222

[starmac]

I need suggestions for what mold to get for use in an old savage 222. I have read where some guys do not like casting for the little boolits, is it really that bad/hard.

[hickfu]

I would like to know as well as I have an old Savage 222 that I have around 200 bullets for, then its done. I wont buy factory ammo any more.


Doc

[starmac]

I have a box and a half of factory ammo that came with it, and no plans to buy more. lol
I do need to find brass too though.

[Tatume]

Little bullets can be hard to get to fill out. Add some tin to your wheel weight metal and get your alloy and mold hot. A little frosting on your bullets is a good sign that you are operating at optimum temperature. Linotype makes very nice 22 bullets!

[ShooterAZ]

I have the RCBS 22-055 and you just have to cast really fast to keep the mold hot. No big deal. It shoots great in my .223's. The alloy I have been using is either #2 or 2.5/2.5/95. That mold cast awesome boolits as long as you have a hot mold.

[Czech_too]

IMO, the only thing hard about casting .22 caliber is that it takes a while to get any real accumulation of boolits. The NOE 4 - 6 cavity have solved that, for the most part. I'm just dealing with the 2 cavity little by little. I'll get the stockpile up sooner than later.

Brian

[ShooterAZ]

Ha! A little teeny tupperware container holds a LOT of boolits! As fast as you have to cast with the 22's, you wind up with a lot of boolits in short order. I agree that a 4 cavity would be nice...wish RCBS made them.

[Bjornb]

Yeah I've definitely been bitten by the .222 bug. Picked up a great Remington 700 that's a real shooter. Read up on the caliber; not much info about bullets/boolits above 50-53 grains. So I asked about moulds in another thread and Larry Gibson recommended the 225462 (Loverin). This mould is made from unobtaineum, so today I ordered a NOE 4-cav BRP design, 45 grains. Very similar to the 225438 (current Lyman prod., 45 grains). Got quite a bit of good quality brass from several members after posting in Want To Buy.

[JeffinNZ]

Casting .224 bullet is no more difficult than any other size. You will not go wrong with the 225415.

[SSGOldfart]

225438 if you can find one

[3leggedturtle]

222 is about my favorite calliber in a 10" Contender. I have a 224415H (55gr) I need to load for. I have shot them out of a 22H 10" bull.Cast from wheelweights they will penetrate ALOT more than you would think is possible. Never thought 22 was that much different to cast than small .30cal boolit. I bought this mold back in '92 and cast 1M of them in fairly short order with few rejects after breaking the mold in. Todd/3leg

[Bjornb]

225438 if you can find one

It's right here: http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/bullet-casting/mould-details-rifles.php?entryID=1
Cheaper at Midway.

[waco]

I bought a six cavity Bator mold for my fireball and my brothers savage .223
He has had pretty good luck with 17gr of SR4759

[brotherdarrell]

I need suggestions for what mold to get for use in an old savage 222. I have read where some guys do not like casting for the little boolits, is it really that bad/hard.

The answer is no, 22 cal molds are no harder to use.

I have 12 different 22 cal molds and I dont treat them any different than any other mold I use. I use the same alloy temp and preheat the mold to the same temp as all others. I do cast faster BECAUSE!!!!! It takes less time to pour 55 grs of lead, it cools faster so you end up cutting the sprue sooner and, most important of all, I dont take time out to admire and inspect my boolits until AFTER I am done casting.

Having said all that the saeco copy from NOE has proven to give me the best accuracy to date. 20 grs Imr 4895 will keep 5 shots around an inch @ 100 yards ona windless day. This is from a Rem 788 in 222 that has a badly eroded throat.

Enjoy your new rifle.

Darrell

[DLCTEX]

+1 on 225-438

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Casting them is easy with good technique. It is paper patching them that is a witch. BvT

[.22-10-45]

I see alot of posts on casting fast to keep mould hot..my experience is just the opposite..I have to slow down once mould is up to temp. to allow proper sprue hardening. And I am casting in the 650-700 deg. range.

[Pinsnscrews]

Grab yourself a bunch of Range .223 brass. It can be sized in your Triple Duece dies easily with a little trimming. I am in the process of sending my Triple Duece out to be recut to .222 Rem Mag. The throat is a little too off to shoot worth a ****.
10" Octagon Factory TC Contender Barrel. I am looking at Hornet Round nose style cast boolits, maybe in a HP style as well.

[starmac]

I actually got the rcbs form die and trim die and a neck die with it. I already had a full length set.

[quilbilly]

I have both a Sav. 24-V and a Contender in .222. Both like that Lee Bator 53 gr boolit. The only problem I have had with those little boolits is the tiny gas check in my fat arthritic fingers, especially the Lyman's but I picked up 3,000 of the Lymans at a gunshot for almost nothing.

[MT Gianni]

quillbilly, what powders are you using in the contender. Mine has shot fair with 4198, unique & BE but not great. PM is fine if you don't want to post on the board.

[MT Chambers]

The .222 should be optimum for cast in a .22 c.f., the 37gr. bullet that is offered by NOE would be my first choice, it even had a HP option, I'll be wringing them out this spring in my .218 Mashburn Bee from CPA. Sorry but I'm away from my molds right now and don't remember the mold #.