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View Full Version : NOE - 225-55gr - FN - Just plain fun!



Griz44mag
05-27-2013, 09:15 PM
OK so while on the phone last night with Goodsteel (remarkable individual, and a real pleasure to talk with) the subject came up about casting for 22.
It suddenly hit me, that I have done a proper cast boolit workup for the new Mossberg MVP, so the saga begins today, as if I did not have enough irons in the fire already.
The bullet I am going to use for this workup is the NOE 255-55gr-FN
The mold is a fairly recent buy from Al, and this was it's maiden voyage.
I had been casting with the RCBS twin of this bullet in a 2 cavity steel.
The NOE mold makes some nice bullets once you get the temp and the rhythm in harmony with each other.
Because you aren't adding a lot of heat to the mold with each cast, the pace starts out furious, almost able to keep decent offspring coming forth, but as the mold began breaking in better, the pace slowed and the acceptable output ratio started to climb. The casting process with this particular mold rates very high on the fun scale. Overall, looks like the cull rate is going to be 7 or 8 percent. I'm sure that will get better with more experience with this mold and getting the timing down better.
With the recent shortage of available bullets in the .224-.225 size if I am going to keep feeding this neat little rifle, I am going to be casting for it.
Today I cast a range of boolits using 15BHN, 18BHN, 20BHN and 22BHN. This will allow a proper test of pressure and accuracy.
Since this is a gas check design, I will be using gas checks punched from .010 copper roof flashing. I'll punch a few first, and check them for fit. If they are not tight enough, I'll break out the .012 stock I use for the .308 rounds.
As dropped, weights range from 56.8 to 55.2 depending on the alloy of course.
Size as dropped, nose .217, driving band .226, lube groove .190, OAL .652, and gas check base .214
Below is NOE's drawing, PDG considering the alloy.
It will be a week before checking and lubing, another week before shooting.
To be continued....

7177371774

Bullshop
05-27-2013, 09:38 PM
This one has been an outstanding performing design for me working well in so many different cartridges.

Griz44mag
05-27-2013, 09:49 PM
Bullshop,
What pressures, speeds and hardness are you running for your applications? I sure would not mind having a few short-cuts to look at as I start ladder testing for the MVP Bolt Gun.
Have you tried this round in a semi-auto yet? I have not shot lead in any of my EBR guns as I heard that there was a chance of lead scraping off into the gas port. That would probably be a real issue trying to clear it.

runfiverun
05-27-2013, 10:42 PM
visually cull like they owe you money.
then weight sort, I go .1 gr groups.
I use 12 -13 grs of 2400 for stuff and fun.
for the ar's, and the 223 I move to 4895 when I want some speed.

Bullshop
05-28-2013, 09:57 AM
I have used this design in cartridges ranging from the diminutive 22 Cooper up to the zippy 22/250.
Although for the smaller cases I have used ACWW for the most part I like an alloy of 6/1 COWW/monotype at BHN-15 if AC or BHN-24 if quenched and match the hardness to the pressure.
These have been used from 1/9 to 1/14" twist. The very limited velocity of the 22 Cooper with 1/14" twist shoots them accurately at less than 100 yards or there about but holes in paper show some tipping. My finished boolits with this design run 60+ gn depending on alloy.
No formal lab type testing done just a lot of shooting from differing cartridges and all seem to confirm a good design that fits the average throat dimensions of most 22 cal chambers.
I have not used them in a semi auto as I do not have on but I know there are plenty of folks here that are doing so.

Cane_man
05-28-2013, 11:01 AM
i have the 3 cav version of this mold... it has been hard to break in, still after the 3rd casting swirls on the ogive are common, still have not figured this mold out... been casting at 750F and keeping a good pace with a bottom pour... inconsistencies probably due to me being a rookie, but out of 10 molds i have so far this is the only one i have not been able to get consistent results with yet... they are dropping at about 60-62 gr and .225 to .226

tested some out using range lead 11 BH air cooled, using RL7 (all i had), results were sporadic at 100 yards, was aiming for around 2000 fps with a bolt .223...

what velocities are you guys looking for out of this boolit? what powders do you like?

runfiverun
05-28-2013, 08:35 PM
I run the rcbs version from about 1600 up through 2800.
it just depends on what I feel like doing.
powders from 4064 down to bullseye work just fine.
my alloy makes them come out at about 57 grs.

nighthunter
05-28-2013, 10:41 PM
I use this same bullet in several .223's, an old Savage 340, a Ruger 77 and a Bush Master semi auto. This bullet with gas check installed weighs 63 grains. I size them .225. The load I have settled on is 22.0 grains IMR 4895. Loaded length is 2.150. I have a photo of a 30 shot group at 100 yds but I can't figure out how to post it with Windows 8. 23 of the shots are in less than an inch with the other 7 not very far away. My alloy is one of the copper enriched mixtures using copper sulfate to enrich the alloy. This bullet and load work extremely well in all 3 .223's I have tried it in and the results are repeatable. Somehow I will figure out how to get the photo online.

Nighthunter

Cane_man
05-28-2013, 10:57 PM
^^^ how far off the lands do you seat the boolit?

edit: forgot to ask are you using something to expand the neck? i know i normally dont do this for rifle, but with lead boolits maybe it would help... i dunno

nighthunter
05-30-2013, 10:28 PM
Cane Man .... I bell the mouths with a M die. Not very much, just enough so the gas check completely enters the case mouth. My seating die is set to remove the belling but not a crimp. With the bullet sized at .225 I use just the neck tension to keep the bullet in place. I have not had any problems doing it this way, even in the semi auto.

Nighthunter