Bator

[wch]

I was given a Lee 22 caliber Bator mold, aluminum blocks of course.
I have a 22 K Hornet that I want to use this mold to cast bullets for.
Good idea or not?

[richhodg66]

Good idea indeed. I like that with six grains of 2400 in mine.

[GhostHawk]

I think fine idea with some thinned Alox for lube. Gas checks if your going fast.

[Markopolo]

i use mine for all sorts of stuff.. shot it with the 223, 22-250, and 22 jet. its a fine boolit.. i found if I weight sort them, I get much better results.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The Bator is a short fat boolit and likes a slow twist...many Hornets have a slow twist. My Ruger #3 is 1:16 and loves the Bator.
I have also loaded the Bator in 222rem, that worked out well. I wish they still made the Bator.

[richhodg66]

The Bator is a short fat boolit and likes a slow twist...many Hornets have a slow twist. My Ruger #3 is 1:16 and loves the Bator.
I have also loaded the Bator in 222rem, that worked out well. I wish they still made the Bator.

This is my experience. It nominally weighs 55 grains which I thought wouldn't work in my older slow twist rifles, but the Bator is actually shorter than the lighter 225438.

[wch]

Thanks to those who replied, sounds hopeful.

[tankgunner59]

I have a Lee Bator mold and I cast with it for my 22-250 with great results.

[Land Owner]

Off and on I have attempted to accurize a pair of H&R Handi-rifles shooting gas checked 22-Bator boolits. My alloy, Pb/WW/Sn ~ 49/49/2 percent, air cooled, is fairly accurate at 50 yds (not through testing) in both 1:9 Bull barrel and 1:12 Standard barrel with no leading (not pushing them too fast - yet). I weigh and sort every one as my alloy drops from the mold at 48.5 to 51.0 grains (5% variation) and everything in between.

[farmerjim]

I powder coat mine and use them in my 22 hornet and AR15. They also work good with HI-tek coating.

[quilbilly]

My Hornet loves the blunt Bator boolit and my .222 T/C Contender pistol also likes it. My 223's prefer a more pointed boolit.

[fcvan]

I don't have the Bator mold, but did a swap of some Lyman C225-415 with a guy. They shot well for me. Of late, I shoot the NOE 225-62 RN, plain based for powder coating. That is my boolit of choice for my 1 - 10" Mini 14 180 model, an AR 15 with a 1 - 9" barrel, and a single shot with a 24" 1 - 12". The loads used are Lyman book loads with IMR 4227. I get 2250 fps from the Ruger and the AR 15, 2450 from the single shot. I enjoy using the single shot the most, very accurate with a long eye relief fixed 4x scope. Tin cans however, do not like that rifle, squirrels even less. It still doesn't hold a candle to the 29 lb bench rest rifle my old gunsmith built, but he never shot cast. I wonder what my loads would do in his rifle.

[wch]

I don't have the Bator mold, but did a swap of some Lyman C225-415 with a guy. They shot well for me. Of late, I shoot the NOE 225-62 RN, plain based for powder coating. That is my boolit of choice for my 1 - 10" Mini 14 180 model, an AR 15 with a 1 - 9" barrel, and a single shot with a 24" 1 - 12". The loads used are Lyman book loads with IMR 4227. I get 2250 fps from the Ruger and the AR 15, 2450 from the single shot. I enjoy using the single shot the most, very accurate with a long eye relief fixed 4x scope. Tin cans however, do not like that rifle, squirrels even less. It still doesn't hold a candle to the 29 lb bench rest rifle my old gunsmith built, but he never shot cast. I wonder what my loads would do in his rifle.

29 pound bench rest rifle? I'll bet you'd have a "one holer" on your hands.

[fcvan]

29 pound bench rest rifle? I'll bet you'd have a "one holer" on your hands.

He built 2 actually, 1 in 22 lr, the other in .223 Rem. The 22 made squirrels do back-flips, the .223 made pink mist. The foothills near Bakersfield/Tehachapi were thick as thieves but sufficiently thinned. Kerry also made match grade Ruger 10-22s mounting 1" H-Bar Douglass barrels. He would would clover leaf 3 at 100 yards, cut the bulls-eye out, and mark the price on the rifle. Should have bought one at $150, or $100 for your rifle. Back then (1989) he was getting used 10-22s for $75 and converted them when the shop was empty.

I can't remember how many rifles I helped him free float and bed going to his shop to hang out, it was like an old Barbour shop. Every one of our local gun club popped in all of the time. I was there to hang out or buy another lb of Unique and 1000+ primers, every week. I was training at the time, 1250 rounds per week.

Okay, I didn't buy all of those primers and powder, I traded 500 cast/lubed/sized for 1000 primers, 500 for a pound of Unique. I did cast over 2000 a week for my reloading buddies. Good thing the lead was free from the range at work. Heck, the Armory Sergeant would call me when the range was needing mining and rebuild. They let me and a buddy keep our shovels and screens at the range. I haven't mined that range for 30+ years, new facility was not suitable for mining until after I retired. They pulled out 22 tons when they finally rebuilt the range, didn't even call me, even though I kept them in Zombie Green Boolits for years. They did apologize after I mentioned it. I think I was offered a standing invitation to mine on non range days. I guess it might be time to go to the old salt mine again.

[wch]

He built 2 actually, 1 in 22 lr, the other in .223 Rem. The 22 made squirrels do back-flips, the .223 made pink mist. The foothills near Bakersfield/Tehachapi were thick as thieves but sufficiently thinned. Kerry also made match grade Ruger 10-22s mounting 1" H-Bar Douglass barrels. He would would clover leaf 3 at 100 yards, cut the bulls-eye out, and mark the price on the rifle. Should have bought one at $150, or $100 for your rifle. Back then (1989) he was getting used 10-22s for $75 and converted them when the shop was empty.

I can't remember how many rifles I helped him free float and bed going to his shop to hang out, it was like an old Barbour shop. Every one of our local gun club popped in all of the time. I was there to hang out or buy another lb of Unique and 1000+ primers, every week. I was training at the time, 1250 rounds per week.

Okay, I didn't buy all of those primers and powder, I traded 500 cast/lubed/sized for 1000 primers, 500 for a pound of Unique. I did cast over 2000 a week for my reloading buddies. Good thing the lead was free from the range at work. Heck, the Armory Sergeant would call me when the range was needing mining and rebuild. They let me and a buddy keep our shovels and screens at the range. I haven't mined that range for 30+ years, new facility was not suitable for mining until after I retired. They pulled out 22 tons when they finally rebuilt the range, didn't even call me, even though I kept them in Zombie Green Boolits for years. They did apologize after I mentioned it. I think I was offered a standing invitation to mine on non range days. I guess it might be time to go to the old salt mine again.

I love that history lesson!

[stubshaft]

I had a friend of mine mill off the gas check portion. It weighs 45 grains now and works great in mu K-Hornet.