BullsEye Powder in 223 rem Plinking load?

[brstevns]

Does anyone load with Bullseye powder for a light plinking or small game load for the .223 using a 55gr Boolit?

[NHlever]

Red Dot is the fastest powder that I have used in the .223, and so far it has worked very well. I don't know if Bullseye would work bettr, or worse. Looking at Quick Load, it appears that Red Dot will give somewhat higher pressures in very light (3.5 grain) loads, etc.

[Larry Gibson]

I use Bullseye in my .223 loads with the Lyman 225107, 225438, and the 225415 cast bullets. Bullseye provides very good accuracy in those from 800 fps to 1600 fps. It is not position sensitive unless shooting at extreme angles of 80 degrees +/-. My favorite load for squirrel shooting is the 225415 over 4 gr of Bullseye for 1550 fps out of my M700V with 12" twist. It is much more deadly on ground squirrels than any .22LR and rivals the .22 magnum in terminal effect. Quite adequate to 150 yards.

Larry Gibson

[Rocky Raab]

Larry, what's your charge for the 800 fps load, please?

[brstevns]

1500 sounds about what I am looking for. Are you using rifle or pistol primers. I was looking for a good grey squirrel load as I was given 3 lb of it.

[Larry Gibson]

Larry, what's your charge for the 800 fps load, please?

My load is 1.8 gr Bullseye in LC cases under the 225415 cast of recovered .22LR alloy, sized in .225 die only enough to seat and crimp the GC's leaving the bullets basically "as cast" and then I tumble very lightly in LLA. They run 815 fps from my M70 with 12" twist 22" barrel and are a great walk about plinker and small game load. About like shooting .22 shorts only a lot better on the terminal end.

Larry Gibson

[Jack Stanley]

In some of my light loads I use three point eight grains or a little less depending on the bullet and rifle it's intended for .

Jack

[brstevns]

I was wanting to use it in my Stevens model 200 223 rem for squirrels ,with something like 1600 fps

[reloader28]

Wow. Can you even use the standard sites with those loads?
Seems like every time I use even Unique in anything I have to aim high or shoot a foot low at 50yds.

[brstevns]

I did try Unique at 5.0 with a 55gr cast bullet and it did shoot to the same point of aim as my standard 223 varmint load at 25 yards. Having been given 3 lb of Bullseye I was wanting to give it a try.

[Rocky Raab]

Thank you, Larry. Duplicating the 22 Short is perzackly what I'm after.

[35remington]

Using the standard sights when on a rifle using reduced loads is not an issue if the gun has a scope.

Low velocity loads hit low, usually. Use the thick/thin junction of the duplex crosshairs to zero the load. Changing the power changes where the bullets hit relative to this junction.

For example, using 9.0 grains W231 and the C113F Soup Can at 1550 fps, the rifle is zeroed at the thick/thin junction at 4.5X at fifty yards when adjusted to hit a couple inches high at 100 with a 150 going 2950 fps in an '06.

So no rezeroing is needed with the reduced load. Just use the thick/thin and change the power.

[Iowa Fox]

Larry,
When you step up to the 4gr load @1550 what alloy and lube procedure are you using for the higher velocity rounds? What diameter are your 225415 dropping from the mold?

Thanks

[Larry Gibson]

Larry,
When you step up to the 4gr load @1550 what alloy and lube procedure are you using for the higher velocity rounds? What diameter are your 225415 dropping from the mold?

Thanks

I use WWs + 2% tin and AC them. I've a very old mould and mine drop at .226 with WWs and .227 with linotype. I seat the GCs to ensure a square base with the GC seater and a .225 H die in the 450. I then push size them in a Lee sizer. Finally I lube them with Javelina in the .225 H die/450. A couple extra steps there but the consistent accuracy is with such smal bullets worth the effort. It is easy for me to mess them up if I try seating the GC, sizing and lubing all in one operation. I got a .228 H die this last year but have not tried it yet with the 225415s to shoot "as cast". Sure works good on my 225462s though.

Larry Gibson

[shotman]

just a warning to you guys be very carefull BE at 3gr is ok but if you double or tripple you are looking for big problems just make sure you dont double
I use 2 loading blocks now so it dont happen again

[Iowa Fox]

Thanks Larry,

That helps me a lot. These little things can be tricky going thru the sizer and not messing them up. Plus my very old 225415 casts on the fat side.

[Rocky Raab]

At the risk of drawing ire, you cannot double charge if you don't use loading blocks. Funnel one weighed charge into one case and immediately seat one bullet. I use plastic baskets for all reloading, moving cases from one to the other at each stage (size, expand and then prime).

Threw my loading blocks away fifty years ago after discovering how easy it is to double charge or miss one while using blocks. Haven't had a mis-charge since.

[sundog]

I do the same thing as Rocky, charge a case and seat a boolit. Then, and only then, go on to the next case.

[Larry Gibson]

just a warning to you guys be very carefull BE at 3gr is ok but if you double or tripple you are looking for big problems just make sure you dont double I use 2 loading blocks now so it dont happen again

shotman

Always a good caution to not double or tripple charge and I do take precations so it doesn't happen. My method is that uncharged cases are in small boxes or the plastic shop bins (small ones from Dillon, Lowes, Home dDepot, etc) and a case in a loading block has powder in it.

However, I have worked up loads with the 225415 in the .223 to 9 gr of Bullseye with the psi (M43 Oehler and 21" Contender barrel) being still below SAAMI PMAP. Thus even a mistaken tripple charge with 1.8 gr is still safe and a mistaken double charge of the 4 gr load is still safe. However, I do agree whole heartedly, that due precautions to prevent such should, by all means, be taken.

