22 caliber lead Boolits

[ebb]

I looked at the Lee website for a 22 caliber mold and they only listed one as best I could tell. In the back of my mind I seem to remember hearing that they were very difficult to cast and get a quality bullet. What do you all think? Is a 22 caliber bullet worth trying to is it too difficult for a novice like me?

[ACC]

I looked at the Lee website for a 22 caliber mold and they only listed one as best I could tell. In the back of my mind I seem to remember hearing that they were very difficult to cast and get a quality bullet. What do you all think? Is a 22 caliber bullet worth trying to is it too difficult for a novice like me?

They will work but there are two things to remember.

1. Take your time when casting.
2. Be sure to cull the bullets better than you are used to.

I have in the past cast bullets for .222 and .223 Remington. I don't anymore. Just not up to it at this advanced age.

Good Luck,
ACC

[Bigslug]

I think the challenge is not so much that it's massively more difficult to cast a bullet of equivalent quality to what you're used to, but that a given amount of imperfection on a 50 grain .22 is screwing up a much higher percentage of the total bullet mass than the same blemish would of a 200 grain .30 cal., but yes, I would say they are a little harder to cast. Not so much that they are outside the normal "every mold has its own rules" generalization, though.

A similar challenge is you get the same "larger percentage" problem with little cartridges. I successfully got a K-Hornet to group well enough to reliably splat a water bottle at 100 yards, but it warn't easy.

Depends on what your end game is. Getting a 9mm, .38, or .357 carbine to group well at 100 yards will almost certainly be easier, and will likely consume a similar amount of powder. It will also consume two to four times as much lead, so you have to weigh economy of components vs. economy of grief.

[Texas by God]

I’m using the Lee 55 gr bullet in my .218 Bee with a 14” twist barrel.
I cast them hot and visually cull them, and they are doing pretty good.
I would imagine that loading them for a 7” or 9” twist .223 would involve more caveats.


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[gunseller]

I cast a 60 grain that I shoot in a mini mark X in 223 cal. The mold is an old Ideal. Head shots on squirrel at 75 yards is easy. It is quiter than a 22lr. I did not think they were any harder to cast than 30 cal bullets. My reject rate is ruffly the same as 30 cal bullets.

[sigep1764]

Speed is of concern as well. Need a tough alloy if going above 2000fps. I keep my 223s right at that limit. The Axis bolt action could prolly go higher with accuracy but my 1/7 twist ARs are prolly near their limit. I shoot a 75 grain boolit with a gas check and powder coating. I am going to try a 70-80 grain boolit with a plain base this summer and see if I can eliminate the need for a gas check with powder coating.

[Shopdog]

I run a Lee 225-55RF in a stock R700 223 at durn near max 4198 jacketed book loads. Skinny brrl will cloverleaf 3 shots @100 including the 1st,cold bore shot....

But that's not the reason for responding;

With the 22's... in my experience,they are extremely picky about the mould/bullet. You can take the same make and model gun and there will be a noticeable difference in two moulds that are close. Two examples here are the RCBS 60g vs Lee 55g.... and there are others like this. I shoot a bunch of 22-250's in several different rigs,same thing. Again,just my observation,you won't have to get all scientific about the data.... get it right and it'll start bug holing vs 1-2 inch groups for a ho hum mould. Base edges are CRITICAL. And really pay attention to sprue cut off.... as mentioned above,what you "get away with" in larger/heavier calibers is very upsetting to the 22's. Part of that is,a heavier bullet irons out discrepancy better by being slower to react to change. As velocity goes up,the bullet reaction goes up. As bullet weight goes down,reaction speeds up.

Good luck with your project.

[dverna]

I have two MP molds I purchased years ago for SHTF and never used them. I cannot cast an accurate .30 cal bullet so never tried them.

I will dig them out and put them in the S&S forum.

