Rim Fire Hand Loading

[wpcexpert]

Here is a question for the masses. Why won't the companies sell "pre-primed" rimfire ammo and let us load it our selves. Think of the accurace we could obtain out of our 17HMR's and 22MAG's if we weren't at the mercy of factory ammo. I know I'd like to get better out of my 17 HMR (MOA @ 100yds). But seriously, why not?

[Hawg]

Even at the prices they charge for loaded rounds in my opinion it would still be cheaper to buy loaded rounds.

[wpcexpert]

That's is most definately a true statement. But the cost savings isn't why I reload for my rifles; pistols and plinking, yes. Most load for the better obtained accuracy. My questions is just simply, why not?

[DaveInPA]

I think the OP is mainly referring to the added accuracy he would obtain from handloading for his .17 HMR

[Hawg]

I reload for my hunting and target rifles and for pistols that are too expensive to shoot otherwise. For everything else I buy factory loads. I don't have a .22 mag or a .17 because of the cost factor. The .17 uses a heeled bullet(not sure about the .22 mag). I'm not sure how hard that would be to load on a home press even with proper dies but methinks it would be a can of worms.

[TatersDad81]

I understand not wanting to pay more each day for .17HMRs. When I bought my Savage .17, the Hornady SSTs were the only thing available. ~9 bucks/box. Now there are several different manufacturers and bullet styles to choose from and the prices are still going up. Aren't prices supposed to go down as the demand is lowered and more competitors come to the table? I don't lose sleep over buying .17s. Its the other rounds that concern me...

I shoot 1/2" groups @ 100yds with my Savage (Bull Barrell) and 17g Hornady SSTs. I can live with those kind of results for squirrels and turtles.

[wpcexpert]

How often do you clean your rifle and how many rounds do you have thru it? My best group yet is 3/4 at 100yds, that was with the Hornady's.

[CPTMurdoc30]

Me personally I would not want to be squeezing that rim while seating a bullet. It only takes one POP and your eyes may be gone for ever. Regardless of safety glasses or not.

Still would cost you the same or more to reload rimfires. and then you would only get one shot out of each case. How are you going to make sure that one spot that is crimped is not under the firing pin when you load it? You can't unless you load one at a time and that would get real boring real quick.

[jmorris]

In a world where you can buy pet rocks and vomit flavor jelly beans, I’d say if they could make any money selling a product, they would be. The mighty dollar drives most businesses.

Chances are you are not going to find a powder that’s any better than the one they use, as rimfire powders are different and you are not going to have any luck finding bullets either.

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

I think it's because Rimfired brass that has been primed has a higher chance than a centerfire to go off accidentally.

[Scorch]

The .17 uses a heeled bullet(not sure about the .22 mag).

Sorry, but neither one of those use heeled bullets. 22LR, 22 Long, 22 Short, et al, yes, heeled bullet. 17 HMR uses a standard bullet, as does 22 WMR.

As for loading your own rimfire ammo: WHY? It would not be cheaper than factory-loaded ammo, almost certainly. If you want match accuracy, you can buy match grade 22LR. 22WMR may never be a match-grade round, for a number of reasons. And 17HMR is already pretty accurate.

[wpcexpert]

Everything that has been said, is either true, or very notable. But why is everyone acting as if I need talked out doing it. I don't care if it's not cheaper, I don't care if the .17HMR is already darn accurate, I don't care to go and buy a match grade barrel.

All I wanted to know is Why Not? Who cares why I want to? Just why not?

[wpcexpert]

MosinFreak, I thought about that too. But what about the 500 count box of .22lr that you can shake, and that roll around in the floorboards that are safe and stable. They could package pre-primed cases simalarly to primers are packaged now.

[Hawg]

Sorry, but neither one of those use heeled bullets. 22LR, 22 Long, 22 Short, et al, yes, heeled bullet. 17 HMR uses a standard bullet, as does 22 WMR.

My apologies then. I don't have one and was apparently using bad info.

[TEDDY]

ok heres one for you all.were is the priming compound in the rim yes but as dust it could accumulate and come out there is no disk holding it in. would you like it to go off.why play with fire.they used to make 22 velodog center fire for pistols.I have some.necked down they would be like the 17.some of the long rifle were sold empty yrs ago.and remember these or made on auto matic machines that do the complete cartridge at a rate you cant imagine.it would stop the whole line to take out the primed shell.this is one reason I think about the future before I would buy a gun that is not going to be available for cartridges.frankly how many of the new cart will survive thru the yrs.--

[Ruger4570]

wpcexpert: You may be the only person interested in handloading rimfires in this Country.
It would cost the manufactures more money to simply design and make a box to hold the primed brass than you and all your buddies interested in playing with doing this would spend.
Other than the obvious safety reasons with loading a rimfire and of course getting powder to do it that is not available to reloaders.
Even If the components were actually available, powder, primed cases, dies and shell holders,,, I would still just buy them for less money and trouble.
I prefer to load shells that can be reloaded several times, not once.

[dakotashooter2]

You are forgetting one of the primary factors of accuracy. How the cartridge fits the chamber. Because centerfire cases can be used several times one can "size" them to fit an individual guns chamber which should add to the accuracy. That feature would not be possible with a pre-primed RF case. Every time you use a new piece of brass you are essentially "starting over". Another factor may be, do you have the ability to measure powder to a hundredth of a grain instead of a tenth, because in such a small case that is what it may take to fine tune a load. Next is bullet seating. Most 17 & caliber j bullets currently in production are probably designed to be crimped in a centerfire case and may not allow the appropriate oal in a RF case. Given that the bullet and powder probably costless than .03 per round in the loaded ammo the primed cases will likely cost as much as loaded ammo... then add on the cost of bullets (.17s are around $15/100). So instead of $10 for a box of loaded rounds you will probably be loading them for $17-18. for an additional .10 to .25 an inch (if you can get any) of accuracy at the bullets EFFECTIVE range. Sounds like a lot of work for very little gain. I would guess that the manufacturers have probably already maxed out the accuracy.

[wpcexpert]

Alright, I understand. No Rimfire loading in the near or concevable future. I guess the monetary gain of the manufactures is the real reason. Not to mention all the safety hazzards involved.

I wonder though, what kind of powder does go in the rimfires...and how dangerous would it be to pull a bullet... JUST KIDDING GUYS

I'll erase any thoughts of loading the rimfires. <DELETE>

[SL1]

I have some trepidations about resurrecting a dead horse, but here goes:

I do remember reading somewhere about shooters in Mexico getting around that country's laws (on ammo or guns?) by shooting hand-seated bullets down barrels using 22 blanks and/or those nail-gun cartridges.

I don't see why this could not be done with a bullet of the shooter's choice, provided a blank cartridge of some sort that fits the chamber can be found.

This would not make for a "handy" varmint rifle. It would be more like shooting a single-shot air gun, but with more umph.

SL1

[johnbt]

I bought 2 Jewell triggers from a man 7 or 8 years ago and during the course of our phone call he mentioned that he had at one time loaded .22 WMR using factory-primed brass. Obviously he knew somebody. He tried different powders and different bullets and concluded that he was wasting his time. It certainly sounded like he knew what he was doing from what he described.

Now, I don't know for a fact that this gentleman is in a benchrest hall of fame of any sort, but the shooter that directed me to him is.

He said that he paid 50 cents each for the primed cases.

And I got the 2 Jewell triggers in the mail before he received my personal check.

John

[Sport45]

I don't know if I'd try it even if I had a .22 mag, but the link below describes how they used to modify factory loads.

http://www.gun-tests.com/performance...reloading.html

[wpcexpert]

Thank you sport45. You da man.