Another 243 from 22 thread...

[mckenziedrums]

Ok I know I know... there are lots of old threads about this but I wanted to get updated info/experiences and talk about my needs. (My wife doesn't listen so maybe you guys will?? )

In any case, I'm hooked thoroughly on swaging and have been cranking out some beautiful 10s bullets for my 243. Of course, thanks to my schedule I have yet to send a single one down range but I hope to fix that soon. What I'm thinking I want to do now is get the jacket making setup for either 22lr or 22 mag cases. (I'll be ordering either a 6s or 8s die set instead of using the super pointy 10s for this...)

The goal: Lighter than 100gr bullet for cheap plinking... not looking to push speed too much or make one ragged hole necessarily. 300 yards max range currently.


Here's where the questions come in:

How heavy of bullet will 22lr make? I've read that the thin brass means holding the speeds down... I've got a 6mm remington with a slower twist or a 243 with a very fast twist (1:7) so I'm concerned that 22lr won't cut it.

I'm not worried about making heavy bullets but I don't want to make something that won't make it out of the barrel in one piece. Would I be better served just using the 22 mag cases? I'd rather not trim if I don't have to but the wall thickness of the 22lr has me a little worried in the faster twist 243 barrel. I suppose I could get a slower twist barrel or stick to the 6mm rem with the slower twist but I'm curious what your experiences are.

[Smokin7mm]

Not sure on the 22lr cases for 6mm but my experience with anything made from rf jackets (22lr, 17HMR, or 22mag) is that it is the faster twist that will get you. I make 100gr bullets from 17HMR with just the neck trimmed off and I shot them from my 243 1-10" twist at about 2900fps without problems but when I tried a 107gr made from a 22mag in my XP100 in 6TCU with a 1-7" twist if I got above 2200fps some would come apart. Similarly I shot some 60gr 22cal made from 22lr out of a XP-100 in 223 with a 1-12" twist at about 2600 with no issues but when trying that same bullet out of my RRA AR-15 with a 1-8" twist, anything much above 2600fps not all made it to the target. I do know that using the CCI stinger cases which are a little longer than a 22lr you can get about a 70gr bullet. My 2¢

Bret

[mckenziedrums]

Hey Bret,

Thanks for that... echoes what I've read so far. My 243 is a 1-7 5r barrel and I fear it will rip those thin jackets to shreds. I'd have to look it up but I'm pretty sure the old Remington 6mm Varmint Special is a 10 twist. So, they may do just fine in that one.