223 bator mold

[Beekeeper]

Does anyone have any data on how the bator fires?
I have had the mold on order from Midsouth for a year and still no joy.
Is there another mold out there that will work as well?
I have the Lyman 223646 55gr. mold and the 44 gr. mold from babore but was thinking of getting something heavier!

Any info appreciated.


Jim

[BCall]

As of yesterday, the Bator molds were in at Midsouth, you might want to check your order. Can't help you with the heavier, I'm hoping the NOE 60 gr group buy happens, but I'm not holding my breath. I have had more success with the older 225462 than the Bator, but I keep trying! Billy

[jameslovesjammie]

If you're looking to get one and didn't have one on backorder, you may want to jump on it right now. They will go quickly and you'll have to wait another nine months to get one. If you're on the fence, just buy it. If you don't like it you can most likely get 100% of your money back by offering it here.

Mine shipped today.

[Beekeeper]

I have the lyman 225646 and was wondering what the difference was?
Can't see buying one if there is no appreciable difference!
That is why I wanted to find a drawing with specs so I could compare them.


Jim

[sundog]

Felix and I shot some Bators last week. It worked very well in a 222 Rem with 8.5/N110 and a 22-250 with 15.0/N110. They did not shoot well in a hvy bbl Rem 700 .223, but so far no boolit/load has, but it shoots jackets with superb accuracy (more than likely a throating issue or needs to be lapped). Yesterday I broke out a new 22 Bator mould that has been on the shelf for a couple of years. After Lee-menting, it starting casting well from the git-go. Gas shanks are too big. The other new mould (yeah, I bought two of them a couple years ago and they've been on the shelf) the boolit from mould A the GC shank will not fit in mould B. So, as soon as I can (hopefully today), mould B will be Lee-mented and cast with. Hopefully it will be the correct size. I'm also going to look mould A over real good again and make sure there is nothing from keeping it from closing all the way.

[BCall]

Beekeeper- a drawing of the Bator is here-
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/so_moulds_22_bator.asp

It is quite a bit different from the 225646 mold. Billy

[Bullshop]

As I recall the 22 Bator was designed to be stable from a 1/16" twist at subsonic velocity. It is the only 22 cal design over 50gn weight that is designed to do that and I know of no others that will.
The compact length to weight of the Bator at about 52gn (my WW) is about the same length as all other 45gn designs. It is the length not the weight that will determine the minimum RPS needed to be stable. Most of the available 50 + gn designs are marginally stable at best from a 1/16" twist even at max prudent hornet velocities.
This is at least my belief / understanding / experiance.
BIC/BS

[Beekeeper]

BCall,
Your eyes are a lot better than mine if you can read the diagrahm of the boolit.
I even zoomed it as far as my computer would go and could not read it.

Bullshop I have the 22 boolit mould that BaBore sells and was wondering the diferrene between it and the bator.
To me they seem to be about the same so that is why I wanted to check the specs.


Jim

[BCall]

Here is a picture I took a little while back for a visual comparison. Boolits are l-r
225107- 39.1 gr
225438- 45.9 gr
a newer 225438 also 45.9 gr
225450 - 47.6 gr
bator - 51.2 gr
RCBS FP- 55.6 gr
RCBS SP- 57.9 gr
225462 - 59 gr
225646 - 62.9 gr
Sorry, I don't have one of the BABore molds to compare (YET).
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh259/blcall/SN850622.jpg

Did you try this link for the bator?
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/images/22_bator_large.jpg

[deltaenterprizes]

I like #4, how does it shoot and who made it?

[BCall]

That is an older Lyman design, the 225450. No longer made, and I don't know of anything comparable. It took me a while to find one that was reasonably price. I refused to pay e-bay pricing. I like it, but have had very little success with it. Others have reported better results. Billy

[Beekeeper]

BCall,
The BaBore boolit is .490 long
.226 in dia
and mine weigh 45 gr with straight W?W, with #2 alloy it is supposed to drop at 47 gr.
Other than that they seem to be the same. The moulds are expensive compared to a Lee but are a joy to use.
I have a 2 holer and have cast 1000 boolits in about 2 1/2 hours.

You can check his moulds out at http://www.brp.castpics.net

So a little lighter , a little shorter but I think it will be a good replacement for the bator.
I waited a year for a bator and 2 days after I cancelled my order and bought the BaBore mould they got them in.
I think I will stay with what I have for now .


Jim

[Beekeeper]

Sorry I forgot to say thank you for the information you gave me and the pictures of the whole lot.
The final site with the drawing was great.

Jim

[BABore]

I happened on this thread and read about the similarities between my 47 grain pill and the Bator 22. I actually didn't know of its existence til I was already making tryout molds. 357Max and Felix pointed it out to me. Following the MidSouth link, I printed the Bator design and just put into AutoCAD so I could compare the two boolits. The pic below should spell out the similarities and differences. The boolit bases are aligned.

[Beekeeper]

BaBore,
Thanks for the comparison drawings.
I think I will stick with your boolit and wait and see.
I see little difference between them
And besides a bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush and I allready have yours.

Jim

[Bullshop]

The difference is in the weight, the Bator being 8gn heavier. Even with the increased weight still usable in a 1/16" twist. You said you wanted a heavier boolit didnt you?

[JIMinPHX]

The Bator is a real good shooter in my 1:12 up to around 2400fps.

[dualsport]

Now that's what I wanted to hear. I have several .223s and a Hornet or two. My Weatherby Vanguard has a 1/12" twist, and I have a Bator mold on the way from Midsouth, (and a 6.5 Cruise Missle, and a 8mm Maximum!) Finally going to get to try these bullets after reading so much about them. I shoot a lot of Lyman 225450s and OLD style 225438s, can't wait to try my new molds. Thanks to all of you sharing your knowledge. EDIT I'm also in line for a GB mold here, the 314299 Mod, and I'm trying to raise the $ for a GB LBT 358 over on CBA forum! Do you think I've lost it? And I live in beautiful California, where they're cutting off our cheap ww.

[JIMinPHX]

OK, I've got a few more minutes to write now. The Bator proved especially useful in a .223 with a long throat. The blunt design of the Bator allowed me to seat it out far enough to touch the lands while still keeping one of the two lube grooves inside the case neck. In order to touch the lands with a more pointed 55-grain Lyman boolit (225415?), I need to seat it out so far that ALL the lube grooves are exposed & then I have to use a very hard lube so that it doesn't rub off before I get to use the ammo. With the Bator, I have had good luck with just lubing the one lube groove that is still inside the case neck & leaving the exposed lube groove empty. I have had my best results using Lyman Super Moly Lube in the one groove of the Bator. I have run it as high as 3,000fps with no leading, but I have yet to get good accuracy over 2400fps. The Bator has given me some of the best accuracy of any boolits that I have tried in a .22. I think that the long bearing surface may have something to do with that.

[JIMinPHX]

More info here -
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=704139#post704139