What .22 mold to get?

[softpoint]

A couple of years ago I got a Lee .22 Bator mold. Tried it in a couple of rifles with mediocre results. I lost interest in casting the little buggers, but now I want to try it again. I especially want a cast bullet that will shoot in my Cz 22 hornet and Remington 700 .221 Fireball. I have some sample bullets coming from a forum member here, but would like to hear from others what works for them. I would like to buy a readily available mold. I see that Lyman offers about three molds, RCBS and Saeco appear to offer 1 each.
I am looking for a small game and vermin boolit that will get good accuracy at mid-level speeds.
Which of the current crop of .22 molds would be your pick?:cbpour:

[beagle]

With that combo, I'd go for a Lyman 225415. That should work in both the Hornet and Fireball./beagle

[softpoint]

With that combo, I'd go for a Lyman 225415. That should work in both the Hornet and Fireball./beagle

I had been looking at that one, Lyman makes 2 55 grain molds. Any advantage of one over the other?

[JeffinNZ]

The flat nose on the 225415 is a very good small game stopper. Highly recommend.

[Jeff H]

I am using the RDO 22550 in a CZ 527 .223 with decent results.
I believe this was designed for the likes of the Bee, but in a levergun.

So far, with limited testing, it's handling nicely out to 50 yards. I have only shot it at barely super sonic levels so far, so I can't say how it will behave at Hornet velocities.

[DIRT Farmer]

I have been pushing my 225-415 lyman, cast 1 part tin to 10 parts WW with a load over 2000 fps for jxted (sorry, no crono) in my Ruger 77 22H . Around 2 inches at 100 no leading and the varmits I have plugged have busted.
Same casting at 3.2 of green dot works well for squirrels.

[stubshaft]

What twist do you have? If you have a 16" twist then the 225415 will not stabilize. You would need a 1 in 14" to get the best out of it.

[Screwbolts]

Altheating and NOE are in the process of getting BRPs permission to do a run of: BRP 226-47 s, this IMHO would make you a great Boolit in both your rifles.

Also have been warned that Altheating has a rem 700 custom coming in 221 fireball. let the fun begin.

Hopefully NOE will duplicate the 226-47 6 cav. BRP mold blocks and top plate also

Ken

[softpoint]

It appears my rifle has a 1-14 twist. :coffeecom

[Larry Gibson]

What twist do you have? If you have a 16" twist then the 225415 will not stabilize. You would need a 1 in 14" to get the best out of it.

+1, the 225415s shoot very well in my 12 and 14" twist .22 Hornets, and shot well in a 14" twist .221. However, in 16" twists they may appear to shoot well at 50 yards but do very poorly at 100 yards losing it somewhare in between. I would suggest the 225107 for the slower twist for sure and it even does very well in 14" twist barrels. There was GB going on(?) and occasionally one does see a Lyman for sale. If you want a good bullet now the Lyman 225 438 is a good one.

Larry Gibson

[jvg5576]

Altheating and NOE are in the process of getting BRPs permission to do a run of: BRP 226-47 s, this IMHO would make you a great Boolit in both your rifles.

Also have been warned that Altheating has a rem 700 custom coming in 221 fireball. let the fun begin.

Hopefully NOE will duplicate the 226-47 6 cav. BRP mold blocks and top plate also

Ken

My CZ 527 seems to prefer, in order, the BRP 226-47, Lyman 225438, NOE 225107.

[softpoint]

RCBS shows a 55 grainer, is it the same length as the Lyman 225415?:Fire:

[fcvan]

I run the 225415 through an old 180 model Mini-14. It took some tweaking to get the rifle to cycle but I found a load in a very old Lyman (early 70's) using 4227. For just plinkers in a 10" TC chambered in .223 Unique worked rather well.

I like the boolit design of the 225415 but have been curious about the Bator mold. I may buy one just to try it as Mid South has them in stock. I'm basically looking for a good plinker with the Mini-14. For low pressure, reduced velocity loads, the cast boolit still seems capable of destroying tin cans with some authority. Frank

[Rockchucker]

I was looking at this mold earlier and thought it was a nice looking boolit. Does anyone have any experience with it?
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/505796/rcbs-2-cavity-bullet-mold-22-055-sp-22-caliber-225-diameter-55-grain-semi-point-gas-check

[1Shirt]

225415!
1Shirt!:coffee:

[stubshaft]

I was looking at this mold earlier and thought it was a nice looking boolit. Does anyone have any experience with it?
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/505796/rcbs-2-cavity-bullet-mold-22-055-sp-22-caliber-225-diameter-55-grain-semi-point-gas-check

It's not a bad boolit by any stretch. I bought 5K years ago that had been cast, sized and lubed at an estate auction, and they shot fine.

