Thor bullet. Need help on size

[longbowelk]

I have the test kit. I am shooting a CVA Optima 50 cal. The .500 barely hits the rifling but doesn't just fall through. The.501 doesn't seem to want to go at all. Instructions say to use 20 to 30 lbs of push. I put it in the barrel and applied what I would consider a lot of force with the rod choked up. Do I need to hammer it with a short starter? I have not contacted Thor as I thought I would try here first.

 

[BountyHunter]

No you will never load it in the field.

Does the smaller push all the way through ?

I would try that on and see how it shoots. You are going to get bade expansion when it fires anyway.

 

[longbowelk]

The smaller one can be pushed all the way through. As stated in the post it barely touches the rifling. It will not just fall through. Per instructions it is supposed to take 20 to 30 lbs of push similar to a sabot. The only one going in is not near the push of a sabot. I think the 501 is hitting the lip of the rifling at the muzzle where the barrel is reamed out that first half inch or so that was put there for easy starting the bullet.

 

[FrontierGander]

Hope this helps..
------------------

"Guys, I just got my order of Thors in today and they are to small! My season starts next week and there's no way I will have time to send them back and get the right size. Any ideas?! "

Seems we run into this issue from time to time and so I took some pictures and will show you how to re-size your Thor bullets to a larger size thats very simple and effective!

Tools needed:

One small light weight hammer
One 3/8" 8mm socket "Matco 8mm shaft DIA is .449"-.450"
Thor Bullets of course
Caliper or Micrometer to measure bullets diameter


Now lets say you ordered .502" Bullets, but some of them as you found, just slide right down the bore very easily while the others take the recommended 20-30 lbs seating pressure. All is okay now! You can easily resize those looser fitting bullets to the size your need, and IMO this is the perfect way to get the exact size you need. You can now actually order the smaller .500" Thors and then resize them yourself to exactly what your rifles bore needs.

Today, I shot up the last of my Thors in my Traditions and all I have in stock are .500" Thors in 250gr Ballistic Tip. I decided to take a few pictures and share the process just in case you ever run into an undersized bullet in the package or simply want to take it up a level and size your own Thors for your bore. Quite a few on here knurl pistol bullets to fit their bores so they can shoot sabotless, this process is quite a bit easier because there's no knurling, just flaring up the base of the bullet a touch and measuring the diameter of the base and flare it up to where it needs to be for your bore size.

Get the idea?


I hold it in my hand so I can feel the amount of power I am hitting with.


After a few light taps with the hammer and I was where I needed to be.


After a couple shots at 100 yards, I dialed it in and took 3 shots for groups. WELL under 3/4" with first 2 shots touching!

 

[longbowelk]

Thanks for the info.

 

[JOHNNIE WALKER]

I shoot a cva optima pro. The .500 fits the bore. It loads smoothly, and gives good accuracy. The .501 was to big, way to big. Those things are deadly on game.

 

[longbowelk]

JOHNNIE WALKER Silver Member


I shoot a cva optima pro. The .500 fits the bore.
Sounds like the .500 might work. I only had the test kit and didn't want to shoot it. But, Looks like I might need to go ahead and if it does ok order some. NO way that .501 is going in. Thanks, for the help

 

[ENCORE]

So you're just expanding the skirt, which in some barrels could allow the bullet to wobble down the bore, unless, there was full obturation of the entire bullet. I'm not sure the Thor does that.....
I'd want more of the bullet contacting the lands. I'd rather knurl the bullet.

 

[FrontierGander]

So you're just expanding the skirt, which in some barrels could allow the bullet to wobble down the bore, unless, there was full obturation of the entire bullet. I'm not sure the Thor does that.....
I'd want more of the bullet contacting the lands. I'd rather knurl the bullet.

yes the entire bullet fattens up to grab the rifling once the charge goes off. The skirt is there for sizing and a gas seal.

 

[longbowelk]

Frontier Gander . You get my pm?

 

[JOHNNIE WALKER]

I did the same thing your doing a while back. The nice thing about THOR is they let you pick the exact size of your bore. Different guns really are different. The .501 seemed to me like it would grip the rifling better, but I knew it was to tight to reload in the feild after a shot. The .500 300 gr ballistic tip with 150 gr of T7 FFFG gave me softball sized groups at 100yds with iron sights. That load killed the heck out of a Colorado elk a little while back. And because I didn't have time to put the scope back on the gun and sight it back in, I used the same load on whitetail around the house. They died really, really quick as well.

 

[ODAVID]

I agree with everything stated so far. Only suggestion I would make is find and us a bathroom scale and use that as an indication how much force you are exerting. WORKS FOR ME> AND REMEMBER WHAT IT SHOULD BE LIKE WITH A DIRTY BORE

BEST OF LUCK
ODAVID

 

[ENCORE]

 

[ODAVID]

tell me more..... Where did you fine the scale???? Nothing like technology!!!!!!
share with me how you select and size your thor bullets.

Thanks ODAVID