Help with a stuck bullet and wooden dowel.

[Jeeping]

Well, feel like the dumbest sob on the planet:banghead:. Was out at the range this morning trying out new loads. Long story short got the bullet stuck in a barrel about 2 inches in. Came back home and tried getting it out using wooden dowel, sob broke about 2/3 of the way in there:banghead::banghead::banghead:. Now I got bullet and 20 inches of wood plugging up my barrel. How in the world can I get’em out?
If someone fills like ripping on my, by all means go ahead, as long as you help me get this problem solved.
Thanks

 

[Mags]

A brass rod will get it out without messing up your barrel since brass is softer than steel. You will either have to order one from Brrownell's or take it to a smith. I beleive the proper term is "squib rod".

 

[Art Eatman]

Bolt action? What caliber?

Just offhand, I guess you could sacrifice a steel cleaning rod, hacksawing out a length to use as a drift and work from the breech.

I'm not sure I'd actually recommend loading a "blank" with five to ten grains of some powder like 2400 and shooting it out. Could possibly ring the barrel, I dunno...

 

[Motega]

which end is the dowel stuck in? What kind of action?
drilling a screw into the dowel and pulling might work, I'd probably lube it up first with astroglide. As for the bullet, they make kits to get stuck/loaded bullets out of muzzleloaders with compressed co2. Not sure it's work but might. Some more info and maybe a picture would maybe give us more ideas?

 

[Jeeping]

it's 223 with a 28 inch barrel, bolt action. Bullet 2 inches from bolt side, dowel is on the other side. What a mess.
I'll get some picks up

 

[Art Eatman]

Mags, I'm not sure a 20-caliber brass rod would have the structural strength. Could wrap a steel rod with scotch tape, but I don't think that reasonable gentle tapping would create a problem.

At least the bearing area and thus friction aren't as bad as if it were 30-caliber. Small blessing.

 

[elkdomBC]

same thing happened to me many years ago, after some serious cussin %&#@!)?"}%,,,,
calm set in,, I dug through my box of grease nipples( I am a mechanic) finally found a grease nipple that fit into where the percussion nipple screws in, took the grease gun(unregistered "grease-gun", I am Canadian you know ),
it took about 20/30 pumps and half a tube of chassis grease, out popped the broken wood dowel and the lead ball,,
cleaned out the grease, no damages at all !

 

[Jeeping]

here is a few pics




The problem here is... after the dowel broke... I tried taping it out with brass rod. Now I think the dowel expanded and plugging up the whole thing even more :banghead:.

 

[berettashotgun]

Kroil and and a rubber tip air nozzle ( not OSHA approved ) please use a catchers mitt on the backside.

 

[Magoo]

how far down into the muzzle is the wooden dowel broken off?

 

[Mr_Pale_Horse]

Method 1: Fill the chamber end with Hoppes Bench Rest-9 copper solvent and sit the barreled action muzzle down in a plastic bucket in a corner. Refresh the copper solvent every other day. 2 weeks will take care of a .224 bullet.

Method 2: Put about 5 grains of Unique in a primed case. Fix the action/rifle to a sturdy object. Load and remotely fire. Wait 1 minute before opening the action and do so with heavy leather gloves on and with the action under a tarp (a real tarp, not a poly one). Repeat as necessary. You may consider doing this after method 1 to get the dowel out.

 

[Jeeping]

It's about good 10 inches in there

 

[_N4Z_]

I did the exact same thing a year or so back. Posted here just like you are now. I have used dowels on stuck bullets in handguns, works great. Carried that over when it happened with a rifle, but I didn't think about the rifle slug being pointed. The dowel split around the ogive and..... I ended up taking it to a smith. He drilled it out - had it for over a month.

Someone here had an idea I wish I had tried. Capping one end and pumping the bore full of grease. Hydraulic action to force the plugged mess out.

Good luck dude, I know your pain. I was so pissed at myself. I now have a .30 cal brass piece that goes on the end of a cleaning rod, in case I ever have stuck bullets happen again.

 

[Red Tornado]

The Mythbusters technique would be to pack the breech end with powder, insert a case with a primer, close the bolt, rig up a remote firing arrangement, get behind ballistic glass about 100 yards away, and fire!

Oh, do you want the barrel intact? Nevermind.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Seriously, good luck, though. Sounds like you have some great suggestions already.
RT

 

[fireman 9731]

Fill the barrel with water, and find a 22 caliber sturdy rod of some sort that seals the barrel well and put it at the end of the barrel and give it a good Wack. Hopefully the hydraulic pressure will force out the mess. On the downside, the water might make the wooden dowel swell and stick even more...

 

[Jeeping]

I'll rant for a little. Today is one of those days, problem at work, couldn't get stuff done for monday. Went to the range to have a good time with my rifle, this crap happened. Came back home, had some words with my girlfriend, now she's pissed at me.

