Cast Bullets in .22 centerfires?

[six_gun]

I shoot cast bullets in my 10 inch Hornet barrel in my contender and they are very accurate. I use the Lyman 225450, which is a pointed, gc, bullet. I shoot alot of these in NRA Hunter pistol compitition.

Alloy is soft. I use range lead from my clubs indoor range. It is mostly 22 LR lead and I throw in a couple of handfulls of drippings of 40/60 sodder from a radiator shop. I always use gas checks.

The load is 3.7 gr of Titegroup with a CCI small pistol primer. They go about 1650fps.

Like I said, they are really accurate and I have brand new trophy in my living room to porve it. It says that I won the Idaho State Championship Hunter Pistol Silhouette match this year. I was the only one using cast bullets but interest in shooting them improved after the match and some of the other shooters have been testing cast now.

Sixgun

[Bullshop Junior]

I shoot a lot of cast out ff my 223. I probly have not run 300 jacketed thought it sence I got it 2 years ago. I have probly more then 1000 out off the rifle in cast. I have alot of loads, but I will just post the best ones.
where is my green data binder. here it is. here we go.

PRIMER: CCI #450 SRM
POWDER: 11.0gn of Longshot
BOOLIT: Lee 50gn bater FNGC @.225"
CASE: Mixed 223

PRIMER: CCI #400 LR
POWDER: 5.8gn of Unique
BOOLIT: 55gn CBE FNGC @.225"
CASE: Mxed 223
OAL: 2.1875"

PRIMER: CCI #400
POWDER: 19.0GN IMR-4895
BOOLIT: 55gn CBE FNGC @.225"
CASE: Mixed 223
OAL: 2.1875"
I have close to 10 other loads. If you want the others let me know.
You will have to mess with the OAL becouse this is made to tutch the lands and grooves on a remington 788 with a realy long thought.
DANIEL/BS JR.

[lefty_red]

Thanks guys! I can't find anone to do the metallic silhouette game with locally, but at least I can mess around with all of my single shot rifles! And I can load them down enough to hunt small game! I should have known!

Lefty, who is just "gigglely"!

BTW- BS Jr, I'll get ahold of you on some more loads.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Thanks man. Mick.

[Trigger44]

I love casting bullets for the 22 centerfires. I actually built a 11 pound 22 BR to shoot mostly cast bullets. Right now I am loading for both a TC Encore Hornet and the 22 BR. I have the NEI #2 45gr, #4 55 gr, the Lyman 225438 and 225415. Also
the RCBS 55 gr. I have been casting since 1959, back then for a 222 Rem.

On order now is a 30 BR from Jerry Stiller with one of his Predator actions and
a Bartlein target barrel stainless barrel. This is for cast and jacketed bullets.

The TC Hornet was a fun project for load development. It took 3 - 4 months
before I had a subsonic load for squirrels, several good loads in the 1600 FPS range and several with 55 gr at about 2200 FPS. Much of this was done at 50 yards. Anything under .5" is a good load int the Hornet. I felt at times this break open action may have been a limiting factor on some of the grouping, hence the
22 BR project.

I have only had the 22 BR for about one month and I think the limiting factor now is the Leupold 6-20x40 scope. This will shortly be replacedwith a Zeiss Conquest 6-20x50 fine cross hair, my 68 year old eyes need the best. So far though the 55gr RCBS is shoothing .3" 50 yard groups with 18 - 22gr IMR 3031.

Anyone interested in the details can email me at reddog044@alltel.net

[Bullshop]

I was reading last night through an old Handloader article by layne Simpson. He gave a rundown of equipment used in the Coors Schuetzenfest for that year. Most were shooting 32/40's but one fella, a shooter after my own heart was shooting a 22 hornet using 87gn spitzer boolits. Dont ya love it? Did he know sumthin? When BS mom gets home God willing I will post some favorite hornet loads and pics'. She called early this morning, water broke, still waiting! Cant blame the kid, if it was me I would stay where its warm till spring.

BIC/BS

[Bullshop Junior]

Lefty red,
I thought that I had more loads, but I remebered that I went though them and deleted the ones that I did not like. I still have 4 that I did not give you, so here you go.

PRIMER: Federal #205
POWDER: 4 .0gn of bullseye
BULLET: NEI 45gn FN W/O GC @.225"
LUBE: Bullshop Speed Green
CASE: Mixed 223

PRIMER: Federal #205
POWDER: 11.0gn Longshot
BULLET: Lyman 55gn FNGC @.225"
CASE: Mixed 223
LUBE: Bullshop Speed Green
FPS: 2739

PRIMER: Federal #205
POWDER: 18.9gn H-4895
BULLET: NEI 55gn Spitzer GC @.225"
CASE: Millitery 223
LUBE: Bullshop speed green
FPS: 2390

PRIMER: CCI #400
POWDER: 19.0gn IMR 4895
BULLET: Saeco 60gn Spitzer GC @.225"
CASE: Mixed 223
LUBE: Bullshop Speed green

My faverant load is the last one I posted yesterday.
PRIMER: CCI #400
POWDER: 19.0GN IMR-4895
BOOLIT: 55gn CBE FNGC @.225"
CASE: Mixed 223
OAL: 2.1875"

DANIEL/BS JR.

[felix]

Will, try 3 grains of 3031 on top of the primer for a primer extension. In that small case, you don't need a forceful primer that could possibly push the boolit foward too quickly. You are after more heat. If that combo does not do any better, and the accuracy is still there, change the primer to another brand, not type. You might even use 5 grains of 3031. Use big stick powder, not short cut for the primer extender. ... felix