Core bonding 224 bullets out of 22LR cases?

[Lizard333]

Has anyone done any research into this? I have had some very good results with core bonding the larger projectiles, 40, 44, and 45, but I was wonderining if anyone had done testing into media to see if it makes a difference. In my experiance, the standard bullets we get out of 22LR cases are very good at fragmenting when they hit something, but wondered if I could get them to hold together better if the cores were bonded.

I know the proccess can be done. When making some 55 gn boolits for a member here to try out, I heated a core and jacket up after seating the core. Then I point formed and got a descent bullet. Now weather or not if flys any better or not, is still up in the air. I have the ability to make the bullets, but dont have the media to do any testing with.

If someone here has the ability to do some media testing, I would be more than willing to provide some test projectiles to use in the test.
I could also provide some commercial jacketed bullets both regular and core bonded for comparison.

Or, this could have been in the past, and is a COMPLETE waste of time, and I find that out as well.

[fredj338]

I've often though the same process would work; core seat then heat up the base to melt the core into the jacket. Just not sure how they would shoot. A good test medium is wetpack, newsprint or phone books. You should only need about 12" thick stack. Be happy to test some.

[Hickory]

I have tried bonded 224 bullets on prairie dogs, they seem to hold together a little better and makes getting doubles a more of a sure thing.
Without being bonded the bullet will blow up the first prairie dog real good but not the one behind very often, mostly rolls them.

[bullet maker 57]

You would have to core bond before seating the core. There will be a small hollow spot close to the center of the core. That along with expanding the jacket is the reason for bonding first.

[newcastter]

I am deathly afraid of putting Flux in my swaging dies. In my opinion I would think there would be something to gain from scratching the inside of the jacket by just running some sandpaper in the jacket then melting the core then seat. I figure the scratching would help with adhiesion. It may not be as close as a flux bonded bond. But would it suffice???
Just a thought to save my dies.

[bullet maker 57]

I use Corbins Core Bond. The heating process should vaporize the core bonding solution. I don't think I would use a soldering flux. Even if you use a soldering flux, and then clean jacket/bonded core before seating the core you should be okay.

[mikeym1a]

Speer used to make 'core bond' bullets, and that's how they did it. As far a flux goes, as long as you use a rosin flux, and not an acid flux, it should not affect your machinery at all. rosin flux is what they use in electronics. I have wondered if any of the guys here making there own were doing that. Years ago I was out shooting with my brother. I was using Speer bullets, and he was using Hornady. When we checked the targets, his bullets had fragmented and come apart. Mine were mushroomed, and mostly still there. I'm not sure how much it would slow down production, but, it should help them hold together.

[carbine86]

I have shot these said bullets and accuracy wise at 100 yards there was no difference in group size compared to 55 fmjs or tmjs. I was still getting .5" or better 5 shot groups. I did not however mine to see what they looked like after hitting the berm.

Has anyone done any research into this? I have had some very good results with core bonding the larger projectiles, 40, 44, and 45, but I was wonderining if anyone had done testing into media to see if it makes a difference. In my experiance, the standard bullets we get out of 22LR cases are very good at fragmenting when they hit something, but wondered if I could get them to hold together better if the cores were bonded.

I know the proccess can be done. When making some 55 gn boolits for a member here to try out, I heated a core and jacket up after seating the core. Then I point formed and got a descent bullet. Now weather or not if flys any better or not, is still up in the air. I have the ability to make the bullets, but dont have the media to do any testing with.

If someone here has the ability to do some media testing, I would be more than willing to provide some test projectiles to use in the test.
I could also provide some commercial jacketed bullets both regular and core bonded for comparison.

Or, this could have been in the past, and is a COMPLETE waste of time, and I find that out as well.

[Lizard333]

I don't use flux. Lead and brass will naturally bond together when heated enough. Also saves putting something in my dies that might corrode them.

[newcastter]

That's exactly what I was thinking would happen.

I don't use flux. Lead and brass will naturally bond together when heated enough. Also saves putting something in my dies that might corrode them.

[runfiverun]

it will soften the jaxket, and if you have lead at the tip they make some very good varmint bullets.
we were having a contest for furthest piece when on a ground squirrel shoot using the above bullets.
we were annealing after point forming.

[Lizard333]

it will soften the jaxket, and if you have lead at the tip they make some very good varmint bullets.
we were having a contest for furthest piece when on a ground squirrel shoot using the above bullets.
we were annealing after point forming.

I tried this as well and I got about three grains of lead to to pop out the top. Turned my 55's to 52's.

[runfiverun]

I had to heat them from the top down with a pretty fine point on the torch.
if I tried to heat the whole thing or from the middle it would pop out a little of the lead like an air pocket was released.
I made a little wooden jig by drilling holes in a board to the same depth over and over then just heating the front half of the bullet.