One thing you may want to remember is that RCBS uses pure lino to develop their boolits and Lyman uses #2 alloy.

[Rockchucker]

It's not a bad boolit by any stretch. I bought 5K years ago that had been cast, sized and lubed at an estate auction, and they shot fine.

One thing you may want to remember is that RCBS uses pure lino to develop their boolits and Lyman uses #2 alloy.

I'm guessing what you're saying is that the rcbs mold might drop some smaller boolits if I don't use straight Linotype, which I'm not.

[9.3X62AL]

I have the RCBS 22-55 mould, and in 92/6/2 alloy it casts wide enough to "clean up" in a .225" H&I sizer. In Lino, it falls out at .226"+. I do get A LOT fewer culls with Lino than with WW or 92/6/2.

F C Van--I would be keenly interested in your load details for running the Mini-14. If you're concerned about "going public" with data, a PM would be fine.

I a bolt Ruger 77RC, the RCBS boolit has been good to mediocre overall. I am like a little kid at times--easily distracted--and need to give the caliber and boolit a more disciplined workout. All 3 of my 223s have 1-9" twist, and the best loads in the bolter so far have come with IMR-4198 at the 1700 FPS threshold, 1.5" to 1.8" at 100 yards. Not exemplary, but still jackrabbit-capable. Jacks 'em up right proper, too.

I have a re-barrel for my much-used 22-250 almost under way, using a Shilen with 1-12" twist. I'm hoping to make it a cast boolit rat strafer of the first order, with the RCBS 22-55.

[tonyjones]

The CZ .22 Hornet probably has a 1:16"twist; at least that's what their website says. Typically, the .221 Fireball comes with a 1:12" twist.

Regards,

Tony

[Rockchucker]

Thanks for the information on the 22 055 9.3X62AL, I'm very new to rifle boolits and thought this boolit would go through my star well since it's a flat nose. At the moment I don't have any rifle moulds, but looking forward to casting some. I really need to read and do more research on load data for the 223. My gun is a Bushmaster A2 with a short barrel, I believe it's 11".
Sorry If I hijacked this thread and got off topic a little. Good luck with your search Softpoint.

[softpoint]

The CZ .22 Hornet probably has a 1:16"twist; at least that's what their website says. Typically, the .221 Fireball comes with a 1:12" twist.

Regards,

Tony

True, I read that, but mine does one complete revolution of a cleaning rod in exactly 14 inches. :confused:The fireball is a Remington and it has 1-14.

[fcvan]

9.3X62AL, Lyman 'went public' with the load in the 70s, but it wasn't in my Lyman 49th edition. I'm going off memory with regard to FPS and CUP, but the load was:

14.0 Grains 4227, 2250 FPS, 25,000 CUP

I worked on that load before I had a chronograph available. I guess I need to run them across the screens and see how they are really doing. The Rooster Red lubed boolits did fine but I will be trying some home made lube in the future. I used Lyman checks but have a .22 check maker on order from Pat. When I get things situated here I plan on trying copper electroplating specifically for this boolit.

Lots of country to shoot there around Ridgecrest. I used to live in Tehachapi and did a lot of shooting out by Mojave. There's nothing like the desert wildflowers in the spring. Frank

[45-70 Chevroner]

I have two Lyman 22 molds both are 225415 one a single cavity and throughing a 49 to 51 gr boolit depending on alloy. The other is a double cavity throughing a 55 to 56 gr. boolit depending on alloy. They both shoot very well in my TC Super 14 with a 1 in 14 twist. My favorite load is 8 grs. Unique for both boolits. The 49 gr chronographs at a little over 2000 FPS and the 55 gr just under 2000 FPS.

[softpoint]

It's looking more like it will be either the RCBS 55gr. or the Lyman 55 grain. Ihave some trial bullets coming from a couple of members here, BTW, Lyman makes a 225646 mold too, and I've seen no one mention it?? What is it's recommended application?:Fire:

[45-70 Chevroner]

I think the 225646 is a Silhouette boolit and would normally be used in competition and is probably a bore rider. It should work well with the same loads as the 225415. It looks like the lube groves are smaller though.

[DIRT Farmer]

My 22 H told mr it does not like the 225-646 in any flavor or seasoning, a Ruger 22H-77. It does dote on the 225-415 and IMR 4227. However the old Ruger mini-14 loves the 225-646 and W-748. Same twist, go figure. The Remington 700 V in 222 isn't sure it likes either, yet.