NEVER TRUST A MEC BAR

[Keith Doty]

I discovered years ago that most powder and shot bushings are approximate, the shot will vary quite a bit depending on size. I'm in the habit of actually weighing a set of 5 throws out of any bushings with the intended powder or shot charge before I use them. I have several I have chucked up on the lathe and "tuned" to get exactly what I want.

[edgarspencer]

I've stepped drilled several over the years, but the shot doesn't always fill in the upward direction, so the last two I did, I set them up in the Bridgeport and, using a boring head, bored them out straight thru, stepping out a few thous each time until they dropped what I wanted. Another method, which I considered, but haven't done, was to use an expanding reamer.