I'm just going quit trying to do anything productive for today and enjoy this cold beer, play some video games and have more beer.
Guys I appreciate all the help, but I'm done for today before something ales goes wrong.
P.S. Hopefully I won’t choke to death drinking beer.

 

[dfariswheel]

I was a pro, so here's how I'd do it.

To extract the wooden dowel, attach a small wood screw to the end of a rod.
Screw it into the dowel fairly deep and use that to pull the dowel out.
The trick is to use a fairly small, long screw so you don't expand the dowel and jam it tighter.
In order to prevent getting the screw off-center and damaging the bore, wrap tape around the rod just behind the screw so the rod is a snug, but not tight fit in the bore.

There are several ways to extract the bullet.
One is to attach another wood screw to a short rod and screw it into the exposed lead core of the bullet through the chamber.
Screw it in deeply.
Wrap a weight around the rear of the rod, and use the weight to gently bump the rear of the rod.
This will extract the bullet by acting as an impact puller.

The preferred method is to make up a steel or brass rod that's a snug fit in the bore.
Cut a counter sink in the end that will fit over the sharp Spitzer point of the bullet.
Insert the rod into the bore with only a couple of inches sticking out.
Use a mallet to bump the bullet out.
If needed, make up extra short sections of rod so you can have enough sticking out the muzzle to drive the bullet all the way out.

Best option: Take it to a real gunsmith and let him extract everything.

 

[Jim Watson]

I wish I knew The Answer.

I sure hope everybody who reads this will realize that what you can (usually) get away with if a waxy lead bullet gets stuck in a short pistol barrel does not work in a rifle.

 

[Onmilo]

Now we all know wooden dowels and stuck spire point bullets don't mix well, right?!

I have used the hydraulic methods described with excellent results.

You can use a plug of modelling clay inserted into the muzzle if you don't have a tight fitting squib rod.
Not a little ball of the stuff either, it takes a fair amount to get a good seal.
Add a ball of aluminum foil on top of the clay so the rod doesn't sink into it.
It is more of a pain to get all the clay out but it does do the job.

I fill the bore with Kroil oil and let it sit for a half hour, then top up the Kroil, add the clay & foil or the squib rod and drive everything out with a steel rod and a 32 ounce deadblow shop hammer.
Once the bullet comes free and the dowel starts from the chamber, stop whacking on the steel rod.
Pull the wood dowel rod free then push the clay out of the muzzle using a Jag and patch from the chamber side. HTH

If the bullet had been stuck halfway up the barrel, you would do better to use a squib rod and a solid steel rod to drive the bullet forward out of the muzzle.

 

[Harley Quinn]

If you do a search you will find similar answers about this problem
I believe a gunsmith is the answer but alas not real cheap...
The brass rod and this is a good idea

Fill the chamber end with Hoppes Bench Rest-9 copper solvent and sit the barreled action muzzle down in a plastic bucket in a corner. Refresh the copper solvent every other day. 2 weeks will take care of a .224 bullet.

 

[Jungle George]

I had a friend do the same thing. The problem is the dowel rod has split around the point of the bullet and is tightly wedged any further driving from that end will most likely make it worse.
This is what I would do, take a fired case for the rifle fill it with molten lead get a long drill bit of the proper size and drill from the primer pocket through the lead as straight as possible ( I would use my lathe) take the case put it in the chamber drill a hole in the back of the bullet through the brass case. Remove the brass case. You may have to make a slide hammer by brazing a screw to a piece of brass that will reach the bullet. you can make it into a slide hammer by taking a piece of 1 1/4" round stock steel and drilling a hole through the center slide it on the brass rod and braze a nut on the back of the rod. Screw the rod into the bullet then place the rifle in a padded vise or put it butt down on the floor and tap the slide hammer till the bullet comes out. Good luck, it's some work, but that is the way I would do it.

 

[jpwilly]

Use a rubber mallet to hit a cleaning rod with brass jag from behind the bullet. Tap it out.

 

[MarkDozier]

My squib method.
Using a rod of slightly less diameter then the bore. from the chamber side, meaning you are driving the bullet from the bottom, use a brass or dead fall hammer. you will need someone or something to hold the barrel tightly when you do this.
Despite what some have said you will not damage your barrel provides you use a flat end on the rod. I would avoid brass and go with bronze rods. A bit harder then brass aand softer then steel.
You biggest issue will be with inital rod flex so grip it close to the barrel to start the rod, once you get going you should be fine.

 

[bbuddtec]

I like the dissolve idea, that's my bet.

 

[nelsonal]

What about drying out the wood to make it shrink? Perhaps an overnight in a very dry room, dehumidifier in a sealed area overnight might be enough to cause the wood to shrink enough to loosen it from the bullet. If you can get that out a little clay and and a new dowel/rod and you're in business.