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Thread: 22LR Black Powder Reloads - How to Make Them

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    22LR Black Powder Reloads - How to Make Them

    A pictorial of how I make my 22LR black powder reloads:



    Cases: Empty Primed ArmsCor Cases purchased from the Hunting Shack - no longer available

    Mold: David Mos 22KT custom mold. The Lyman 225438 mold can also be used
    * Mos Bullets - 42.4grs cast @ 730F using Bhn 15 alloy for this batch, lubed with Bullshop NASA lube
    Mos Bullet Dimensions:
    * OAL - 0.470
    * Heel - 0.210
    * Heel Width - 0.085
    * Band Diameters - 0.221
    Reload COAL - 1.00

    Components Used to Make the Reloads:


    Loading Tray: Scrap piece of Trex and a 1/4" Forstner drill bit
    Drop Tube Placed in Charger Drop Tube: A 223 case cut off at the web



    Bullet Lube Variables: NASA Lube - pan lubing, Graphite, Liquid Rooster Lube and Paraffin (dipped or pan lubed)



    Powder Choices: Swiss Null-B, DuPont FFFFg sieved to 50 mesh and Swiss FFFFg. Will also try the 2010 KIK FFFg sieved to 40 mesh



    Powder Charger: My 'el cheapo' Lee Perfect Powder Measure that will drop 4.5grs of powder more consistently than the other 4 chargers I have. Even better than a B&M. Powder setting of 4.5grs is dropped into a pan and weighed on the digital scale, accurate to 0.1gr. Then I just drop the powder without weighing into the cases which fills the case to the top of the lip using 223 cut case with the 22 case in it's mouth as an 'extended drop tube' so there is no powder spillage on the bench




    Only 2 dies and a shell holder are needed to make a completed round:
    * Lee Universal Expander Dies (small) is used to create the case bell before charging and seating the bullets
    * CH4D 22LR Seating Die and Shellholder. The CH4D puts a nice factory crimp on the case. Currently, the CH4D die is not in current production. I talked with Mr Davidson @ CH4D and he anticipates to do a run of them in 4-6 months. Mine was from a small run that he made 5 years ago
    Update: Talked with CH4D today. They are heat treating the dies now and will only be making 5 sets. Should be ready in a couple of weeks ... get your order in if you want one!
    * Dies on a Lee 3 Hole Turret Press



    And the rifles currently shooting the original gunpowder reloads, each with a vernier or peep sight



    Might want to also visit the other 22 BP thread here on Cast Boolits ...
    http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...d.php?t=130946
    Update thread
    Last edited by John Boy; 07-02-2020 at 10:54 AM.
    Regards
    John

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

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    Thanks John, this cleared up a couple of my questions. How does the Henry do with the BP loads?
    Gun control 1ST ROUND ON TARGET.

  3. #3
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    How does the Henry do with the BP loads?
    Mike, don't know yet. I just fired a couple with the rifle so far
    Regards
    John

  4. #4
    Boolit Man Cannoneer's Avatar
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    Other than pulling the bullets out of smokeless .22 RF, how do you get empty, primed .22 RF cases?

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
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    This isn't my choice of games, but I will say, this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

    Very impressive John Boy.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master



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    I just called them and the lady said they will be back from heat treating in 3-4 Months, and will be 81.00. This sounds like something Lathesmith cold do faster and cheaper.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master







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    Interesting, but my question is WHY?
    1Shirt!
    "Common Sense Is An Uncommon Virtue" Ben Franklin

    "Ve got too soon old and too late smart" Pa.Dutch Saying

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    Other than pulling the bullets out of smokeless .22 RF, how do you get empty, primed .22 RF cases?
    Cases: Empty Primed ArmsCor Cases purchased from the Hunting Shack - no longer available
    Interesting, but my question is WHY?
    Why not? Black powder 22 rim fire rounds have been off the market for decades with the advent of smokeless powder
    Last edited by John Boy; 11-03-2011 at 04:21 PM.
    Regards
    John

  9. #9
    In Remembrance w30wcf's Avatar
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    John Boy,
    Nice pics and good explanation. NEAT!

