22LR Black Powder Reloads - How to Make Them

[John Boy]

A pictorial of how I make my 22LR black powder reloads:



Cases: Empty Primed ArmsCor Cases purchased from the Hunting Shack - no longer available

Mold: David Mos 22KT custom mold. The Lyman 225438 mold can also be used
* Mos Bullets - 42.4grs cast @ 730F using Bhn 15 alloy for this batch, lubed with Bullshop NASA lube
Mos Bullet Dimensions:
* OAL - 0.470
* Heel - 0.210
* Heel Width - 0.085
* Band Diameters - 0.221
Reload COAL - 1.00

Components Used to Make the Reloads:

Loading Tray: Scrap piece of Trex and a 1/4" Forstner drill bit
Drop Tube Placed in Charger Drop Tube: A 223 case cut off at the web



Bullet Lube Variables: NASA Lube - pan lubing, Graphite, Liquid Rooster Lube and Paraffin (dipped or pan lubed)



Powder Choices: Swiss Null-B, DuPont FFFFg sieved to 50 mesh and Swiss FFFFg. Will also try the 2010 KIK FFFg sieved to 40 mesh



Powder Charger: My 'el cheapo' Lee Perfect Powder Measure that will drop 4.5grs of powder more consistently than the other 4 chargers I have. Even better than a B&M. Powder setting of 4.5grs is dropped into a pan and weighed on the digital scale, accurate to 0.1gr. Then I just drop the powder without weighing into the cases which fills the case to the top of the lip using 223 cut case with the 22 case in it's mouth as an 'extended drop tube' so there is no powder spillage on the bench




Only 2 dies and a shell holder are needed to make a completed round:
* Lee Universal Expander Dies (small) is used to create the case bell before charging and seating the bullets
* CH4D 22LR Seating Die and Shellholder. The CH4D puts a nice factory crimp on the case. Currently, the CH4D die is not in current production. I talked with Mr Davidson @ CH4D and he anticipates to do a run of them in 4-6 months. Mine was from a small run that he made 5 years ago
Update: Talked with CH4D today. They are heat treating the dies now and will only be making 5 sets. Should be ready in a couple of weeks ... get your order in if you want one!
* Dies on a Lee 3 Hole Turret Press



And the rifles currently shooting the original gunpowder reloads, each with a vernier or peep sight



Might want to also visit the other 22 BP thread here on Cast Boolits ...
http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...d.php?t=130946
Update thread

[6.5 mike]

Thanks John, this cleared up a couple of my questions. How does the Henry do with the BP loads?

[John Boy]

How does the Henry do with the BP loads?

Mike, don't know yet. I just fired a couple with the rifle so far

[Cannoneer]

Other than pulling the bullets out of smokeless .22 RF, how do you get empty, primed .22 RF cases?

[DeanWinchester]

This isn't my choice of games, but I will say, this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

Very impressive John Boy.

[Springfield]

I just called them and the lady said they will be back from heat treating in 3-4 Months, and will be 81.00. This sounds like something Lathesmith cold do faster and cheaper.

[1Shirt]

Interesting, but my question is WHY?
1Shirt!

[John Boy]

Other than pulling the bullets out of smokeless .22 RF, how do you get empty, primed .22 RF cases?

Cases: Empty Primed ArmsCor Cases purchased from the Hunting Shack - no longer available

Interesting, but my question is WHY?

Why not? Black powder 22 rim fire rounds have been off the market for decades with the advent of smokeless powder

[w30wcf]

John Boy,
Nice pics and good explanation. NEAT!

w30wcf

[tacklebury]

Very cool. 8)

[John Boy]

Here's an extra step I've added:
* A 225 H&I die, bullet nose down to tighten the factory crimp up so the rounds will chamber in the Henry better without hanging up. To keep the metplat from not being distorted, I put a spent LR primer filled with lead on top of the die plug. Any flat nosed top punch works

[John Boy]

HeyArnold - subsequent improvement. Try this to make the powder charging go faster:
* Put 50 cases spaced in a 100 Win 209 primer tray
* Set the powder charger to 4.5gr of powder (found that the Lyman #5 puts a perfect charge in every time). Charge each case while in the primer tray
* Crank the handler and the 50 cases are charged in a short time

Nice to hear you Stepped Back in Time and enjoy shooting the rounds. With 4.5gr of Swiss Null-B, the average velocity is 1130fps.


FIRST RANGE TEST

[Traffer]

Many here are aware that I have been reloading 22lr for the last year. Had no previous experience with reloading. No tools. Here is what I have come up with so far. The first picture contains a Remington and Winchester bullet along with my powder coated and metal cased bullets.
Attachment 177536Attachment 177537Attachment 177538Attachment 177539

[John Boy]

Very Nice Traffer. For the lowly 22LR, don't you really like it when a plan comes together?

[Traffer]

Thank You.
Yes it is very rewarding when a very difficult task is realized. I had no idea when I started that it would be this time consuming. I wish I could do better and faster work. I am hoping that the jacketed bullets will give me tight groups. Gonna test them later this week.

[Sawdust]

How do you make a blow tube?

[John Boy]

How do you make a blow tube?

* Drill out a case primer pocket in the base - caliber specific to the rifle
* Insert a length of plastic tubing the size of the hole drilled into the case
* To soften BP foul in the bore: insert the case with the tube into the chamber
BLOW: 5 deep breathes with high Relative Humidity - 10 to 12 deep breathes when the RH is low. Reason for using a case = moisture in the chamber of a rifle is a NO GO
Objective for the blow tube is to moisten the foul versa running a patch down the bore

[w30wcf]

"Nice to hear you Stepped Back in Time and enjoy shooting the rounds. With 4.5gr of Swiss Null-B, the average velocity is 980 fps."
John, I think that velocity was with the DuPont powder. In my rifle, 4.5 / Swiss Null B = 1,130 f.p.s.

Traffer,
Very interesting! A couple of questions if you don't mind.......
Are you using your collet to pull bullets from loaded .22 rounds before reloading with your bullets(?).
Are you using the powder from the factory .22's?

My dad was raised on a farm close to Shawano, WI. It is still in the family.

Thank you,
w30wcf

[nekshot]

I messed around with this years ago and must say it is fun and informative but lost interest after I got it working!

[John Boy]

John, I think that velocity was with the DuPont powder. In my rifle, 4.5 / Swiss Null B = 1,130 f.p.s.

w30wcf ... thanks for reminding me. The Null-B reloads in my rifles are the 1130 fps also and the old DuPont are the 980 fps. I got a picture somewhere the night at the Ridgway indoor pistol range we tested groups for all the different powders used to reload the 22LR rounds.
Might add, the target I posted with the multiple rounds were shot with a dirty bore. No patching or tubing was done. The cotton ball patch picture indicates how well the bore cleaned up after all the rounds were shot