[dtknowles]

I have a 45 gr. NOE plain base LRN/FP mold that I use with my .22 hornet, 3" 100 yard groups all day, sometimes even better but at only 1400 fps. I can cast a pile pretty quick with not too many rejects, just visual, not weight sorted. In the hornet, I pan lube them, no sizing (0.226" and 44 gr. with my #2 alloy) on either the bullet or the case, bullet is a fine fit on my fired selected brass. It is a Ruger #3 single shot, I don't crimp. I have a lyman 58 gr. LRN with gas check that I don't really have much use for. The bullets are fine but too long/heavy for the slow twist of my hornet (plus the cost of gas checks) and I don't load for my AR, I don't shoot it much and I have a case of ammo if needed. I guess I should work up a load for the AR just in case but working other projects at the moment. I am old and a bit fumble fingered but I don't have a problem handling these bullets, I don't have big hands. Somewhere back in the archives here is my .22 hornet cast bullet development with targets and pictures of bullets. I have not shot that gun in what maybe 10 years.

[dtknowles]

I found the old .22 Hornet thread with my pictures

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?318326-22-Hornet-Anyone/page2

Tim

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I load a 55gn RCBS gas checked and powder coated boolit in my 223 Rem. Accuracy at 100yds would average 2 MOA.

https://i.imgur.com/Gc8Va4ul.jpg

[Gunslinger1911]

I played with the Lee 55g GC mold.
I have a fast twist AR, didn't work too well; a friend has a slower twist AR - he loved 'em !
Messing with those tiny gas checks can be a pain !
I got a MP HP mold to cast for my 22 TCM, in that cartridge, at about 2000 f/s, powder coat and no GC
As said, just sort for imperfections more so than a bigger boolet.
For some reason that little slug was harder to cast than bigger ones. Until I found that molds sweet spot got lots wrinkles.
A beginning caster can do it, the learning curve can be steep, but hang in there.
Kind of fun to cast for a couple hours and not see the pot go down very fast.

[dale2242]

I have two 22 caliber molds.
Both are Lyman classic GCs.
225415 and 225438
I cast them from linotype and have no more rejects than my 25, 7MM, or 30 caliber molds.
I shoot these bullets in my 22 Hornet, 218 Bee, and 221FB.
Go for it, they shoot well for me.

[redhawk0]

I have an Ideal 225450....its 48gr pointed tip....what a pain in the butt to cast...ALTHOUGH....I haven't tried casting with it since I started using a hotplate. I think my problem was that the mold wouldn't stay hot enough due to the tiny cavity size in a larger block of iron. Heat retention wasn't good causing my issues. The last time I cast with that mold was about 8 years ago...and I think I got maybe 8% good boolits from it. With the hotplate...I might just try again. Of the few that I have had luck with....they sure do zip from the 22-250.

redhawk

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Long ago I had very high success with a single cavity Lyman 225415 (no Lee molds back then) in a Savage 219 22 Hornet. Well under 2" at 100 Yards.

[quack1]

I cast and load 22 caliber bullets in 22-250, 218 Bee and 222. Three different bullets, Lyman 225438, 225462 and an early design Lee Bator with the gas check shank reamed out. It took some trial and error, but was able to get accuracy around 1" at 100yds with the 225462 in the 22-250 and with the 225438 in the Bee. I even hollow pointed both of them on the lathe and used them to hunt groundhogs. My 222 barrel didn't like gas checks, and would rip them off both bullets. Glad I made a lexan screen to protect the chronograph from stuff like that. Best guess to why is my Sako's abrupt start to the rifling, I figure that was the culprit. The Bator shoots well in it though.
Like was said in previous posts, when casting cull relentlessly, I even weighed them. Also, adding a little tin to the alloy helps with better fillout.

[upnorthwis]

I was pleasantly surprised at how well they cast. Blocks were the same size as much larger bullets. They didn't seem to be a problem for me. They were used in a 1/9 twist AR-15. GC was mandatory to keep them within minute of berm. Also, PC'd them.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I looked at the Lee website for a 22 caliber mold and they only listed one as best I could tell. In the back of my mind I seem to remember hearing that they were very difficult to cast and get a quality bullet. What do you all think? Is a 22 caliber bullet worth trying to is it too difficult for a novice like me?
Yes, it's worth it. The most difficult thing is trying to keep the mold hot enough. I use a hotplate to pre-warm the mold. If I have issues with maintaining correct mold temp, I take a break and put the mold back on the hotplate, to get it back up to temp.
that's my 2¢

[Digital Dan]

I looked at the Lee website for a 22 caliber mold and they only listed one as best I could tell. In the back of my mind I seem to remember hearing that they were very difficult to cast and get a quality bullet. What do you all think? Is a 22 caliber bullet worth trying to is it too difficult for a novice like me?

