22 cal Bator boolit.

[45-70 Chevroner]

Is anyone using the 22 Bator boolit? and what kind of load are you using? With my alloy this six cavity is dropping 51 to 52 grain boolits. I have loaded 20 rounds with 19 grs. of H-4198 this is an extrapolated load, according to my Lyman manual the max load for a 55 gr. j-word bullet is 21.7 grs. so I think I will be ok. I am having to seat the Bator a little deeper than I would like but my TC. chamber will not allow it to be seated out to where the base is flush with the neck junction.

[357 Voodoo]

I did a little bit of testing with this boolit and my best groups came from 13-14 grns of h-4198. with 13.5 being the best. Above 16 grn groups went to patterns. testing was done in two rifles. I haven't done much more with this as i have found some other boolits to be much better.

I guess it may help this is in a 223

[dudel]

Just got my Bator mould last week. MidSouth had them in stock, so I jumped on it. Have yet to cast with it; but I intend to use them in a Contender with very, very light loads. Trying to bring it down to sub 1000 fps.

[leftiye]

Gee, in a 22-06? Or a 22 CCM?

[Crawdaddy]

Ordered mine yesterday. Going to us it in my AR and mini 14. I have a 220 swift, don't think it would be worthwhile in that caliber. It normally pushes a bullet a 4k fps. Thoughts?

[45-70 Chevroner]

Thanks for the input. I have two other molds both 225415 one a two cav. that drops a 55 gr. boolit and a single cav. that drops a 51 gr. boolit. I have shot both but never with slower rifle powders, most were with unique. I do have some loaded with 4198 but haven't tried them yet. I'm not to sure about the Bator boolit though as for having to seat it so deap, and the load of 19 gr. of 4198 may be a little to fast. I probably would not have ordered it if I had known I would have to seat it so deep. Oh well I can always take a little loss on it and sell it. I'm going to try it out first though. It really does make nice looking boolits.

[Moonie]

I have a 2 cav bator mold with an incorrect nose size, .225 instead of .219 so it has to be seated way too deep, I do not use the mold any longer. My only 22 cal rifle is an AR-15 and with the nose diameter it is unusable.

[Carolina Cast Bullets]

OK, somebody please tell me or better yet, show me what a "Bator" bullet is.

Jerry
Carolina Cast Bullets

[Ashdavely]

There was another post around here about this mold with pictures. A search for 22 bator will find it.

I bought this mold recently and have some trouble with it. The base of the bullets aren't flat. It seems like the sprue cutter isn't square across the top of the mold and there's a significant bump on the base. I was using linotype. This was the first time i've ever used pure linotype and cutting the sprue was difficult.

Anyone else have this problem? Is this problem with the base normal for linotype?

[357 Voodoo]

Ash you may want to cut the sprue a little sooner and maybe counter sink the sprue plate a little deeper That should help

Jerry Here is a thread with pics and a description of the bator mould. link (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=102228)

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I have success with about 7 grs of lilgun.
in both my rugers.
yeah, I need to seat deeper,
but my one Ruger with the rotory magazine likes shorter OAL ammo.

I'm not mentioning calibers or rifle models...SINCE, NO ONE ELSE IS ?????
(well, except moonie and crawdaddy)

ashdavely,

It seems like the sprue cutter isn't square across the top of the mold and there's a significant bump on the base. I was using linotype. This was the first time i've ever used pure linotype and cutting the sprue was difficult.

Anyone else have this problem? Is this problem with the base normal for linotype?
I use an alloy of 1/3 lino and 2/3WW.
are you using a 6 cav mold ?
I have 2 bator molds...both 2 cav. (one is the stepped GC shank, the other is the correct tappered shank).
neither have your mentioned problem.
BUT, I see the same problem with my RD 225-50 in a 6 cav.
luckily it's a PB, so not a big problem. I can see that the sprue plate is slightly warped, I have considered
having a machinist "true up" the Sprue plate, or ordering
a steel one...someone here offers one...Right ???
Jon

[Ashdavely]

I've got the 2 cavity version. I'm thinking my mold wasn't hot enough. Will also try with WW to see if that makes any difference. I was going to just send it back, but for $18 it seems to be worth some extra effort.

Won't making the countersink deeper also make the sprue bigger?

[quilbilly]

I am currently testing the 22 Bator in both 222 and 223 with SR 4759 with single shot rifles. The results with the 222 are pretty good (1" groups at 50 yards) in an old Savage 24V O/U which I intend to use on critters around the property.
The results with 223 in a T/C carbine are frustrating so far but that could be just the barrel which just received brand new iron sights. It seems to require a fouling shot and groups are poor at 100 with 10.8 gr of 4759. Today I will be testing with a load of Unique and a lighter load of 4759. The Lyman book says best accuracy is at around 2200 fps but I was hoping for good results at about 1600-1700 fps for a little less noise.
The Bator boolit is a nice looking boolit with that flat point for taking down hefty pests like the beaver flooding one side of our property plus other damage.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I went out today to try my bator loads, 19 gr of H-4198. I cornographed the first 3 loads they were 2533, 2577 and 2490, SD is not to bad. First shot on paper 3/4" in from dead center. I thought 357 Voodoo might have it all wrong, but everything went south from there, shot gun patterns. I think the 1" in 14" twist of the TC. may be a little slow for the longer bearing surface of the bator boolit. I'm going to have to try Voodoos loads of 13, to 14 grs. of the said powder. I'm still not real pleased with having to seat the boolit so deep, I really think the Lyman 225415 55gr. will do much better with 4198, I know I sure like the looks of it better.

[quilbilly]

Don't rush to judgement on the 22 Bator in the T/C just because everything went south after the first three shots. Some, but not all of my Contender barrels demand to be allowed to cool after two shots. This has been true of my 9mm barrel, my 357 max barrel, and now is really true with the 223 barrel. This morning I chronographed my 4759 load with the bator boolit. The initial velocity was 1960 fps and the second nearly the same but by the 4th shot (30 seconds apart) was down to 1768. After letting the barrel cool for 3 minutes the velocity was back up to 2000 fps.
A second load with Unique initially had a velocity of 1740 and the second was 1720 but by the 4th shot (again 30 seconds apart) had lost 140 fps. After waiting three minutes the velocity was back up to 1720 again.
This is the cause of the vertical stringing others at this site have noted I think. Since I use my various barrels in the field and rarely take more than two shots in a row, I just go with the flow.