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Once a 358 Win Factory round went click at the range. Ejected the case and found it was empty & new inside. The bullet was stuck in the throat. I used a cleaning rod to just tap it gently a few times and the bullet popped out with front lead tip disfigured. "When the wind stops....start rowing. When the wind starts, get the sail up quick." | |||
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| One of Us |
Gents Sorry for the tardy reply, too busy at work and I needed to get to a range to shoot. Knocking it out. A friend Roger countersunk a piece of 8mm rod to centre it on the bullet, I wrapped masking tape around the rod in several places and we hit as hard as we dared – no joy. As pistols are banned in the UK (apart from criminal use), I used shotgun powder, specifically that from some 1oz 20 bore cartridges. The first attempt, with just a smidge of powder didn’t achieve obturation, I then built up to ½ a 20 bore cartridges worth, as I did this I got a pop and a split second later a hiss of gasses escaping and a warm barrel – alas I only took 2 x 20 bore cartridges and failed to shift the bullet. The second attempt, a full 20 bore charge, resulted in a satisfying bang and a clear barrel  The velocity??? I was holding the rifle one handed reaching around the baffles just in case. I didn’t notice any recoil, I heard no supersonic crack so guess velocity was under the speed of sound but who cares - A clear barrel was achieved. Thanks to all AR for your help. | |||
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| one of us |
Years ago I had a friend come in with a 240 something or other--a 6mm/06 IMP basically. I [we] tried about every way to get it out including prayer and getting a priest to exorcise the $%^^% thing out. Finally loaded some Bullseye and a dacron [?] filler and let it go down the test tube. Seems like 10.0 grs moved the bullet about a foot and the second round with 15.0 did the charm. It worked for us but I cannot promise with yours. Aloha, Mark When the fear of death is no longer a concern----the Rules of War change!! | |||
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Thanks for update, always good to hear of successful outcomes and glad to have given you confidence to try something new. | |||
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| One of Us |
Years ago I was experimenting with the .284 Winchester case necked up to .410" caliber, in an effort to produce the equivalent of a .400 Whelen which would fit nicely in an unaltered Mauser 98 magazine and had plenty of shoulder to headspace on. My usual fireforming load of 10 grains of 2400 with the case filled to the top with Cream of Wheat and topped with a graphite wad did not do the trick, so on impulse I dropped a .40 caliber lead ball into the chamber and seated the fire forming load behind it. It worked perfectly and I thought my problem was solved, until somewhere around halfway through the box of cartridges I got an undersized lead ball, which unbeknownst to me, dropped on down the barrel about ten inches beofore coming to rest. The ensuing shot produced a pre-64 Model 70 type goose egg in the barrel. Amazingly, this goose egg had no effect on accuracy and the rifle is still in my gun room for all to see. | |||
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