I don't find them anymore difficult to cast than other bullets and have done so for a .22 K-Hornet and a small .22 RF clone that uses CF primers. I would not do it with a Lee mould as they are aluminum. Lyman 225438 and a custom mould by Steve Brooks did the trick, no problems.

[Wolfdog91]

Casing .22 cal honestly isn't that hard . Idk I feel going that route really gave me a little bit of an advantage because you HAVE to be in your P's and Q's vs the "easier stuff" my advice though would be to drop a pill extra get a MP or NOE mold. Also get a NOE sizer set up and get a .225-.227 set of sizer bushings.
Anyhow just run hot ,like 750 ,and keep your mild nice and pre heated. Also save yourself some headaches and just go ahead and gas check everything... O and use a harder alloy and water quench.

[dverna]

Define "worth".

Numbers based on current costs for 2000 bullets:

Cost of 92-2-6 alloy from Rotometals $4/lb. 2000 60 gr bullets - $70
Cost of gas checks - $60
Total cost of $130

Cost of Hornady 55 gr SP's - $230
https://www.armorally.com/shop/hornady-22-caliber-55gr-spire-point/

Add in cost of one decent mold and a sizer and top punch. If you are lucky, you get a mold that works in your gun. If not, another hunk of change to try for a different one. Maybe you need a larger sizer???

Do you value your time? If casting, sizing and sorting/inspecting are "fun" it does not matter.

If time matters to you, figure about 200 bullets/hour after casting, inspecting. sizing and applying GCs.

You will have a boring time with jacketed bullets. You should get a 2 MOA load in one or two range sessions. The bullets will perform like commercial loads at 3000 fps. If you are lucky, you might even get to 1 MOA if you want to spend a bit more time with load development.

Cast bullets are typically less boring. You might need a different alloy, sizing die, or lube, and then find a velocity that gives acceptable accuracy. Plan on that velocity being under 2500 fps.

Time matters to me but not to most people on this forum. I value my time at $15/hr. I do not get my jollies from making bullets. What matters to you? No right or wrong answer but know yourself.

Accuracy is important to me. Cast bullets will not match the accuracy of jacketed bullets. What is acceptable to you?

How much will you shoot? If it is 1000 rounds a year, cast bullets will save you $50/year. Is it worth it to you to spend 5 hours to save $50 after investing in over $100 in a mold and sizing dies.

BTW, when I "worked the numbers" years ago, I bought 6000 of the Hornady bullets for $420 delivered. IMO they are still a bargain at $665. It would take me 30 hours to produce 6000 bullets. That is more "fun" than I can stand.

People will pile on about their "free" or cheap alloy. No such thing. Alloy has a value. The Casting gods will not curse you if you sell good alloy to buy better bullets.

A lot of folks start into this hobby and give it up. They realize their time is not worth the effort. IMO .22 cal is the worst. YMMV.

Many folks here are successful in meeting their needs with cast .22's. Give serious thought to what you want to accomplish and how dedicated you are to the job. Lastly, there is not much downside. You might lose $50 on a mold and $20 on a sizer if you decide it is not for you. The most important factor IMO is how much time you have, and how much fun you will be get out of the journey.

$70 is decent meal out for two. Go for it if you are on the fence. There is value in learning.

[quilbilly]

I have three 22 molds, two of them Lee molds. My Hornet likes the old style Lee soup can mold as does my Contender 222 but my single shot and bolt rifles prefer the new style. Since I have many hundreds of jacketed 22's, I reserve those for a semi-auto which doesn't function well at velocities below 2450 fps. Casting is easy when you run your lead pot hot. I never really liked the Lee 6 hole 22 mold because it rarely gave more than 4 good boolits plus 2 culls. The third mold is a 4 cavity making 56 gr. boolits which takes little time to produce 4 good ones every time. My alloy is not as hard as most use. That NOE mold produces boolits that are unbelievably accurate in the bolt rifle and an MV of 1900 fps.

[Tripplebeards]

I wouldn’t mind trying to find a hollow point mold. I feel like I’m up for the challenge. Definitely would want to find one with a gas check so I could run soft alloy in powder coat.

[pworley1]

The 225415 has worked best for me.

[dtknowles]

Define "worth".