    w30wcf
    aka w44wcf
    aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
    aka John Kort
    NRA Life Member
    .22 W.C.F., .30 W.C.F., .44 W.C.F. Cartridge Historian

  10. #10
    Boolit Master tacklebury's Avatar
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    Very cool. 8)

  11. #11
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    Here's an extra step I've added:
    * A 225 H&I die, bullet nose down to tighten the factory crimp up so the rounds will chamber in the Henry better without hanging up. To keep the metplat from not being distorted, I put a spent LR primer filled with lead on top of the die plug. Any flat nosed top punch works

    Regards
    John

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    HeyArnold - subsequent improvement. Try this to make the powder charging go faster:
    * Put 50 cases spaced in a 100 Win 209 primer tray
    * Set the powder charger to 4.5gr of powder (found that the Lyman #5 puts a perfect charge in every time). Charge each case while in the primer tray
    * Crank the handler and the 50 cases are charged in a short time

    Nice to hear you Stepped Back in Time and enjoy shooting the rounds. With 4.5gr of Swiss Null-B, the average velocity is 1130fps.


    FIRST RANGE TEST


    Last edited by John Boy; 04-07-2018 at 12:04 PM.
    Regards
    John

  13. #13
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    Many here are aware that I have been reloading 22lr for the last year. Had no previous experience with reloading. No tools. Here is what I have come up with so far. The first picture contains a Remington and Winchester bullet along with my powder coated and metal cased bullets.
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  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    Very Nice Traffer. For the lowly 22LR, don't you really like it when a plan comes together?
    Regards
    John

  15. #15
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    Thank You.
    Yes it is very rewarding when a very difficult task is realized. I had no idea when I started that it would be this time consuming. I wish I could do better and faster work. I am hoping that the jacketed bullets will give me tight groups. Gonna test them later this week.

  16. #16
    Boolit Bub
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    How do you make a blow tube?

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    How do you make a blow tube?
    * Drill out a case primer pocket in the base - caliber specific to the rifle
    * Insert a length of plastic tubing the size of the hole drilled into the case
    * To soften BP foul in the bore: insert the case with the tube into the chamber
    BLOW: 5 deep breathes with high Relative Humidity - 10 to 12 deep breathes when the RH is low. Reason for using a case = moisture in the chamber of a rifle is a NO GO
    Objective for the blow tube is to moisten the foul versa running a patch down the bore
    Regards
    John

  18. #18
    In Remembrance w30wcf's Avatar
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    "Nice to hear you Stepped Back in Time and enjoy shooting the rounds. With 4.5gr of Swiss Null-B, the average velocity is 980 fps."
    John, I think that velocity was with the DuPont powder. In my rifle, 4.5 / Swiss Null B = 1,130 f.p.s.

    Traffer,
    Very interesting! A couple of questions if you don't mind.......
    Are you using your collet to pull bullets from loaded .22 rounds before reloading with your bullets(?).
    Are you using the powder from the factory .22's?

    My dad was raised on a farm close to Shawano, WI. It is still in the family.

    Thank you,
    w30wcf
    Last edited by w30wcf; 09-26-2016 at 05:29 PM.
    aka w44wcf
    aka Jack Christian SASS 11993 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
    aka John Kort
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    .22 W.C.F., .30 W.C.F., .44 W.C.F. Cartridge Historian

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
    nekshot's Avatar
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    I messed around with this years ago and must say it is fun and informative but lost interest after I got it working!
    Look twice, shoot once.

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    John, I think that velocity was with the DuPont powder. In my rifle, 4.5 / Swiss Null B = 1,130 f.p.s.
    w30wcf ... thanks for reminding me. The Null-B reloads in my rifles are the 1130 fps also and the old DuPont are the 980 fps. I got a picture somewhere the night at the Ridgway indoor pistol range we tested groups for all the different powders used to reload the 22LR rounds.
    Might add, the target I posted with the multiple rounds were shot with a dirty bore. No patching or tubing was done. The cotton ball patch picture indicates how well the bore cleaned up after all the rounds were shot
    Regards
    John

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check