Been kind of thinking about a .38 necked down to .22. .38's are real easy to come by, .357's not so much here.
Here are photos of my case forming dies.
The following views are of my dies for reducing .25ACP and similar body diameters down to .22 Ladybug body diameters:
Click image for larger version.
Top and side view of dies (tops tapped 1/2-20UNF)
Click image for larger version.
Bottom view of the homemade dies with the Left ones fitted with Drill Bushings and the rightmost one a machined blank body.
Also shown are a machined Blank die body ready for a Drill Bushing insertion and the 8" long 3/16" diameter Pin Punch I use to remove swaged cases form the dies. The punch working end had been modified with a slight taper and radius on the edge.
The following views are of my dies for forming 5.7x28mm and .22 Hornet down to .25ACP body diameters:
Click image for larger version.
Click image for larger version.
These dies are, from the Left, Lee opened Carbide Ring .25ACP Sizing Dies of .300", .288", .284", and .2785"; with the rightmost die a Hollywood Engineering Steel .25ACP sizing die.
Chev. William
Last edited by Chev. William; 06-22-2018 at 08:28 PM.
223 in a TC Contender. 32 HRM in a Single Six revolver. Cheap, accurate shooting all around.
I happen to have one or two 303 Lee Enfields. One of them at least shoots lightweight (147gr) plinker loads which are subsonic, very quiet with a suppressor and accurate to boot, like, centre of beer can at 40 - 50 yds from the shoulder. Trouble is, these are paper patched (the patch stays on to the target) and are that much more effort to make. That 147gr boolit is mighty short by the way - I wouldn't want to patch much shorter. Chances are, I could find a plain boolit to shoot just as well.
I also happen to have hornet that seems to be Ok with RCBS 55 grainers. Not super accurate but then the castings were lousy. If someone could teach me how to cast good boolits from the double cavity mould I would be eternally grateful.
My loading technique is to set a card wad to seating depth then place a ball of waxy-lube on the card followed by a heated boolit which melts the lube and stays put once the lube freezes. No case prepping required - no sizing whatever, no nothing. I'm not sure how slow the boolit can be fired and still stay stable but at reasonable loads the holes were perfectly round. Just not all on top of each other. They weren't slow so maybe I was over doing it. That same gun shoot 63gr bullets very accurately with its 1 in 16 twist. Don't underestimate what bullet/boolit weight a 1 in 16 twist can stabilise.
So I am covered should the supply of 22 LR ammo from the US ever dry up.
Thing is though, the 22 LR rifle is a whole lot of fun to shoot. I have a small collection of them, including a number of single shots. I also have one or two barreled actions missing their bolts. One takes a 22 pellet just about right. I want to build a compressor powered gun on that one for backyard practice. One day. I found that if the pellet is pushed into the bore then normal compressed air pressure will fire it but not very fast.
Rest In Peace My Son (01/06/1986 - 14/01/2014)
''Assume everything that moves is a human before identifying as otherwise''
Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA
That is a grand idea. I checked on the new Handi rifles; they do not appear to have in in 32 H&R or 327, but I noticed they he 'em in 44 mag, which would be tolerable since I do load 44 special also. Your reply got me thinking about perhaps a thompson center encore and I am now wondering if they have one in 327 or 32 H&R. I did a little checking and they are a touch high - custom barrels.
5 cents/round for 22 LR is "expensive" ?
My gunsmith had the barrel made for the gun.It was a 35rem but I mess up on not keep the barrel. But it is a 327 Fed Mag and have a scope on it.There was a different gun he was trying to make as a repeater but things did not fall in place. So it went to the H&R Handi rife.For all I will use it for will work out.
Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA
You got that right. On one site I get notice from to buy in bulk it is 4 cents a round when you get 5000 it is free shipping.It is blaze 22lr. but I am still not sure if I want to do it or not. I have not seen anywhere that is less then that yet.I do not think so for how things are now.
Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA
Trapper, 200.00 a case and free shipping is a great deal. Years ago when I was shooting indoor match .22, I shifted to Blazers because I never got a misfire with it. With Remington standard velocity or Winchester white box I would get 1 or 2 in a box of 50. If that was in timed or rapid fire, I had to shoot the stage over again - a PITA. Go for it, you’ll have a lifetime supply.
"You will wantonly strike a hornet's nest which extends from mountains to ocean, and legions, now quiet, will swarm out and sting us to death. It is unnecessary; it puts us in the wrong; it is fatal." Robert Toombs, Democrat of Georgia, warning of the results of the imminent attack of the Confederacy upon Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, 1861
Some News: Today "Ammoguide Interactive" added two Cartridges their Cartridge Master Database, the 5,5 Velodog and the Wild cat originally made from it, the .221 Askins.
The case diagrams are based upon measurements made and reported by Major J. S. Hatcher and anecdotal comments ascribed to col Charles Askins.
Now we have 1930s era cartridges to chose from for '.22LR replacements'.
Chev. William
Last edited by Chev. William; 01-03-2019 at 02:27 AM.
I loaded some .223 Bator boolits in my Remington bolt gun with 2.0 gr of Red Dot, but could never get any accuracy out of it.
Wayne
Last edited by WRideout; 06-30-2018 at 07:20 AM. Reason: added information
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger - or else it gives you a bad rash.
Venison is free-range, organic, non-GMO and gluten-free
WAY late to this thread.
I agree various .32s would be a great choice.
However, I've found cast bullets in any old 30/30 with a little unique does as well out to 40 yards.
Salvaging old Marlins is not a pasttime...it's a passion
I replaced the 22lr. with 9mm carbine I even made a single shot out of a 20ga. shotgun. Haven't used a 22 in several years it is even a good squirrel rifle.
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 |