Larry Gibson

[Iowa Fox]

This thread has really engaged the gray matter for me. I know that the 225415 has had numerous changes since its conception, I just dug out my Lyman 45th edition handbook to check out the mold specs in the back. They list the 225415 as 49 grains with a normal cast diameter of .228 which is where mine drops them.

Problem is trying to push them into a .225 sizer without deforming them, smearing lead into the lube grooves taking away lube capacity. I used an current H&I die with the o-ring for the 450 and that is the problem I encountered.

I purchased this Ideal mold from an old guy who purchased the mold new, now departed, who shot it successfully in a hornet. In the ideal box with the mold was an H&I sizing die for the Lyman 45 sizer. After reading this thread I pulled that sizing die out to look at it. The lead into the top of the die on the 45 sizing die it is much more funnel shaped with the first lube hole very close to the top of the die or where the bullet base first enters into the die. The 450 die with the o-ring is almost flat across the top without the tappered lead and the first lube hole much lower in the die. Maybe the older sizing die is just what this older mold needs to size and lube correctly. Only one way to find out, experitentation.

Also the nose profile on my cast bullet out of the Ideal mold is different than the current Lyman 225415. Thank goodness I have the correct nose punch for it.

Larry your .228 H&I die must be for a Savage High Power as they were .228 - I have a .228 for my Star so I might have to try that also.

Thanks for helping me put some of the pieces togehter on this one.

[1Shirt]

You may wish to reconsider vol of 1500 for bushy tails. From experiance, it rips them up pretty badly. Anything that works to avoid double/trip charging I am all for. My method is to weigh all finished loads that are charged with little amounts of fast burning powder. If you are using brass of the same run, a double/trip load will show quickly on a little dig scale. This in addition to all of the other recommendations may save you and your rifle great grief. Good Luck!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Larry Gibson]

Iowa Fox

Always a pleasure to help where ever we can:-D

Larry Gibson

[brstevns]

I had benn using the 22 rimfire mag. but was wanting to use my 223 instand. Head shots are a must if you want any meat left.

[Jack Stanley]

I use a Stevens 200 as well and it gives excellent groups with Bullseye and the RCBS 22-55-SP . Also shows promise with a forty-five grain NEI bullet that I don't have the mold for any longer . So far , just about anything I've show to the rifle deos pretty well . So I'm gonna have to sort out just what I want to do with the rifle .

Jack

[brstevns]

Jack Stanley Can you tell me what load you are using? I have the 22 bator mold to try.

[Jack Stanley]

Just for you my friend . I went down to the dungeon and got the load ticket so I would forget something .

RCBS 22-55-SP , with gas check , alox and sized .225" , alloy linotype .

3.7 grains Bullseye

WSP primers

R-P cases ( Federal cases might be better , I can't prove it )

Overall length of loaded round 2.180" Use just enough crimp to remove the belling from the "M" die .


I've fooled a little with the RCBS 22-55-FN and the Lyman 225462 and results were good too . Haven't had to go above 4.5 grains of Bullseye ..... ya think I can find the research tags though ????? :roll:

Rifle now has a Leupold compact scope but the Simmons that came with it wasn't all that bad for a cheap tube .

Jack

[brstevns]

Jack Standley Thanks for the load information , I will give it a try. My thoughts were I did not want to go more then 5 gr. Thanks again for your kindness.

[Jack Stanley]

You're welcome . I've fired more than a thousand of these in different weather extremes and they don't seem squirrelly as of yet . When I use up this pile of the RCBS "SP" type , I'll move on to using my four cavity 225462 and hope it turns out as well without gas checks ( expensive little buggers ain't they ? ) For critter splattering loads I have a couple other molds I think I'll use .

Glad I could help , Jack

[brstevns]

Those little checks are getting too costly. I am going to try PP some of the Bator 22 cal and see how it works out.

[NHlever]

My load is 1.8 gr Bullseye in LC cases under the 225415 cast of recovered .22LR alloy, sized in .225 die only enough to seat and crimp the GC's leaving the bullets basically "as cast" and then I tumble very lightly in LLA. They run 815 fps from my M70 with 12" twist 22" barrel and are a great walk about plinker and small game load. About like shooting .22 shorts only a lot better on the terminal end.

Larry Gibson

Thanks Larry, I'll try that load too. The Lyman 225415 has been made in several weights, and mine run 55 grains. I also have a bunch of the old 22596 boolits cast, and will try them with that load too.

[morme@gte.net]

I have screwed up by double charging, or not charging more than once. BUT, I separate my LC cases by weight into 1 grain groups. i.e., 91 point something, 92 point something etc. Even with 3 grain charges, you can easaily double check your loads by weighing each loaded round.

anything off more than a grain gets the bullet pulled.


shotman

Always a good caution to not double or tripple charge and I do take precations so it doesn't happen. My method is that uncharged cases are in small boxes or the plastic shop bins (small ones from Dillon, Lowes, Home dDepot, etc) and a case in a loading block has powder in it.

However, I have worked up loads with the 225415 in the .223 to 9 gr of Bullseye with the psi (M43 Oehler and 21" Contender barrel) being still below SAAMI PMAP. Thus even a mistaken tripple charge with 1.8 gr is still safe and a mistaken double charge of the 4 gr load is still safe. However, I do agree whole heartedly, that due precautions to prevent such should, by all means, be taken.

Larry Gibson