Working with the 225438

[georgewxxx]

In the picture are 3 versions of the same mould number. These 225438's all have different weights & diameter using the same alloy. I'm gearing up for a 22 hornet project using these and 4 other .22 cal moulds. In Cast Pics under Members articles, is piece I did last year for Beagle on the 218 Bee. In it I tested using 3 different .22 cal sizing dies. The results went against what you read about what size do you make your boolis. The standard quote is "SLUG YOUR BARREL", but the people that tell you that don't expound as to why. More than likely they haven't a clue themselves. What your looking for is a sweet spot's plural!! Not only barrel length, but amount and type of powder you use, boolit size and alloy, seating depth, etc.

The rifle I'm using this time is a very old 1930's vintage Krag with a Springfield 22 barrel dated 1937 with a 10 power Lyman Perma Center scope attached. Brophy says Springfield barrels were made with groove's, depending on year, from .2225 to .2235. Knowing that doesn't help much either. How fast or how big the boolit needs to be to shoot best can only be found by testing. In the 218 Bee piece I used a .222, .223, & .224 sizing dies. I have a .225 also, but I know from past experience it's not going to worth my time to test it.

At this point with a foot of snow on my range, I'm thinking it'll be a month or more before I get these three 225438's tested along with 4 other boolits. As you can imagine assembling them takes time. Off the top of my head, I'd say the .222 sized boolits will outshout the others, but only will tell. Last Summer I did some preliminary work with that Krag and it'll shoot half inch groups with the "other kind of boolits". The old Winchester military survival stuff chronograph ed 2900fps and grouped 1.5" Sweet spot velocity range last year was around 2100fps with cast. I did get a few 1.25" groups with several boolit styles.

My intent here is to scare the bajeebers out of the newbies. Naw, not really, as you get older and accumulate more reloading "JUNK", you can play games testing....Geo

[quasi]

I am looking forward to your tests, I am trying to get organised to do something similar with my Brno 465 Hornet. I have a RCBS 55gr fp mold and a new Lyman 44 GR RN GC 225438dc is in the mail to me along with a new 314299.

[HORNET]

quasi,
I think you're going to have a real hard time sizing that 314299 down to fit in that Hornet..
Don't you love Lyman's habit of completely redesigning a boolit and using the same number, like they did with the 225415 & 225438. How annoying..

[leftiye]

Anybody besides me think that 225438 would shoot better if it had another driving band at the rear of the ogive? You might could reach the rifling (if you have any freebore), I was going to say better, but how about "reach it at all?" Without having to leave everythang but the gas check sticking outta the case that is...

[georgewxxx]

quasi,

Beagle has an outstanding article in Cast Pics that I'm using for load data to some extent. It's a good read while your waiting for you gear to show up. Also do a search this forum for hornet ideas.

lefteye, whoever chambered this 22 long rifle barrel to hornet did a perfect job. I'm seating all my 225438 with only one grease groove showing and get into the bore fine.

[HORNET]

leftiye,
I got a new (mfg. last year) 225438 and it doesn't have the dirt-catcher groove that my old one has at the bottom of the nose. Instead, the bottom edge of the nose has a band on it at full body diameter. It's also somewhat pointier than my old one so I'll probably need to change the overall length somewhere else. This being Lyman, it may be the only one in existence that looks like that.
georgewxxx,
congratulations on the old Krag. You might want to keep an eye on the base of the locking lug on it as you go. IIRC, some of them had suspect heat treatment (or re-treatment) and tended to crack, even in Hornet. My old #3 Ruger likes the older style ahead of a lot of IMR4227, but others seem to like lots of AA1680. I was running at full throttle that Hornady listed for their 45 gr. j-bullet, but that was before they reduced the SAAMI pressure spec for the Hornets built on fimfire actions. Watch it, they get habit forming.

[georgewxxx]

Rick,

Yeah I know about krag bolt cracks. I've got three Krags, one 98 rifle and a 99 carbine, plus a rebuilt 96 made into a semi sporter using a 03 Springfield barrel chambered to 30-40 Krag. The latter did the job on several deer using a 311290 boolit. I agree, It's easy to fall in love with those super slick actions. Sadly, this hornet isn't mine, it belongs to a non caster friend that enjoys shooting my free lead in his guns when I'm done with them. So far the powders used in this gun are WW680, Unique, 4227, 2400, H-110, Blue Dot, 5744, & titegroup. No real dogs in the bunch so far, but I havent been able to break the inch barrer with cast. I've got 300 rds loaded up waiting for testing when the weather permits. The score book might change after these go down range......Geo