Primers: SR mag vs SP mag in .221 Rem

[StanDahl]

The Lyman #47 calls for a small rifle magnum primer in the .221 Remington Fireball (TC Contender) with cast boolits, and I don't have any of these primers. The book shows only Rem & CCI making them. Can a small pistol magnum be substituted? I'm going to guess that spmag's aren't as hot as srmag's. I'm not planning to push this very fast - yet.

I'll be shooting cast boolits in this tube, the Lyman 225415 and RCBS 22-55, both moulds picked up yesterday at a show - which brings up a whole 'nother learning curve in itself. Probably the first half of the 300 boolits or so I made last night out of linotype will be junked due to smeared bases. That went away using the BruceB technique, but more experimenting is in order for better fill-out. Mould was real hot, sprue took too long to cool at 850, settled to 750 and sponge cooling. Bases weren't as square as I'd like but the gas check should fix that.

[Bullshop]

This is a real problem with the tiny cavities, you need all the heat to stay in the blocks so cooling the sprue plate doesnt work so well. This is why I have been advocateing a different method that maintanes a more consistant mold temp, which does have several benifits.
I had also mentioned in another thread our new product called Bull Plate lube. This lube will actualy allow you to cut the sprue while still molten and will prevent smearing compleatly. I like to cut the sprue while in the slush stage while still very soft. This allows the cut to be done very easily without hitting the plate, but can be pushed with one finger. By holding slight downward pressure and sliding the plate open you will get perfectly square and compleatly filled bases, even with straight WW alloy.
PM me an address and I will send a sample of Bull Plate lube, please try it then tell all here how it works for you.
BIC/BS

[felix]

Stay with standard pistol primers in the 221 case size, at least for starters. Use mag primers when all else fails. Pistol primers and rifle primers usually have the same chemical mix. Rifle primers are tougher to handle much higher pressures than are required for a great cast load. ... felix

[StanDahl]

Thanks BullShop for your advice and generous offer. I will take you up on that! I think I cured the .22 problem, but my Lee Fat 30 may benefit from your lube.

Thank you Felix for your input. I'll load some up with WSP's and see what happens. Of course I won't know any better if I don't try WSPM's...so I won't go wrong keeping the speed down will I? I read on Greybeard's Contender forum that some like these at 22LR speed, but I'd like to go faster than that at some point.

As for the .22 casting incident, I believe I figured out what I did wrong. I changed 3 variables at once, but I think I pinned the cause down anyway. I was using a dipper yesterday instead of a bottom pour and didn't have enough pressure on the fill. Today, using a nearly full bottom pour pot, a Lyman #2 type alloy and an RCBS 22-055 mould (preheated), the first boolits came out perfectly and so did most of the rest. I could tell before opening the mould whether or not the fill was going to be right, just by how direct the pour was going into the cavity. I have other moulds with the same issues and a direct line into the cavity makes for perfect boolits every time - that and the BruceB wetsponge method. Stan