casting 22 hornet bullets

  • 11K Views
  • Last Post 09 June 2013
4570sharps posted this 07 June 2013

I just traded for a 22 hornet handi-rifle and ordered a Lyman 55 gr. mould, gas checks, sizing die and a nose punch from Lyman. Now the backorder wait begins! Prior to this the smallest bullet I have cast has been an old Ideal 121 gr. 38 caliber RN. Any pointers on casting small bullets will be greatly appreciated. I plan on using linotype. Thanks in advance!

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
PETE posted this 07 June 2013

I' m not sure where the idea ever came from that small bullets are hard to cast. I've cast .22 bullets ranging from 35 to 60 grs from both lino and 50/50 lino/ww's and never changed the way I did them from casting bullets weighing up to 650 grs. If the mold is the proper temp. you should have no problems.

Pete

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • David R.
4570sharps posted this 07 June 2013

Thanks Pete! Exactly what I thought. I read all this stuff on the internet about how difficult it is. Even as far as keeping a hot plate under the furnace to rest the mould on while pouring! Just a waiting game now till my order arrives from Lyman. I do have some hornets loaded with jacketed bullets so I am able to at least shoot it.

Attached Files

CB posted this 07 June 2013

I find alloy makes a difference...linotype in 22 molds fills nicely, squirrel alloy such as ww or 20:1 I find does not fill out as nice but find it doesn't matter for the critter loads...........Dan

Attached Files

72coupe posted this 07 June 2013

Culling seems to be more critical on the small bullet. Look them over very carefully.

Attached Files

Wayne S posted this 07 June 2013

 Make sure your mold is pre heated, is your pot a bottom pour or do you use a ladle Do you have a thermometer ?  After you start casting what look like good bullets, take two and cool them off so you can give them a good visual inspection, no sense in casting away only to find out your melt was just a little cool and there are wrinkles and you have a 75% cull rate.  If possible, “mike” these samples, again no sense in having a bunch of undersize <.223> bullets.  Slug the throat of your barrel for proper sizing Dia.  You might need to consider TL your bullets.  Try to seat  the GC's by hand Do you know the twist in your Bbl.?? Which Lyman 55 gn. ?? While waiting, see if you can beg,borrow or buy some cast .225's of similar design, length and wt.

"Ain't it ALWAYS something

Attached Files

billwnr posted this 07 June 2013

Check your barrel's twist rate. Once I tried the 225462 out of my Model 43 .22 Hornet and with the 16 inch twist got groups of 3 feet at 100 yards. Bullets weren't being stabilized.

My .222 has, I think, a 14 inch twist and the 225415 shoots nicely out of it.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 07 June 2013

4570sharps: 22 caliber cast can be easy or a nightmare. There is a lot to optimize getting the .22s to shoot. Not that it is any more difficult to do well than any other caliber but it is more critical due to the small caliber itself. The bullet diameter is small,   so compared large bullets, size error is a much higher percentage eror.  This same theory extends to alloy selection, bullet mold  selection to rifling twist and all the little variables in loading. Again, just because the bullets are small, small factors become larger in percentage and importance refactored and compared  to larger caliber bullets.

Look at billwnr's comment...he is not kidding. This can and really does happen in .22 cal.

I got my .223 handi to group 1” at 100 hards with cast and it was a balance of hard work to get ballistic perfection realized in .223.

I personally believe that the harder an alloy is above and beyond what is needed for the load pressure level, that the extra hardness adds another factor. I believe it makes bullet fit and barrel twist even more critical and harder to match and balance out to shoot well.

Sure, Linotype bullets are pretty but I use #2 alloy with gas checked bullets in .223 and have gotten them to fit the throat of the rifle's chamber. My rounds have a sliding fit of the bullets as I chamber a round. Anything less and I run into the problem mentioned by billwnr.

Fit is still king in .22 cast, in fact it is even a bigger king because the caliber is smaller!

"Shooting 22 cast bullets” is a previous topic in the “General Discussion” forum with many pages of comments. I refer you to this ongoing topic and urge you to read it thoroughly and evaluate the many comments already made in the area that you are now beginning to undertake:   http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_topic.php?id=8630&forum_id=78>http://www.castbulletassoc.org/viewtopic.php?id=8630&forumid=78

Read all the pages to the end! 15 pages of comments!

Gary

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • David R.
hunterspistol posted this 07 June 2013

I cast Lyman #225438 45 grain bullets for hornets. It's not all that bad. If I can handle the little bullets with my big old round fingertips, about anyone could.

Attached Files

apbluebass posted this 07 June 2013

Has anyone tried #225465? I am looking for spire point molds that cast a heavier round than the 225450... any suggestions? any suppliers?

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 07 June 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=7581>apbluebass:

My 225646 sized/checked/lubed all up weight in #2 alloy is 61 gr.

http://s30.photobucket.com/user/rhymeswithwhat/media/L225646.jpg.html>

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • David R.
apbluebass posted this 08 June 2013

Thanks. how is the accuracy? how hot do you load them and with what? have you shot them out of an AR 15? also, I know this sounds silly but I never understood why there are lube grooves on bullets above the seating point.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 08 June 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=7581>apbluebass:

The bullet is nicely accurate for me. They drop large for me and  they are Tumble lubed 45:45:10 Recluse once before sizing/check at .2250” and tumbled again twice after. Alloy is Lyman #2 clone. Charge is 19.1 gr. AA2230 @ 2452fps. (verified),  LOA is 2.208” with bullet just kissing lands in the NEF rifle with early 1:12 twist.

