postal match for 22cal boolits only

[Bullshop]

I think the closest to center targets will be fun and perhaps frustrating. Like someone said a lot will hit the trash.
Remember the final score will be an average of all targets. Shooting in the cold here yesterday I had some groups in the three inch circle I am using for targets and some out all with the same load. My POI changed about 1.5" after my rifle went from room temp to 15 minutes exposure to -30 temp.
An interesting point is that the boolits I shot yesterday were cast the day before.
So much for waiting for them to ripen.

[rhbrink]

What if a guy would put 3 seperate shots on a big piece of paper then drew a target around each one, probably could get em pretty close to center that way?

[Bullshop]

I hope I haven't discouraged anyone from participating. My intention was the opposite. I am trying to share anything that has helped improve things for me as I go.
The single most dramatic change in grouping so far has come from changing two things, not sizing my brass and sizing/lubing the boolits in a .228" die. The addition of a crimp using the Lee FCD had added to the consistency but is not what made the big change to average grouping with this Ruger hornet.
Before these changes were made my ammo had a bulge on one side of the neck, small but there. That bulge did nothing to aid in centering the boolit to the bore or even to the case for that matter. With the no case sizing fat boolit combo the necks are round and obviously aiding in centering the boolit to the case as well as the cartridge to the bore.
I was/am hoping that tidbits of info like this would come out and be shared for all to benefit. The load development for the one boolit in this rifle represents about 150 shots fired and several days time investment. I do understand that most folks do not have the time or place that I have. I can write off the time as work because it does trickle down to business $ for me eventually in some way. The place is my home and I only have to walk in or out of my house to be at the shop or at the range.
For those of you that have only limited time or place I hope anything I or anyone else will share as far as technique, equipment, components or whatever will get you in the game and help to achieve a personally satisfying level of performance as well as a competitive one.
OH yea BTW I think this Ruger that I didn't like all that much before I like even better now. I think it may still do better with a better scope. It is mounted with an old Lyman AA 6x with fine cross hair and even though very clear optically it does show some parallax at 100 yards. if that parallax amounts to about .5" at 100 yards then what is this Ruger capable of ?. Even so the Lyman scope is a good fit for what I use a hornet for, hunting.

[Bullshop]

rhbrink
I still couldnt get them centered.

[Bullshop]

Now that the hornet is up to snuff for hunting I think I will switch to the Cooper.
For my small game hunting accuracy has to be at least 2 moa at minimum. If I cant get that to 200 yards it just wont work. The Ruger hornet made that cut barely before this match thingy started. Now that I have invested the time into load development for it it looks like I can expect it to be a 1 moa shooter. I am also finding that the Ranch Dog boolit design has much to offer. Another design I like is from CBE. It is about 55gn and much the same as the NEI #3 but with slightly more meplate. I had at one time the NEI #3 and it was an accurate design but I wanted something similar but with more meplate for hunting so went with the CBE, no regrets there.
For what ever reason I have never been able to get good accuracy from the bator design either the 22 cal or the 35/280 we did on a group buy. Many say they do but I cant.
I have not yet tried the one from BA Bore but I sure would like to. I have at times gotten good results from the Lyman designs of which I have 4, 45 rn, 55 fn, target, and the 60gn rn they used to make but I have modified that one to 50gn PB. It was too long for a 1/16" twist at 60gn but now works much better at pb velocities.
The RCBS has also given good results but when Swede Nelson did the RCBS clone I gave my RCBS mold the PB treatment also. It too is nicely accurate at PB velocity. The clone didn't quite come out a clone but I am very pleased with the offering from Swede none the less. It is a bit too long even for a 1/14" twist if fired below 2000 fps. Even though it makes oval holes at 100 yards from my 22 ccm it is still very pleasantly accurate.
I am looking forward to the new group buy being put together for the light weight 22 from Swede.
Sorry guys but its cold and dark and I am rambling, it helps.

[rhbrink]

Bullshop I don't mind your ramblings at, all right there is quite a bit of new information for me. Didn't even know CBE made a 22 mold and will check out the BA Bore one too, might be able to get to the range tomorrow got some catching up to do.

[rhbrink]

Made it to the range today and was a pretty good day for shooting, the old Sako did Ok starting with 10 grains of 2400 and working up to 11 grains the best 3 groups averaged .551 using the Lyman 225415. But that putting one good shot in the center on three different targets is going to be the killer. This is going to be a fun match at least I had as much fun shooting groups as I've had in quite a while and didn't really spend much time going for the one shot center of target yet but boy-o-boy thats going to be the challenge.

