.22 Hornet, Bator mold!

I just got a .22 Bator mold. I've never cast any .22 caliber bullets before. WOW!
The sprue is the same diameter as the bullet it looks like! And I'll bet you have to be fastern' Chuck Norris on a bottom pour furnace to keep from pouring lead everywhere! Is it hard to keep a mold up to casting temperature pouring two drops of lead at a time? And then there's them leetle beetie gaschecks.....!
Anyway, I've had a CZ 527 in hornet for a couple years now, so it was bound to happen sooner or later. And then Isaw I could finally get a Bator mold, so that decided it.
I'll be casting out of water dropped WW with a little lino in it.
Anyone have some good loads for a Hornet they'd share? BTW, I AIN"T gonna be paper patching this one....
Hmmm...2545 bullets per 20 lbs. alloy:shock::cbpour:

Just got that mould myself. I presume yours is from Midsouth also?

I may try casting a few tomorrow if I get in the mood. It certainly does look like a challenge. Mine are to used in a .223 Saiga, just because I enjoy being contrary.

Yes, I'd been watching for it at Midsouth, and decided that was an inexpensive way to see if I could make my CZ shoot cast. The smallest boolet I have ever cast was 180 gr. RCBS .30 cal. I've cast boolets for over 30 years, but mostly for pistol and 45/70, .358 Winchester, etc. This is going to be different, I can already tell! :bigsmyl2:

It's not a mould that you want to lee-ment.

I have had good results in .222 and 22-250 with the Bator, but so far not so good in Hornet (Ruger 77-22). I have not experimented much yet, so I may find a combination that works in the future. The Lyman 46 gr. works well enough to preclude spending much time on the Bator.

I have the 22 Bator mold now for a couple of years. Have not worked with it alot but what little I have it looked to be OK.

Its just that my 225415HP works so good that I hate to try any thing different. The one thing I have noticed is that for me straight linotype cast a whole lot easier for the 22 boolits that any other alloy that I have tried.

I have also noticed that linotype makes a one piece varmint into 2 or 3 pieces at 2500fps...................Terry

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Originally Posted by softpoint

Yes, I'd been watching for it at Midsouth, and decided that was an inexpensive way to see if I could make my CZ shoot cast.

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I have a CZ 527 and was thinking about casting for it. What load are you using?

It's hard to even see the gas check step in that mold. The checks for .22s are really thin.

i got he 22 bator in on friday cleaned it up good to day gonna see how it will cast tomorrow // only problem i have now is deciding which new rifle to get leaning towards the savage model 40 // all loads will be low speed for tree rats if any one has a better idea of a rifle that would work or any thing that may be bad about the savage let me know /// i'll let you all know how the casting session turns out later
mule

Chuck S1, Ihaven't developed a cast load ,yet, But I will probably use 2400 powder. I use H110 and Lil Gun for jacketed

well got the bator heated up and working /// cast about 300 bollits and no problems // this was the first time i have tried to cast anything this small but was surprized the mold did very well better than what has been coming from lee latley /// preheated the mold over the pot and only had 4 or 5 dicards from the lot guess this one will be a keeper now have to get me a load worked up for the contender and cause i have this need to get a new rifle to go with it
mule

My CZ likes lyman 225-438 and 4759. It seems to be allergic to lil'gun.

I just Ordered the Bator from Midsouth cause Dale said he had good luck with it on a .222.

Glad you asked; This afternoon I went and took my scoped Handi-Hornet out to try it with the Bator.
7.4 Grns, no GC, AA5744 gave me a 1.5" group at 50 yards 3" below POA.
7 Grns ,with GC, WC820 that is like #9 gave me 1" 9-ring groups at 100 yards and tiny little clusters 1.5" above POA at 50 Yards. The boolit was seated to .003 short of touching the the lands (which may vary the length to your particular Handi or other 22 Hornet) so I will not list mine; all I can say is the they looked like very long cartridges!!
The #9 allowed me to feel confident in using this Pb boolit on prairie dogs. I shot at a PDog target and was getting head and solid body shots.
The boolits came out to 15BHN (ww with 24" off a 95/5 roll for ~<10 pounds)
I went to the range while resting from the flu so next time (Saturday) i will take the Chrono. This same 1"/12" rifle with 45 GRN Hornadys and 12.5 1680 is a 3/4" shooter at 100 Yards. I believe I will develop the #9 load some more as I now have 4,00 gas Checks and much alloy, not to mention the ~24 pounds of WC820.


Did not do well 5.4 grns 2400. HTH

Armex, thanks for the Hornet post. I have the same gun, a bunch of #9, and a virgin Bator mold. Your results are very encouraging. Have you tweaked your Handi or is it stock? That's some pretty good shooting, love to see pictures.

I will take a camera today, hopefully my targets are still up and will learn how to post pictures.
The hornet is stock and I have not needed to place a rubber washer like I did on the 280. It is so stock the I would like to lighten the trigger pull to see if the will improve it and other Handi's performance.

I'm going to try to get to cast some Bator's today. Along with the CZ527 I have,I am going to load some in .223 and try them in my Remington 40XBR in .223. This rifle has shot .290once, and does .35 or better always if I do my part with jacketed bullets. So how good should it shoot with Bators? 1 in 14 twist.:cbpour:

This will be one of the test vehicles

I cast a few Bators and shot a bit today, sized .225 and checked, Felix lube. Tried Unique, RL7, and H4227 in the Hornet. CZ527 Hornet of mine will have nothing to do with 'em so far. 3-4 inches at 25 yards. With every powder, every load. Maybe they are too heavy to stabilize in the CZ. I haven't checked the twist, I will now that I see things aren't working.
Remington 40xbr was a better story. 11grains of 5744 was the only load I had time to try today after working with the CZ. 40xbr in .223 has 1/14 twist. First group at 25yards, 5 shots, .240. Moved out to 50 yards and tried again, 5 more shots. .700. At least I know the bullet is capable!
Time permitting, tomorrow I will try more in the 40x:cbpour:

Softpoint, I'd be real interested in what your find out. I have a 527 in .223 with the 1-12 (or is it 1-14? I forget) and I just got a 225438 mold that I'm gonna try.

