Lee .22 Bator

My rifle is a Savage FLVSS and even though the throat is so long the little bullet has to jump a 1/4 inch to hit the rifling if it were seated with just the gas check in the case the seating depth is quite important. Something I wouldn't have expected. Unless the bullet is seated so it has to jump more than .4 inch to the rifling I just get random patterns; the difference is startling going from scattered patterns to sub-moa groups.

Has anyone else played much with this bullet in the .223? Also what is the origin of the name, presumably it is of the designer but who is that and what was the bullet designed for?

andrew

I'm wondering if when you seat just to cover the gascheck if that is such an inefficient amount, that the bullet is not straight with the case? Might be why seating deeper shoots better because the neck has more of a purchase on the bullet to align it. You might load some with just seating the to the cover the gas check and then seeing if the round is straight by rolling it on a known good flat surface and watching to see if the bullet nose wobbles or...unless you have the proper device to measure if the seated bullet is out of round.

Joe

Wally Bator is the principal behind this one. It was a group buy via Midsouth. The boolit was first designed, and then modified by several of us 22 shooters over a period of a couple of months, making sure everyone shooting 22's had a say. The boolit is no longer is production by Lee, but hopefully it will be redone, but this time by David Mos, whom we are talking into making a four banger at an almost exact copy of the boolit. Yes, the boolit design is that good for 100 yard bench shooting, and deserves a quality coppered iron mold the size of a two banger, but with four holes instead of two. If interested, please add your name to this thread. ... felix

what is the projected cost on this Felix ?

Bill, don't know as of yet, but assume a 100 or more. Sundog (Corky) is possibly going to talk with him, not this saturday tomorrow, but next during the bolt matches where and when he likes to make an appearance. ... felix

I am currently saving my sheckles for a Stevens 200 in either .223 or .308. The Bator mold is intriguing. Please add my name to the "interested" list. Whether i buy or not is dependent on cost, of course.
Thanks,

Doc

I want one of these. The heavier the better. Add me to the list. I'm also down for the .434-210-RF gas check version if anyone gets that one going.

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Originally Posted by StarMetal

andrew

I'm wondering if when you seat just to cover the gascheck if that is such an inefficient amount, that the bullet is not straight with the case? Might be why seating deeper shoots better because the neck has more of a purchase on the bullet to align it. You might load some with just seating the to the cover the gas check and then seeing if the round is straight by rolling it on a known good flat surface and watching to see if the bullet nose wobbles or...unless you have the proper device to measure if the seated bullet is out of round.

Joe

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Might also be because seating it deeper alters the pressure curve. You would think it would increase pressure, therefore velocity, but not always. I've found that sometimes seating the bullet up against the lands actually increases velocity versus same load seated 100 thou deeper.

Hmm same problem with my Savage 222/20ga. I can load the 45 grain boolit so only the gas check is in the case, and still not touching the lands. If I load it so I can't see the grease grooves, it shoots better....By far. 1 to 1.5" @ 50 yards and 8" @ 100 yards. Its a 50 yard gun. If I see a squirrel @ 100, I couldn't hit it anyhow....Probably not even @ 50, so what I have works for me.

Still expermenting with this one. Gonna try a RCBS 58 grainer some time. I am also trying unsized and lubed with Lee liquid ear wax.

Sure would like to see this bator boolit. I have a 222, 223 and 22-250.

http://www.hunt101.com/img/322642.jpg this is the bator boolit

Now I'm confused. That doesn't look like what I thought I had, as a Bator design.

Ric, which one do you have? I did not know you were into 22's. ... felix

Felix, nothing but a blank space in post #10.

Thanks

...........Andrew 375, I bought a Savage M112, the single shot in 223 back when they re-introduced them. I hate to admit it as the rifle is such a fine shooter now, but it was giving me fits at first.

Did a chamber cast and found out the lands were uneven in the leade due to the chamber having been cut a bit "off" shall we say? Plus the throat was a tad too long. I probably could have sent it back to Savage as that IS NOT their norm.

Instead I took it to my gunsmith and showed him the chamber cast. He did some measureing and checking. The beauty of the Savage barrel system shown right through, as the next day he had it done. He removed 3 threads, set the barrel back and rechambered it.

It went from shooting 1 to 1.5" groups at 100 yards (jacketed) to shooting in the .3's, and is an honest 1/2" rifle. No problem shooting cast in it at all. Even the little 43gr Lyman RN shoots like a house afire. 14" twist, btw.

We were just talking about it the other day. I only shoot it once a year when we go ground squirrel shooting. Otherwise at the range it's so dang predictable that it's just a waste of components to shoot it to make tiny holes in paper to no purpose. Been there, done that. Over and over, and over.

.............Buckshot

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Originally Posted by felix

Ric, which one do you have? I did not know you were into 22's. ... felix

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I just looked, and the mold I have is for the same bullet as you show. I have a Remington 700 I picked up last spring. It does shoot cast fairly well, but I absolutely hate the almost non-existant extraction, ejection, it seems to suffer from. I'd trade it for a claw extractor rifle in a minute.

Felix;
Is it just my imagination, or is that a C309-113F that was not washed in woolite and shrank?
The C309-113F is my favorite light bullet for all the .30s I shoot, will take care of all cans, squirrels, rabbits and small hogs at up to 70-80 yds, does under 1" at 50yds with receiver sights in my .303 '99.
I am surprised to see a .22 mold from Lee, had the impression they would not or could not cut molds smaller than 6.5mm.
Don

Drinks, it is a function the boring bar length needed to cut the depth needed. The 6.5 cruise missile was very long and the holes were very deep -- causing boring bar deflection.

The smallest LEE has cut for us was .177 --- but it was a very short projectile too.

Oldfeller