[TCFAN]

I did a little shooting today with the 222.No good groups to brag about for me.The wind was blowing about 10mph or so one way then the other.
Did get to try some of the Speed Green lube that Bullshop sent to me.I think I am going to like that stuff.
Also tried sizing to .228 instead if my usual .225. Also tried SR 4759 for the first time in the 222.Found that I got the best groups with small pistol primers.
My best groups for the day was right at 1 inch so I have a ways to go to catch up with you guys.

rhbrink....The brass goes in the mail in the morning....................Terry

[rhbrink]

Thanks Terry sure do appreciate it. I was having some wind problems to, today one group would be on one side of the target then the next would be somewhere else just kept chasing them around. Thats what is going to make the one center shot on three seperate targets tough! OH-well fun and games best get a big roll of paper and some marking pins and get to casting.

[Bullshop Junior]

Dad asked me to post this pic.

[Bullshop]

The Pics Jr. posted are the results of last weeks work with the Ruger 22 hornet, H 4227 powder, and the Ranch Dog mold.
The sweet spot came with unsized cases, 8.6gn H 4227 in WWS cases, cci SRM primer, RD cast 6/1 ww to mono type quenched, @ .228", speed green lubed, crimped in a Lee FCD, and seated out to just touch the lands. This load shot consecutive sub 1" groups. From a Ruger hornet that not too shabby.

[Bullshop]

rhbrink
.551!!!! I wish I kept my Sako 222 now. If you would like I will send you a sample of the CBE boolits. I bet you will like them. I might put a little bend in them though so you wont be shooting any half inch groups.
I just ran a small batch at .228" or I still have a hand full of as cast.

[rhbrink]

I just looked at the CBE website is that the 228-60? Looks too long for my rifle my Sako will not shoot the Lyman 225462 at all doesn't even like long 55 grains full gas check bullets, short 55's and down it's a tack driver.

Actually I think that I can improve on that group average considerably as I had one group that opened the average group size by a pretty good margin. I ran out of ammo as I only had about 40 survivor cases loaded. Going to get them annealed today plus some more that I dug up and TCFAN is kind of enough to send me some that he had so the next time I get to the range should be well stocked with ammo. This pretty fun shooting I might add, I can see me spending a whole lot more time shooting this rifle. And just to think a couple of years ago I offered up this rifle for sale or trade but no one seemed to think that it was worth much so I kept it sure glad that I did.

Richard

[Bullshop]

The CBE I have I think is a .225/55. I said it looks like the NEI #3 but that was wrong. It is the #4 that it looks like but with a bit more meplate. It has a Loverin type body with multiple small lube grooves. It has proven to be a very satisfactory design.
Maybe I can get Jr to post a pic of it today. At 17 YO he is a bit hard to pin down especially since he has a drivers license and his own PU.

[rhbrink]

I loaded up some more today hope to get to shoot more tomorrow, I shot up the last of the 2400 the last time I shot so gonna try H4227 this time. I did some measuring and more looking at CBE that does look like a good boolit but the page I looked at shows it as being a plain base is that the one you have? Also about .4" bearing length is about the max that the Sako will handle without doing some nose first sizing to squeeze down the front bands.

[Bullshop]

No Sir my CBE mold is a gas check design. If you look at the NEI #4 its about the same but the NEI is pointy and the CBE has a little meplate. No luck yet catching JR but he is broke and out of gas so I know he is somewhere about.
I have used this boolit in Sako 222 and it shot very well. The Sako is the gun I used to see how fast I could go before the lube failed, this was when I was working on speed green.
I got to 3000 fps and the alloy failed but the lube didn't. Still had a smooth shiny bore but the accuracy dropped of badly. That's why I say the alloy failed.

[jsizemore]

Is a Bator with a GC legal? Good excuse to get my rig ready early for groundhog/varmint season.

[Bullshop]

I have two molds here that cast booits designed by Walley Bator. One is a 22 cal about 52gn and the other is a 35 cal about 280gn. One of them is legal for this match and one is not.
Remember when you send your targets include as much information as possible about the load , firearm, and sights and whatever else you can think of that may help someone else improve thier 22 performance.

[Bullshop Junior]

Dad asked me to post these pics.


CBE 55gn GC


Ranch Dog

[NoZombies]

The Ranch Dog does look like a good design! I bet it cuts a nice hole in the target for easier scoring as well.