The load groups 1” at 100 yds from my NEF and 2” from my AR15. The load cycles the AR just fine but I use a shorter LOA in the AR that is the longest LOA that will function in that rifle's magazine. Note that the shorter AR rounds shoot all over the place if fired from the NEF.

I also shoot the bullet at 1160 fps with 3.9 gr H Titegroup and it will group less than 1/2” at 50 yards for squirrel from the heavy barrel NEF Ultra Varmint .223 rifle.

The NEF has a factory worked <3 lb trigger, polished bore and weighted stock for an all up 10 lb+ rifle.

100 yd 10 shot NEF group under 1 inch. I have done better at times and much worse with any wind. This rifle shoots! But the little bullet does not buck the wind well at all. Check the topic I linked up the page for the full story.

http://s30.photobucket.com/user/rhymeswithwhat/media/223Rem.jpg.html>

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • David R.
onondaga posted this 08 June 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=7581>apbluebass:

The lube grooves are to hold lube when using traditional pressure lube and a Lubesizer. I use only Tumble Lube so the grooves are insignificant to me. Lube grooves do not relate to seating depth for cast bullets. Cast bullets generally shoot best when seated to engage the lands from just kissing them  up to about .020” engagement. You have to find the spot your rifle likes best.

Gary

Attached Files

Dale53 posted this 08 June 2013

My favorite bullet is the Lyman 225415. I used it for hunting in my TC Contender in both the Hornet and the .221 Fireball. I also have a Fireball rifle (a #3 Ruger single shot with custom wood). They make terrific squirrel rifles and pistols.

Of course there is NOTHING wrong with onondaga's choice as his target says it all.

My TC Contender will do 1/2” at fifty yards off a rest and that's good enough for squirrels and then some. The flat nose bullet works much better for one shot kills of edible small game.

My favorite alloy for .22 bullets is linotype as they cast so beautifully (and they weigh VERY close to one another). I size to .225” and lube with a good alox based lube.

FWIW, Dale53

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 08 June 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=44>Dale53:

I wish I could say that my choice of the Lyman 225646 was well thought out and scientific. It wasn't at all. Some years ago I decided I wanted to try cast in my .223 rifles and the only mold in the caliber and in stock at MidwayUSA was the Lyman 225646. I just bought it and made it work. Actually, I think it is ugly and would prefer a flat nose for hunting. However, it kills squirrels, chucks, snapping turtles and one fox just fine.

I had a great stroke of luck choosing a light weight flat nose cast bullet mold for my Remington Spartan single shot in 7.62X39. These shoot even better at 50 yards for squirrel. The Lee TL314-90-SWC. I tumble lube/size at .3125” and shoot them with 3 gr. H TiteGroup at 1150 fps:

 http://s30.photobucket.com/user/rhymeswithwhat/media/50yds.jpg.html>http://s30.photobucket.com/user/rhymeswithwhat/media/6grTiteGroup.jpg.html>

Attached Files

apbluebass posted this 08 June 2013

out of curiosity... are you folks locking your guns in a bench vise when you test?

Attached Files

Mike H posted this 08 June 2013

I am not shooting these loads being mentioned, however if the load is accurate, there is no reason why the groups shown could not be shot.I would believe the results published.I would say believe what is shown and try and equal them or do better.The human body is capable of far more than most people think possible. Mike.

Attached Files

onondaga posted this 08 June 2013

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=7581>apbluebass:

My groups pictured were shot at my club range on a home made front rest and a commercial rear bag. I am not new to marksmanship, 63 years old, retired from competitive shooting with a 6.82” 5 shot group at 1,000 yards lifetime best with an open class 25.06. That was pretty special in the 1960-70s but not so today. I have never owned a “Brick House” rest or even shot from one that locks a rifle down. My bench shooting form is very old school. I hold my rifle in a float on the rests and allow my pulse to move the cross hairs to wander in a floating horizontal 8, then I do a breathing exercise to slow my heart rate and when the X of the horizontal 8 is on the mark, I squeeze the trigger between heart beats. This is also known as Zen shooting. It takes strength and concentration to float a rifle in horizontal 8's and the old style is not popular with today's competitors. The “Brick House” is popular these days.

  My setup recently doing some chronograph work and 50 yard group shooting with the Remington Spartan 7.62X39mm :

http://s30.photobucket.com/user/rhymeswithwhat/media/P5170135_zpseedd7772.jpg.html>

Attached Files

Canuck Bob posted this 08 June 2013

This is truly interesting for me. I finally bought a dedicated varmint rifle, Handi 22 hornet. It has a quick 9” twist and I'm considering heavier mid velocity cast bullets.

Tobe exact I'm a plinker and this rifle may never see a scope but in my world it is a varmint rifle. My varmints include coyotes and wolves but mostly pine cones and stump knots.

I'm thinking 60 grains FN with a respectable meplat for such a small caliber. I guess like a Bee bullet. Anybody use such a bullet?

Attached Files

apbluebass posted this 08 June 2013

nice set up! As soon the powder I ordered shows up, I will be loading up a bunch of these puppies. I just cast them with a lyman 255450- 45 grain spire point. It is an obsolete mold so I plan on doing a bunch of testing on these with different charges... I will update

Attached Files

Dale53 posted this 09 June 2013

I generally use a normal rifle rest set up for my Contenders and rifles. For revolvers, I find my self using a rest similar to the front of the pictured rest:

http://www.mtmcase-gard.com/products/shooting/shooting-rests-psr.html

Dale53

Attached Files

gnoahhh posted this 09 June 2013

You guys and your rests! If I can't get a rifle to shoot at least 1MOA, off hand, I sell it.:P

(I've sold lots of rifles in my life! Ha ha.)

Attached Files

Close