I got my mold (well actually two of them, couldn't argue with the price) in the mail today. This is going to be my first attempt casting for the .223. I also got 1000 Hornady gas checks. Hopefully it will go well. My goal is to find a somewhat reduced load that will cycle my AR for plinking. I don't need super accuracy, 4 MOA at 100 yards would meet my plinking needs fine. Better would be great of course.

The bator shoots well in my 222 and 223, but poorly in 22-250, and lousy in my
K-Hornet. Bullet is just to long for my hornet's twist, and probably same for 22-250.
1Shirt!:coffeecom

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/atta...1&d=1259540469
Here is the promised picture from shooting the Hornet with 8 Grns WC820,
100 yards at Green Mill Sportsmans Club in Eastern Boulder Cnty,CO
I just got over a long bout with Flu, colds and fluctuating Blood levels.
Rifle is a laminated Handi, scoped with a Simmons 3X9.

Glad this thread is still alive. I haven't been able to get back to the Bator mold. Too many guns, Too little time! I've been working with 2 big bore rifles the past couple of weeks.. Interested in some more .223 loads for this mold, as I'm thinking my Hornet ain't gonna shoot 'em.:-P

was able to load and test the bator over the holiday in tc contender // tried two differnt powders unique 2.9 grns 3.1 grns and 3.2 grns best group was with the 3.1 grn load 1 inch at 25 yds /// 2400 4 grns 4.2 grns and 4.4 grns best group was about i.5 inches all shots were made using a trailer bed as a rest not too fancy but it was dropped on the range by pop and i didn't have time to get the truck too move it also why only 25 yrd shots were taken no chrony used but these are mild loads just above 22lr
mule

Trying to get a mold for it. But I do have a couple of molds in 22 cal. One
has been mention on this thread, but the other has not.
It is an Ohaus # 109, which I have not been able to find anything about. The is mold is also marked 22-050-f. Which I assume to mean 22 cal. 50 grain and Flat nosed. It appears to be a gas checked bullet but I can't tell for sure. It is longer than my Lyman 225438. I intend to cast some bullets with it this week.
I have 3 guns I'd like to try it with, as well as the Bador, if I get it. A Reed Express, convertedCZ52,:If is is indeed gas checked,. My FN57, and my 218 Bee. I would also like to use the Bador in them If I get it..
Any help or comment would be welcomed..:brokenima

While you live, Live in clover,' CAUSE once you're dead, You;re dead all over. Be careful when reloading.

The 22 Bator is a great mould, very similar to Lyman's 225462 lots of bearing surface. When looking for a good load don't forget AA1680, my Handi rifle dotes on 11-12 grains with the Bator or any other bullet I want to use. My Handi-Hornet will shoot into an honest 1-1/4 with no wind @ 2480 fps. when I'm having a good day. No wind in the Texas panhandle is rare but sometimes we get lucky and things work out.

IIRC, that Ohaus 22-050-F would be their version of the Lyman 225415, the older 48/49 grain version. My Hornet (#3 Ruger, 16" twist) likes them (the 225415) ahead of 7.8 grains of SR4759 with a RP 7-1/2 primer, seated out to touch the rifling. I expect about the same from the .22 Bator, mine runs about 49 grains. Be careful, them cast .22's get addictive real quick...welcome to the fun.

For anyone looking, the bator is in stock at midsouth, including the 6 cavity version.

I just placed an order for the 6-cavity one. I have the two cavity, but the six should really speed things up if it stays hot enough.

I know I've posted this before. But I shoot the same rifle and boolit. 12g of Lil'Gun shoots these minute-o-squirrel at 100 yards.

BTW YES Leement that mould. I had to remove the sprue plate and use 600 wet sand on the top, and lap the cavities the machining was so crappy. Now it looks like hell but drops good boolits.

I had a 22 Hornet 10" Contender barrel, still have a 21" 22 K-Hornet Contender barrel. With cast the best powder I have found is WC680, close to the same as AA680.
Can shoot cast at up to 2,700fps with excellent accuracy.

A 223 Handy followed me home today. Please keep on posting. I need some help. Its my first CF 22. I will have to start collecting 22 stuff now.
Kevin

Anybody tried RX7? (in hornet?)

My 12 twist Handi-Hornet's second most accurate load is 11.5 gr. RX 7 with the Lyman 225438 . The only problem is velocity or lack thereof. The little Lyman is really handicapped when our Panhandle breezes blow, and that is almost everyday LOL! The longer bullets seem to "carry up" better for praire doggin out past 100 yards. My favorite bullet is the RCBS 55 fp., with 12 grains AA 1680 seated in the lands my hit ratio goes way up. This is the most accurate load in this rifle as it shoots in a 1-1/4 to 1 groups @ 100 yds. This rifle will hit coke can size targets out to 200 yds easily.

My three favorite powders for the hornet with boolits are Re#7, 4759, and 4227.

My 6-cavity bator arrived today. I'm considering getting myself a 10" Contender barrel in .22 Hornet that is for sale locally. Anyone have any experience with the bator in the .22 Hornet Contender, specifically the pistol length ones? I actually got the mould for .223, but being able to use it in the Hornet too would be nice.

Landric, you might want to check the twist in that bbl, checked my 14 inch today, it's a 1 in 12, I think the older ones are 1 in 14. And if you really want to have fun try paper patching:veryconfu