Stuck Bullet? Solve Problem with Drop Rod
When using the Stoney Point type OAL gauge (now sold by Hornady), we sometimes get a bullet stuck in the rifling. This can also happen with a squib load or when extracting a round with the bullet seated hard in the lands. You can use a cleaning rod or a wood dowel to tap out the bullet, but a brass drop rod will do the job faster and easier, with less risk of nicking your crown.
You can make a drop rod yourself from brass or bronze rod. Just make sure to smooth over any burrs or rough spots on the ends. Or just order a set of brass bullet drop rods from Sinclair Int’l. You drop the Sinclair Rods (item 52-500) down the barrel from the muzzle end with the rifle standing upright. Sinclair Bullet Drop Rods are made of brass so they will not harm the rifling in your barrel. Each $11.50 set consists of two Drop Rods that will handle .20 up to .416 caliber.
Remember, for safety sake, Drop Rods are never to be used to dislodge live or loaded rounds! Always remove the Drop Rod from the barrel before chambering another round!
A well known BR shooter was seriously injured last week when his rifle exploded after using these and forgetting to remove it. I am sure details will follow from others.
I drop a .22 caliber bullet down the bore to dislodge a stuck bullet.
Been using the appropriate sized wooden dowel for years, purchased at my local hardware store for less than One Dollar each. No damage to bullet tip of rifling, usually comes out with light finger pressure only. There are too many “specialty” tools out there, most of which are not needed. Some day we’ll look back on all these “things” and wonder ” why did I buy that?”
Wood Dowel fails despite repeated tries
EDITOR: FD — You’re right a wood dowel will often work if the bullet isn’t stuck too hard. But just a couple weeks ago I was helping a PPC shooter. Because of a measuring error, his bullet was seated about .020″ longer than he thought and it jammed HARD.
First we tried pushing the bullet out with a Dewey cleaning rod. No Dice.
Then we tried pushing the bullet out with a wooden dowel. Didn’t work. We then tried tapping the dowel with a plastic headed hammer. Didn’t work. Next we tried inserting only a few inches of the dowel and then letting it drop straight down. Didn’t work–the bullet was STILL stuck in the bore.
Finally we dropped a piece of copper rod down the bore and the bullet dislodged. Lesson: When a bullet is really, really stuck–a dowel may not necessarily work. The dropped copper rod had enough kinetic energy to do the trick.
I use a wood dowel. That way I know I’m not going to do any damage to the barrel or crown.
If a bullet is too stubborn seems like you could use a nail or tack (whose head is slighly smaller in diameter than the dowel) in the end of the dowel to keep it from deforming if you need to use more force.