Numbers based on current costs for 2000 bullets:

Cost of 92-2-6 alloy from Rotometals $4/lb. 2000 60 gr bullets - $70
Cost of gas checks - $60
Total cost of $130

Cost of Hornady 55 gr SP's - $230

$70 is decent meal out for two. Go for it if you are on the fence. There is value in learning.

Your math does not work for me, but the money does not matter to me either. I could cast them from Linotype for less than $2 a pound. I rarely pay Rotometals type prices for my lead. I got an 8 pound bar of babbit at the scrap yard for 8 dollars along with a bunch of lead wheel weights recently and I said 8 dollars but really I traded some scrap aluminum, copper and steel for what I brought home. I rarely use gas checks and would not pay 3 cents a piece for them.

But like I said it is not about the money. I don't cast and reload to save money. I do it for, I don't know, maybe bragging rights or knowledge or fun or whatever. If I want to impress someone with my .22 Hornet I shoot Hornady Factory 35 gr. V-max. My Ruger #3 loves that ammo, I am ashamed to admit it but even using those bullets in my handloads the factory ammo is more accurate. It shoots under an inch at 100 yards and is stepping out at around 3000 fps. The day I tested it, I went back to the store and bought all they had on the shelf. I have not reloaded any of that brass so maybe that is what makes it better than my handloads, I have been loading a mixed bag of old brass, I do sort the brass but I have 5 different headstamps.

I don't know how I would value my time reloading. My employer pays me more than $80 and hour plus benefits but of course I have to pay taxes on that. I actually don't work for the money, the money and benefits are nice but I have a pension and medicare and could collect full social security. I work because the work has meaning and I like a lot of the people I work with.

I have a buddy who has more reloading equipment, brass, bullets and whatever for reloading and has not loaded a round of ammo for probably a decade. I was at his new place shooting the other day and I noticed he does not have any of his reloading equipment set up. I asked about his mill and his lathe, turns out they are in the barn rusting. I asked to borrow his mini bench top lathe. It took him some digging to find it. I asked about a vice that was sitting in some tall grass, he gave it to me. He has ammo cans full of 44 mag, 9mm and 45 auto that he loaded a long time ago. We shot his old model 44 Ruger blackhawk that day along with other guns. He hit the steel gong at 100 yards, off-hand with his first shot. That is all sort beside the point.

Everyone has their own reasons for what they do or don't do and it seems money is only the driver for some of them.

I understand that for most people money will always have to be considered. I consider the money too, I don't want to waste money or things but I do what I want to do.

Tim

Actually, I have not shot the hornet since that day when I tested that Hornady ammo. There seems to be no point in shooting it anymore. It is set up and working and I have a bunch of ammo on the shelf.

[35 Rem]

I bought one of the Lee Bator 22 molds and cast up a hundred or so. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they turned out as I was expecting poor fillout with such a tiny bullet. This was probably 2 years ago and I still haven't loaded any. I just can't get excited to do all the work of casting a bullet, spending money on an expensive gas check, plus an expensive primer, then all the time spent loading the ammo to turn a 22 centerfire into something less than a 22 Magnum rimfire. I guess I'm too much of a 22 centerfire purist at heart. For me, those cartridges thrive on speed and they die if you throttle back to 2,000 ft/sec. You have no mass and no speed and again all that is left is 22 Mag performance at best at probably just as much cost.

[dverna]

Like I said Tim

Define worth. Money, performance, pleasure, learning experience, bragging rights?

The OP needs to decide what matters to him. I value money and performance but that is not important to everyone.

I would never cast another bullet or reload another cartridge or shell if I was not saving enough to make it worth my time. Most folks here think differently. Nothing wrong with that, but it is not necessarily the right answer for everyone

I took a class with Evil Roy. He put it elegantly. “Some people shoot Cowboy action to dress up, some people dress up to shoot Cowboy action”. The right answer is what works for the person.

[dtknowles]

Like I said Tim

Define worth. Money, performance, pleasure, learning experience, bragging rights?

The OP needs to decide what matters to him. I value money and performance but that is not important to everyone.

I would never cast another bullet or reload another cartridge or shell if I was not saving enough to make it worth my time. Most folks here think differently. Nothing wrong with that, but it is not necessarily the right answer for everyone

I took a class with Evil Roy. He put it elegantly. “Some people shoot Cowboy action to dress up, some people dress up to shoot Cowboy action”. The right answer is what works for the person.

:guntootsmiley: