Some work with modifying 22LR bullets

[Buckshot]

I made up this die body and the 3 punches several years ago but didn't get around to trying it until this past summer. No sense being in a big rush, eh? The die is upside down, so this is the end you stick the cartridge. The milled slot is a gas vent, just in case. The 3 rods to the right make the bullet nose mods. Left one is for a dished nose, middle one is a dish with a small HP, and the right one creates a FN with a larger HP. The 'C' looking deal on the left is a spacer for the nose rods. You set the length with the double nuts.



I only used 2 of the rods. Left is the 'As Issued'. These are from a new brick dated Sept 1993, of CCI Blazers. I actually made 10 of each modified type. You slip the cartridge in the die, set the die on it's base and place the rod into the top of the die and give it a tap. I use a little 4 oz ball peen. Check the bullet impression and then adjust the nuts until you're satisfied with the result.



I used my Martini match rifle (28" bbl) for the test.



All 30 rounds fired at 50 yards. In case you cant read it, the top target was the 'As Issued' ammo. Factory = 1.250". Middle target was the wide dish nosed mod = 1". Bottom was the Dish Nosed HP = .625".

FACTORY: 1274/1230 FPS, ES:44 FPS, AVGE VEL: 1250.5 FPS

DISH NOSED: 1303/1243 FPS, ES:60 FPS, AVGE VEL: 1266 FPS

DISH-HP: 1301/1238 FPS, ES: 62 FPS, AVGE VEL: 1274 FPS

Upsetting the noses also expanded the boolits to .2247". The factory CCI's ran .2235"/.2237". The factory ammo did not engrave. The upset boolits were engraved. The FNHP boolits also seemed to be engraved a bit longer but it was hard to get a definitive reading, and some of that might have been due to rim thickness. The modified ammo had to be fully pushed into the chamber which required an obvious difference in effort over the factory fodder. No big deal, but you WERE engraving the slug.

The modified ammo also displayed a bit more spread from high to low then the factory, but in the upsetting operation I believe that the boolit is set back against the crimp. They seemed to be tight, but I think the operation HAS to cause some degradation of the factory crimp. Seems to me that'd be what would cause it.

Without a doubt the modified ammo displayed much improved accuracy, at least at 50 yards. Shot at 100 yards the greater ES of the modified ammo may have reversed target results, but from that single factory ammo group, I doubt it Both modded types also displayed much cleaner holes over the RN factory stuff, which one would expect. The plain dished nosed group did have those 2 flyers (darn it) or it would have been a match for the HP'd group.

Finally, whether this ammo would feed from a magazine or tube without stubbing the edge of it's nose against the breech is unknown as I used the single shot, but I think it might be an issue as most 22 ammo has a RN or a tapered FN and the rifle/pistol makers know it. Anyway it was a fun test.

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

[KCSO]

Very good, now to drop the group size even more you need to sort by rim thickness. I too shoot a BSA.

[nagantguy]

5 hanks for the write up, very interesting tests and a nice looking die and top punches.

[leebuilder]

Very good write up thanks for sharing, excellent work making the punches and die. I too shoot a BSA.
be well

[JeffinNZ]

I use that half collar concept on my tool also and my reformed bullet run .2248 inch. Interesting how an extra thou gives you just a spot more FPS.

[Buckshot]

Very good, now to drop the group size even more you need to sort by rim thickness. I too shoot a BSA.

True, but this was a 'Quick and Dirty' check of what the modification was going to do. I did make a rim thickness checker for 22RF, btw.





This one is for checking rims on 32-40 brass for a Scheutzen rifle

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