.22 cast-bullet accuracy?

[Ideal Tool]

Hello, Any one shoot cast bullets in .22 centerfire? What kind of groups are you getting at 100yds.?

[zplinker]

Tried that years ago, before learning that the smaller the diameter of a cast bullet, the harder it seems to get good accuracy. After casting and loading a variety of combinations for the .223, it was off to the range. They all shot like crap. With only a handful left, I wanted to kill something with them. Missed a bunch of small critters, finally caught a gopher sitting on a big rock...shot the rock, and got him. That was the end of my experimenting.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Yup, I shoot 22 cal cast boolits with great accuracy. Not only do I shoot them with accuracy, but I shoot them out of my AR15 at over 2100 FPS.

This mold : http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct...tNumber=102179
(Actually I have a custom duplicate of this mold in a 5 cavity configuration for faster boolit production).

I use Lars Carnuba Red lube, and a gas check of course. Boolit is straight WW alloy, water dropped and sized to .225". My powder of choice is H4895, at 19.0 grains in LC brass, seated just a couple thousandths off the lands (If loading for a bolt rifle load it into the lands). I use CCI SR primers. The tube is a 16" 1-9" twist with a carbine length gas system (if loading for AR's be aware of gas system length when choosing powders.

No leading, no clogging of the gas port.

I do most all my shooting at 50-75 yards because my eyes are not that great (I use iron sights on my "cast-boolit only AR15). I get 3/4-1" 5-shot groups consistently.

[Ideal Tool]

Hello, IllinoisCoyoteHunter. I have a custom Sharps Borchardt 26" Shillen barreled .22 Hornet.
When I first got it, I tried every brand of jacketed bullet I could find..including custom match. I was getting groups in the .3's at 100yds. This was my benchmark.
Then I started loading cast. 5 years and a few custom nose-pour moulds, special tapered sizing dies, nose-first sizing dies, and a whole lot of range time later, I was able to duplicate best jacketed bullet accuracy with cast at 100yds.
Now I can't shoot 3/8" groups every day, but enough to know it isn't a fluke.
Average I would say would be around 7/16 to 1/2". Lots more interesting than merely picking a bullet out of a box, and pulling the handle.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Ideal Tool,

Yes, it is far more fun than merely picking a bullet up out of a box.

I really need to shoot my load out of my heavy-barreled, scoped upper to find out what it can really do. My eyes are not the greatest!

I would like some more info on your hornet load if you don't mind. Curious about your bbl twist rate and velocity too. I don't own a hornet, but I am always curious. Thanks!

[hornetguy]

I've shot some cast out of my Contender carbine .22 K-Hornet. I haven't done enough to have "the" load worked out yet, but I've had fairly good success. So far, I haven't come close to matching my V-Max loads for accuracy, but I believe I'll get there.
I cast the Lyman 47gr swc gc bullet, and the "Bator" bullet from a Lee mold. I've shot the Lyman the most, but am starting to work up loads with the Bator.

[Ideal Tool]

Hello, IllinoisCoyoteHunter. When I spoke with Mr. Ed. Shillen, I told him of my long-time desire to have an accurate Hornet rifle. I said I realized the Hornet was no bench-rest round..but that I wanted to wring the most out of it I could. When he recieved the rifle, he said it brought back many fine memories of when he had his shop in N.Y...there were alot of woodchuck rigs made up on original single-shot actions then. He said he wished he knew who had worked on it. Someone had completly gone thru action, truing and smoothing up mechanics, and with one of the nicest Borchardt triggers he had seen.
He recommended a 1-14" twist Chrome-Moly match 26" brl. Med-heavy varmint. I chose the octagon and sprung for hand-lapping.
He said he would cut a very tight match chamber..and said that if I didn't mind a wait..he would personally do all the barrel work himself in his spare time.
Of course I agreed to this.
I have been using RWS Hornet brass..and it seems to last forever..probably due to the tight close chamber.
I had tried just about every commercial cast bullet out there..some were good..but none were consistant.
The best of the lot was an older single cavity Lyman 225415..weighing 49grs. (the new 225415 is heaver).
I collect antique bullet moulds. I came across an original Ideal 22636..this was for the old .22-15-60 Stevens..cast from a Lyman #2 alloy it weighed 60grs. Far too heavy for my 14" twist.
Using a collet stop, in a bench lathe..these were faced off at 55grs.
I even turned a gas-check shank on some.
With these altered bullets, I shot some of my smallest groups to date.
I sent off samples of each to Fred Leeth at Pioneer Products.
He made up single-cavity nose-pour moulds in plain-base & gas-check each weighing 55grs.
The finest accuracy didn't come until I turned up a tapered sizer die...this taper matches the leade angle in chamber. I can set dia. and taper by using stop on my Lyman 45 lube-sizer.
I size to .226 in a Corbin reloading-press mounted sizer. This sizes nose-first, for perfect concentricity.
Bullets are moly-coated using NECO kit.
My accuracy load for the plain base bullet is first band sized to 3 deg.,
.224" dia. Bullet body sized .226" dia. Lyman Super Moly lube.
7.0gr. H4227, Federal small rifle match primer.
Bullet is seated, so when action is closed, first band is engraved by rifling.

The accuracy load for the gas-check bullet is 3 deg. 1st. band, .224" dia.,
bullet body sized .226"dia. annealed and flattened (special made punch & base for Lyman lube-sizer). Lyman Super Moly.
7.3gr. H4227, Federal small rifle match primer.
Yes for accuracy only..not velocity.. only .3gr. difference in powder charge for gas-check.
I have had problems with getting gas-check flat..the .22 is so thin, it wants to warp or buckle as it's punched. Even annealing doesn't always work.
I had Corbin make up a punch & die set for reloading press to punch center out of check. This takes care of uneven bottoms!
I am now working on loads with these to find out if it really makes a difference or not. Best of luck on your .22 cast bullet work!

[salvadore]

I use to cast the RCBS .22 bullet for a #1AB ruger .223 that I figured went 2300fps. Don't remember the powder or any reloading particulars, but it shot into an inch or a little less with 5 rounds and using lynotype it would cause quite a lot of damage to ground squirrels. Someone told me it was because the lyno was shattering on impact...maybe.

[RevGeo]

My late father was a cast bullet fanatic. He loaded for quite a few .22 centerfires using cast bullets. I still have his molds and guns. My favorite for cast bullets is a Richard Marhoff drilling. The rifle barrel is chambered for .22 Savage Highpower Ackley Imp. Since the .22HP has a groove diameter of .228 the bullets drop from by Lyman molds at close to groove diam. I use 15gr of SR 4759 and a gas check. Shoots great. Makes a great grouse round (legal here in Idaho to shoot forest grouse with a rifle).

George

[c.j.sikes]

i shoot aq .222 rem. 722 and hunt small game with it, works fine up to about 50 yds. only problem is casting them, with paticence in a long day i get a coffey can full if i stay with it, i have single cavety mold. i usualy gas check but not always,my load is light so the farmers dont get excited and bushey-tail never knew what hit him.. good to top of tall cottonwood tree. when the rifle goes of it sounds like a chigger passing gass. lots of fum. cjs