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View Full Version : 22 Bator - The saga continues



stubshaft
02-04-2011, 03:31 PM
I got my Bator mould back from Lee and was overjoyed that they had repaired the shank portion (was too large to seat GC) and thought I was in business again. Cast a couple of hundred the day I received it and lubed/sized the next morning.

Loaded them in my .223 cases and off to the range to try to get some targets for Bullshops contest.

Put the first one in the chamber of my Encore and closed the action. It was harder than normal to close, so I opened it up and extracted the loaded round. The boolit was pushed back into the case. I thought it might just be a bad boolit, and tried again. Same thing happend, hard closing and boolit pushed back into the case.

Now this is a stock Encore barrel and the chamber is not as tight by any stretch of the imagination. It has never failed to feed normal ammo and truth be told I can usualll load my 225450's out a little further than my K-Hornet.

Packed up and went home. When I got home a quick measurement with the mic told the story.

The base is perfect for seating and crimping GC. The body section casts at .2259. The nose section which measures .220 on my other Bator measures.2249 on the new one.

A close visual check shows that the original is a shade longer and the nose section on the new mould is more robust.

I am not even going to bother calling Lee or sending this one back. It is costing me more in postage than the mould is worth.

The original is on the left.

NVScouter
02-04-2011, 04:00 PM
I got my Bator mould back from Lee and was overjoyed that they had repaired the shank portion (was too large to seat GC) and thought I was in business again. Cast a couple of hundred the day I received it and lubed/sized the next morning.

Loaded them in my .223 cases and off to the range to try to get some targets for Bullshops contest.

Put the first one in the chamber of my Encore and closed the action. It was harder than normal to close, so I opened it up and extracted the loaded round. The boolit was pushed back into the case. I thought it might just be a bad boolit, and tried again. Same thing happend, hard closing and boolit pushed back into the case.

Now this is a stock Encore barrel and the chamber is not as tight by any stretch of the imagination. It has never failed to feed normal ammo and truth be told I can usualll load my 225450's out a little further than my K-Hornet.

Packed up and went home. When I got home a quick measurement with the mic told the story.

The base is perfect for seating and crimping GC. The body section casts at .2259. The nose section which measures .220 on my other Bator measures.2249 on the new one.

A close visual check shows that the original is a shade longer and the nose section on the new mould is more robust.

I am not even going to bother calling Lee or sending this one back. It is costing me more in postage than the mould is worth.

The original is on the left.


It looks almost like a minor design change. The lube bands look different thickness..or is this an optical illusion since the two arent sitting flat?

stubshaft
02-04-2011, 04:05 PM
No it's no illusion. While looking similar the design has changed slightly.

shotman
02-04-2011, 04:10 PM
have never seen an encore that would shoot want 7mm-08 its real good 3in at 100yds get a GOOD rifle everything they have is JUNK

geargnasher
02-04-2011, 04:11 PM
Looks like Lee is taking the liberties with Mr. Bator's boolit that they did with several of 45 2.1's and others. I guess they think that when someone designs a boolit the shape/size of the nose is of no importance.

Gear

felix
02-04-2011, 04:30 PM
Stub, I would like to have a stab at your new mold with that fat nose. My BR gun now has a completely eroded throat and I would like to see if it will shoot this new version. ... felix

stubshaft
02-04-2011, 04:58 PM
have never seen an encore that would shoot want 7mm-08 its real good 3in at 100yds get a GOOD rifle everything they have is JUNK

LOL - These are the reject targets that I was going to send in for Bullshops shoot. They were shot with my Encore .223 pistol at 100yds.

If I had a rifle that shot 3" groups I would throw it away.

Shooter6br
02-04-2011, 05:21 PM
Seems like it is difficult to solve this mold problem.That may be why i saw these molds on Evil Bay

MtGun44
02-04-2011, 05:42 PM
I have one of the messed up molds. Out of town for a while, plan to send it back, but maybe
with an actual drawing of what the mold design is supposed to be.

Very irritating.

Bill

felix
02-04-2011, 06:07 PM
Stub agreed to send me the fat mold for a looksee. It just might fit the BR gun perfectly, and then will it shoot? The original mold will do a half inch at a hunnert when conditions are read correctly for 2400 fps (time of flight). Corky and I have shot the original several times at 50 yards without ambient hassle. ... felix

Greg
02-05-2011, 12:02 AM
uh guys-

not everybody has a barrel that specs .219 and .224

if you have a mould that you think is out of line, post the size as cast with which alloy, and somebody just might be able to use it.