458 Win Mag ammunition slide. Part one.

Preparation.

Having just purchased a side of leather I decided I needed to make an ammunition slide to see how well this new leather would perform.  I have for the last couple of years been using a waxy pull up of 2.4 mm thick and not being able to get hold of the same again I had opted for a leather that seemed to be very similar but not exactly the same.  I had also just taken delivery of a couple of inert 458 Win Mag rounds, these I had purchased to enable me to stitch either loops or pockets of the correct size for this calibre.  So it was an easy decision, I would make an ammunition side in 458 Win Mag calibre.

The first thing to do when approaching a new project is to make a prototype, this will confirm the dimensions required to produce the correct fit, too tight and the rounds wont go in, and too loose and they are going to fall out.  Experience has taught me a little so I marked out and cut a single pocket and a back to stitch it to.

But with all that experience it still came out too small! Back to marking and cutting another one, this time perfect, and with only the addition of 1mm of extra leather to form the pocket.  The new leather seemed to be ok, but a little more ridged than the old.